Title: [Toronto, Canada] Facing Dui charge - Possible argument - chances of winning?

Question:
Im Facing my 2nd DUI charge and its not looking good for me. I am looking to avoid facing 30 days in jail and my lawyer proposed an argument to fight this as the crown is not willing to negotiate on a plea.

During the second brethalyzer test at the station I failed at the first attempt after which they purged the machine. The second attempt I failed once again at providing a suitable sample but this time they did not purge the machine and after that they did not purge the machine until I finally provided a suitable sample. The sample was barely over and is considered low by the lawyers I have talked to as they have said that if this was first I would have been given a suspension and reckless driving charge as it was barely over the legal limit of .08.

Would this argument be sufficient in voiding the case or at least creating enough doubt for the crown to accept a plea deal where I can avoid the 30 days jail time.

If you have any advice or can bring in any previous experience on how cases as such have been handled in the past and my odds of beating this or avoiding jail time would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Answer: Dude just accept your punishment and stop driving drunk. You'll get no sympathy as this is your second DUI.


Title: Need Adviced. Cop said he had legal right to break open my lock box.

Question: Last summer I was pulled over in Virginia and the cop immediately put a K9 on our car that signaled right away. Upon searching the police officer found my lock box and had not found anything illegal yet. The officer asked what's in the box and I declined to answer. He then said to give him the combination or he was going to break it open. I asked him if he had the legal right to break it open and he said yes and then asked me to open or else he was going to. I gave him the combination but expressed I didn't consent to him opening it. Is there anything here that was done illegally by the cop? Did he actually have the legal right to just break it open right there? And if not does his lying void any further search and seizure of what was in the box?

Answer:
 I'm assuming by your narrative that he did open it there and found something illegal.

His "lying" doesn't change anything. The police are allowed to lie to you. The question is if he had probable cause to conduct the search, or not. He's also not required to inform you of what the probable cause was before the search.

But at a federal level, general [yes](http://scholarship.law.nd.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2049&context=ndlr); as long as he had legal authority to search, he could have used destructive force to open the locked container to search within it.

Some states are more restrictive and will require a warrant; or departmental policy will require it. But the Supreme Court has said that the 4th Amendment doesn't require it; as long as probable cause exists. Answer #2: An officer who has probable cause to search a car may also search locked containers inside.

Whether he could break it open roadside or whether he would need to seize the container and apply for a warrant *might* be a gray area, but he almost certainly would have been able to get a warrant based on the situation you described.


Title: Am I liable for bill from ambulance I did not call and refused service from?

Question: Friend from Indiana was walking on walking bridge between Indiana and Kentucky. He was struck by a cyclist and sustained some minor injuries. Police arrived, made a report, and called ambulance against his wishes.  Police officer and ambulance were from Kentucky. Ambulance arrived, the drivers asked some questions. Friend refused transport in ambulance, and did not receive any care. Ambulance drivers were clear they could not even give a bandage unless he consented to getting into the ambulance. Received bill from ambulance company for medical services for $250.00. Refused to pay and they are threatening collections. Is he liable for this, how can he avoid paying it without hurting his credit if it were to go to collections?

Answer: Medical care tries to bill as much as they can. It helps their funding situation if they show that they tried. I had something similar happen when I had a bike accident. I just left the scene providing no information and that was the end of it. Sounds like the biker should be on the hook for anything you do end up paying.Answer #2: Policies and laws will differ from area to area. I work as a paramedic in AL and we do not bill if we do not transport. That ambulance crew should have made you sign a refusal, unless you refused to sign said refusal. Call the ambulance company that ran the call and request the PCR because the crew could have wrote the run up wrong and thus billed you incorrectly. Answer #3: Did you sign a refusal of care?


Title: What can I say to my customers who's landlord takes exclusively Zelle as payment?

Question:
I'm not the tennant, thankfully, but I work for a financial institution who is partnered with Zelle. Almost every day, someone on my team has to help a customer who needs to make a rent payment via Zelle. The problem comes up when they request to raise their limit and we can't approve it. Our approval system is all automated and goes off of deposit history. So, if someone is running a tight budget, gets paid $1,500 or so per month but rent is $900, there's no way our system will approve it. Our Fraud department put in the parameters and will almost never make an exception.

First, I want to ask, is it legal to only be able to accept one form of payment like this as a landlord? We have plenty of other options, Venmo and PayPal are compatible with our accounts, we even offer a Bill Pay service that will send the funds either electronically (if possible) or via cashier's check in the mail. Can a landlord really say they won't accept assured funds like cash or cashier's check?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 It is legal to stipulate the payment method in the lease as far as I'm aware.  Even though it's highly stupid to not accept bill pay as it's a cashier's check which is the same thing.Answer #2: In California this is specifically illegal because state law requires landlords to provide at least one non-electronic method of payment.

I don't know about other states, but you could start there.


Title: (NY) Can I sue landlord for harassment?

Question:
I moved into a nice new place middle of last month. Our land lord doesn't live in the state so she sent her mother to come talk to us one day. The mother was a proudly self proclaimed "Neat Freak" & freaked because there was a cup that fell out my car as I got out.

Well the next day unknown to me I get a message saying we need to move or we are being evicted. She gave me 3 reasons:

1. Because of paying first month, last, & security I was late on my rent this month. Written in my lease I have 5 days without getting a late fee. Because we had to use this she's now saying we can't afford it.

2. We got Direct TV we didn't think anything of it when they put up a dish without asking us because we assumed they talked to the landlord like they are supposed to. She freaked out telling us we needed to tell her first we explained our side & told her we are trying to have it removed but she's not having it. Said we ruined her roof even though its not even on the roof it's the porch. But like I said I am trying to get Direct TV to waive the fee to place it on the ground & they promised 100% NO damage when removed by them they even told her that as well.

3. I was in the process of moving so I have been storing boxes (admittedly a lot of them because I had to leave my last place ASAP to get my kids in school) in my garage. There is 0 mention of how to maintain the garage in my lease & I did plan on cleaning it to use for winter. Well her mom saw & flipped shit told her we are filthy people. Her mother is also mad we don't have a furniture set. Husband uses the livingroom as an office (for his day job he also has a night job so money isn't a problem) so he has his chair & my daughters like the cot I put out there because they sleep there for naps & at night instead of their bedroom.

Well today I gave her Octobers rent at 9am like I promised technically not late. She started harassing me over text to get out & that if I can't find a place in town to move out of town (I am not taking my 2 children out of school) to somewhere we can afford. I told her I could pay her next month's right now if she wanted to prove we can afford the place. She said no we had to be out in Nov she already rented out the place. I told her that was illegal & we could go to court if she wants us out that bad.

She told me I'm too poor to go to court & her husband knows laws so she knows her rights. I told her I wasn't going to argue over text with her & we haven't broken the lease. She said the place was a pigsty & I wrecked so much stuff. I gave her a LONG list & have pics of what was wrong when I moved in obviously I didn't do all that within 24hrs. She insists that the house is wrecked so I took a video when I returned home without cleaning to show how it normally looks. I haven't shown her yet.

But then she started saying move or she is going to call CPS & get my kids taken away. I am 100% sure nothing would happen my house is cleaner then most so I took the video to cover my ass.

I am sure this is harassment can I sue her?

(Also moving isn't an option we live in a small town my husband grew up in & wanted to live for YEARS. But only other places to rent are 2, 1 bedrooms in places where most of the building is condemned & a $2000 7 bedroom place which is obviously out of the question. We signed a year lease & plan on having our own house by next Sept)

Answer:
 Write her a letter asking her to not contact you by phone, rather use either mail or email.  Block her number on your phone.  Pay rent on time, ideally days in advance.

Use the house as you see fit as long in compliance with terms of lease, but obvi you're responsible if there is any damage beyond normal wear&tear.

Make sure to read your lease again to see if any specific provisions you need to comply with.  Email a copy of it to yourself to make sure you don't lose it.  Also make sure you have evidence of all your rent payments.

You can't sue her for this (well, you can I guess, but you would lose).


Title: Moving to USA from Denmark - What, how, where?

Question:
Hey there, I've been sitting with "the american dream" for the past 5 years or so and since I'm turning 18 soon I can finally start making it reality! So let me start off by introducing myself: I'm 17 years old, turning 18 in like 4 months currently going to the equivalent of College studying computer science.

I've however found a passion for Internet Marketing and I've been working hard on it with a mentor since January this year which has resulted in an income of 75 USD/day consistently and growing at least a dollar daily atm. with my current business model I'll be at around $300-400/daily at the time I turn 18 and growing. So around $9000 a month.

My main concern regarding this is how the hell I would get a greencard, an aparment, insurance etc.? From what I can see you can get a sweet apartment with plenty of space for 1 person with this budget, depending on location of course.

My mentor lives in Arizona and it looks like a sweet place. I can see Apartments from around $1000/month that look absolutely amazing! For example: http://www.rent.com/arizona/phoenix-apartments/urban-walk-4-7249 is this really only $725/month? (I know it's rent only) But in Denmark you can get some old shitty apartment out in nowhere for that money. The problem with this though is that the I literally have 6 months of business experience and I'm only 18. I don't think anyone would trust me with this. How would I go by getting all of this stuff?

You help is highly appreciated!
//Xavar98

Answer:
 you need to get permission to be here, either a business visa or a study none. I would suggest enrolling in college for CS here, get a student visa, and see how you like it. Answer #2: You need to get a visa to be allowed to be in the United States. I agree with /u/King_Posner that a student visa and enrolling in a US college is your best bet for someone in your position.

If you stay away from high demand areas (the Pacific Coast and New England) you can rent places really cheap. I lived in an apartment in central Illinois during college that was 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, ~800 square feet for $525/month.


Title: [AZ] School is trying to deny friend her service dog

Question:
Posting for a friend who doesn't reddit.

My friend was diagnosed with narcolepsy a long time ago, and has a service dog to alert her when she is about to pass out. When she started a college program this summer, she submitted documentation of her disability from her doctor, and everything was kosher. The dog is clearly trained as a service dog, too; she
is in a single place, and silent during class. Not disruptive by any means.

However, a couple weeks into the program, the school requested an independent evaluation from a doctor of their choosing, at her own expense. She spent $500 for an office visit (due to a deductible from getting a new insurance), and then the doctor wanted an extra $300 cash to write a note. When she told the school this, the dean in the disability office said "well, you have to respect the doctor's time."

Eventually, she forked over the money and the doctor wrote a note. She went into the disability office today (nearly 3 weeks after getting the note) to check on the progress, and the dean of the disability office said - without any attempt at communication with her prior to this - that the documentation she got wasn't sufficient. The doctor wrote that yes, she has narcolepsy and is a disabled student, but the doctor "doesn't feel comfortable differentiating between a service dog and an emotional support animal." Oh, and they told her in the same meeting, today, that the disability committee is meeting tomorrow to decide whether or not she can have her service dog on campus. The dean in the disability office, as well as the dean of the school (who are 2/4 of the members of the committee) both said that "it's unlikely she will be able to keep her service dog."

Isn't it illegal to make her go through this many hoops to have a service dog? My friend doesn't want to cause a bunch of noise and trouble, she just wants to be able to be aware when she is about to pass out on campus, which is where she is the majority of her time.

Answer:
 In addition to the advice you've gotten so far:

1.) Make sure you demand compensation for the money spent on the second opinion. If they want a second opinion, they can pay for it or GTFO.

2.) I would also file a complaint on the doctor with the state board of medicine. Answer #2: I am actually diagnosed with Psychosomatic disorder. I am unable to handle stress and I often have blackouts for no reason. My blackouts happen to correlate with high stress and sometimes they happen for no reason. My service dog is trained to alert me before I have a potential black-out so I can properly handle the situation. Sometimes my heart stops and the dog will go seek out another individual that can help me.
      The school is arguing with me that my dog seem more like a emotional support dog because of the stress situation. They have confirmed and have documentation of my disability. However, they are asking that I provide documentation of the service dog.


Title: [IL] Friend had his legit ID taken away at a beer tent at Lollapalooza, he's 23

Question:
Hey there, I'll keep this simple but I was at Lollapalooza in Chicago yesterday with my friend. We both are from Wisconsin and have vertical Wisconsin drivers licenses. When we went to the beer tent to get our 21+ wristbands, they took his because his ID checker has "never seen a vertical Wisconsin license before". We obviously argued this respectfully, but he treated us like belligerent drunks and didn't even discuss the issue with us. We brought in a cop that was standing around because we were shocked that my friends ID was taken away like this. The cop talked to the ID checker for maybe a minute and came back laughing saying "the ID is fake bro, it's peeling". His ID must have been in rough condition but obviously was not fake.

Is there anything that we can do about this? This seems completely wrong but we weren't sure how to argue this. Thankfully we didn't fly out to this festival but this is still ruining our plans for our weekend here since now we can't go to the Chicago bars. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciate, thanks.

Answer:
So sorry this happened to you. You guys ran into two problems. An inexperienced overzealous bouncer  likely dealing with underage people for days and an inexperienced lazy officer, both were probably contractors hired to work the cash cow that is lollapalooza. They have no accountability, and ruined your weekend without a thought.

Agree with xHero,  file a complaint with the local precinct.  But this won't help your immediate problem. Does your friend have a passport or any other ID with a birthdate?  If he has a passport but it's at home,  I would say try the local passport office and try and get a wallet card, but by your time you would only have 45 minutes to do this. Good luck!


Title: What should I know about security cameras in my home and guests expectation of privacy

Question:
I currently have three security cameras in my home:
1. Garage
2. Only entry point to my home
3. Living room

The one pointed at the living room automatically turns off when a family members arrives home and only turns on when no family members are home. The other two are always on. They are not hidden in any way but also not extremely noticeable. They record video and and audio that I have access to.

Should I somehow be notifying guests that are hanging out in the garage with me/entering my home that they are on cameras?

Also, as a renter, my property management company sends vendors for repairs and maintenance that I allow home access when no one is there. Should I somehow be notifying the vendors that they are on camera inside my garage and living area?

Answer:
 Guests do not have an expectation of privacy in your home, other than places like the bathroom or bedroom. Garage, entry point, living room all sound reasonable. Notify them or not. Up to you.

Vendors do not have an expectation of privacy either, with the same caveats.


Title: Apartment complex is demanding DNA samples from all dog owners in the complex [SC]

Question:
I'll keep this short -

My apartment complex has been having issues with people not picking up after their pets. Super annoying, but ultimately not my problem as I pick up after my dog and do her daily walks  elsewhere off the apartment property.

This week I received an email that the management company is now requiring all tenants to submit dog DNA so that they can fine owners who do not clean up after their dogs. Apparently, DNA testing is cheaper than just paying a cleaning company to pick up the poop? Or maybe they think that they can recoup costs with the subsequent fines, who knows?

All I know is that my lease says absolutely nothing about DNA testing, just some standard language about pet deposit and cleaning up after them on apt property. Do I have to do this, or can I fight it on principle? I don't know how accurate this testing is, I would be pissed if I started getting fines for false positives!

Thanks in advance! I can provide more details if necessary.

Answer:
 >All I know is that my lease says absolutely nothing about DNA testing, just some standard language about pet deposit and cleaning up after them on apt property.

Does the lease include any language about the complex being allowed to execute single-party addenda (additions without your consent)? If not, they can pound sand.

There was a very similar thread about this for a redditor in MN:

www.np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/46kppl/apt_complex_amends_lease_pet_dna_testing_required/Answer #2: My management company sent out a letter like this. Turned out it was actually a misdirect, meant to distract the owners of the serial stairway-poopers into thinking they were safe from being found out as long as they procrastinated handing over their dogs' DNA, when the complex was actually just quietly installing security cameras.


Title: Switched from cook to food prep, is it legal for my employer to cut my hourly pay?

Question:
*Edit, Our location in in US, Alabama.

I'm asking for a friend, I work as a manager at a food chain and I have cut peoples hourly pay for taking training positions or shift manager positions and then not wanting to do the extra work, but I have never even heard of someone getting their hourly pay cut for simply switching positions. When he told me it sounded pretty suspicious, because he is a tenured employee with knowledge of the whole restaurant and aside from occasionally being late he has never had disciplinary actions taken against him.

Answer: This is pretty simple. Sometimes, two different jobs involve two different rates of pay. So when you switch from one job to another, your pay changes.


Title: Missouri custody mess! Father ran off with girlfriend 3 hours away and took my son!

Question:
Separated 6 years but not legally divorced and I was given the option to quit my VERY good job, leave my city I live in and move two hours away if I want to participate in my son's continued joint custody (verbal arrangement).
Father intends to attend college for two years with no plan of working. His girlfriend's $10 dollar an hour job will be the only income in the household.
I average $5,000 monthly gross and can not figure out why my VERY expensive attorney is having trouble getting me back my child who is at this point being withheld from me both phyically and emotionally  (phone) by father.
Am I missing something here?

Answer:
 You're missing the fact that you never got divorced or set up a custody agreement. That means that as far as the court is concerned, the two of you are still married parents parenting together. That means that either one of you has the right to do whatever you want with the kid.

Your lawyer can negotiate a custody agreement, but until he does that, there isn't one.Answer #2: Until you're divorced then he has just as much right for custody of your children as you do regardless of your reported income.

Advice is get divorced and then get total custody. Answer #3: I initially read this as *your* father ran away with *your* girlfriend and your son. So hey, it could be a lot worse.


Title: [KY] My little boy's mom is planning on moving and taking him over 12 hours away and I'm supposed to just be okay with it

Question:
My ex and I broke up about 6 months ago. I have worked towards mending the relationship, doing only right by her and our little boy but to no avail.

She told me this morning she got into a Master's program in Boston and wants me to work something out and pretty much just be totally fine with this.

I'm fucking not.

I'm of the opinion that she is acting selfishly. That she doesn't have our son's best interests at heart anymore. The program she got into is one of the top in the country. She could easily get into anywhere closer to home.

I've had to make sacrifices since our break up. A lot of them. I think it's high time she start making some too. What are my legal rights here? Is there any way on this earth I can stop this from happening?

I work 40 hours a week and am about to close on an apartment this week. I assume that is relevant information.

Answer:
 Calm down. Shes moving. She asked you to work something out. You can either try to do that or go directly to court. Either way, talk to an attorney and then come up with a strategy that you are ok with.

Your rights are to petition the court and have a judge rule if she can or if she can what she/you must do for sake of kid.

Word of advice: Arguing its selfish for her to go to teh best program in country and that this is not in best interest of kiddo is not the greatest of arguments. Usually going to good programs leads to greater opportunity and if kiddo is young nows the time to increase your earning potential. That said if there is a comparable school nearby, you may have a case. Either way you need research and logic not anger now.


Title: [CA] Just got served with a 3 day notice to pay or quit

Question:
This has been coming for a while.  I'm leasing a house in L.A., and on the lease are myself and two others.  Both of my roommates have been late on their rent a few times this year, and now this month neither of them paid at all.  I've been in contact with the property manager and he's sympathetic to me because I've continued to pay my share on time.  The lease is up at the end of August but the owners have had enough, I suppose.

[Here's](http://i.imgur.com/wMIfhD1.jpg) the document; I've erased identifying information.  It was texted and emailed to the three of us, and a physical copy is being mailed to us as well.

I guess what I'm asking is, what's the process from here.  I doubt the two of them will have their rent paid in the next three days.  I assume we'll be getting a 30-day notice soon?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You really need to pay the rent in full. Then, once the lease is up, sue the former roommates for any and all rent you had to pay on their behalf.

You do NOT want an eviction on your record.


Title: Underage Sexting

Question:
I'm apart of an online discord that I won't mention. In this discord, I became aware of two underage users, both of whom are under 16, who have been sexting each other. I'll call them John and Jane. Also involved is the discord owner, who I'll call Sam, and a HR in the discord group, who I'll call Alex. The situation is as follows:

Jane and John engaged in mutual sexting for whatever time period.

Jane states that John started harassing Jane, unrelated to the sexting, based on images of her Halloween costume.

Jane went to Sam and told her about the sexting. It is possible she said that John compelled her to send the images or forced her to. It is possible it was entirely about John's previous harassment. It appears Jane was trying to get John demoted.

John was demoted, and in response he tried to argue his case to Alex and Sam. In doing so, he sent screenshots of the texts between Jane and himself, including nude photos of Jane, as evidence. It seems this showed it was mutual sexting, Sam said it was ridiculous, and John got his rank back.

The problem is John sent child pornography to two other people, both of whom I assume are at least 17 years old, as evidence that he should get his rank back.

Is this something that the authorities should be alerted to? I'm not certain where they both live, but I'm pretty sure they're both in the United States.

Answer: What the hell is a discord? Is this some gaming stuff? All of you need to lock this shit down. No more sexting or texting the sexting or anything else with -exting at the end of it. Everyone needs to delete what they have and move on and don't speak about it again. You're under no obligation to report a crime unless you're a mandatory reporter.


Title: Work issue

Question: I work in a large hospital system that owns 4 different hospitals in my county. I work for the largest out of all the Hospital’s, that has high acuity and is very busy. Everyone has to work every other weekend. The charge nurse of the weekend that I am on and I were good friends before she became charge. Well now hat she’s charge things have changed. She had me written up a few weeks ago for “poor attitude” and “insubordination” (back story, I was busy with a critical patient and she asked me to get stretchers from the 7th floor, I said no and the PT minutes later coded). The charge nurse who is on the opposite weekend today told me that the charge nurse who is on my weekend said I am “difficult to work with” and that she is going to do anything and everything she can to get me out of there. Do I talk to my management first? Do I go to HR? Do I leave it alone and be on my best behavior (which I have been)? Switch weekends? I’m scared that if I say anything, I will put a target on my back to be fired. What do I do? Should I speak with a lawyer before all of this happens? I’ve never been so scared in my life.

Answer:
 Don't be scared. If you feel you're being treated unfairly you may report it to your first line manager and then HR. They can't fix a problem they don't know they have.

Yes you do run the risk of being terminated, but that's not illegal. Nothing you described is illegal, just typical corporate drama.

Good luck


Title: I need advice on getting emancipated at 17.

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Your dad lives in Ohio, but where do *you* live?  Answer #2: I have a cousin that emancipated herself, and my daughter was thinking about it before I got here to get her out of her situation.

It's much more difficult than it used to be. And while she thought that she could do it, she's become increasingly aware, just as my cousin was, that it's a lot more difficult to live on your own then you may think.

There's certain things that come with maturity, and that's not saying you're immature, it's just how the mind develops.

Just as my daughter found out, it's a lot easier to reach out and accept the father's willingness to help and be there. Whether you're 17 18 or 22, it doesn't hurt to have a responsible caring parent involved in your life.

And Ohio ain't so bad. There's a lot more jobs there than in Missouri.

Good Luck kiddo


Title: Restraining order against mother?

Question:
Hi there, looking for some legal advice. I think the flair is correct considering I’m looking to petition for a restraining order against my mother.

Background: she abused me for years on end, I now suffer from PTSD and a chronic illness (science backs up that its due to her abuse). Anyhow, she just turned my grandparents against me and they kicked me out. She’s a narcissist, I have posts about that also. Anyhow, she thinks she’s somehow above the law and can assault me only b/c she’s my mother. I don’t know if that would help me at all.

I also have a picture of her splitting my lip which, my therapist has said would help.

Anyhow, I feel very unsafe now (she knows where I am staying) and, I want to prevent her from ever coming near me. I’ll figure everything else out after but, I am a very scared for my safety.

Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Write down everything that has happened/happens from now on. Be as accurate as possible. A journal like that can be convincing evidence.

Have you talked to any teachers/counselors/friends about this in the past?  Can they provide supporting evidence?

Are you still a minor? That will have an impact as well.

&#x200B;


Title: Sublet my apartment, landlord has not responded at all to inquiries regarding return of my deposit. Next steps?

Question:
My last day in my apartment was January 6th. I texted my landlord (our typical method of communication) on January 8th with my new mailing address. I then found out that I had not been receiving mail in my new apartment but had that problem resolved with USPS. I texted again January 25th telling him that I had a mail issue but it was resolved:

>Just found out we weren't receiving mail for a few weeks - deposit check may have been returned to you if you sent it. Problem with USPS fixed now.

February 2nd, I sent this:

>Hey [redacted] - just wondering if you have an ETA on the deposit. Haven't heard from you for about a month.

No response from him by mail or phone. Looking into this, I found these terms in my city's rental code:

># Returning the security deposit

>If a tenant paid the landlord a security deposit upon moving into a unit, the landlord is required to return the deposit to the tenant upon termination of the lease. There are circumstances, though, in which the landlord can withhold any or all of the security deposit. Security deposits can be withheld for the following reasons:

> - To restore the dwelling unit to its condition at the start of the rental agreement.
- To compensate for expenses incurred in acquiring possession of the unit from a tenant who failed to vacate the unit.
- To remedy a tenant’s non-payment of rent or of other funds owed to the landlord, pursuant to the rental agreement.

>When the tenant returns the keys to the rental unit, they should also provide the landlord with a forwarding address in order to receive their security deposit. After the tenant has moved and left a new mailing address, the landlord has 30 days to return the deposit or explain to the tenant in writing exactly why the landlord is keeping some or all of the deposit. If the landlord does not contact the tenant in writing within the 30 days, then the landlord loses their right to keep any of the deposit. Also, if a tenant fails to provide a new mailing address, the tenant forfeits the security deposit.

As far as I can tell, I provided him my mailing address in a way that should have been successful (He responded to a text back on Jan 5th - little could have changed in 3 days). He has not contacted me for 30 days - I should be entitled to my entire deposit, right? How do I go about this..? From what I can tell, I may be able to file a complaint with the city, but I don't know that they can compel him to pay me the deposit. I'm sure they can threaten to revoke his license or whatever, but do I need to file suit to truly compel him to pay?

Clarification: The way this sublease was handled was essentially a mutual, early termination of my lease with a new lease drawn up for the sub-leasers. They paid him a deposit when they signed, so now the landlord is holding two deposits for one rental unit... This is also occurring in the state of Iowa.

Answer: What you're describing is not a sublet but rather ending your lease and starting a new one between the new tenants and your landlord. You're out of the picture now. A sublet is when your lease continues and you rent out to the new tenants and become their landlord. Are you certain which one happened?


Title: My boss named meas the successor to his business and his family is threatening mine

Question:
My life has been a total clusterfuck since this happened and im so goddamn lost about what to do.
I started working for my Ed once i graduated college about 4 years ago and it was completely awesome the hours were great the pay was decent enough for me to start putting a dent in my debt . during that time i learned alot about ed and he kind of became my mentor/surrogate father giving me advice with my fiance and helping me cope with my mothers death . Ed never talked about his wife or kids in a positive light .

just last month Ed was killed in a drinking and driving incident which left our workplace devastated and it was a week after he gave me a substantial promotion that placed me in the higher ranks of his business . At first we thought his son Brother Kyle would take over or even his wife but just 2 weeks ago Eds lawyer contacts me saying that he had to discuss something with me but he didn't really clarify what it was .

little did i know that ed had named me the inheritor of his business which is worth millions and the only thing his wife and kids would be getting was his life insurance policy and some property . i was shocked because even though my relationship with ed was pretty good i never thought he would do something like this .
at the announcement his family just erupted on me his youngest kid [23m] kept on trying to fight me and his sister and mother kept on accusing me of being his lover .

 Then Kyle restrains everybody and explains why i was inheriting the business instead of his "children" or Even his brother .Kyle goes on to explain that I had worked close enough to know how his business works and have a good relationship with the majority of people who worked with me so i was the obvious choice .
ever since then his family has been harassing me and my fiance non stop with threats of lawsuits and even physical violence when his son decided to intimidate my fiance with his friends .

what can i do if this family decides to pursue legal action against me

Tl;DR: my Boss named me as his successor to his really successful business and now his kids and wife are trying to make my life hell.

Answer:
 >what can i do if this family decides to pursue legal action against me

Hire a lawyer.

As for the threats of violence, go straight to the police.


Title: What is the UK law on owning a replica/fake gun for home use only to scare off potential burglars?

Answer:
 1.) /r/legaladviceUK

2.) Legalities aside, this is a terrible idea.  This plan is essentially trusting your safety to a bluff.  If it doesn't work, you're in deep deep trouble.

So rather than follow through with what is pretty clearly an objectively terrible idea, look at home defense measures you can take that actually provide some defense and not relying on theatrics.


Title: ticket for driving without insurance

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Pay it. There are no other options really.


Title: Real estate agent robbed my dad's house.

Question:
State: nj

Disclaimer: I'm not sure if this is the right sub for this post. Please correct me if you think this should be somewhere else.

My dad is entering retirement and is in the process of selling his house and moving to a cheaper state. He made arrangements with a local real estate agent to list/sell his house. Since the property looks much better in the spring, (flowers, landscaping etc) they agreed to sell in that time period. In the few months over the winter, the house would be empty as my dad would be exploring houses in the cheaper state. The real estate agent suggested that her daughter could stay at the house and, "keep an eye on things", while he was out of town. The daughter would pay a small amount of rent the in arrangement (not even enough to cover property taxes).

Long story short. The daughter and her acquaintances went through and stole many valuables and antiques from locked rooms in the house and in the garage.

He did not have formal rental paperwork with the real estate agent, but he did have an agreement with her/agency about the future sale of the house.

Is my dad out of luck for any type of legal/financial repayment in this situation? I told him he needs to talk to a real estate lawyer, but he thinks he has no case.

Thanks for any help.

Answer:
 I'd be interested in hearing *why* he thinks he has no case. Right now, what I'm hearing is that someone had permission to stay in the house, not to remove anything from it. Everything in that house would seem to belong to your dad, so at the very least there are civil theft claims available. You could argue for a lot more, but civil theft, burglary, and conversion are available claims. There's also the possibility of breach of oral contract, since this is performance of an agreement within one year of the agreement, presumably for under the value of the statute of frauds.

The challenge could be proving what items were in the house, but that's no different than 90% of theft cases. Not everyone keeps a detailed list of their belongings, and people are stolen from all the time.

The other challenge could be proving that the daughter was the actual culprit. Responding to that point is going to depend on what evidence you have to back up your belief that the daughter and her acquaintances are the perpetrators here. Feel free to supplement that information if you'd like more advice.

But, for right now, he definitely has claims. Against the daughter/friends directly: theft, conversion, burglary (civil and criminal), and breach of contract. Maybe even fraud, depending on the facts around the agreement. Those claims exercised vicariously against the agent: possibly agency. Other possible claims directly against the agent: breach of contract, fraud in the inducement, negligence, negligent supervision (these depend on more facts about the circumstance).

There are claims available. Talk to a lawyer about the facts to find out specifically which apply to the facts here.


Title: Jury Duty

Question:
People of Reddit, I was summoned for Jury Duty  on 12/17/18, and I really don't want to be there longer than I have to. What could I intentionally say to be cut/struck without getting trouble?

Anything helps. Thanks!

Answer: Be 100% honest and fulfill your civic duty.


Title: (Minnesota) SO hit cement lamp pole base at her work. Is there anything we can do?

Question:
At her work, they are doing construction on the parking lot. For some reason, they removed the lamp posts located in the center of the parking lot, but kept the 3' cement base there with no flags, color indication, etc....

Well, my SO, who drives an '06 Buick Rainier, couldn't see the base over the front of her car and smashed her front end, which broke the bumper, along with the reinforcement bar, and some other support pieces. The total cost of the parts to replace (without labor) is around $1000. Is there anything she can do, or is she completely liable?

Answer: Depends, was the light pole stationary at the time?


Title: Am I legally obligated to pay for a credit card that I was forced to open against my will?

Question: Throwaway for obvious reasons. I am a 21 y/o college student with no credit, last time a checked-- or possibly bad credit, now, after having been delinquent on my old apt's electric bill now for a few months (I heard utilities don't count towards credit?) and this situation with a credit card. I am mostly asking about the credit card because I'm embarrassed and no one knows the truth and I don't know what to do-- I relapsed after a few years off of street drugs last year and in November my dealer took me, intoxicated, to Home Depot where he forced me to go inside and use all my real information to apply for an on-the-spot credit card. LUCKILY I was only approved for $500 since I am a 21 y/o with no credit (wahoo!) He proceeded to use the temporary card (the paper receipt) and my signature to max out all $500 on it so he could buy a fridge or whatever while he gave me drugs to keep me occupied and inebriated, roaming around the store after consenting to I guess and signing away on the transaction. All I remember was that we were in that store for hours.. This is both embarrassing and shameful on my part and no one knows that it happened. Now the Home Depot wants min. payment of $25 a month and I was going to call them to explain how I was forced to do this (he had a gun) but I'm not willing to take it to the police (I can't even track down the dealer) and just don't want any trouble. I'm thinking at this point it may just be easier to pay for the $500 balance, with this first payment having been received late, and since I truly did walk into the store and open the card with my ID, my social, my everything, I legally gotta pay and it's just a consequence of my usage. Can anyone advise? Thanks very much and I apologize if this is in the wrong sub!

Answer:
 Your unwillingness to go to the police means the fraud option is off the table which means you're responsible for this debt.Answer #2: How late is your first payment? You'll be fine if you pay it within 30 days.

I don't think Citibank (which issues the HD credit card) will give you much relief based on your story, especially absent a police report. But you can call and ask.

My 2c: Pay off the $500 as fast as you can (per https://citiretailservices.citibankonline.com/CRS/acq/launch/index.action?app=PQ01&siteId=PLCN_HOMEDEPOT&sc=30052&cmp=A~Z~C~P~1~5~ZZZZ~PQ~HD~ZZ&flowTypeTnC=foottnc#tnc your interest rate is 18%-27%), and consider this a lesson learned. In the grand scheme of things any hit to your credit report and the $500 are insignificant compared with doing drugs and hanging out with armed drug dealers.Answer #3: If its in your name yes

Judge judy might rule in your favor but she dont want known of your sass!Answer #4: short answer is yes since the card is technically bound to you and you actually made a purchase. Also just payoff the 500 completely and learn from this mistake using narcotics


Title: [WA] Employer is requiring employees to work with little to no warning on days off/time off when needing shift coverage.

Question:
My employer recently sent a company-wide email stating that employees are required to cover shifts if necessary on days off or after they are off work for the day. Stated clearly that our 'jobs are on the line' if we say no to covering shifts for any reason other than medical emergencies (which we are required to disclose if/when we refuse to come in). Is there any sort of legal issue here? We are not scheduled to be on call and we are minimum wage employees.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: They don't even have to give you a pass for emergencies (though it's hard to come in to work with you're in the ER). This is pretty typical for minimum wage jobs, and it's legal. Just make sure if you work more than 40 hours in a week that you receive overtime pay (1.5x).Answer #2: You can look for a new job with a better schedule if you would like. If you are fired for not being able to come into work last minute you would likely qualify for unemployment.


Title: I'm being investigated for child porn by CPS and the police. Help.

Question: [removed]

Answer: Lawyer. Now.


Title: Could the police do anything if someone showed them pictures of me saying "i smoke weed" in a chat room?

Question:
Someone that I happened to be in a group chat with has been bothering me so I left the chat. A few days later he contacts me on Facebook to bother me so I just delete, block, and move on. However yesterday, which is a few weeks from the Facebook message, he reached out to me again but this time on Instagram. I decided to just brush it off but he kept going and going and kept harassing me. So I told him I'd report his harassment. He said that in response he'd tell the police about me chatting about smoking weed in the chat room which took place about a month ago. After that I took pictures of the conversation and blocked him on Instagram. If I report the harassment to the police and he decides to take pictures of what I said and show that to the police could I possibly get in trouble? There are no pictures of me actually smoking weed or with weed, just me talking about getting high, smoking weed, etc.

The reason I'd like to report him or at least give the police his number so they can call him and give him a warning is because I don't think he'll stop escalating the situation. He's mentioned writing letters to my apartment and he joked about trying to get my number to a few of my friends in the chat room (none of my friends gave him my number). I think if he got a call from the cops that'd scare him enough to back off and if not I can escalate it to a full report and take action from there

Answer:
 There is very little the police will care less about than a chat of someone admitting to smoking weedAnswer #2: Block and ignore. Like a stalker, dipshits like this feed off knowing they are getting some form of your attention.

Genuinely ignore and it will likely go away pretty quick.

Cops won't care, but by same token wise to go clean for a bit in any event.Answer #3: 1) police won't care that you smoked weed in the past.

2) police don't make phone calls to tell people to "back off" unless they are investigating a crime. And even then they don't tell people to "back off" they just arrest the person.


Title: I think I Genuinely found a way to out pizza the hut

Question:
Okay so I have an idea I seriously think Pizza Hut or a competing company would be interested in using.  I've beta tested this idea and I think I can hold up to my title's claim. My question is how can I propose my idea to a company and not have my idea stolen? My fear is that I will be told it's "Already in development" and will be taken without my credit. I do not work for any pizza chain and came up with this idea on my own. Any advice?
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: Generally, ideas or concepts cannot be protected.


Title: My Brother is trying to win custody of his daughter who may be being molested by her stepfather

Question:
This is in Arkansas. My Brother has visitation rights for his daughter aged under 5. He sees here every sunday for 5 hours. There is a pending court case challenging those visitation rights. Earlier today, my brother was talking to his daughter and she said some things that led us to believe that her stepfather, who is a police officer, may be molesting her. My mother is currently at the local police department to see what we can do. I know custody law is very complicated, but any advice on best course of action?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: If you love she is being harmed, call CPS.


Title: What is required to mitigate damages?

Question:
I was reading [this](https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/6hbw68/ohio_neighbor_says_i_must_pay_for_all_lost_food/) thread about the power outage and the neighbor's bill for lost food.

One of the things that came up a few times was the neighbor's failure to mitigate damages.

What is required to mitigate damages? In the thread, the neighbor claimed that the OP owed her for $1000 worth of lost food.

Imagining a world in which the power outage was actually OP's fault, and there was actually a lawsuit, how much is a person required to mitigate their damages?

If they went out and purchased an $800 generator, that cuts the loss from $1000 to $800. But they would also be able to mitigate their losses with $50 worth of ice. Is there a requirement that you must mitigate damages in the cheapest way possible? Or is there a "reasonable person" test?

Answer:
 1) You realize that the women lied to OP about losing $1000 of food, right?

2) Even if she was telling the truth, you know that OP was not responsible for the lack of access (if it occurred) to the power line, right?

3) But assuming that (1) and (2) are true, then you are correct that mitigation would depend on what a "reasonable" person would be expected to do. In this case, it would be more reasonable to go out and buy ice, and not an $800 generator. It is not necessarily the cheapest option,  but it often is.


Title: [MA] Can my employer force me to take my break? Or can I decide I'd rather work through it and get paid?

Question:
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXI/Chapter149/Section100

MGL Chapter 149 sections 100&101 seem pretty clear to me in saying that I can decline a break if I work 6 hours or more, but I'm not a lawyer and I'd like to get a confirmation before I bring it up with my manager and district manager

Thanks for the help!

Edit: My question has been answered, thanks for the help!
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 You don't *have* to take a break, and they have to pay you if you don't. Of course, they can fire you if you don't take it.

Your link doesn't say what you think it does. It says that they can't make somebody work more than 6 hours without a break. It says nothing at all about people working less than that.


Title: YouTube videos made years ago with permission to use music from the artist are now being claimed for monetisation by a distributor the artist recently signed with. Where do i stand?

Question:
Location: England

Hey everyone.

Back in 2010 - 2012 I got in touch with an artist I liked and got written permission to use their music in my YouTube videos providing I gave full credit in the video description. At the time they were not signed with anyone.

They have recently signed with a company to distribute their music who is now claiming the monetisation on my videos and preventing me earning a penny.

I'm curious where I stand as I would much rather contact the company directly to prevent this happening than use the YouTube dispute/counter-claim system as doing so reduces the risk of my channel being banned.

Am I in good legal standing considering I had permission to use the music from the creator when the content was created and hosted?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 I hope you still got proof that you have permission, since that is all you need to proof to the company going after you right now that they can go pound sand.

edit:IANALAnswer #2: I believe youtube's process allows you to say you have permission and provide the emails showing that you have permission. I'd go that route before escalating to anything else.


Title: My mom co-signed for a student loan and wants out of it. (OR)

Question: My mom co-signed for a student loan for my sister to go away to school, or else she wouldn’t have been able to go. My sister eventually dropped out. Instead of talking to a loan officer about the situation and to put a hold on my sister’s loans, my sister is doing nothing. So now it is falling back on my mom. My sister is refusing to pay and is behind 5 payments. Is there anything my mom can do to get out of it now that my sister is acting ungrateful and doesn’t care what happens to my mom?

Answer:
 Your mom can pay off the loan or your sister can refinance the loan in her name alone.

Never co-sign a loan you're not prepared to pay yourself.


Title: I parked my car at a underground garage in NYC where the attendant actually parks and wedges it into a tiny place. When I got my car back it was scratched to hell on the roof.

Question: This happened last week.  The place had the car elevators that allow you to park a car over another car.  The whole roof of my car is scratched deeply and all scratches go sideways, not front to back.  I didn't notice until I was already out of state driving home from NYC.  I called the place and they said I need to drive back so they can see the damage.  I live over 3 hrs away and would prefer to send photos first before I take a day off to drive all the way there and back.  The car park is owned by a much larger company "Quik Park."  I have been calling their main customer service number but no one answers or is calling me back.  What are my options?

Answer:
 Report it to your insurance and explain what happened.

They may pursue the company for damages.


Title: Separated - Suddenly he can't keep our cats, but I already have a roommate with an allergy.

Question: Live in North Carolina. I've been married since 03/11/13. On 09/22/17, I told my husband I was considering divorce. He threatened to have me forcibly removed from our home and under duress I was forced to stay with friends for the weekend and immediately find a place to live. We have been separated since then, only interacting when he was supposed to bring what we agreed were my things. (I still haven't received some of these possessions.) Things seemed to be going okay and I was going to wait to take action until the year was up for NC to file. However, I need to figure out what I can do about our cats. We had an agreement that he would keep them because he was incredibly insistent he could, and I stopped worrying about finding a housing situation where they would be welcome. While my apartment accepts pets, my roommate is allergic to them, and my lease is not up until June, so I would have to wait until then to find suitable housing for them. He sent me a text last Thursday that he will be leaving the country and no longer be able to care for the cats. He said that it would still be at least a month before he left and that if I could find a place in my budget we could split the bill to foster the cats until 7 months from now when I could find a suitable living situation for them. Today he suggested, not for the first time, that they should be boarded with my friends or family, which I already made clear was not an option. Essentially, he's shirking the responsibility he took for these cats and seems to be using them to manipulate me emotionally (he also used to threaten to find a new home for my rabbit, so this is not unusual). When I told him that wasn't an option and that he'd taken responsibility for the cats and needed to own up to it, he told me the "offer was off the table," (meaning, I believe, that he was now going to re-home the cats). I also signed and paid for the younger of the two and am sure the local animal shelter still has those records. My main issue is - if I do get them - finding a place to keep them or foster them while I wait for my lease to be up, as breaking the lease would be too expensive. What can I do?

Answer: You can board the cats somewhere. Your husband does not have an obligation to keep them. Why are your friends or family not an option to you?


Title: (San Diego, CA) My sister got rear ended by a guy in his friend's hummer and now his friend's insurance won't cover it because they said there is a lack of evidence. What can we do?

Question:
Backstory: My sister was outside in her car that was parked in front of a store while my mom was inside shopping. Some dude in a hummer backs into her. They exchange information. She and her car are covered under my insurance but only liability. The guy lets my sister know that it's not his car, it's his friends and he doesn't have the insurance. My sister calls the cops, the cop shows up asks what happened, my sister explains while the driver had walked to the next door establishment. The cop doesn't ask my sister anything else and let's her leave and gives her his card.

Current situation: The hummer has Geico insurance my sister filed a claim with them and now they're telling her that they are denying the claim because the driver said he had someone guide him out of his spot and he didn't hit my sister car. This is false, my sister only saw the driver and nobody else with him. Geico also said they had a insufficient evidence since the hummer doesn't have any damage. My sisters car is a 95 Saturn so it didn't cause very much damage if any at all.

What can we do? Can my sister sue the driver for the damages?

Answer:
 > Can my sister sue the driver for the damages?

Yes that's exactly what you need to do.


Title: MCM "Debt" is not my debt and they won't leave me alone... Help!

Question:
About two years ago Midland Credit Management, Inc got my cell phone number and wouldn't stop calling me about a debt I apparently owe them for a T-Mobile account that wasn't mine. At the time I had an account in good standing with T-Mobile. MCM told me that I owed them 1200 dollars but can get 60% off the debt if I paid right then and there! Which screamed SCAM SCAM SCAM to me.

I knew it wasn't me because my account with T-Mobile had been in good standing for several years now, plus it was in my legal name which includes a hyphenated name that MCM didn't have. I was able to get some information from MCM about the real debtor and confirmed with them that they had the wrong person. The person they were looking for was several years younger than I and not even born in the same month as me, I had never lived at the address that this person had signed up under. They even had this persons SSN which wasn't mine! I told them it wasn't mine. The person on the phone was like well what is yours? I told them to screw off and that I wouldn't give them that information. I looked up the address that this person signed up the account under and it was a barbers shop in Milwaukee, WI.

They then told me that I needed to file a identity theft case with the police. I called the police and the police were like you don't need an identity theft case because this wasn't identity theft. MCM has the wrong person, they told me but wouldn't offer any other advice then to tell MCM that.

After several months of them calling me and not getting the picture I finally told them that I would sue them for harassment if they kept calling. They since stopped but are now sending me bills every single month. I've even moved two states away since then but the bills have followed. I now live in Michigan.

The problem is, is they don't even need a lot of information about me to put it on my credit report. I've reported the 'infraction' on my report twice now and both times it has been removed. I don't want to continue battling with this for the rest of my life and they obviously haven't gotten the hint that they don't have the right person.

At this point I have no idea what to do. Do I get a debt attorney to tell them to f*ck off? What do I do to prove that they have the wrong person?!

Answer: Send them **a letter** that you will not pay and to stop contacting you. Dispute any incorrect entries on your credit report.


Title: To what extent can you make valid changes to a service agreement prior to becoming a subscriber?

Question:
I'm looking at switching cable/internet providers and there are a few clauses I would like to modify or remove.

If I request a paper copy of the agreement and send a signed, modified version to them will those changes be valid or do I need to explicitly state what I changed when I send it?  Last I remember they don't send you a signed certified copy back, if that is the case, could you include something like "if Company provides service or installs equipment then Company agrees to all terms of this agreement"

I'm not trying to add unreasonable things like they actually pay me every month for life and I now own 10% of the company.  I just want to change some termination and privacy terms.

State:  Texas
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: Not a chance in hell that you'll be successful in this endeavor. Answer #2: There's no way they'll accept it


Title: Forced to work while snowing, recovering from surgery

Question:
Hello,

A friend of mine works at a perpetually understaffed local library. We live in Pennsylvania. She got surgery recently to correct a large bunion, but has been back to work for about a week or two. She gets around using a leg scooter.

It snowed an inch or two last night, and she is very concerned about her safety scooting around - she would basically need to just push the thing through the snow without the wheel turning, or crawl on the ground. She tried to call off and was refused.

Does she have a legal right to refuse to come in to work if there is no safe way for her to get from her car to the building based on her health and the conditions? She is at serious risk of injuring her operated-on foot or being fired. Thank you.

Answer:
 Unless she is in a union the following applies:

They cannot force her to come to work (see the 13th Amendment), but they can fire her if she doesn’t.Answer #2: Can somebody help her get from her car to the building? That seems like basic human decency.


Title: How could you prosecute Kira [Death Note]

Question:
This is from Death Note. In the show the Death Note is a magic notebook that kills people. If you had to prosecute this case all you would have is a list of murder victims. At best you could have everyone touch the Death Note so they could see the shinigami but how do you prove a magic notebook kills people in court? I know the show takes place in Japan but how would the American courts handle this? I'm only talking about the anime not the Live action movies.

https://myanimelist.net/anime/1535/Death_Note

Answer:
 You wouldn’t in real life the USG would realize that someone has a book that can kill anyone just by writing their name in the book and cover it all up under the guise of national security. That book is a nation-state’s wet dream. Answer #2: Kira has admitted to literally hundreds of murders over the course of Death Note, and recruited accomplices. Regardless of method, he has the ability to cause someone's death, and by the end of the series that's been demonstrated beyond any shadow of a doubt.

He's prosecuted based on linking his identity to the Kira persona and the preponderance of evidence and confessions made. The notebook never has to see the light of day.


Title: My husband wants to take the little life savings he left on our bank account to pay for webcam girls

Question:
[I (26F) found out my husband (26M) has an addiction on webcam girls and spent our life savings ($50,000)](https://www.reddit.com/r/relationship_advice/comments/gtn4ik/i_26f_found_out_my_husband_26m_has_an_addiction/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)

A month ago I started to find out my husband has a webcam girl addiction. I decided I wanted to separe him. We had two bank accounts with both of our names in them. The account he uses he spent every cent, he only has $90 in that account. The one that I use and he never touches has $7,000 in it, he wanted me to give him $3,000 so he can spent it all in webcam girls. I said no and have a video of him telling me he wants the money, I ran away, he changed my gmail password without my permission so he can get the money out of it.  He locked me out of my bank account, I am in now in a random bathroom typing this. What do I do now? He has tried to lock me in the rooms so I don’t leave, my arms are bruised because he grabs me hard.

I live in Texas.

Answer:
 You photograph you injuries, contact the police immediately, and get guidance from thehotline.org.Answer #2: Call the cops. Document the bruises. Go to the bank and withdraw the money or put a lock on it for fraudulent charges and alert them that no online purchases should go through.

Get away from him. He sounds dangerous. Go stay in a hotel and plan your next move once you have a moment to decompress.


Title: Texas. An employee for one my healthcare providers used my contact information to try and recruit me for multilevel marketing.

Question: The receptionist at my dentist's office (who I do not know personally) called me unexpectedly to talk to me about Ambit Energy.  I was not aware she is involved with Ambit Energy, nor did I request any information on the subject from her. The only way I know of that she could've obtained my phone number is from my contact information on file with the dentist's office.  The office was closed on the day she contacted me, so she was at home.  Is this a violation of HIPAA or any other privacy law?

Answer: Just tell the dentist or his office manager about it.


Title: Divorce petition + pregnancy test? NH

Question:
My husband and I are going through a no-fault divorce in NH. We have no kids and no major assets, so I thought everything would be simple. However he went ahead and had me served, instead of doing a joint petition like we agreed. And in the paperwork, he asked that I take a pregnancy test! I am very very sure I am not pregnant so I would do it, but I am curious;

1. Can a court order a pregnancy test as part of a divorce?
2. What is the incentive to ask someone to take one?

Thanks!!

Answer:
 In my state you cannot file for divorce while the wife is pregnant.  I do not know if that is true in your state, but if it is, perhaps his lawyer advised it in order to prevent any surprises from delaying finalizing the paperwork down the road.Answer #2: Your husband is presumed father of any child conceived within 180 days of the marriage (for most states), so likely he wants to have it documented that you are not pregnant so if you happen to get knocked up by a guy you are dating while the divorce is in progress, he won't be responsible. Answer #3: 1. Yes, it can get to that point if he makes enough of a claim that a judge decides it's merited.
2. He may believe that you were pregnant or may want to try and frame that you were cheating on him, who knows.

It's time for your own lawyer. This isn't going to be pretty.


Title: [New Mexico] Leasing office illegally towed my car

Question:
A few months ago my car was broken into and vandalized. They ripped out the wiring under my steering column. I didn't have the money to have it fixed right away, so I went into my leasing office and spoke with the manager about my situation. They gave me 2 months to get it working and said they would not tow it.

I got it fixed, updated my tags and got it street legal, and I went to tell the leasing office that Nov 1st. I thought everything was good to go.

I woke up this morning to my neighbor banging on my door saying my car just got towed. Leasing office says it was towed because there was no license plate/tag on it. I showed the manager a picture I took when I got the plate and tag, showing that indeed the car does have a plate and tag, it's 100% legal.

She called the towing company back and they didn't answer. She left a message saying to bring the car back.

Tow truck driver has a signed invoice saying my car doesn't have plate/tags - the car he found clearly does. He even verified the VIN (according to the leasing office) He *should* have seen it had plate/tag and gone into the leasing office to figure out what is up. He didn't.

Should I be calling the police in this situation? My car was basically stolen and could be damaged.

Answer:
 go get your car from the impound lot. Pay everything if they do not give in. The turn around and sue both the leasing office and the towing company.  The courts will figure out who owes you money.  Answer #2: Were the plates and tags properly mounted and displayed on the car in the places they're supposed to be?Answer #3: IANAL. Ugh. Youa re the victim of towtruck vultures. Ironically, your leasing office probably works with them and may even get a kickback for every car towed. Based on my experience, everything the leasing people and the towtruck people say is a lie.

Cops will not care, most likely. Get your car back and sue the leasing company AND the towing company in small claims. Good luck.


Title: Two teens (12and 13 technically) had sex. Now what?

Question:
My niece and her boyfriend 13f and 12m had sex. I’ve been reading the laws and I’m curious about what can happen if they continue to do so (obviously without her parents permission). I really don’t want either of these kids charged with a crime but I’d like to know what can happen, just on the odd chance that someone reports something. Can they be charged and or prosecuted for statutory rape? What else could they be charged with?

Location, California

Thanks
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 They are both below the age of consent. They could both be charged with statutory rape.

Whether that is actually likely to happen I couldn’t say.


Title: 15 year old being falsely accused of rape. Help me I'm so scared.

Question:
So I've had a girlfriend (who is also 15) who I've been talking to over 5 days, we are both sexually active and I have touched her intimately and so has she (fingering, blowjob). Lately in the last 2 days I've been busy with music coursework and so I haven't been talking to her as much. I did really like this girl.

She claims I forced her to bend over even though I asked her first and she said yes, she never said anything or screamed and wasn't angry with me after.

Her father found out somehow and she is now apparently accusing me of rape according to her close friend. This only happened today and her father is incredibly pissed at me saying he wants to kill me and such. I am so fckin scared idk what to do please someone help. I have chat evidence through snapchat but she unfriended me before I could get them. The police are involved and everything, my parents don't know yet but they'll probably know tommorow. My school also know. Guys I really need help wtf can I do.

I probably won't be able to access reddit after tommorow, my shit will 100% be taken away from me.

Answer:
 > The police are involved

Stop talking about it. Ask for a lawyer, talk only to lawyer about it.


Title: Ohio. Truck was towed from apartment.

Question:
My landlord towed our truck from the apartment because it's too big, the tags are expired and we don't drive it.

We are going today to update the tags. But she said we won't be allowed to park it here anymore. We get 2 parking spots and we use 2 parking spots.

Can she really force us to not keep our vehicle due to it not being driven?
What about because it's too big. It's an 86 suburban that is lifted up (still at a street legal height) but is the same length as our pickup truck. She has no issue with our pickup.

This is Ohio and we rent from a private landlord in an apartment complex.

Is she legally allowed to make us "store it somewhere else"

Answer:
 > Can she really force us to not keep our vehicle due to it not being driven?

Your lease and local rules control here.  In general, however, a vehicle that isn't being driven and/or has expired tags is considered abandoned.  Most complexes have rules that bar long-term vehicle storage, which is what you're doing here.


Title: Queens NEW YORK- Landlord wants my girlfriend who visits me often to be on the lease. +600/month for utilities

Question: I pay 1500 a month with all utilities included. I'm on a 1 year lease and have had my GF over 12 days a month to spend time with me since we go to college and are on a 1 month winter break. My landlord wants to put my GF on the lease after she stayed over for 5 consecutive days as her parents went on vacation and she want to spend time with me. The Landlord wants my Gf on the lease for $600 a month saying that when I signed the lease they thought that no one else will be living with me and that extra persons will cause the utilities to go up. First of all the ad for the apartment was "1500 a month all utilities included" so I don't think it's reasonable to charge for someone who stays/lives with me since its a large studio with enough living space for 3 people without any problem. If i had like 4+ people actually living with me then that would be understandable. Second 600 a month for utility? WTF?? that's just absurd. My Gf doesn't live with me and has no clothes over at my place what so ever unless she visits consecutive days in that case she brings a change of clothes. I want to bring up the fact that ever since I have moved in I have used the stove 3 times and there most likely will not be a very noticeable jump in utilities. and that she is never in the apartment when I'm not there but I don't want to confront my landlord because if I get evicted I'm going to have a hard time finding a place in a short period of time as most apartments would have been locked in at the start of the semester. No mention of guests ever in the contract and prior to moving in the landlord told me that the apartment was previously rented to a family of 3 for 1500. Im stressed out at this point thanks in advance for the help

Answer:
 You need to read your lease terms and conditions carefully before anyone here is able to comment.

Utilities included leases can have extra stipulations thrown in.

Please read over your lease agreement and get back to me.


Title: (Australia) I internationally own a trademarked brand name and i wanted my social media account names to correlate with it, but they're taken. what's the best way to go about obtaining them?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 tl;dr  **Get your wallet ready.**

People who control those are either going to have to be paid for them (use an escrow service!), or you're going to have to sue (in their jurisdiction) to enforce your trademark _if_ they are in a similar line of business and the potential for confusion exists.

NB:  Just because you have a trademark on (for example) "yungmaxx" that does NOT mean that you can just demand that everyone with a social media account that sounds like or contains words that sound like your trademark turn over their accounts.


Title: Bike stolen in communal basement, tenant in other unit taking me to small claims because I "gave out the keycode"

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >I would normally just show up, but there are a few complications here. One, I'm moving out of the country and will be gone before the court date.

You can ask that it be postponed until you return.

>Two, I have pretty bad anxiety and feel genuinely frightened and harassed by this action.

This will be a good opportunity to face up to life and deal with a problem despite your anxiety.  Where are you moving to?  I have lived many years in the 3rd world and I guarantee you that people who struggle to feed themselves every day don't get anxiety over uncomfortable confrontations that they would rather not have.  Take this as an opportunity to take confidence in your life and know that you can overcome minor inconveniences.

>How should I move forward? I can't get information on extending the court date. I won't be back until September. It sounds like I can hire a lawyer to represent me but this would be costly and burdensome.

Contact the courthouse and explain your situation and ask that the date be postponed.


Title: What is possible legal action for housing a minor without parental consent?

Question:
My sister slept over at her boyfriends house that no one in my family knew about. My parents now found out and my mom is threatening with pressing charges on his family as she is underage and stayed in their place. I believe she is acting on anger and perhaps after sleeping it over she will calm down but is there anything she can actually do? I can't think of what could possibly be charges acceptable for the situation. Thanks!

Edit: this is in Texas by the way, didn't realize I didn't include it

Answer: Realistically unless they were holding her against her or your parents will at the time then I doubt anything would come from this.


Title: I bought an iPhone on Facebook that was supposedly unlocked and isn’t. Then the person blocked me.

Question: I bought an iPhone on Facebook and when I got home my SIM card wouldn’t work on it. I called customer support and unlike she said, it is not paid off and therefore it will not unlock (and will probably brick soon from nonpayment). I don’t have a phone number. I picked it up from “her friends” house so I know where that is. And I know her name. What can I do? Being out $300 and going about my business with a frown isn’t going to work.

Answer: You can sue her in small claims if you want for the cost of the phone and the filing fee. It's your decision if it's worth the effort though.


Title: pizza store gave me expired dipping sauce

Question: Can I sue them for food poisoning? My stomach hurts.

Answer:
 Expiration dates on many food products, especially those packed with preservatives, generally have to do with freshness, not safety.

Unless you get a medical report that says the sauce *caused* food poisoning, you have no legal issue.


Title: My coworker has evidence that nobody in our work place has ever gotten a the promised 1 dollar raise from the three month probationary period [Michigan]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Unless you have a bona fide employment contract, they do not have to give you a raise, nor, remove you from their "probationary period".


Title: [Ontario, Canada] Performance based bonuses and incorrectly calculating performance.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: from a legal standpoint, yes. since it's more a company policy/procedure. you should bring this up and develop a better method to judge performances since it directly determines your pay.


Title: Boss is selling out of date meat

Question:
I work in a meat department. We took a lot of orders for prime rib for Christmas, but some of them didn't get picked up and are now expired. My boss just had us repackage them so it says they're not out of date.
I don't know whether this is illegal, but I definitely think it's unethical and something should be done.

I can't tell the store director because him and my boss are buddies. My boss is related to somebody in corporate so that's also a no-go. He holds a lot of power in the company.

I am pretty young and haven't worked in the field for long, so I don't know much about regulations regarding this. My boss has had us repackage expired vacuum packed ribs as well.

What should I do?

Edit: I work in Idaho.

Answer:
 This isn't legal advice, but I do have a lot of grocery experience.  Let it go, or find a new line of work.

Your head's in the right place.  Unfortunately, it's a super common practice in meat departments.  I work for a large grocery chain in the SE and it's a fireable offense-- but I've seen the meat manager and the store director both authorize/order it to be done/and turn a blind eye.  It's all about profit.

That said, it's only done with beef(and usually only nicer cuts-- never grinds).  Even they won't mess around with chicken or pork.

The thing with the ribs depends a lot in how y'all do dates.  If they come in with an expiration and they'd been sitting in the freezer for a long time I could even see that.

Feel free to message me if you have any questions.


Title: Identity theft, switching places with a dead twin.

Question: Say for example, two twin sisters, A and B are 8 years old. A goes missing with B, but B finds her way back. B decides that she will steal A’s identity. B goes by A for the rest of her life and A is never found. Say for example it could be proven that B is not actually A, what legal consequences would B face for stealing their twins identity, if any at all? Can you be punished for this?

Answer: At 8 years old the twin wouldn't be charged with any crime. Even if they could a prosecutor would need to show there was a guilty mind behind the switched identity. Without a financial gain, it's hard to prove that.Answer #2: Unless the family is in on the switch twin B wouldn't be able to pull off the switch. Any parent and most relatives can tell twins apart. I have identical twin cousins, and while strangers and acquaintances can't tell them apart literally everyone in the family can.Answer #3: So I could be wrong but my understanding is that identical twins do have identical DNA. And according to google they do NOT have identical fingertips. So outside a confession or fingerprints… I feel like there wouldn’t be a way to prove it since most people don’t have fingerprints on record, especially at the age of 8.  Maybe dental record comparison? But still they’re only 8. so I just don’t know how they’d ever prove it without a confession even if they found the body, unless she somehow survived and came back and claimed her own name. There still might not even be a way to prove it without fingerprint records from before the disappearance… but I’m not a genetic biologist and just thought this was a super interesting idea!


Title: There was a piece of glass in my Trader Joe's pink salmon can

Question:
As I was eating the pink salmon, I noticed that there is a piece of glass in the can after I felt something sharp in my mouth.

What can I do about this? Thanks

Answer: It is most likely struvite crystals (magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals) and not glass. You can verify this by placing the crystals in warm vinegar or lemon juice. If it is struvite, it will dissolve.


Title: Angry T-Mobile representative disables the ability to message from my cell?

Question:
tl;dr: After a frustrating talk with a supervisor, a T-Mobile supervisor disabled outgoing messages on my account, as confirmed by another representative (and recorded with her permission).

At around 7PM, I had phoned T-Mobile about the free Netflix offer. Unfortunately, it was only for specific plans and I did not qualify.

I had asked why, when our plan was actually more expensive and that we had been with them for a decade.

After a back and forth with the supervisor and her unwillingness to give me the subscription, I ended the call defeated.

Shortly after, I had tried to send out some texts. Instantly, these texts were failing to send. I did some basic troubleshooting and realized something else was going on.

I called T-Mobile and a representative, which I was allowed to record, stated that messaging on my account had been manually turned off... ON THEIR END.

I NEVER asked the rep to do anything to my account. I am under a family plan with my mom's name and I am not even an authorized user!

I became increasingly furious, and had a new supervisor to give me the name of the supervisor I spoke to earlier. After receving this information, I was told to write to T-Mobiles legal department considering the matter.

What should I actually do? I feel like writing to T-Mobile first isn't the smartest idea at this point.

Do I file a police report? If she had turned off my cellular abilities and someone needed to reach me or me them, what would I have been able to do?

I have the employee number and name of the supervisor who assisted me in getting the information I needed.

Answer: Don’t file a police report.  This is a customer service issue, not a legal matter and especially not a criminal matter.


Title: Someone says I stole their phone!! Help Imediately!

Question: I went to a birthday party last night and the next day I'm being accused of stealing her phone. She says I took it in a red car but my friends car is silver and I dont drive. Im scared and worried and now shes threatening to call the cops.

Answer: There's nothing to do unless and until they call the cops and you're contacted by law enforcement, and then the only thing to do is to politely refuse to talk to the police.


Title: Is an undercover cop legally required to tell you hes a cop?

Question: [removed]

Answer: There isn't a debate.  The absence of dead undercover police officers on the side of the road conclusively proves that they don't need to tell you.


Title: Private student loan bankruptcy, undue hardship

Question: I was diagnosed with brain cancer a year after graduating with my bachelors in 2011 am just now starting to be able to work, I have defaulted on every private student loan, what is undue financial hardship

Answer: Undue financial hardship is when you absolutely cannot pay on your student loans due to a cause that makes it physically impossible for you repay them and thus they will be forgiven. Brain cancer would most probably qualify you for that type of forgiveness if you don't have the capacity to do a job that would allow you to repay the loans. You should probably consult with a bankruptcy attorney or certified accountant, maybe both.


Title: Neighbor told me yesterday they were starting to build our shared fence today, now asking to split cost!

Question:
My neighbor and I have talked about re-doing our fence for quite some time. He has thrown around some ideas about hiring or doing it ourselves. I have always told him that when the time comes I wouldn’t mind doing the labor and we could split the cost of everything else.

2 weeks ago his wife approached my wife and I (while we were walking around the neighborhood) and said that her husband was going to talk to us about the fence. Well, yesterday I get a call saying that they will be starting, putting new posts in the ground but using the old fence boards and that my wife and I should come over for a drink and we can look at the bids Friday or Saturday (day of construction/ day #2 of construction) . Now, I just received a call saying that I have trees in the way (they were part of the reason why we needed a new fence, roots and stumps were pushing the fence) and that I need to take them down and stump grind them.
 I have no idea what is fair and what I should do

1)	We have not agreed to split the cost.

2)	I still have no idea how much this is going to cost.

3)	We did not agree to the fence design

4)	We did not agree to have a contractor do the work (I was more than willing to do the labor)

5)	There was only a 14 hr notice that they were starting.

So what should I do Reddit?? I want to keep the peace between my neighbors, but don’t know how hard I should push?

Edit: I'm in California
Edit 2: Added Clarity

Answer: Be an adult and explain that you didn't realize the building of the fence was going forward, you thought you were still in talks about getting it built, and you have some questions/uncertainties about how everything should work in order to best benefit you both. Tell him that you are concerned about the costs and you think it'd be best if the both of you did the labor.


Title: Old foster parents refusing to speak with me or return my belongings.

Question: I’m sorry if this is long or if the formatting is off, I’m on mobile. I am 17 and lived with a foster family for only a couple months, until I ditched the situation to sleep on a friends couch. Their daughter was cruel and stole the simple things from me that I struggled to get in the first place. It can drive anyone insane seeing their things disappear without a trace. When I left without saying much I didn’t take any of my things, as I was sleeping on a friends couch and didn’t want to bring more than a bag. Now I’m living on my own, and I have a place to put my things! I’ve tried asking them for my clothes and mail but they will not speak with me. The daughter interacts with me some, but it’s her saying she hasn’t seen my belongings, which is impossible. I texted her saying I was coming to the house today because I need a specific package and check. She responded saying they had lost them and then switched it to “nothing has come in the mail.” I’m upset. I stop by. I ring the doorbell and a random lady who I’ve never seen before runs out of the back door screaming that she will call the police. Saying that I can’t have my stuff and that I’m trespassing by standing on the porch waiting for someone to open the door. I saw everyone’s car in the driveway, but no one besides her came out. She then took pictures of my license plate and threatened to physically remove me herself as I was walking to my car mumbling things under my breath. I feel so defeated, and I wouldn’t worry if I had anyone on my side, but most foster kids don’t. There’s no one that will help me get my things back. I have no idea what legal action I can take, if any, but I want to do this the right way so that it can’t be fought back. I’ve met and stayed with many foster families and I can’t say I haven’t been manipulated or abused in all of them, but this is the case that is getting to me. My things mean a lot to me because it’s not much and everything is a struggle to keep in the life I’ve lived in the foster system.

Answer:
 If you are still in foster care you can contact your caseworker or the foster homes licensing caseworker for assistance.Answer #2: You have a social worker?

Call them.Answer #3: > I have no idea what legal action I can take, if any

You can sue them for the value of the items.Answer #4: The first thing is go over there with a police officer and demand your stuff


Title: Buffalo NY- landlord says they are not liable for the rooms falling in on my apartment, what are my options?

Question:
My landlord contracted someone to replace the roof on the house I am living in. There has been leak in my feeling for about 2 months, which I brought to their attention

As of today a section of the roof collapse and broke a large number of my items in the house, like my furniture.

The landlord is saying that I have to take the situation up with the contractors who are preparing the roof.
My question is, is this valid?
Also there is now a large hole in my room open to the outside elements. Do I have any options? Does this fall under the habitability section of tenant rights?
I am speaking with a tenant right lawyer tomorrow, but I am trying to get a plan straightened  put as soon as possible

Answer:
 Best (and cheapest for you) would be to contact your renters insurance. They can take care of alternative accommodation, replacement of damaged personal property, etc and will go after the landlord, contractor, or either of their insurance companies.

If you do not have insurance, go with that lawyer and get a policy for the future.Answer #2: Stick with the tenant rights lawyer, they'll be able to give you much better advice than a bunch of strangers on the internet.Answer #3: Buffalo is a city that gives as much help as they can to tenants in housing disputes, so you're in luck.

If the lawyer quotes a price you're not comfortable with the public defenders office is in the Buffalo City Court Building, the giant ugly one to the left of City Hall. They see people about landloard/tenant disputes on a daily basis.

Otherwise you've done the right thing speaking to a lawyer. Answer #4: They are wrong. All apartments are subject to an implied warranty of habitability. This means the apartment must be free from conditions which threaten the health and safety of the tenant. Examples include water leaks, structural problems, etc.

After you inform the landlord of the problem in writing, your options are (1) withhold rent until the condition is fixed, or (2) fix it yourself and deduct the cost from rent.

But of course talk to an attorney first.

Edit: More good info here: https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/implied-warranty-of-habitability-lawyers.htmlAnswer #5: Do you have renters insurance?  If so, file a claim with them.Answer #6: I am guessing that the damage happened because of the storms/wind damage/tornado that happened today in Buffalo. this is why you (should) have renter's insurance.


Title: A friend just contracted AIDS from her boyfriend of 4 years

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 First of all, you don't contract AIDS you contract HIV so a little basic homework would likely be time well spent.

Secondly, if this guy is a nut, why do you believe him? Have you seen a positive test result for either him or your friend?Answer #2: 1.  You didn't say that she actually contracted AIDS.  She needs to keep getting tested.

2.  The guy went psycho, and then says he had AIDS since birth.  Why do you believe him on that?  Did his family confirm?


Title: I just got swatted for Child Pornography

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 Swat teams are coming to your house looking for child porn, and you think *getting a lawyer* will raise a red flag? How is this even a question?

Get a lawyer yesterday and don't say one single word to the cops. Not one.

Oh, something else to consider: you are very likely about to have people crawling over every time you've ever logged on to anything....You should probably avoid posting about this online.


Title: Documentary that I gave interview in being published without my written concent.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The time to have negotiated any payment was prior to the interview, not now when they're releasing it.

I don't know what you were expecting when you agreed to be interviewed, presumably on camera, for a documentary if not for the film to be released at a future date with the likely inclusion of your contribution.

They can't force you to sign a release, but this wouldn't stop them from being able to release it nor does it give you the right to demand or (successfully) sue for some amount of money unless you had a contract put in place at the time of the interview.

Honest question: What value do you feel your contribution included  (in dollars) and why? Why did you initially agree to the interview without discussing compensation and what changed with the impending release that makes you believe warrants payment now, rather than when you were interviewed?

I've been interviewed a half dozen times for various reasons including a documentary on the housing market in my region. I'm not a public figure that would require signing off on use of my likeness; I volunteered my time. You presumably were aware that you were being recorded/filmed for a documentary and willingly went along with it; if you expected paid, you should have brought it up long before the cameras are rolling.

I don't know what you believe you might be entitled to, which is why I am sincerely asking; please don't take it as an insult. I'm just curious why it's an issue *now.*


Title: Need help. Company docking my pay for lunches I don't take

Question:
Title explains pretty well. I live in kansas. Started this job in november doing a delivery route. I just learned that they have been taking 30 minutes off my day. Every day. With no record on my time card of them doing it. I don't take lunches but they say it's the law that they are required to give me a lunch. So they dock my pay whether I do or not. Please help. Is this legal?

I know its a law that companies have to OFFER a lunch but not that it's required for the employee to take it.

Answer:
 It is not legal to dock your pay for a lunch you didn’t take.

It is legal to require you take a lunch. And to fire you if you fail to do so.Answer #2: They have to pay you for time worked. They can require you to take a lunch break. They can fire you for for not taking the required lunch break.