Title: Can I as a company sponsor somebody to get a work visa?

Question:
I have a small business, literally me and my mom. We have an employee who isn’t legal so I’ve been paying him cash out of my personal funds. Is there a way to help him (this man is a saint and amazing in helping me and moms business) and sponsor him possibly to get a Work visa or even citizenship?
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 First issue is that his illegal presence makes him ineligible.

Second issue is that you would need to demonstrate that you can't find a US Citizen or Legal Resident who can do the job.


Title: I have over 200,000 followers on TikTok and get 100,000 views on every video, how can I legally beg for money like everyone else does with out getting banned?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Update

Answer: This is not a legal question. You are asking about the terms and conditions for a private platform.


Title: Landlord is not enforcing lease rules related to smoking, because there are two versions of the lease

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You have a different lease than what that other person has. Does your lease promise the entire building is smoke free? Is it advertised as smoke free?


Title: Neighbor putting trash cans in the middle of the street?

Question:
I live right next to a sort of entitled mother who recently began to put her trashcans out in the middle of the street with a sign posted on them, reading ‘street closed, PLAY STREET’ whenever her children are outdoors. The trashcans completely block any car access to the street, and it’s in a super suburban area with a decent bit of traffic.

It’s not that it is that big of a deal for myself, but I’ve witnessed a few cars pull into the street looking to get to the next block over only to find that they have to back out to get to the next street.

I have no idea if she has some sort of permissions from the city, but I just want to get an idea of whether or not this is legal if I go and talk to her about it.

Answer: Probably not legal, probably just worth reporting to the police and letting them handle it. You can't just shut down a street when you want to.Answer #2: Call the police, non emergency number, as soon as she blocks the street and let them deal with her.  Her blocking the street could cause an accident.Answer #3: SDOT actually has a play street program where you can do this (albeit, with some restrictions). If you like on a non-arterial road (as defined by SDOT), you can pull a permit to do this on a recurring basis. They should have an adult next to the barricades to move them for local/emergency/non-through traffic, but they’re actually required to have barricades (like their garbage cans) blocking traffic per the law. You can learn more here: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/public-space-management-programs/play-streetsAnswer #4: I would be surprised if this was legal, it could pose a larger issue if an emergency vehicle needed to access a house further down the road (they would probably drive through it, but still an issue.). With something like this is let the police handle it.  It seems pretty neighborly to say hey that's illegal and a PITA, but you mention she's entitled, it could be the start of a lasting rift that would have been easily avoided.Answer #5: Police will put an end to that in 5 minutes... call them


Title: [US, SC] Had yet another issue with apartment complex, looking for info on privacy laws in regard to security cameras, and protection to break lease if mgmt is unwilling to take problem seriously?

Question:
Hello all, I am in need of some of your expertise. I am in South Carolina, and am currently renting from a corporately owned apartment complex. Within the past year, I have had a package stolen from my door, there have been multiple disturbances with and without police assistance, and now we have had minor vandalism on my wife's vehicle. Someone wrote very offensive material on my wife's car in the nighttime dew. These things were very offensive, and our child was exposed to them this morning.

I spoke to the property manager, who informed me that they could do and will do nothing. If there was an issue, to contact the police. I pressed, asking if there were measures and precautions that she could enact as the manager, that could work toward a safer environment for every tenant, not just mine. I was met with condescension and hostility, when I would not accept her method of dodging all responsibility, and pushing things off to avoid blame, responsibility, etc. I was told that "privacy laws" were the reason that they would not install cameras to monitor the parking lots. I was not told what laws these were. I was simply told that there were laws in place, and that they could simply not do that. I was told that they were simply there to provide a place to live, and in no way were they responsible for making me feel safe or providing security.

My questions are whether there are laws in place for the state of South Carolina in regard to monitoring apartment complex parking lots, public areas, properties, etc. My other question is in regard to tenant rights in this state. At this point, the interaction that I had with the manager gives me very strong concerns about the safety of my family, my property, and the fact that I pay so much to live here monthly. If I have had multiple safety issues and similar disturbances, are there any avenues that I could take, in order to end my lease and go somewhere else? I do not think that feeling safe in my own home is too much to ask, and I do not appreciate the approach the management took when I came to them with a serious issue.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to your response.

Answer: This is definitely not grounds to break your lease. Also, I find a huge disconnect between someone (likely a child) writing words on your car in dew, and being worried about the safety of your family. It's a childish prank at best. Not as big of a deal as you're making it.


Title: [ca] Animal rescue let me adopted a dog without it being spayed.

Question: I adopted a dog from an animal shelter in orange county. They said the dog wasn't spayed, shes 6 with no medical problems preventing the operation, but they had a clinic the week after I adopted her for her to get spayed. I was unaware of the law  that requires any type of shelter/rescue to sterilize a dog before giving/adopting it out to a new owner when I adopted her. The week leading up to the clinic I continually called to set up the time for her to get spayed. Once they got back to me they said they weren't spaying dogs that clinic. I need to get my dog spayed in order to get her licensed with the county without spending an extra $70. They also told me they won't pay for her to be spayed anywhere else.  They currently have no idea when then they will have another clinic to spay dogs. Any suggestions on routes I could take to get my dog spayed, and to hold this shelter accountable in sterilizing their someone can't adopted out a un-sterilized dog and just breed it for a profit.

Answer:
 > They said the dog wasn't spayed [when I adopted the dog]... I need to get my dog spayed in
order to get her licensed with the county without spending an extra $70.

Unless they promised to spay it during the adoption, what your county charges to register a dog is not the animal shelter's responsibility.


Title: If you send people newspaper articles about something that someone did (not allegations, actual proof) is it harassment or against the law?

Question: Say a couple (boyfriend/girlfriend) murders someone. The police found proof and they also confessed. They are in jail now but they have a kid who is like 11 or something now. If someone posted articles about the parents and their crimes around her school, or handed them out to other parents (while on public, not school, property) does it count as harassment or anything else that is against the law? Or is it legal because the information in the articles is all true and was proven in court, and all the posting and handing out was done on public property? Specifically asking about the laws in California.

Answer: Legal or not, nobody here is going to assist you in bullying an 11 year old whose life is already hard enough as it is.Answer #2: It is legal to be a jackass, yes.Answer #3: There are some common law civil torts this could run afoul with. If you think society is going to let someone torment an 11 year old your insane. Answer #4: Why do you think this is a good idea?  The 11 year old isn't in any way responsible for his parents' crimes, and in many ways is a victim himself.  Attempting to victimize a child in this way is a terrible and immoral idea.Answer #5: Who ever runs this troll account is unfortunately getting better at their craft.


Title: My biological father owes 217,000 dollars in child support that he's never paid.

Question:
He is a professor at a college and knocked my mom up 26 years ago. He had me biologically tested and once he found out i was his, he stopped talking to my mom. He never payed a dime in child support, I calculated his retroactive bill, and it comes to 217,000 dollars.

Can i collect on this?

Answer: No, you can't. Your mother can collect if there was a child support order made by a court, but she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to.


Title: Getting my phone number back from employer

Question: About two years into my employment (now at 7 years), my personal phone number was transferred to the company account.  Since then it was used for both business and personal use.  I recently left my company, and the owner is refusing to transfer my phone number back to me.  Are there any legal options here?

Answer: NAL, but I don’t think so. Once it was transferred to the company account, they are viewed as owners of the number.


Title: (Minor) parents want to charge me utilities

Question:
Hello I am currently 17 but turn 18 in just a few weeks, my parents have said that i am no longer allowed to use their utilities and if I’d like to use them i must pay for them. This includes water, electric, and even in one text food. Is this legal?

I live in Florida it this helps.

Answer: While you are still a minor, your parents must provide food and shelter, including utilities, but they are allowed to control your earnings. When you are a legal adult, your parents have no obligation to house or feed you, but they must give you proper notice before they evict you and they cannot turn off the utilities as this is a constructive eviction. They don't need to feed you, though.


Title: [GA] I will be turning 21 this summer and moving into an apartment off campus with friends who will be 19. If I have alcohol in my apartment, will it be legal to keep it in the kitchen with my roommates living in the house?

Answer:
 Anytime you leave alcohol in the possession of minors - either actual possession or constructive possession - you run the risk of being charged with supplying alcohol to minors.

Your smart move would be to keep it in your area, secured, and to refuse to allow them any.


Title: Town-Owned Shade Tree Fell on Car [NJ]

Question: The side of my car got crushed by a town owned "shade tree". When I submitted the claim to my insurance, they assessed the damage as ~$8000. My car is a little older and in otherwise great condition but do to the vehicle's age, they are deeming it a total write off and offering ~$5000 as the value of the car. I'm curious if I have any recourse to sue the town for the difference, especially as the falling branch was a result of negligent maintenance and not the result of a storm, etc. I'd really prefer to get the car repaired, especially since I won't be able to replace the car with the settlement. Thanks /r/legaladvice!

Answer:
 If the owner of the tree knew or should have known that the tree was dead and a hazard, they might be responsible.  Can't just leave a dead tree looming over the neighborhood with no consequences when it predictably falls.

If the tree was healthy or not visibly diseased, or the fall was caused by a storm or something like that, then it's an "act of God" and the tree owner is not responsible.

You say "negligent maintenance".  Define that.  You mean they cut halfway through a branch and left it hanging over your car?  That's negligent.  You mean they just didn't happen to trim that tree?  Probably not negligent.

The insurance company is always going to pay you less than the damages you've suffered because of the deductible.  If you truly think that they're significantly underpaying you for the damage, you can always consult a lawyer and see if it's worth suing them.

You don't have any particular right to get the car repaired vs. purchasing a similar vehicle.  If the same car is going for $5K on Ebay and it would cost $75,000 to repair because it was smashed into little pieces, you're due $5K, not $75K.


Title: [IL] Grandmother died. Her home is for sale, and has been vandalized 3 times. If I were to stay there and intruders broke in, what rights to self defense do I have?

Question:
As the title states, my family has been having problems with people breaking into my grandma's house. Just found out it happened again last night.

They seem to be using mostly as a hang out place, but have also shot out several windows (cops say with guns, probably BB) and stolen a few minor things. We are mostly worried about further damage, as that is expensive.

We are planning on installing cameras in the house, and we've ordered a wifi router (she didn't have internet) so that we can actively monitor it.

In the meantime, if one of my family members were to stay at the house, and another break in were to occur, what kind of rights to self defense would they have? Does castle doctrine only apply to primary residence--none of my family currently lives there.

Any advice welcome. Thanks.

Answer: You can't use lethal force just cause someone breaks in under castle doctrine in Illinois. If you are physically in danger/attacked, you can respond in self defense if necessary. Running/calling the police is almost always a better idea.


Title: Is it uncommon to meet somebody that is genuine, not passive agressive, or snarky in the legal profession? AZ

Question:
I've never hired a lawyer before and ive recently been on the search for one and about 4/5 of the lawyers (higher probably) responses to my questions are very bitchy and snarky.

Even the responses I see in this sub are a little bit like that without the vocal tone.

Is it difficult to find lawyers that treat their clients with genuine concern and treats them them like an individuals? is that just the type of personality this profession attracts? How would I go about finding (if this is the type of person I wanted to do business with) an attorney that will treat somebody as inexperienced with law as myself and answer the questions without talking down to me?

Answer:
 It depends on what you mean, but attorneys tend to be blunt and to the point.  It often does clients a disservice to feel like they're special: they need realistic expectations of not just outcomes, but how their opponents and other involved parties will see them.  If I'm all sunshine and rainbows and you aren't prepared for a hyper aggressive deposition, I've failed to prepare you properly.

They also charge by the hour.  Frivolity and idle chatting are expensive.  If you're not already a client, that 20 minutes of talking about your kids is time I could have made money.

Finally, attorneys, especially smaller firms with many small-scale clients, are used to people wasting time and blowing smoke about things that will never actually lead to real business.  They have to sniff that out in a hurry or they'll spend all their time being nice right up until they file bankruptcy Answer #2: Attorneys aren't therapists and neither are the regular posters in this sub. Just because an answer is direct and to the point doesn't mean the person doesn't care. It just means they don't like to beat around the bush.Answer #3: I treat them quite well actually, and often am thanked for not talking down. that said, if you lie to me about somethi material my snark comes out, because I relied upon your statements to make my entire plan.

on this forum Im generally good, but my snark does come out because this is free and idiots annoy the shit out of me. I'll be polite for pay, and until you show you aren't worth it, then I get snarky.


Title: I attend college in Colorado. Can I sue a college RA, campus police officer, or normal campus police officer* if they catch me with weed?

Question:
Let me preface this by saying: I live in Colorado, I'm attending college here.

If a campus RA, normal police officer, or normal police officer from the local town visiting the college campus catches me with weed, can I sue them due to Colorado ending qualified immunity?

Answer: What would you sue them for exactly?


Title: Evictions due to actions of a crazy ex? (Texas)

Question:
I have a friend who is female and sometimes has custody over a child. Her ex brought over the child and had some sob story about how he needed a place to crash or he would be sleeping in a tent, so she let him stay. He proceeded to break into a neighbor's apartment, raid their liquor, knock out her car windows to steal her car, and then drunk drive her car into a restaurant.

Now she is being required to move out or risk being evicted. Can she be evicted for his actions?

Answer: She's responsible for the actions of her guests, yes.


Title: [USA] (Vegan Cat) Is it Animal Abuse if the owner of the cat is vegan and she only gives her cat vegan food? The cat would be getting no nutrients from fish, meat and milk. Cats are not vegan herbivores by nature. Is it a state law matter?

Question:
The reason for her feeding her cat vegan diet is that it's more humane.

Does this depend on the state or are laws the same in every state?  The owner travels with her cat. She is mostly in CA and NY. Occasionally she goes to MA, OR and other states.

What is the legal definition of cat abuse by owner?

Does cat breed matter? Any cat will hate vegan diet until it gets used to it and maybe starts liking it.

This should be seen as a hypothetical and not necessarily describing facts in an actual case

EDIT This question is about legality of what she does to her cat. Some comments and nasty PM's say it's bad maybe thinking I'm her and downvoting my replies in comments so others don't see what I've written. I know it's bad and any cat will hate veggie diet. I'm asking about legality of what she does to her cat. I know it's bad myself or wouldn't be asking.

Answer:
 More humane for who? Cats are obligate carnivores. They have a very limited ability to digest plant-based proteins. Feeding the cat a vegetarian diet will result in it going blind and then dying of diabetes, kidney failure, or general malnutrition.

Call the local SPCA or city Animal Control/Welfare on her and see if it meets the definition of neglect in her state. It might or might not, depending on the cat's state of health. Not providing an animal with proper food is generally considered neglect, but it might be hard to show if the cat is obese. Unfortunately the cat is probably going to have to suffer a lot before anyone can legally take it away from her.

Breed is irrelevant; cat breeds are basically cosmetic. Answer #2: Cats cannot eat a vegan nor vegetarian diet. The cat will die. Yes, call the local animal shelter or a national animal rights group. Answer #3: It depends. It might be nothing at all.

There is vegan catfood out there that technically serves the need of the cat. It's fortified with taurine (amino-acid found in meat). Many people's cats are allowed outside, too, so they get to hunt themselves, as well as be fed.

As to whether that's good enough for any cat or for the hypothetical cat in your case, you'd have to ask a vet about that.


Title: NC (Divorce), what type of motion is used to make spouse release money to pay bills?

Question:
My mom is separated and going through divorce. She just got cut off by her husband from the only account she was allowed access to in an attempt to starve her out. Literally. She can't even buy food now. What motion is filed to ask for a release of funds prior to the completion of the divorce? Interim Distribution? Restraining Order to prevent him from cutting her off from the bill paying account?

&#x200B;

Before it's said, yes of course she needs a lawyer. Kind of hard to retain one when you can't afford to eat.

Answer: A motion for post separation support.  She needs to look for a lawyer immediately. Even if she does not have the money for a retainer right now, she may be able to find a lawyer willing to take her case once they understand her situation. As the dependent spouse, she may be entitled to have her husband pay her attorneys fees. The judge that eventually reviews the situation is going to be very displeased by what the husband has done, but she needs to act quickly. She should be sending emails to potential lawyers right now and calling lawyers offices first thing in the morning.  She should keep the message that she sends by email or the voicemail that she leaves short and simple. “My husband and I are separated. He has taken all of our money. I am in need of an attorney to represent me immediately. “


Title: So many Chinese counterfeit prints of my flipbook animations! Anything I can do?

Question:
Dang this is so sad, and so interesting to me at the same time.  (I'm from Chicago, IL USA) I just discovered the internet...I'll specify and say the (Chinese?) part of the internet...is just SWARMING with counterfeit versions of my flipbooks. So much so that I think I can literally do nothing about it. They took my hand drawn work and made completely digitized perfect replicas of them.

...and the funny thing is in their example photos...there are so many counterfeits, they go to the lengths so show you a 'good' (copied) version of my book compared to a cheap looking shitty version. And there's just hundred if not thousands of places that are selling their own version (and several others of my flipbooks)

My guess is that Apple or Disney have to deal with this...then theres little I can do...but if you have any input, please let me know if anyone has.  Also any advice of knows of a printer so I can at least compete with **myself**.

Here is the [original video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZYCh-p72Ao ) Here is [just one](http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z3o.7695460.14.113.FucdcM&id=44227515158) of many of my flipbooks I found on the website:

Here's an [imgur link](http://imgur.com/a/1Wgp0#0) I made with some of the image examples.

Answer:
 Sorry this is happening; it must be very frustrating.

http://www.usccc.org/ might be of help, or might be a lobbying organization for megacorps; I'm not sure.

I would think the best way for an individual to fight this would be to find a Chinese partner who would be interested in licensing this from you, exclusively, and then let the partner fight the counterfeiters civilly in China.
Answer #2: Hi i'm here in China. You would have to hire an IP lawyer here in china, who are expensive and pretty much useless. I'll speak to some of the vendors on taobao and see what they say.  Alternativley you can speak directly to taobao about this. Send them some proof its yours and you haven't authoized theses sellers to carry your product and maybe they will do something.

Mini update: i spoke to one of the stores and they haven't responded to me yet... says their customer service is online but i don't know.

tb26856_99(2015-07-10 08:55:13):
您好

tb26856_99(2015-07-10 08:55:15):
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z3o.7695460.14.113.FucdcM&id=44227515158

tb26856_99(2015-07-10 08:55:25):
你这本书是正版的吗？

tb26856_99(2015-07-10 09:02:56):
人？

tb26856_99(2015-07-10 09:08:55):
???

Me: Hi

Me: link

Me: is this book legit or a knockoff?

me: you there?

me: ???


Title: my friend i trusted to look after my cat is basically holding my cat hostage/stole him

Question:
hi guys.

so i had to move last minute to LA from PA. my friend who ive been friends with for literal years (we lived together for 3)  said he could take care of my cat until i got on my feet. i have logs of him saying most of that.

after a week or so of being in la things started to feel a bit weird. hed post pics of my cat calling him his son and his cat. i shook it off as me overreacting and having ancient.

i would ask about my cat when i had time to be online but moving to a whole new state and getting on your feet isnt...easy? ive been very stressed but ive asked about him still multiple times. (around 12 in a month period i asked for updates)

so a few days ago now I asked how he was doing and my friend told me good and that he was taking him to the groomers in a few days. i voiced my nervousness about that and told him i wished hed asked before making the appointment. Hes never been to one before and my parental (hes a pet but he is my son as well) drive was kicking in.

he seemed aggravated by this and told me he was taking care of him so hed do whatever he wanted. he walso said he couldn't groom him which is odd bc i showed him and told him he needed brushed every few days because hes a long haired cat. hes super good with grooming because i groomed him every day and hes used to it. so i told him you know id rather if he didnt. id be getting money enough to have him sent down to me in a month and if he just wanted to take him back to my moms in the mean time that would be fine and shed pay gass (shes about a 8 hour drive but he said when we worked this out hed be willing to if he couldn't take care of the cat anymore)

he...flipped on me. said i never cared about the cat and that i couldn't take care of him anyway so id be better if he just have him for now...and then blocked me on almost everything.

i did get him on Instagram and told him i just wanted my cat back. hes since told me he now wants money for housing the cat and for someone to come and get him.

my grandparents are elderly and cant and my mom doesn't have a car.

im getting his medical papers because i was told that can prove hes mine and i plan on calling the cops once i have the paperwork. is there anything else i can/should do. im terrified of him just cutting off contact. he moved so i dont know his address but i have his name, state, and town. also proof against things hes said about me. i have screenshots if needed.

basically what do i do. i raised this cat from a kitten and i love him to bits.

Answer:
 You need to make your way to his home and get your cat. Answer #2: If you have his vet papers and any proof that he was registered under your name (like a microchip) that should be enough to prove he's yours. Answer #3: Pick him up now and see if your mom will help you out financially till you can get on your feet. Also save those messages if you need to get the police involved. They prove that the cat is in fact your property.Answer #4: Just a reminder - there is frequently "namespace collision" between two-letter postal abbreviations. "LA" can mean either "Los Angeles" or "Louisiana".Answer #5: >  my mom doesn't have a car.

How about a rental?


Title: Lawyer dodging meeting with me

Question:
Hi, everyone. I will TL DR at the bottom of the post. I am on mobile so I apologize for formatting. I posted here a couple weeks ago about having hired a lawyer for a child visitation case here in Illinois.

We had already made a previous agreement on visitation back in 2010, that needed updated as it didn't work with my son's school and activities. The lawyer had initially told me it would be a cut and dry case. So far we have gotten absolutely nothing accomplished in multiple court dates going back to mid 2017.

His office never returns my emails. They mailed me documents stating that they needed to set up a meeting with me around 3 months ago, then ignored my calls/emails about said meeting.

Our last court date was in July, but they called me the morning of court and said that court got rescheduled again for a date in September. They never told me what the date was despite multiple attempts by me to contact them.

I went to their office last week (Which they moved to the other side of the city without so much as a heads up) and was scheduled for a phone conference with my attorney today (Oct 9) at 11am. It is now 3 o'clock and haven't received a phone call.

When I called them to check what was up, I was told that the attorney was currently "in a meeting" and would call me back right after. I made this call around noon today, since it was already an hour past my scheduled conference time.

I am just wondering what I do? I paid a $1500 retainder, and cannot afford to hire another lawyer. Which I would assume I would need to do since, as I said, literally nothing has happened in at least half a dozen court dates. On top of that, the relationship between my son's mother is not a good one and she would fight me tooth and nail on everything.

My last thread got responses that said to get my case file, and hire another attorney. But like I said, that isn't an option monetarily for me since I am a full time college student with a 4 kids to take care of. Plus, I can't get the time of day from the lawyer to even attain the file.

Any advice is GREATLY appreciated.

TL:DR being ghosted by my attorney and not alerted when my court dates are. Can't afford to hire another lawyer because of college and a family.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Lawyers can often be hard to get ahold of it's a busy profession, but in my experience with bad lawyers when you can't get ahold of them to this degree it's because they didn't do something they were supposed to do.

Have you tried looking into pro bono services if you can't afford another attorney?

Edit: I can't spell sorry


Title: After my car accident, finally got my settlement. Only 600 dollars?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Moooooore infoooo.


Title: Public Intoxication in Alabama

Question:
In October my boyfriend and I were drinking at a bar in the downtown area of Huntsville, AL. He had stopped to sober up. We were heading to his home in Lacey Springs, a town in Morgan County. A cop pulled us over close to his house. Officer claims it was because of "shaky taillights". We were honest about where we had been. Boyfriend passes a field sobriety test. The officer has my boyfriend take a breathalyzer. Arrests him for public intoxication. They told him to call me a ride home and asked me to step out of the vehicle as it was being towed. While looking through my phone to obtain a ride they ask to breathalyze me. Having never been in this situation and not entirely familiar with my rights here, I politely obliged. They then arrested me for public intoxication.

I've already been to my first court date and pled not guilty. I feel pretty certain that arresting a person under public intoxication also requires them to be a threat to their self, others, or being boisterous. I was none of the above, though I don't know what the officer wrote in his report. Can anyone tell me if an officer can rightfully arrest you just for being drunk in public? Other good things to know:

1. Morgan County is a dry county.
2. From what I've gathered the vehicle is considered a private place, thus I wasn't in public until I obeyed a lawful order to exit the vehicle.

Answer:
 > Section 13A-11-10

>Public intoxication.

>(a) A person commits the crime of public intoxication if he appears in a public place under the influence of alcohol, narcotics or other drug to the degree that he endangers himself or another person or property, or by boisterous and offensive conduct annoys another person in his vicinity.

>(b) Public intoxication is a violation.

>(Acts 1977, No. 607, p. 812, §5545.)

This is really vague and open to interpretation. It sounds like perhaps you already read this. I've never been to AL but I'd speak to a local attorney about both of your charges if you haven't already. You might be able to get these charges dropped. My guess is the cop was disappointed your boyfriend didn't meet the standard for a DWI and tried this crap as a backup plan.


Title: I'm signing away my rights to my son and have some questions.

Question:
Hello r/legaladvice, I'm in the process of signing away my rights to my son due to psychiatric problems I'm dealing with and we've agreed it's what's best. I was wondering if anybody knew about the laws regarding child support. She wants full custody and a name change and I have said I'll agree to that as long as I'm exonerated of all back pay and future child support. She says it's impossible, but I know it isn't because my parents have a similar agreement. If this is the wrong board I'm sorry, but if anybody has any useful information I would be extremely grateful.

Edit: I live in Texas.

Answer:
 She's right.  You aren't "signing away your rights." Until a court legally terminates your parental rights, you are still legally the father.  In most states, the court won't do that unless there's a stepparent standing ready to adopt.

You can give up all custody and agree to a name-change, but you are still legally the father and are subject to a child support order.


Title: Baby Bonding FMLA

Question:
I live in Utah and With Baby bonding FMLA am I required by law to give notice if I am going to take a day off? I am being told that I have to plan it all out and get supervisor approval to take a baby bonding day even though it is protected leave? Is my supervisor allowed to deny my baby bonding FMLA leave without warrant to deny?
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 FMLA leave is not carte blache to miss work without notice whenever you feel like it and not give notice. You should make a good faith effort to work with your employer.  You can start by giving them something which establishes the in loco parentis relationship.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28b.pdf


Title: Girlfriend caught with CBD oil in South Dakota USA

Question:
So me and my girlfriend took a road trip to South Dakota this past week, we currently live in Milwaukee Wisconsin, and on the way back we were in a rush since I had to move out of my place. I got pulled over going 10 mph over the speed limit on the interstate and the cop comes up to the car and asks for drivers registration and drivers license. I am from Minneapolis and that is where I got my car and in Minnesota I am not used to having my drivers registration in my car and in past times I have gotten pulled over they ask for my insurance.

So the cop asks me to get into his vehicle which I thought was odd for a speeding ticket, and while I got into the car he went to go question my girlfriend. According to her the cop said "We do these stops for drug searches and I am going to search your car and use my drug dog on your car. Do you have Marijuana on you?" A little back story on my girlfriend, she has chronic back pain and scoliosis and instead of using Vicodin she uses CBD oil to relieve the pain. My girlfriend got scared and handed over her cbd oil not realizing that it wasnt legal in South Dakota meanwhile in Minnesota and Wisconsin it is legal.

The cop comes back to the car and shows me the cbd oil telling me that it is a felony in South Dakota. Not to mention he was being a bit of an ass about it, telling me I look like the kind of guy who smokes joints all the time and trying to get me to admit to smoking weed, when I dont smoke. He then gives me my speeding ticket, then goes to search my car claiming that now that he has the cbd oil he has probable cause to search my car. Searches my car and finds nothing because me nor my girlfriend drink or smoke.

After the search, he tells my girlfriend she is arrested for drug possession. So here she is in a back brace getting cuffs slapped on her as we are explaining to the cops that it is used for medical purposes. Cop takes her an hour back in the opposite direction and throws her into jail. Luckily two hours later she gets released from jail without bail, and is told to go back to Mitchell South Dakota for a court date in July. It is still a felony and we are unsure why it is a felony because it is less than 2 ounces of oil. Another thing to consider is she does not have a prescription for cbd oil, so it was a substance that her brother was getting from Colorado for her. We don't know what to do and need some help here. Any legal advice would be very much appreciated!

Answer:
 Your girlfriend needs to retain the services of a criminal defense attorney and follow their advice to a tee.  If she is being charged with a felony, that's the only answer.

For the speeding ticket, pay it, challenge it, or retain the services of a traffic attorney.Answer #2: > It is still a felony and we are unsure why it is a felony because it is less than 2 ounces of oil.

Any amount is a felony in South Dakota. It is probably one of the strictest states. Your girlfriend gave it to the cop and admitted to it, there is really not much we can tell you. Your girlfriend is looking at up to 5 years in jail and a fine up to $10,000, so yeah, you need to get a lawyer who specializes in this in the area where her court will be held, asap.


Title: Can I be prosecuted as an adult if porn has been posted of me (without permission) in which I am underage?

Question:
Throwaway for obvious reasons... I'll try to be as brief as possible describing the situation.

I am in my low twenties, living in Ontario Canada.

When I was 13-17, I was involved in an (what I can now see as abusive, manipulative, and inappropriate) online relationship with a 30+ man who lives in the United States. During the years we were "together", he often had me create videos or preform on Skype in sexually explicit manner - and I am no longer naive enough to blindly believe his assurances he was not recording the calls.

The end of the relationship was not smooth to say the least, and contained a great deal of cruel  behaviour on his part. This brings me to my legal question:

I know underage children have been charged with distributing child porn of themselves in the US, and I am asking if I could possibly be prosecuted for "willingly" producing the videos if he has posted them previously (or in the future I guess, ick) online/shared the videos of me. Also if he has the videos on a hard drive it is completely possible he'd also have saved all of the identifying information for me - yes, I was stupid enough to tell him entirely accurate details down to the address I was living at. And yes, I am very thankful in hindsight my stupidity  and naivety did not have worse consequences.

Last I knew he was living in Illinois, if that helps at all.

Thank you in advance to anyone who reads/responds.

Answer:
 US law and prosecutors tend to be pretty understanding to victims of online predators. You are a victim and that's the end of it, you weren't stupid, you were taken advantage of by predator. Have you gotten any type of counseling?

All that being said, it wouldn't be the end of the world to have legal counsel present if you were contacted by US authorities. But in the end, it is very unlikely that you'd be prosecuted.Answer #2: Could you? Sure, presumably it's possible. Realistically, this isn't an attractive case for a prosecutor for a host of reasons. If an American law enforcement agency contacts you, simply decline to answer any questions without an attorney present.Answer #3: It is possible, but highly unlikely.  You made the video in Canada, it would be up to Canadian authorities to charge you.  I do not know if they would or not, or what the Canadian law is.

Keep in mind though, his possession of these videos and the fact that he essentially created them with you is decades in jail under Federal law.  If he shares the videos, he is also subject to Illinois revenge porn law.


Title: My neighbor hit my car and drove away

Question:
I was at home (New York) when I heard a pop/crunch sound. I looked out the bay window and saw a white car immediately in front of my car. The car had backed out of the neighbor's driveway and the rear bumper made contact with my front bumper. After hesitating, the car drove away. I don't recall if the car belongs to the neighbor or a friend of the neighbor.

The damage to my car: paint chips and scratches on the bumper.

The driver knew he/she hit the car, and I'm pretty upset that he/she just drove away. Should I call the police? Is this something worth pursuing and involving the insurance company?

Update: This deserves to be in /justiceporn.

I contacted the police station and was told an officer would be sent. While waiting, the white car returns (already 1.5 hours past the hit and run), I write down the license plate, and the car leaves again. Police eventually arrive and I give them my statement. As they proceed to do their paper work, I go back into my house. I walk back out two minutes later and see the police lights flashing! Apparently the white car had returned to drop off the neighbor at his house! The police saw the vehicle that I had exactly described and pulled her over.

She initially denied hitting my car. The officer said that she could be arrested since I saw her drive away from the scene. However, I don't want to be that guy that got someone arrested because of damaged paint. But when she realized that she could be arrested, she changed her tune and admitted to hitting my car. As I'm typing this, the officers are completing the report. I will probably get a small check from insurance, but that is besides the point. I hope that she learns her lesson (but that is probably wishful thinking).

Now I have to deal with the neighbor who she was with. Rather than be vindictive, I'm hoping they will see it from my point of view and realize that she is in the wrong. Time to install some street viewing cameras...

Thank you, my fellow redditors, for your help and advice! Sorry for the long update. To justice!!

Answer:
 > Should I call the police? Is this something worth pursuing and involving the insurance company?

Yes and yes.

That's a hit and run.


Title: My dog cries during the day, neighbor threatening to take legal action

Question: My wife and I are gone from 7:30 to 3:30, we used to have two dogs, one of them passed away last year, ever since then she cries during the day. My neighbour works graveyard shift and lives below us, is it possible for them to charge us with something?

Answer:
 Your crying dog is violating both HOA and city/county noise ordinances and a complaint to either may result in either you and/or your dog being forced to leave the premises. You simply can't allow the dog to cry all day and irritate the neighbors.Answer #2:  Most town noise ordinances are only in effect at nighttime, evenings and early mornings. You can check your towns bylaws probably on their website.

I second doggy daycare or getting a freind. Obviously it's not good for the dog to be crying all day long...regardless of your neighbor. Answer #3: why don’t you get another dog? Your dog is clearly hurt. Will solve both problems.


Title: How would the courts view scamming someone for money they scammed from you?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: So, you just committed the same crime as the guy you're trying to "catch". Think about that for a minute or two....


Title: Neighbors kids stole my dog

Question:
Recently I purchase a new puppy from an out of state breeder. He had a full check up and was in perfect health. I have his AKC papers and he's micro-chipped.  My dog and I go outside everyday so he can run around the yard and do his business and I can work in the garden and relax outside.

A few days ago, I let my dog run around our yard by himself for about an hour.

My niece showed me the kids posting photos of "their" new dog on facebook. IT'S MY DOG. He's even still wearing the collar and has his pet ID tag with *MY* address.

I went over to speak to the parents who REFUSE to return my dog since they don't want to disappoint their kids. That they already fell in love with it. The dad offered me $20 bucks for the dog. Not only is this far less than I paid for my dog ($2500), I don't want money. I want *my* dog back.

If I call the police, will they help me get my dog back? If not is there anything else I can do? I'm pissed. They jumped my fence, stole my dog and now they don't want to give him back!!! (TEXAS)

Answer:
 You might also mention to them that regardless of what *they think* the dog is worth, its value is $2500 which makes the theft a felony in Texas and they could face a year or more in state prison in addition to significant fines.

http://statelaws.findlaw.com/texas-law/texas-theft-larceny-laws.htmlAnswer #2: Ok OP, it has been FOUR HOURS. I'm sure if you called, the police have been there by now... UPDATE!?!??Answer #3: So wait, when you talked to them they *admitted* that it was your dog and they had stolen it?

If they are so brazen, it might be worth talking to them about it again and recording the conversation. Answer #4: The crime is committed when the dog is taken regardless of whether it is given back later on...you definitely need to make a police report and/or tell your story to a police officer for them to make a report...The police may very well ignore you and do nothing g about it but this will only help you in the future if you have any more problems with them...If you are serious about this contact your local district attorney/prosecutor and speak with them....also...take a lot of pictures of your dog....specifically any potentially identifying marks (paw coloration, fur pattern etc)  and pictures of you and every family member holding the dog.....little dogs are stolen fairly often...you should NEVER allow a little dog outside on its own....even a large bird can kill a Bichon


Title: [SC] Found out my wife is violating our separation agreement.

Question:
My state requires a 1 year separation before divorce. The agreement specifies that any new person either party starts seeing is prohibited from having that person spend the night when the child is present.

I already knew about the guy...whatever. But when I picked up my 8 year old she told me he was in the house taking a shower. She said he sleeps in mommy's room and mommy sleeps with her but it still violates it.

I had a lawyer review the separation agreement but couldn't afford one. My only option would be to pay off an existing 401k loan and take out a new one to hire a lawyer.

Is her testimony admissible? Should I try to record my daughter telling me about the situation? Do I let my wife know that I know? I'm lost about how to proceed.

Edit: Based on the comments here I suppose it was a shock to me which is why I asked. Ultimately I want to do what is best for my kid and so I have decided not to say anything because she is is the only reason I know. I appreciate everyone's input that I need to just let it go, which I will try to do.

Answer:
 First and foremost, you need to decide whether or not this is really the hill you want to die on. Is it really that big of a deal?

If the answer is yes, go ahead and take out that new loan to hire a lawyer. If it were me, however, I'd just let it go and move on. Answer #2: Not legal advice, but I've been there and done that. My ex's house was on a road that unless I went really out of the way I passed by frequently. His car was always there and in the beginning it really pissed me off. But he wasn't harming my kids and he actually seemed to care about them, he was not taking over the "daddy role" I didn't agree with the situation but it was out of my control. I put my feelings aside and play(ed) nice with the ex. I learned I need to set the example I want my kids to follow and it benefits nobody to fight about these kind of things. Your daughter deserves you and mommy to be happy.Answer #3: Is it really worth going into debt to be petty? She will be told not to do it again.


Title: About a million people use this disclaimer online. Is it enforceable at all?

Question:
The website Fetlife.com (NSFW and requires an account) is a social networking site for people in the BDSM community. Privacy and discretion is a primary concern among users of the site. In the past some universities have, or have tried, to conduct studies on the user base. Nearly all the users on the site use some iteration of this disclaimer on their profile:

"WARNING:
Any institution or person using this site or any of it's associated sites for study, projects, or personal agenda - You do not have my permission to use any of my profile or pictures in any form or forum, both current or future. You do not have my permission to copy, save, or print my pictures for your own personal use, including, but not limited to, saving them on your computer, posting them on any other website, or this one and passing them off as your own. If you have or do, it will be considered a violation of my privacy and will be subject to all legal remedies."

I haven't been able to find much about the enforceability of this disclaimer, but it seems to me, as a layperson, to not carry much weight. I guess it depends on who were to use your profile e.g. your employer vs. someone using your images for commercial use. Could you shed some light on this?

Answer:
 Disclaimers on social network websites' profiles don't confer any additional legal rights to the people on the social network.
Answer #2: Yeah, that's not going to have any effect. It certainly won't override the terms of service from the individual websites. [Here's](http://www.snopes.com/computer/facebook/privacy.asp) a Snopes article on a similar privacy post that floats around Facebook once every six months or so.Answer #3: Such terms are most likely in conflict with the terms of service of the site, which usually hold that uploading photos to the site transfers a liscence to the site for nearly all purposes. I'm also what legal remedies they think they have for a publicly accessible profile being used by a member of the public.

This comment is really just an excuse to post a link to [the best disclaimer ever](http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/alright-fine-ill-add-a-disclaimer-to-my-emails).


Title: (Florida) Money stolen, bank returned - crime?

Question:
For a relative.

Money was stolen by an aide from two different bank accounts. The bank returned all of the money. The aide also had pizza delivered to her house using relative's credit card, but the bank also returned that money. Pizza place has the aide's address and is willing to give it to relative.

Police say that since relative was "made whole" by the bank, the bank is the one who has to file complaint/press charges.  Is this correct? Is there anything that can be done by relative?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 >Pizza place has the aide's address and is willing to give it to relative.

Well, I hope you aren't planning on going there and beating her up.

Report her to the agency and any regulatory/licensing boards that might apply. Also you might want to get new card numbers issued just in case. Also keep an eye on (or put a freeze on) the credit reports.

If the bank and cops don't want to pursue criminal charges, you could try calling the DA's office, but unless it was thousands of $$, they might not think it worth pursuing.


Title: [Canada] Denied entry into the US, no explanation given.

Question:
Yesterday morning i went to the airport for my flight to San Francisco to go to one of my good friend's wedding, along with my SO. I had digital proof of the wedding invite, our hotel reservation, along with our return flight. I am not a visible minority, and i frequently travel to the US for work related things (i work remotely as a software developer and at least once every 3 months everyone gets together to work locally for a week+). I am a NEXUS pass holder, however my SO is not.

Rather than to leave my SO stuck in the line herself, i asked the agent if i could line up with my wife even though i have a NEXUS pass. She said that was fine.

After i went through the inspection point i was stopped by 3 members of TSA and asked to come with them. I was then brought to a room while customs basically went through every single thing i brought with me. I was cordial, and gave them access to my phone and laptop. They asked the same questions a dozen or so times, and never seemed satisfied with the answer of "i am going to my friends wedding".

After \~15 minutes of this i was told to wait for their supervisor, so we then waited nearly 4 hours. A guard kept apologizing for the wait, and said he would be here in a few minutes. We waited nearly \~4 hours, and missed our flight.

Finally their "supervisor" arrived, and returned my laptop and smart phone. I was  told that i am being denied entry into the US, and he refused to give me any reason. Furthermore he informed me that my NEXUS pass has been revoked permanently. Yet again he gave absolutely no explanation for what happened.

Then i was escorted out of the airport, neither of the people answered ether of my questions.

So my question is:

1. What the fuck just happened?
2. How do i fix this?

Answer:
 First, try submitting a DHS redress form at https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-trip

If that fails, get an immigration attorney.


Title: Gun Laws in [AR, USA] Simplified?

Question:
I'm thinking about buying a handgun to keep in my truck or house for defense and to take to the range for fun. Could anyone explain the applicable Arkansas gun laws or point me towards a good resource for this information? If it makes a difference, I'm not interested in carying the gun on my person concealed or openly.

I am by no means a lawyer so I don't want to get into the actual legal wording and risk misinterpreting something and accidentally breaking the law. If this the wrong place to post this please point me in the right direction. Thanks everyone.


Title: Can my landlord pay for my neighbor’s car repairs and take it out of my security deposit? (Washington)

Question:
I just got back from a 2 month long vacation and my landlord let me know that one of my house sitter’s guests hit our front porch and may have dinged our neighbor’s car a bit. The damage to the porch is minimal and I’m fine paying for that repair out of the security deposit, but the real problem is the car thing. The neighbors said that they’re not sure if their car got hit at all and the damage may have already been there, but nonetheless my landlord offered to pay for repairs and take it out of our security deposit because she wants to be a good neighbor and make things right. Obviously I’m not ok with that and it doesn’t make any sense to me at all. Can she really do that?

On a side note, my landlord lives just a few houses down the street and we live in a very small community, so I’d like to keep things as civil as possible.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Both the home repair and the car repair should be going through the driver's insurance. You should not be paying either of those costs. Doesn't matter if it was you, your guest, or your house sitter's guest, this should go through insurance and be paid for by the driver who did the damage.Answer #2: There may be a clause in your lease that delineates exactly what the deposit money can be used for -- typically it can be used only for correcting items that you were responsible for in accordance with the terms of your lease.  So for example, you forgot to change some light bulbs, or caused the premature replacement of the carpets -- those are things you can be charged for correcting.  If that lease clause is there, that is.


Title: My father put my mother ( they're split up ) as one of his employees early in their marriage and was paying money to that "employee" and she never knew, he didn't pay tax on any of that money and now the IRS are at my mom for taxes

Answer: Your mom should consult with a CPA on how to proceed.Answer #2: This is tax attorney time, not CPA time.  A tax attorney will have the means and knowledge to work with the IRS and unravel this cluster.  Also, yeah, her divorce attorney should be able to push for the divorce decree, regardless of what stalling tactics your dad is engaging in.Answer #3: How long ago did this occur?Answer #4: Sounds like identity theft to me. Report him.


Title: Got a ticket but was not doing what the ticket is for.

Question:
Hey guys I understand this question is a little odd and I'm going to try to ask this without sounding like a dick.

I am from MA and I was just pulled over for speeding in NY (I was speeding).  The officer said he was going to give me a break and cite me for "Disobeying a traffic control device" because it would cost me less money.  I want to know if I have any way of fighting this because technically I did not do what I got the ticket for.  If I fought it would the officer then be able to go "okay then here's a speeding ticket instead."  I don't want to push my luck here but if there's any way for me to get out of this I'd like to do that.  My question is would I be able to get out of the ticket he wrote because I am not guilty of what he cited me with, and at the same time not have any repercussions such as then getting cited for speeding instead because in all fairness he was trying to cut me a break and I am kind of being a dick by thinking about fighting it. Thanks guys!

Answer:
 Well you would be pushing your luck. This is pretty standard in the north east states (and maybe elsewhere but I’m only familiar with them).

Failure to obey a traffic control device nets you fewer points on your license although normally a similar fine. So you’ve got that going for you if the fine is less.

By all means argue that you should have been charged with speeding, and get more points and a higher fine. And yes they can amend the ticket if they wish.

And you were guilty of failing to obey a traffic control device: in this case the speed limit sign. It’s not just traffic lights.

Don’t look this gift horse in the mouth.


Title: Minimum wage in NJ jumped to $11 an hour 1/1/20. Still getting less..?

Question:
As some of you are aware, NJ’s state minimum wage is $11 as of January 1, 2020.

My fiancée is a work horse, (although she doesn’t really need to work) recently received a check of $10 an hour for Jan 1st (holiday pay) Jan 2nd of $10 and Jan 3rd of $10. She works for TJMAXX/MARSHALLS which is NOT a small business.

Is this correct? To my understanding I thought all companies/corps with more than x amount of workers and income MUST comply to NJ laws for minimum wage.

I’ve searched on google to no avail, I haven’t been an hourly employee in nearly a decade. I just want what’s fair for my fiancée.

Answer:
 It’s the 5th. Does her check really include work time from 2 days ago??Answer #2: Are you positive that the pay is for the dates you listed?  Remember that a lot of companies run paychecks delayed by one pay period. You don’t get the first paycheck until the end of the second pay period and that continues for your entire career.  You might have to go a week or two before the pay checks catch up. It’s not fraud in that case, just gives them time to process them.
I’d also be really nice and just ask the company to explain it to you. Say it’s not what you expected and see if it works out. Even if it’s wrong, it’s likely just a glitch that they’d immediately fix. Storming in with threats of lawsuits and finding out that it was just a mistake is a quick way to get fired. If you are getting shorted, there’s always time for legal stuff after you’ve confirmed it.


Title: (Ca) I have two children and I need to leave to stay with family

Question: I’ve been married for four years and have two children. Both are under the age of five. Husband has mental health issues and has begun drinking heavily. His behavior has become aggressive since drinking and taking medication for said illnesses. It’s escalating and getting worse. He has hurt my oldest before and has left marks on him. I have pictures. I told him months ago I will leave him if he can’t stop. He’s just gotten more sneaky with his booze. Last night he got so aggressive ( hitting the walls and door) and loud during an argument that our neighbors called the cops, but he didn’t hit me or the children so they just filed a report and left. I want a divorce because I can’t put my children and myself through this anymore. All my family and friends are in Ga and are willing to help me and my children get there. Is there a way that I can leave with my children without my husband’s consent? If so what can I do? And how?

Answer:
 Since you're still married, you aren't under any court orders *not* to leave.

So you should leave.  Today, if you can.  If you can't get to Georgia in one day, consider a motel room at a city along the way or a shelter.

Because you don't have a court order to give your husband access to the children, or to allow him to participate in parenting decisions, you're just a mother doing what she thinks is right for herself and her children.

Don't think of it as anything else.  It's not a judgment of him as a person or a condemnation or anything like that.   Your safety and your children's safety are the priority.  Getting the three of you safe is all that matters today.Answer #2: IANAL, but also post this on r/relationships.

Abusers are most dangerous when they think you're leaving.  STOP telling him you are leaving.

When you are ALONE, please call the National Domestic Violence hotline. It's open 24/7, free, and anonymous.  Ask them for local resources and support to leave a violent, abusive husband.   Here is the phone number: 1−800−799−7233.

If you are never alone, or he monitors the phone bills, please ask a friend to call on your behalf.Answer #3: Yes, absent a court order saying otherwise,  you can leave with the kids to protect them. How a judge will look at it during a subsequent custody hearing is unknown.


Title: Child Support after Alimony

Question:
From New Mexico:

I have been paying alimony for a little over 2 years now. I also pay child support (50/50 custody). Alimony is set as non-modifiable, and it is over in September of this year. My ex-wife has been threatening to take me back to court once alimony is done, to get more child support out of me.

Our incomes have not changed since the last time child support was decided on. She feels like she can get more child support from me based on the simple fact that she won't be getting any more alimony.

So, my question is simple: does the dissolution of alimony constitute an increase in child support?

Thank you!
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Not at all.


Title: Is it illegal in the US to borrow CD's from the library and copy the files to your computer for personal use?

Question: This question is inspired by an answer on a recent askreddit thread about "what illegal things do you do."

Answer: Yes, that's violation of copyright and can draw substantial penalties.


Title: Reddit, it has been over a year and I have yet to receive the Trust that was left to me in a Will. Is it time to get a lawyer?

Question: Reddit, I have received bits and pieces of the Will, for example some stock that had my name on it and some bank accounts that had my name on it, but I have yet to receive the Trust that was left to me in the Will. I contacted the Executor of the Will, a distance uncle numerous times and he just blows me off saying that he had to pay off the estate (understandable) or there are accounting problems. Each time we talk which is rarely (mostly because he ignores my calls and emails,) there is a new excuse. It has been well over a year since my family member has past away. Also, this trust is being divided by 3 other people, 2 kids of the executor of the will that will not receive their money until the age of 28 (they are not even teenagers now.) And someone who wishes not to communicate with the rest of the family. On top of all of this my uncle won't tell me the accountants name, so I can find out more information, and the lawyer of the estate doesn't respond back to my emails or calls me back either. So is it time to get a lawyer? If not, what should I do? Is the money in the Trust lost? Did I wait to long? The lawyer of the Estate is located in NYC. The executor is located in Asheville, NC. And I am located in Boston, Ma. Thanks Reddit!

Answer:
 There is something fishy going on.  Whatever is going on with the estate really doesn't even have much to do with the Trust.

Do you know where the Trust was formed?  Do you know who the Trustee is?Answer #2: Everyone else has mentioned fish, so I'm going to say this guy is full of carp. Do you know how much is in the Trust? I might be worth it to get a hold of a lawyer. My mother was in a similar situation, and got the person to give up the information on just the threat of getting a lawyer.


Title: In Iowa. I caught my husband (left him after this) watching a youtube video (on my account) of an African child being raped. He apologized then two days later watched another inappropriate video. Am I liable because it was my youtube steaming acctt? We are divorcing now because of this. Am I liable

Answer: Potentially you could wind up in a situation where you'd need to show that he was the one watching, not you, to avoid criminal liability for possession of child pornography, so if the police come calling, find a criminal defense attorney pronto. It's not a crime merely to have an account that was misused by somebody else, however.


Title: Type 1 diabetic told by employer he cannot take his medicine

Question:
I have a 'friend' who has told by their manager at the restaurant they work at that they cannot check their blood sugar or take insulin at work within view of customers. This friend is pissed.

 Is this legal? I understand their viewpoint, some little kid may have seen it and got freaked out, but this is my friends life. How dare someone say they cannot take their medicine (to stay alive) wherever they damn well please.

in ohio

Answer:
 Sounds like a pity party to me.

What kind of dramatic person wants to test in front of others?

I do everything I can not to test in front of people. I test frequently throughout the day but in private. Restrooms etc.

I have known people for years who have never seen me test. I have family members who may have never seen me.

Yes push come to shove health above all else but I think this may be leaning towards the woe is me now I sue side.

Answer #2: Blood in a restaurant is unreasonable and also, more than likely, a health code violation.

If your friend's boss is allowing them to go somewhere off the floor to check/take meds, then there's no problem.


Title: CA — Recently came back from Active Duty. I want to return to my civilian job, but HR claims my employment was terminated weeks after I left. Does SCRA cover this?

Question:
Title sums things up fairly well. Last year, I went into active duty for the US Army. About a week ago, I finally came home, and now that I’m back I want to get back to my civilian job.

Today, I went into the office to speak with HR about returning to work, as I had given notice back in 2018 that I was deploying, but intended to come back to work with the company once I was done. However, I was informed that my employment was terminated a few weeks after I had left. I haven’t been given a reason yet, however I was given the phone number to the HR manager for more details.

Now, I know that the USERRA says that employers can not terminate employment while an employee is on orders, so does this allow me to get back my job? Is there anything I need to do or provide beyond my DD-214?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Contact your unit's JAG office and let them know what happened.  They can't fire you while on deployment and they can't fire you for a year after you get back unless they have a really damn good reason.

Your JAG office will handle your employer.


Title: Trying to form a workers union and would like some advice.

Question:
I got a job working at a retail store a few months ago, and just like every other place ever, at the beginning we had to sit through an entire day of video training, and anti-union propaganda.

I'm currently living in North Carolina as a legal alien from Canada, where unions are viewed, and treated, very differently.

After not long we find most of what they promised to be complete bullshit.

They promised room for advancement, but there is little to none.

They promised us a minimum of 20 hours as part time, 36 hours of full time, but recently most of the staff has been cut back to below 15, and full time to the 20's.

We are always understaffed, even though we are one of the most profitable stores in the chain.

Store morale started to plummet recently as everyone talks about quitting. I realized this was our chance.

In one day, I manned to garner support from 10 other employees who are all willing to stand together, and now we are seriously looking at forming a local workers union. It won't be more than a couple days before we have the signatures of more than 90% of the employees, totaling about 50 people.

As I was the one with the initial idea, it has fallen on me to take charge, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I was going to write up a short list of what we want changed, and what we would do if it doesn't, then have every one sign and write their names on it. I just need to know if I'm taking the right direction and what our rights are pertaining to this.

Answer:
 Hey, OP. I'm a former union organizer with quite a lot of experience in this. Unfortunately you caught me on New Years Eve, and I'm in the middle of cooking a ton of shit for my party.

You really want to do this with the assistance of an established union in your area. Traditionally I'd recommend SEIU or UFCW, as they're the biggest in your sector. I'd also look at some of the bigger industrial unions, like the USW or UAW. Nowadays most unions work in multiple industries (the USW, as an example, represents some grocery stores and college professors).

While it's theoretically possible to do this without a larger union backing you, I don't recommend it. Your coworkers will almost certainly face issues as this goes forward. That's a given. A large union behind you makes this easier to deal with. Just as an example, if you get fired for this you're all but on your own without a union. You may get your job back, but it takes work and some level of experience. A big union has hundreds of Ivy League attorneys chomping at the bit, waiting to help their members. It pays to have them around.

Successfully forming a union takes strategic thinking, and the professional organizers hired by unions have the training and experience to make it work.

Good luck!


Title: I messed up. Backed into parked car, panicked and left, came back immediately and car was gone. Filed police report on myself.. (PA)

Question:
I'm a young and inexperienced driver. I backed up into another car in the parking lot but it barely felt like a tap so I panicked and drove away hoping it was nothing. (I realize how horrible my judgment was in the moment and really regret it. It was my parents car and I did not want to get them involved and was just generally being stupid)

When I got to my destination \~15 minutes later and calmed down a bit, I checked my car and saw that there were some paint scrapes. I freaked out and went back to the parking lot hoping the person was there so I could leave a note, but they weren't there anymore. I called the local police and told them what happened, saying I didn't realize I had backed into them until I saw the scrapes on my own car. I gave them my info as well as the owner of the shop of the parking lot. I asked the cop if this would be considered a hit and run and he said "not at all" but I'm still really worried.

What kind of trouble can I expect from here on out? I'm seriously panicking. Also I don't have my own insurance (my parents' car is insured, I am 23 and don't live with them) and really don't want to get my parents or their insurance involved in this because I had another accident a few months ago and raised their rates. I have cash saved up and would rather pay damages directly and hopefully get through this whole thing without my parents knowing but will I get in trouble for being an uninsured driver?

Please help. I know nothing about law or dealing with car stuff in general

Answer: This isn't a hit and run...or, at least one that the police are interested in investigating, as they informed you. At worst, if this other car can track you down it would be handled by your insurance. It's unlikely anything will come of this, however.


Title: Rights of First Refusal with custody.

Question:
We have the ROFR clause in our divorce if either parent is to be away from our children for more than three hours. We share physical custody 50/50 and on a day where she's in my custody, our daughter ends up sick and needs to stay home from school.

I plan for my girlfriend to watch her, since they know each other very well, and get along great. GF is a single mother and has plenty of experience raising her own child and my children and her have been around each other for over a year and have a great relationship with each other. Due to the ROFR clause, I let my EX know that I'll be away from her during the day for work, and give her the option of staying home and keeping her, but she declines because she can't miss work. However, she becomes enraged when I let her know who's going to watch our daughter. GF has zero history of violence, drug use, etc. Is a single mother with a great career and has never had any legal troubles. There's no 'valid' reason for EX to not be in agreement, aside from her trying to control the situation.

She demands that I let her grandmother keep her, which I refuse, because in my mind, I have custody and it's not her choice right now. I won't get into my reservations with her grandmother, but there are plenty from myself and my ex. So I refuse, provide her my GF's phone number so she can call and checkup if she'd like, or to talk to our daughter, and go on my way to work the next day after GF gets to my house.

Now, she's emailed the parenting coordinator and they want to setup a meeting, at a cost of $250 an hour that we'll have to share the expense of, which I don't just have laying around.

So, without going into my beliefs on the situation anymore than I have, I guess I'd like to know if I was in the wrong and should have allowed for EX's grandmother to keep her, because she's 'family', as my EX put it, or was I in the right because she's in my custody, and I made the choice to have a trusted friend watch her after giving EX the chance because of the ROFR clause.

Thanks.

Location: OK

Answer: Mom refused, you chose the next best person. She doesn’t get to refuse and then choose someone of her liking. If she picked up daughter and then brought her to grandma, fine. But that didn’t happen. First right of refusal and you obeyed that.


Title: Fiance and I want custody of her niece

Question:
Tldr up front; fiance's sister is neglecting her 3yr old daughter, entire family is looking for a way to take custody away from her.

Not tldr; sorry for the dump of info but i need the clearest idea of options based on everything happening.

My fiance has a sister who is neglecting her child. We live in Ontario, her sister lives in Ohio. My fiance's parent's also live in Ohio (same city) and her brother lives there too.

The child in question is 3 years old (almost). She is so smart and cheerful but very overweight (more on that later).

The problem of course lies with the mother, but also the now absent father. Let's start with him.

He is in jail now. He was arrested twice in 24 hrs for dealing drugs (smart guy). He often took the daughter on drug deals with him. Once the mother and father were found in the car passed out from intravenous drug use with the daughter (then a baby) in the backseat. Dad's out of the picture now so that's less of a problem until he gets out.

Mom. Mom is homeless. Mom has no job. Mom was relying on my fiance's parent's for money and a place to sleep but they had to have the police come to evict them after a long period of disrespect and eventually threats. They are staying temporarily with my fiance's brother but he is not happy with the situation. Mom and child are currently spending a few days here and there for sleep, but mom shows no inclination to find her own place. Hard anyway with no money.

The mom has no job and shows no sign of looking for one. Instead she spends all her time on her phone (paid for by her parents, reluctantly). Meanwhile care of the child falls on the rest of the family.

The child is fed only candy and fast food. She is put in front of screen after screen. No bed time. She goes to bed after 1am and wakes up at 8 screaming. I know none of that is in itself grounds for CPS but just to flesh out the picture.

The mom smokes in front of the child and the child frequently reeks of cigarette smoke. Mom will hang out and drink while child runs around. Mom is also on methadone trying to come off heroin and other drugs but we're not convinced she's not still using.

Mom is also giving child to the dad's step dad who is a drug user and has (unofficial) allegations against him for molesting his 6yr old step-granddaughter. Mom doesn't see a problem with this.

This morning we witnessed her hitting the child.

All this to say that literally nobody else in the family thinks mom should be raising child. I have only been around for 2 years but apparently this struggle has been happening since child was born.

Mom treats child like an accessory. Sits on her phone and smokes all day, or goes to visit a revolving door of new boyfriends, while care of the child rests on the family.

What are the options here? I am going to call CPS tomorrow to see what can happen. My fiance and I want to take custody (grandma and grandpa do not).

If more specifics are needed for an accurate answer please let me know. This was never something I thought I would have to deal with so I have no idea how to.

Answer:
 Call CPS. You've got plenty of information they can use (physical violence, lack of proper nutrition, failure to supervise, etc.).

Being out of country is going to make it very difficult for you to obtain custody through CPS, unfortunately. Even out-of-state placements tend to be difficult and time-consuming to arrange. Would Mom consider voluntarily surrendering custody to you?


Title: Employer told me I was fired for going on authorized vacation

Question:
Location: Texas

I went on vacation for a week and my plane landed today. I work construction, so my job sites vary sometimes. I texted my foreman asking where I needed to go tomorrow and he told me I needed to talk to the office because nobody had told them I was going on vacation so they fired me.

With my company, it's highly frowned upon to go above a foreman's head straight to the office, cause it makes him look bad. So he told me that he would tell them.

So he didnt tell them and no one came to me about this, so I just found out. Is there anything I can do?

TL;DR Got fired for going on approved vacation

Answer:
 What's the official policy? Are foremen responsible for approving vacation and notifying the office? If so, you *may* have some standing, but it'd involve throwing your foreman under the bus. If the office is supposed to approve all vacation, though, your foreman's failure to send it up the chain is unlikely to be a valid argument.Answer #2: Can you prove that he approved the vacation? If so, make copies of that proof and give the office a copy of the proof. Answer #3: You don't lose anything by talking to the office and explaining the situation. If you're an otherwise good employee, they may be willing to hire you back.

You have no legal case here. I assume it was an unpaid vacation?


Title: [Oregon] Excessive pet deposit, $1200 for caged animals.

Question:
Hello, title is what it is.

I was told to come up with $1200 by "the end of the month" yesterday for bringing in caged animals (caged parakeets, I have 4, they are telling me $300 per bird). I was under the impression that the only animals the pet friendly location would charge would be for cats and dogs. (Originally told $500 per dog/cat. I checked the lease however, and no amount nor breeds are specified actually.)

Text on the lease is like so:

"No pets....are allowed without a signed pet agreement, payment of any deposit, and providing insurance. "

So does "any deposit" mean they can literally charge me any amount they want?

Is there any chance that I can beat this in small claims over excessive charges?

I cannot come up with this amount by the end of the month, 10 days before christmas. They are tentatively saying and I quote:

"We can give you a couple months to pay the deposits but with one pet deposit there needs to be only one pet. "

Does that mean that if I pay only $300 dollars I must give up the rest of my animals until I can pay the full amount?

I also asked them to provide me paperwork (pet agreement) but they told me they won't give me the paperwork until I pay the amount above. Is that legal?

Excuse me if this is incredibly stupid/ignorant of me to ask. My stupid (And ignorant) boyfriend thinks I have a chance to fight this in court but my spidey sense says I have no chance.

Answer:
 Is this refundable or non refundable?

Also, did you not mention the fact you had 4 birds to them? You made it seem like you got an apartment and figured they wouldn't mind lol.

On a side note of all caged animals birds are probably the worst. Not only do they spread seeds and shit around the area of their cage but they're noisey as hell. When people think of caged animals they usually think hamster or similiar. Fully containedAnswer #2: To the degree that the no-pet clause is enforceable, they can put nearly any conditions they want on waiving that clause. You don't have to accept their conditions, but if you don't, the no-pet clause stands.

Oregon does regulate some kinds of fees associated with leases, including _non-refundable_ pet fees, but refundable security deposits for pets aren't among the things regulated as far as I can tell.Answer #3: Seems by what you say, they will give you some time to come up with all of them. If you pay 25% now as a partial deposit, that should be acceptable. However, since these amounts seem arbitrarily large, they may choose to be arbitrarily difficult, so you might want to verify you can put the installments in over time, before finding out how arbitrary thry are willing to be.

Tip: when it comes time to move, relocate your birds first and get your deposit back, before declining to renew your lease, so all you deposits are no at risk to someone who already demonstrates arbitrariness.


Title: [OH] I'm a woman. My husband committed adultery. I want full custody of my child.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Is there anything else that I'm not aware of that could help me get sole physical & legal custody?

No, because it's not going to happen. Nothing you have said here impacts on his ability to be a good father, and while I totally understand your anger about this, the person you really have to think about is your daughter.

I know this sounds trite but you really need to talk to a therapist to help you get to a place where you can work with your ex for your daughters sake, no matter how violated and betrayed you feel.

>If awarded 50/50 custody, he could continue this behavior which is no environment for a baby.

You don't know that. In fact most people who have 50/50 custody save their sexual escapades for the 50% of the time they don't have the child, because it's actually easier that it was when they were in a full time relationship.Answer #2: You won't get full custody just because he is promiscuous. Don't even try to fight this because it would only cost more money - money you both should save to raise your kid. Move on and forget him and his terrible behaviors. It's tough. I got over mine and you will too. One day.


Title: What exactly does supervised visitation entail and how does someone lose that right?

Question:
MO, My girlfriend is getting her divorce finalised, she's waited this long because as long as the divorce was in progress, her husband wasn't allowed around their son. My understanding is that the child's guardian as well as her lawyer have both stated that her husband is likely to get supervised visitation, with a social worker present for an hour each week and that he'll have to pay for each visit.

There's a few things I'd like to know,

1: Does anyone know exactly what he would and would not be allowed to do with his right to supervised visitation?

2: What would he have to do in order to receive more than supervised visitation? ie. Unsupervised visitation, weekends, that sort of thing.

3: What would he have to do for his parental rights to be stripped from him entirely?

4: Is there anything I could do, if legally married, the child's mother, to adopt the child as my own and force his father out of the picture?

5: This is the main reason for number 4, how could this potentially affect my ability to move out of state in the future, I have a few job prospects but they require me to move to the bordering state, not far but far enough that I would need to move there and not commute.

6: Does anyone know how much this could potentially run him each week for the visits? From the lowest to highest and ideally an average.

I know I'm asking a lot but I don't fully understand everything and I want to know more, it's all possible that I may have some of the information wrong regarding how supervised visitation works and if so please correct me.

Answer: You can't force the dad out of the picture. As the BF of a woman who is getting divorced, you have zero rights in this situation. If the father were to surrender his rights, his paternity to the child, *then* you could perhaps look into adopting the child. But the dad has the right to see his child and you have zero say in this.


Title: [KY] Is there a way to remove or replace ex-wife's name on a home-loan without going through a re-finance or payoff?

Question:
We were divorced last year. The house that I'm living in still has debt on it that is in both of our names. According to the decree, I'm required to refinance or payoff to remove her name from the debt by next January. She is required to quit claim on the deed.

The problem is that the local real-estate market has slumped and the house is close to underwater. It could take me as much as 60-80K cash to re-finance, so I'm looking for other options.

Is there anyway to contact the lender and push for her name to be removed from the loan? I have adequate income to support the loan on my own. I'm getting married later this year, and my fiance has plenty of income too and is willing to sign on to the loan.

I don't know if this kind of transaction is even possible, or how to initiate the conversation with the lender. I can see from the lender's perspective that they don't really need to accommodate my request, but I'm hoping I could work something out with the help of /r/legaladvice.

Answer:
 It's possible, but depends on a lot of factors.  Look into something called a [Qualified Assumption](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortgage_assumption).

Source: I did exactly this to get my name off a mortgage previously.  BoA was a pain in the ass, but it did work.


Title: Change term of agreements

Question: Recently I've received a plethora of emails telling me privacy agreements and terms of service have changed. Was there a particular law that was passed or altered that changed that forced these companies to change the legal terms?

Answer:
 As u/frisian2 says, this is largely late-game responses to changes to EU privacy laws under the new General Data Protection Regulation, going into force in a few days. The changes that law imposes are sweeping, but formally only affect EU residents and companies. Many companies have taken the position that they cannot accurately identify EU customers to the degree necessary to enforce different rules for them, or that it's too expensive to do so, and are instead trying to comply globally - which I suspect was part of the intent.

Some of the most potent requirements under these rules are that parties that collect identifying personal information

* obtain the user's explicit consent to collect that data,
* be explicit in how they will use that data (and obtain consent to new uses),
* be able to disclose to users all of the personal data they have on file, and
* be able to delete most or all personal data on request from the user.

In tandem, these requirements will hopefully put a brake on the tech industry's habit of retaining every passing fact forever, and on its tendency to sell or give away that information to advertisers and other third parties.


Title: (Texas) Do I have to pay a ticket for a car I don't own?

Question:
In 2012 I was visiting Texas from NJ for my sisters high school graduation. While here I was using my step fathers truck as transportation when I needed. I got pulled over one night for my license plate lights being out, and was ticketed for it (although the real reason they popped me was because they thought I was driving to the hood for drugs, had like 4 squad cars on me). I was assured by my mom she would pay the then 50 dollar fine and forgot about it.

Now here I am several years later, living in Texas about 6 hours away from where the incident transpired, and am getting mail to my old residence in NJ about owing 300+ dollars for the ticket that never got paid. My mom is pretty broke and I don't wanna ask her to pay it, but I don't think I should have to pay it either, since it wasn't my car and I had nothing to do with the broken light. Is there anything I can do or am I gonna have to hunker down and pay the fine? If I was still in NJ I'd probably just ignore it but I don't wanna risk a warrant.

Answer:
 > I don't think I should have to pay it either, since it wasn't my car

In nearly every circumstance, the driver of a car is responsible for that car's condition while they drive it.

What statute were you charged with violating?


Title: Cops harassing my family, while looking for my brother.

Question: Hello, I live in North Carolina in Alamance county. Recently my brother got into some type of trouble we don't know though. Cops are showing up here all the time. As I am typing this the cops left, but we don't know what to do. We can't control him and we tell him to turn himself in but he doesn't. They told us this is the only address they have for him so they will only show up here. The encounter just a few minutes ago they threatened to take my mom jail. They showed up she said he wasn't here and they said she is lying so she offered to let them search our house and they came in screaming at her saying "I WILL TAKE YOU TO JAIL FOR POINTING YOUR FINGER AT MY PATROL OFFICERS!!", they left but slammed our door almost breaking it after my mother said she would call for an supervisor. She just got off the phone with them and they said they would handle it, but they also said the cop who yelled at my mother was the supervisor, and I think this will continue. I'm only 16 turning 17 soon but I don't know what to do. They almost made me miss school one day because they were questioning me about my brothers whereabouts and they kept on getting mad at me. What am I supposed to do this is causing me so much stress and my family. Please help me. This has been happening over a course of 3-4 weeks.

Answer:
 Your residence is the residence of a known criminal. They will continue to randomly show until he's caught.

That said, next time they show up, refuse them the opportunity to enter your home. They are not trying to help you. They are *rarely* trying to help you, and that's not the case here. They will lie and beg their way into your home, but cannot enter unless (a) they have a *reasonable* suspicion your brother is **physically** in the home or (b) have a warrant to enter your home.Answer #2: You don't have to talk to them. Just leave or tell them to leave. Without a warrant they can't do much. Answer #3: I'm not a lawyer but for your sake. REPEAT AFTER ME: I DO NOT CONSENT TO ANY SEARCH AND I WILL  or do NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. best words my lawyer ever taught me.


Title: Do I have to disclose I have an emotional support animal when applying for an apartment? CA

Question:
Hey everyone,

I'm hoping this is the right place to ask this.  I am currently looking for a new place to live (moving cities).  Almost every available place says No Pets.  I have an emotional support dog, so I know I have the legal right to bring her even with a no pets policy.  My question is, do I have to tell my future landlord about this prior to filling out an application or signing a lease?

The area I'm looking to move is pretty impacted and I'm worried that they'll just toss out my application if they see that and tell me its already been rented to someone else, since I'm sure there's no short supply of people looking to find a place.  Obviously I know that's illegal but it's going to be super hard to prove it was based on my EMA and I dont even want to bother with the headache of it all, so I'm planning on waiting until I'm actually signing the lease to bring it up.  Is that within my rights?  Thank you.

Answer: You are going to have to disclose it before you move in. The problem with no putting an ESA on the application is that if they have some reason to reject the ESA and they do so after signing a lease you will be locked into the lease and your dog won't be allowed.


Title: [CA] Friends/Ex-fiance donated my property without informing me.

Question:
My finance I and split up in December of 2016.  I moved out and left some items valuing around $2,000 at the apartment.  I reached out to them several times since I departed asking to pick up my things, each time they were busy/weren't able meet.  Today, they said I could come get my things and there were only a few items left.  To which one of the roommates said they donated/threw away my property during spring cleaning.

Because I left the items there did I forfeit my rights to them?  Do I have any grounds to pursue this in small claims court?  People with experience in small claims court, is it even worth pursuing given the relatively low value of the items?

Thank you!

Answer:
 CA is not very nice to people that dispose of other's property.

Required steps:

Written notice per [CA CIV 1985](http://codes.findlaw.com/ca/civil-code/civ-sect-1985.html) detailing:

* a description of the abandoned property

* the location where the owner can claim the property

* the time frame that the owner has to claim the property

* a statement that reasonable storage costs will be charged to the owner and the owner must pay those costs before claiming the property, and

* a statement that if the property is not claimed in time, it will either be sold or disposed of.

If they sent the above notice correctly, then they can dispose of the property under [CA CIV 1988](http://codes.findlaw.com/ca/civil-code/civ-sect-1988.html)

They must wait 15 days if they personally deliver the notice (18 if it was mailed or emailed) before they can do anything else.

After the 15 day notice has expired, they can keep or dispose of the property if the value is less than $700.

If it is worth more than $700, they must sell the property at a public auction. Notice of auction must be posted in a public paper 5 days before the auction, and the owner can claim the property right up until the auction begins (they can charge storage costs)

After the auction, they can recoop the storage costs and auction expenses from the proceeds, but the remainder after theses expenses must be turned over to the county unclaimed property office.


Title: Does damage to a totaled vehicle acquired after a car accident diminish what the insurance company needs to pay out for the totaled car?

Question:
My boss's car was hit by a semi-truck while parked in the company parking lot a little over a week ago. His car's rear end was pretty messed up, and today the insurance adjuster said it was totaled.

Three days after the first accident, he rear-ended a car damaging the front of his car pretty bad. The insurance adjuster for the first accident that visited today claims the damage to the front of the car, acquired later than the first accident happened, will mean a substantially lower payout for his totaled car.

Is this legitimate or does is the adjuster simply trying to do what insurance companies do and pay as little as possible.

This is in Washington state, and my Boss does not have car insurance to fight on his behalf for him.

Answer: No. Did the adjuster by any chance put that in writing? If so that's the basis for a wonderful bad faith case against the insurer.


Title: My landlord just sold the house. Is she allowed to give them our existing deposit? (CA)

Question:
Me and two roommates are on a one year lease agreement with landlord A. The lease is from September 1st 2016 from August 31st 2017.

Around March 2017, she told us she was selling the property, which we were fine with. She sold her property to a management company in July, which I will call landlord B.

My predicament is: Can landlord A claim that our move-out inspections (we requested an initial inspection on August 28th and final on the 30th) and return of deposits are to be handled by landlord B?

What if Landlord B claims that Landlord A never gave them our deposit money? Because I'm afraid that will be the case judging by Landlord A's lack of communication.

Landlord A has basically stopped talking to us and B has yet to be reached despite our two-week long attempts, ever since the sale occured (July 31st).

Answer:
 > Can landlord A claim that our move-out inspections (we requested an initial inspection on August 28th and final on the 30th) and return of deposits are to be handled by landlord B?

Yes.  In fact, that's what A is *supposed* to do.  Your lease survives tenancy, and B is your new landlord.

> What if Landlord B claims that Landlord A never gave them our deposit money?

Then you would sue A.  Answer #2: >My predicament is: Can landlord A claim that our move-out inspections (we requested an initial inspection on August 28th and final on the 30th) and return of deposits are to be handled by landlord B?
What if Landlord B claims that Landlord A never gave them our deposit money?

 Your recourse is the same regardless. You'd be suing at least one of those parties.