Title: I think my lawyer is sabotaging my case.

Question:
Before I begin, I want to say that yes I probably deserve whatever punishment I have coming my way because what I did was an awful thing to do, that being said I want to know what my options are because I feel like my lawyer is going to directly cause me to get a worse punishment.

This takes place in Texas, I was in a parking lot exiting to a major road, there was traffic incoming so I was waiting for them to stop/end so I could get onto the road. A car stopped and waved me on, I let off the gas and waved to thank them, and before I knew what happened I bumped the car that was to the right of me. Now this is where  I made the worst decision possible, I panicked and started to drive away. I started having a panic attack because this was the first accident I've ever been in. I have full coverage insurance, I wasn't drunk, I wasn't on drugs, I didn't have anything illegal in the car, I was just dumb. I deserved what happened next, I pulled over about a minute away (0.4 miles exactly) and was almost immediately surrounded by cops. I was arrested because the person I hit pressed charges, as they should have.

I spent the night in jail because it took 14 hours for them to process my paperwork. Now as soon as I got out, I got the persons information and I called my insurance to get it settled, it wasn't much damage at all. I wait about 3 months and I get my court date, my lawyer that was recommended by a family friend says that hes sure we can get it dismissed as its my first offence of any kind. Before this he had not answered my calls/texts for over a month. We get to court and they reschedule because they need to contact the complaining party to see if they're satisfied, this happens another 4 times, with 1 or 2 months inbetween court dates. My lawyer has 1. forgotten who I was. 2. Forgotten details of my case and been "shocked" at hearing certain details I told him 8 months ago. 3. Lost my insurance claim saying that all the damage was taken care of. 4. After sending the info again he says "Oh I dont know how to print a PDF". And to top it all off, he casually tells me "You know they used to dismiss a lot of cases, this new guy is tough but I think we can still get it dismissed."

I understand I deserve a punishment, it's a Class 2 Misdemeanor, but I just think my lawyer is sabotaging me. I want to know what my options are here.

Answer: If you don't trust your lawyer, just get a new one.


Title: I have a plan but I want to know how feasible it is.

Question:
I want to edit the contract of a private student loan company for student loans. I want to change it to where I can go to college for free because the company won't reread the contract after it has been edited hence what companies do to private citizens.

I know it's possible because it has been done with a credit card contract (the guy had no limit or interest on the card) but I would like to know how feasible it would be to hire a lawyer to 1. Edit the contract 2. Fight the legal battle when the company comes complaing that it was hoodwinked.

I wouldn't be doing this for the money per se I just don't want massive debt just to get an education. I also want to stick it to these assholes that charge exorbitant fees and interest

Answer: This is called foisting, it's a form of fraud and it's going to get you sued or arrested or both. It's not your job to punish corporations who do disagreeable things.


Title: Husband sold car to friend, now she has stopped paying [California]

Question: My husband bought a new car and decided to help out a friend of his by selling his old car to her since she didn't have one.  They made a verbal agreement to have her pay $200 a month until she paid the total in full which was $4000.  He signed over the pink slip to her immediately and she made good on her payments until about 4 months ago now when she stopped.  He confronted her via text and she said she would she was just really busy.  Since then she has not attempted to contact us and has been generally avoiding us.  My husband also has not been trying to get in touch with her despite my protests.  All of this was done without my knowledge, otherwise there would have been something in writing at least.  Are there any options for us to get the car back?

Answer: He can sue her in small claims. That's about it.Answer #2: Save any/all text or email messages that may prove that she acknowledges that she owes money, is delinquent, etc. They'll come in handy proving your case in small claims.


Title: (Ontario/Ohio) Boyfriend was told that he might not be able to re-enter the country without a job or being a student.

Question:
I'm in Ohio, my boyfriend is in Ontario.

My boyfriend visits me every few months, as schedules and finances permit. He takes a bus from his house to a more urban area near mine, where I pick him up and take him back to my place.

The last time we did this (last April, iirc) a US border official told him that, without some kind of profession or education-in-progress, he'd likely be denied entry to the US in the future, the main worry being that he's working illegally in the US.

He isn't, and has no criminal record. He's staying for a 1wk-2wks with me, and is in my company the entire time. Obviously, it would suck pretty hard if he got denied entry to the US at the border - the bus would continue without him and he wouldn't have a way to get home for hours. I probably wouldn't be able to go help him right away, either - I don't own a car, I either Uber to the stop where he'd get off or ask my roommate to drive me.

What can we do to make sure he won't get denied entry? I've briefly looked at applying for a B-2 visa, but I'm not sure if that's necessary and I don't even know if it'd help (or if he'd be able to get one without a job/being a student). If he did apply for a visa, could I or my roommates be listed as references for the interview? What should we do if his visa application is denied? I've been thinking about getting a passport to go visit him - would it help his/my credibility to an interviewer if I had one?

Anything helps. It's probably too late by this point, but we wanted to get together for Christmas.

Answer:
 So, this is a border officers call. They do keep track of the length and time spent in US and if he has been making frequent trips they are just throwing a little warning out.

Since he is not a US citizen they are well within their rights to deny entry so not much can be done there.

I would look at applying for a visa like a B-2. I think you can extend time with a B-2 and even re-enter. But don’t quote me on that. Answer #2: I'd look into getting a Nexus card for your boyfriend. Its designed for frequent entry into the US.

&#x200B;

[https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nexus/menu-eng.html](https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nexus/menu-eng.html)


Title: Can I sue?

Question:
I just bit into a big piece of metal in Tilamook cheese.  I slice cheese often for my 11 month old baby. If it was her she could have been hospitalized!

I sliced a piece for myself and when I bit down this big chunk of metal wire was in the cheese!

[metal wire in my cheese](https://imgur.com/rhIiVas)

Answer: You can complain to the manufacturer and the store you bought it from and get a refund. That is all you are legally entitled to.


Title: [OR] My lawyer went MIA. My case was dismissed for "Want of Prosecution" for not serving the other party and not showing up for court. What do I do now?

Question:
My lawyer has been flaky in the past so this isn't really a shock but I haven't heard from him in over three months.  Though I was worried about it, my lawyer filed suit against the other party for about $150k just before a statute of limitations ran out, however, she never served the other party.  I don't know the timing of events after that but I do know that there was a dismissal for want of prosecution.  I have documentation on all of this.

About me: I was injured in an auto accident of which the other party didn't deny any liability (it was viable).  My understanding is that we just didn't know how much the settlement was going to be.

How screwed am I on this case?

I have contacted the Professional Liability Fund (PLF) to ask for help but all they would do is send me a form which states: *Because the PLF provides professional liability coverage to Oregon lawyers, the PLF is adverse to you. We cannot give you any legal advice because of the conflict of interest between you and the PLF. The PLF does not represent you or your interest*

.....so I don't know how helpful the PLF would be without someone representing me.  is that a valid concern?

I have briefly spoken to another lawyer who says we may be able to "fix" the case.  Furthermore we may be able to collect money from the PLF.  His fee's would be (contingency) 33% settlement or 40% at a trial.  Is that a pretty standard rate for this type of thing?  I'll probably use him despite being a little shy of trusting another unknown lawyer.

Is there anything else I should know or do? by the way I understand that I failed to take advice given and find a new attorney.  I should have done this. also, my post history has two text posts to this sub for related questions about my case.  I don't know if this would be considered an "update" but I thought I would mention it just in case.

Thank you in advance for all your helpful replies.

Answer:
 33% is a standard contingency fee. I’d try to get the attorney to agree to that.

I don’t know what plan the attorney has in mind if the SOL has run, but the alternative is to bring a malpractice claim against your old attorney (which in essence would be against her malpractice insurer, which could be the PLF you mentioned). These actions are usually difficult because you have to prove both the malpractice and that you would’ve won the underlying case had the malpractice not occurred, but based on your post you might have a pretty good shot.

Edit: one last thought, for better or worse, most attorneys are very hesitant to sue another attorney. It might be hard to find someone willing to do it regardless of your chances of success. Answer #2:  IANYL but practice in Oregon. Yes, your only remaining clans will be through the PLF and so you need a malpractice attorney, rather than a personal injury attorney. 40% isn't cheap, but it's not unreasonable. Either way, you're likely to be worse off now than you would have been in the original case (except maybe not, given your last attorney). But no sense beating yourself up about it. If you like the attorney you've found, and he has done this kind of work, stick with him or her. If you don't, trust your gut this time and keep looking. You don't owe lousy attorneys your time and money. Good luck.


Title: Question about 18 U.S. Code § 2257 (for porn production)

Question: I live in Canada but that does not really mater as the law is a US federal law. I have been doing a lot of research to find out the answer to my question with no avail. A lot of our models do multiple shoots (for porn), and I have been getting them to fill out a new 2257 for each shoot. My question is if I am working with the same model for multiple shoots (over a period of months or years), do I have to get them to fill out a new 2257 forum and retake pictures of their ID or can I do that once before the first time I shoot with them? If anyone has a link to a site that answers this it would also be helpful. Thanks.

Answer: You should get a new '2257' form for every shoot, and a new copy of their ID each time, just to be safe.


Title: Undocumented Californian here. Unlawful discrimination if Mercari withholds my funds because I can't show status?

Question:
Hi, I'll try to make this quick.

I am a seller on the marketplace Mercari and have about $800 in my Mercari account, which I have to transfer to a bank account to access. Recently, Mercari notified me that they needed to 'verify my identity'. They have frozen my transactions until I can provide them with personal information (name, address, SSN).

I mentioned that I don't have a SSN because I am a non-citizen. They replied by saying that I'd have to show:

'A document confirming your status in the United States such as:
• Valid Employment Authorization card
• Permanent Resident card (I-551)
• Foreign passport with I-94
Proof of address showing your name and address such as:
• Bank statement
• Bill'

Their argument is that they are a 'money transfer business, so similar to other financial institutions and banks we are required to attain certain information'.

I can provide a utility bill but not a document confirming my status in the US for obvious reasons. However, they will not release my funds (which I desperately need) until I can show that I am legally present.

Questions:

1. Is it legal for them to do this? I know that money transfer businesses statewide are allowed to ask for immigration-related information and bar you from using their services if you can't show them the requisite documents. However, California in particular (where Mercari is based) has expanded their anti-discrimination law to include immigration status (SB 600 \[Pan\]) -- basically, business establishments are prohibited from discriminating against people based on immigration status.
2. I really need that money. I understand the case may be hopeless, but any advice on how to approach the matter would be deeply appreciated.

Thank you everyone.

Answer:
 Even if you weren’t here illegally, tourists and students aren’t allowed to work.

If you already told them your status and they do not want to release the funds you can try to sue them in small claims court, but you might be detained and imprisoned or deported.


Title: Drivers license and driving a friend.

Question: So I am taking my final DOL drivers test to get my license soon. In Washington the law says that you must wait 6 months after you've received your license to be able to drive a friend(s). I understand that I wont be able to drive my friends until about Oct. But I need to drive a friend to community college once that begins in fall. Is there any way I can legally drive him to school?

Answer: Wait the 6 months I believe would be the only legal way.


Title: Landlord wants to charge extra for hose access? Is she within her rights to do so?

Question:
I rent in New Jersey in a beach town.

Recently, the landlord told me it would be ok to use the hose to rinse my feet after surfing/going to the beach, etc., with my main concern being not wanting to clog her shower drains with surf wax/sand.

She then shuts off the hose, and wants me to pay $50 more per month for access to the hose, which is insane because the other tenants in the building would also be using it. I'm not paying for hose access for them.

The lease says that hot water, water, and sewer are included. So why not the hose? It never specifies that the hose would be excluded or extra.

Is she allowed to do this? I've never heard of such a thing.

I'm trying to be courteous by not clogging drains, and this all seems a little ridiculous.

We don't even have a washing machine, and I would use that hose 1-3 times a week as it is New Jersey and there isn't that much surf.

Among most people I've talked to, even with washing machines, their water bill is around $60.

tl;dr: landlord wants $50 a month extra for hose access. can she do that? water is water no matter where it comes from, and I don't want to clog her drains.

Answer:
 Buy a five gallon, plastic watering can at your local home improvement store.

Fill it with water and leave it outside your front door.

Use water to rinse off sand.

Find new place to live because your landlord is crazy.


Title: Unknowing Warrant out for my arrest (6months)

Question:
I received a Unlawful Sound Violation last year around this time (misdemeanor, class C I believe) in my college town. My attorney was able to get me a diversion deal where I was required to pay a fine, not get in trouble for something like 3 years with police, and take an alcohol class that was school sponsored.
I paid the fine immediately, and have not got in any trouble with the law since. Last thursday I went to go schedule my alcohol class and the lady was having a hard time finding my case, so I decided to call the circuit court. The person who picked up the form informed me that my diversion had been terminated by not completing the alcohol class in 180 days and since September there has been an active warrant out for my arrest.

I thought that I had a year to complete the alcohol class and am completely blown away by this. The operator said I should probably come to court (obviously), so I scheduled for the soonest opening which is tomorrow at 3pm. I have a meeting with a legal counselor provided by the school at 11am, which was the soonest I could receive a meeting.

I have no previous record. What are the chances I have to go to jail for this? Should I call and cancel going to court and tell them I would like to appear on a date when I have an attorney present?

All advice appreciated.

Answer:
 Return to your first paragraph and find the words "my attorney".

Call them.


Title: WI- Do I have to let my ex claim my child on her taxes?

Question:
Posting for a friend.

Ex hasn't seen the child since child was three months old. Child is nearly 3. Refuses to pay child support or medical bills.

she signed the paperwork to give up her rights to the child, but we have not had our final court hearing about it. Thanks!

Answer:
 There are certain criteria that need to be met in order to claim a child on your taxes.

https://apps.irs.gov/app/vita/content/globalmedia/4491_dependency_exemptions.pdf

It does not sound like she meets those criteria, one of which is how often the child lives with her.


Title: Question regarding legality of a divorce issue

Question:
Hello r/legaladvice.

So my mom is getting a divorce and there is a court order for her to take $25,000 out of her 401k which is half of what she has, to pay for her spouse's lawyer and living expenses. She also has to take more out of her 401k in order to pay for 6 months of mortgage. Furthermore, she has to pay her spouse an extra $600 every month for his living expenses and include him under her company's insurance.

Her spouse is unemployed and hasn't held a consistent job for the past 5 years. Each month, my mom makes about $1,000 after expenses. If she has to pay an extra 600 each month for him, she's left with basically nothing.

Will my mom see any of the money back after the trial in April is over? Why is he allowed to hire a lawyer when he can't afford it? And most importantly, why does she have to pay him $600 a month. My mom might actually have to borrow money/take out loans in order to make the payments and her lawyer says that she has no other choice.

Is her lawyer an incompetent dumb ass or is that how it actually works?

EDIT: The state is Massachusetts if that's important.

Answer: Perfectly legal. She has to pay his legal fees because they're still married and her money is still his money. That $600 is spousal support/alimony. Expect a longer term award when the divorce is final.


Title: I didn't receive wage for 3 months, then fired without notice [Canada, Ontario]

Question:
I desperately need help because I am in serious trouble financially.

There is  an outsourcing company in Toronto, that provides services to various companies.

This company had contract with certain international IT/Telecom vendor. As I can tell, things went downhill and they didn't get money from them. I don't have a whole picture what exactly happened.

Anyway I was providing service to that vendor. My employer didn't pay salary for last 3 months. Yesterday I received phone call that I am fired since March 31. I was still doing my job until yesterday. I haven't even received official mail or anything.

The problem is that I am not located in Canada. I was working out of office from other country.

If they fired me in January, things would be much better. I would start to look for new job, maybe sell something, I don't know..

But they just treated me like trash. They know it would be hard for me to go to Canadian court.

Please advice what should I do? What are my options?
Where can I apply? they owe my around 7000$, but right now I'm broke and can't afford expensive attorney.

Are there other subreddits I can repost this?

Answer:
 Make a claim with [the Ontario Labour Board](http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/forms/claim.php). The process is free but you may need to wait 4-6 months before receiving the money, just depending on how busy they are. It's the outsourcing company you would claim in your suit (from what it sounds like they should have been paying you). As well, it sounds like you worked for them over 3 months, even though you were fired March 31? This is important because if you worked over 3 months (I believe it's 90 days) then you are likely eligible for termination pay, which may be an additional $300-$500 on top.

I've used the process before and they're great.


Title: Breaking a lease... apartment issue. We feel REALLY unsafe here.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Try to find a sublet, if allowed, or pay your lease until your LL has a replacement tenant in there. That's the extent of it. No one is actually forcing you to physically be there.  Answer #2: Leasing agents and realtors can never comment on the safety of the area. That's a huge liability.

You cannot break your lease because you do not like the fashion choices of your neighbors.

Next time you look for an apartment, do a few drive-throughs around the property at different times of the day and week.


Title: 2nd degree felony. Less than 2 grams. Is prison a real possibility?

Question: Texas. Laws say 2 years minimum. Hiring lawyer, but no meeting yet. Is probation an option? History: cocaine possession  (current charge) and past felony (theft by receiving stolen property, 8 years ago). Not a habitual user or criminal. Please tell me probation is probable.

Answer: Sure it's possible, but so is prison. You should start to get your affairs in order, and talk to your attorney and only your attorney. With a prior you should have known better. Cocaine possession is no joke.


Title: How can Apple legally create a restrictive file format like .m4v and not offer files in other formats?

Question:
Been doing some digging around and the information came up that this format is specifically designed to restrict playability on non-Apple devices, which is pretty similar to a monopoly, it would seem. Plus, why pay for something that's going to be more restrictive?

I am in Washington in the United States. Hoping there might be someone out there with a rudimentary understanding of this cause it seems like Apple is metaphorically painting an enormous red sign with 'Please Pirate Everything' on it. Thanks!

Edit: appeasing the bot, I think?

Answer:
 >which is pretty similar to a monopoly

But its not. You can easily go buy the same movie and music from a different vendor and still be able to use it on apple products.


Title: Roommates from hell situation. [Philadelphia]

Question:
You may have seen me post other questions on here about the horrible housing situation i was dumb enough to sign a lease for...

Previously we had to kick out a roommate. I continued to pay his share of the rent while he stored his stuff here, and finally after two months i got him to remove it. I am not okay with him being over the house while he owes me those two months of rent, which he does not intend to pay back.

Two others who live in the house have invited him back into the house to live in our living room rent free because he's run out of friends to take advantage of. They are not agreeable at all, and allow him to take over our entire first floor (living room, kitchen, etc), and he stays up all night with the light on and tv blaring, doing drugs on our couch. I cant even sit in my own living room.

Obviously im upset that he's not only back in my home, but he's actually living here for however long (my roommates refuse to say), and most especially because he owes me money.

Is there any legal way of keeping him out of the house? I feel like there isnt, since my roommates have invited him in and our lease does not appear to specify anything about how long guests can stay. But this is someone who has broken into our bedrooms and been caught multiple times, owes me hundreds of dollars, owes other roommates hundreds of dollars, and is now using utilities that i pay for and treating my home as his own when he couldnt even pay for it when he did live here.

Please give me some hope, thank you.

Answer:
 * File for the back rent in small claims. Hand him the summons next time he stops by.

* If he is doing drugs in the living room, call the police to have him arrested.


Title: Disabled kid knocked my phone out of my hands and cracked it. Not sure what to do.

Question:
Asking for a friend because he didn't know what to do. The situation is, one day he was walking down the hall on his phone when a mentally disabled student knocked his phone out of his hands onto the ground. Now it has a nasty spiderweb crack. He didn't want to curse out the kid and his helper, and they walked away. It seems like his two options are to say nothing or cause more hardship for the disabled kid's family. Is there anything he can do?
Btw this is in a public high school in Washington State if that makes a difference.

Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 He can have his parents ask the kid's parents to pay for some or all of the repair. Or he can do nothing and pay for the repair himself if he wants.

EDIT:  An insurance claim is also an option, but it's probably going to be less than the deductible, so not worth it.Answer #2: Your friend can pay to have his screen fixed. He'd spend more on a small claims case and have no guarantee he'd get any money out of it.


Title: Arrested for not telling the code?

Question:
[Video in question.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytVfug9Zw2k)

"Mandatory: Please remove if not appropriate for this subreddit."

George Costanza had to give his ATM code to save a man's life, which he was really hesitant on doing.

I know he would be a **REALLY** hated asshole if he didn't give out the code, but would he be arrested/jailed or face any legal action?

Answer: In the US there is no legal duty to rescue if you did not cause the distress and you don't have a special relationship with them like if they are your child.


Title: Can my husband remove a city-issued sign from our private property?

Question:
Thornton, Colorado

Our home is in a new development and we are the original owners.  There are speed bumps on the road, just to the left of our driveway.  On both sides of the speedbump (the park across the street) and our front yard, the speedbumps are flanked with large yellow diamond signs that say "Speed Control."

The sign has been in our front yard since the construction of the home.  Today, my husband came into the house declaring, "Look what I found!"  I enter the garage and he proudly displays the speed control sign, which he has ripped from our front yard, claiming it was already partially out.

I'm not sure this is legal to remove a city-issued sign without authorization. He says there was no notice about eminent domain and it's our private property so he can do as he likes.

I'm a little concerned about this, especially since his plan is to put the metal pole out with the garbage, which I'm nearly positive waste control will not accept.  Was it okay for him to do this or do I have to put on my teacher voice and make him put it back?

Answer: Teacher voice. Right now.Answer #2: There is also most likely an easement across your front yard parallel to he street where a side walk would be where the city can place the signs without your permission. Answer #3: He needs to put the sign back (lay it on its side at its original location) and inform the public works department that an unknown person or event removed the sign from its foundation.


Title: [CA] My now Ex-BF borrowed my car and got in an accident two years ago, now the other driver is suing me

Question:
[California]

A little under two years ago, my then-boyfriend borrowed my car to run errands while I was at work.  While he was driving, he rear ended another car while driving on the freeway, causing some damage to both cars, but both cars were still drive-able.  Nobody said they were hurt at the time and no ambulance was called.  My then boyfriend exchanged info with the other driver and everyone went on their way.  The police were not called and there was no police statement/report.

My then-boyfriend was a licensed driver, had my permission to drive my car, was not intoxicated, and did not have his own car insurance.  I had the bare minimum car insurance as required by CA law ($15,000 per person bodily injury liability, $5,000 property damage liability coverage).

I reported the incident to my insurance who took my boyfriends statement of events and then got my car fixed and paid my deductible.  After taking my boyfriend's statement, my insurance determined that he was 100% at fault for the accident.

That was the last I heard about it until a few weeks ago when I was served with papers saying the other driver (I'll call her the Plaintiff) was suing me because of the accident with my now ex-boyfriend (we have long since broken up).

I immediately called my insurance who informed me that they were unable to reach a settlement with the Plaintiff.  My understanding is that the maximum coverage of my insurance was too low for the Plaintiff to settle.  My insurance company then started asking me about my assets, savings, income, etc. but they didn't really tell me what would happen next and basically just told me that sometimes people involved in accidents sue people directly.

So back to the paperwork I was served with... the Plaintiff is suing me for her property damage, her medical bills, and a line item called "pain, suffering, and inconvenience" for which she wants $950,000!

Naturally this made me feel like crap, since I don't have anything even close to resembling $950,000, because I only just recently graduated from school.  Also this number seems preposterous since no one said they were injured at the time, both cars drove away after the crash, no ambulance was called, and it was just a rear ending.

So since the Plaintiff obviously wants way more than the maximum my insurance will cover and my ex-BF did not have his own insurance, and the insurance follows the car (which was my car), I suspect I am the liable party in terms of covering the Plaintiff's medical bills etc?

But this just seems so crazy since a) the Plaintiff's $ demands seem blatantly crazy and b) my ex-BF was the one driving (and apparently at fault in the accident) and I wasn't even in the car.

It's not a great feeling thinking that I may be out $950,000 that I don't even come close to having because of an accident my ex-BF (who I'm not very fond of) was in.

Anyway, my current plan is to find a lawyer for advice in the next couple of days, because I don't really trust my insurance company or their lawyers.  My questions for everyone here are basically:

What are the possible outcomes here?  Am I completely screwed out of $950,000?  I don't even have enough assets to cover say, a potential $25,000 settlement, let alone $950,000. How can "pain, suffering, and inconvenience" possibly be worth $950,000??? Is there any chance the Plaintiff is just full of shit and this will all go away?

If this does go to trial and a jury rules that I owe the plaintiff say, $300,000, will my insurance still pay the $15,000 maximum it covers? (not that it would help me much).  If I only have $25,000 in assets, there's no way I could pay $300,000.

If I do end up having to pay the Plaintiff a ton of money, is it possible for me to sue my ex-BF for that money, since he was the driver who was supposedly at fault in the accident??  I certainly would have no problem doing that to my ex-BF if it's a possibility.

Basically my mind is a swimming mess and any clarity would be so helpful.  Thank you!

Answer:
 You just turn this over to your car insurance  (that you had at the time.) They will provide you with legal representation, who will them go back and forth with their attorney and settle.

It's *extremely* unlikely a claim like that would settle for much more than actual damage. Unfortunately, if you kept minimum policy limits they *may* settle for over thr policy limit. You can sue your ex for that money.

But you don't need your own attorney now. Just call your insurance and let them know; they will take over from there. That's part of what you pay for.

I hope since then you've spoken with an agent discussing average claims settlement s in your region and greatly increased your coverage. We have ridiculous limits that rarely cover any thing but the most minor accidents. However it also creates a situation where they settle within limits knowing you have nothing to pay them with anytime soon.

Most importantly, breathe. This happens probably 500 times a day in our state and the defendant comes out not paying anything. You do not describe a million dollar settlement. They do it to scare the hell out of you and ask for the moon, and settle for a cheese sandwich.


Title: [CA] Advice for suing ex girlfriend to get my dog back.

Question:
In August I broke up with a longtime ex gf. She took the dog we had raised together for 3 years, and at the time I just didn't have the money to fight her for the dog in court. When we first got the dog, he was a puppy, and we had just moved from the east coast. She had moved with a job, and I was looking for one. While I was unemployed, I raised and trained the dog at home, and he became a great dog.

&nbsp;

After the breakup, she mentioned possibly going overseas to SE Asia for her job for a couple years. This is common for her line of work, and is considered a stepping stone for the higher levels of promotion. I really don't want my dog going to another country and spending a month in quarantine each way.

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I would like to hit her with a lawsuit at an inopportune time right before she is scheduled to travel. She is a narcissist and self centered (she keeps the dog exhausted so he only sleeps around her and has other people do the actual work of owning a dog). **I believe if I had to make her choose about missing this time sensative work opportunity and giving up the dog, she would give up the dog.**

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What I need to know is if a lawsuit would have any traction in court or just get immediately dismissed. I don't need to win the case, just not immediately lose to make it a convincing enough bluff for her to surrender the dog in favor of her own self interests.

Answer:
 The court system is not a tool for you to harass other people.

Your lawsuit would likely garner you some fraction of the price of the dog, not the dog itself.  Given that you voluntarily gave up the dog in August, it's likely you wouldn't win at all.Answer #2: I'm missing the part where you think the dog is your property. You gave it to her.


Title: Help with identity theft at a traffic stop.

Question:
Hello everyone, I've found myself in a bit of a identity theft bind.

The story:
So back in the beginning of February I received a letter in the mail stating that I owe $852 for 3 traffic violations.

1. The first violation was for not having a visible license plate on the vehicle in question.

2. The second violation was for not having a front and rear bumper on the vehicle in question.

3. And the third violation was failure to provide financial responsibility  (ergo proof of insurance)

Now let me just say right now, this was not me. Obviously I was confused but I put it in the back of my mind due to other family issues. Fast forward to last week, I finally had the time and started the process to settle all of this. First thing I did was call up the courthouse and get more details on the citation. I got the date of the traffic stop, the officers name, and the make of the vehicle including the person it is registered to.

Turns out my scumbag brother used my name to avoid punishment and possibly an arrest warrant. He did not have a license at the time or insurance. Plus he totalled the truck a month after the citation.

So the lady I spoke to at the court told me I needed to write up a motion and submit it in order to get a court date. She told me just to write out the basics of the situation on any old piece of paper and take it in. So I did that last week and they gave me a court date for Tuesday  (yesterday). I showed up and sat through the traffic court until I was called up. The judge told me that the letter I wrote was not a motion and that I have to fill out a identity theft form and gave me a new court date for April 24th. Unfortunately,  the clerk was unable to answer any of my questions about the form except that I had to serve it to the district attorney.

So that's where I'm at right now. The forms I was given were a CR-151, a CR-150, and a POS-020. This is all in California BTW. I'm honestly lost on where to go from here. They wouldn't even tell me what sections if any I shouldn't fill out or how to serve it.

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you all in advance.

Answer: This is a complex case. A lawyer is highly advisable. If your willing to throw your brother under the bus, see if the police will be willing to take a statement or charge him with the identity fraud. How did he convince them that he was you?


Title: Question about my laptop being seized

Question:
So a search warrant was executed, and laptop confiscated. If they can get into my laptop, I have many stored files containing account and password info to various people's facebooks, and much worse, is that fair game for them to go through? Without consulting those whom I have targeted?

UPDATE: just saw all responses, I am asking g this be cuz the people targeted do not in anyway implicate me and no fraud has occurred against them (no financial info or anything related of the nature) I am asking bcuz some of the targets I kept taps on  are drug dealers.

To be more exact, my laptop was the only computer seized, on it I have encrypted text files containing various facebook account n password, among other things. If the encryption was broken, are they able to go thru the facebooks accounts of my targets, look thru their personal messages (yes many people sell drugs through FB, as dumb as is) and record their messages into evidence log.. warrant was not executed for anything Internet related, the quoted reason for my laptop seizure wad just to search for possible drug ledgers

Answer:
 "I invaded people's privacy. Can said people's privacy protect my privacy from being invaded? "

Are you really advocating your victim's rights in order to save your own hide?Answer #2: Yes, with a warrant they can go through every file on your laptop.Answer #3: You are asking if you can be charged with a crime for the illegal stuff on your laptop? Yes. Answer #4: I would absolutely love to hear the background on this.


Title: Landlord hasn't fixed broken pipe in 30 days, my family has had no water whatsoever during this time.

Question:
Location: Franklin County, Ohio.

My family rents a home in Columbus. On June 24th, a water pipe broke outside of our house somewhere. This left us with no running water at all. After much back-and-forth with the water company, they decided that it's on the "landlord's side" and he has to fix it.

The landlord was notified June 25th of this issue.

Weekly, he's given us estimates and promises about when he's sending people out to fix it, each time saying that he's "signed the papers and it'll definitely be fixed by X"

It is July 24th, and my family still has absolutely no water in our home.

I am just the daughter in this family, so I am ultimately not the one who is allowed to communicate with the landlord. I am dependent on my parents and will be in college full time soon.

The problem here is that my family is poor and they do not believe they have the agency to do anything about this. They are:

-Too afraid to ask the landlord for a rent waiver of any kind. (We are spending huge amounts of money on jug/bottled water. It takes so much just to flush the toilet once or twice a day.)

-Do not believe they could rent another home because of bad credit. Thus moving isn't an option in their minds.

-Do not think talking to lawyer will help because of 1. they still want to live here and are afraid of retaliation from the landlord. 2. They do not believe the lawyer will be worth the stress.

**Escrow is not an option, as far as I can tell via my research. I don't think the landlord owns more than two rentals (which is a requirement for escrow) and we never gave him written notice (escrow requires 30 day written notice to landlord), we only called/exchanged texts/talked in person. Plus, escrow isn't going to fix the water, but it will make the landlord hate us.

Possibly irrelevant, but we suspect that the broken pipe was caused by some sort of city construction on the day that the water broke. At first, we thought they had turned the water off for construction (they were digging near our water box, which is by a busy street). However, the company that was digging says that they haven't done work in our area since 2011 (we saw their trucks with the company's name on it, so there's no mistaking that it was them). The landlord is aware of this and has a lawyer dealing with that.

We think that the broken pipe was indeed caused by the company that was digging, because when we called the city about the water the next day, the water guy that came out to look had to turn our water BACK ON (so in other words, it had been shut off by someone who wasn't them).

My questions are:

What would a Lawyer be able to help us with in this situation? Could they do more than just force the landlord to not charge us rent for that month?

Do we have to keep paying our landlord rent? (We have been.) If we refused, would he be able to evict us?

Can he raise rent if we report him for a violation? We are afraid of him doing this anyway, because of the cost of the repair on his part.

If we report a code violation, what would happen? We don't have the money to rent a hotel for an indefinite amount of time.

We truly believed the landlord every week when he promised us weekly 'fixed-by' dates so we did not set up any sort of safeguards for ourselves (giving him written notice, etc) does this mean that we can't do anything about this?

Any help is greatly appreciated. I have lost ten pounds in the last month from inability to properly prepare food without water, and general stress/sadness. I just want this to be over.

Answer:
 Serving written notice of the problem is the first step and you really need to do it ASAP. Since your landlord doesn't own enough units for the escrow option to kick in, your notice should also notify the landlord of your intent to terminate your tenancy if the problem is not fixed in a reasonable amount of time. I would say "reasonable amount of time" when it comes to a lack of water should be measured in days, as opposed to the typical "30 days" that would apply to other, less pressing issues.

If the problem does not get fixed, and you are forced to move out, you may be able to sue the landlord for constructive eviction. Answer #2: If your family is low income, they can contact the local legal aid organization. [Here's one option.](http://ohiolegalservices.org/) Habitability issues like this are usually enough to get an emergency appointment with a lawyer, if you otherwise qualify based on income.

Are you in a lease? If so, the landlord cannot raise your rent or kick you out in retaliation for calling code enforcement. However, when its up for a renewal, the landlord is unlikely to let you renew. Code enforcement will note any violations and fine the landlord for it, forcing him to fix it to avoid future violations.

A lawyer can send the appropriate notice to the landlord and scare him into compliance. If he refuses to fix the problem, you'll be able to break your lease and move and probably get some money out of him for the hassle. A lawyer is there to help you, not stress you out.


Title: Walmart Shoplifting: Are they likely building a case? What can I do?

Question:
This may not be the best place to ask, but I wasn’t sure where else. Might Xpost.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: sometimes, I don’t have enough money to get what I need from Walmart, so I’ve taken it. Individual items are never more than $20 but this has been an ongoing thing for quite some time (think several months, sometimes with weeks in between incidences, other times just days). This is at multiple stores, but one in particular is hit the most often. I try to ensure that concealment is out of view of the cameras but there’s no guarantee that it is always effective. Obviously. Sometimes, I will switch price tags instead or scan items improperly so as to pay less/only pay for one when I get two/etc. I’ve also stolen items and then proceeded to return them at another location so I could buy food when I truly had no money.

Tonight: I walked in and selected one item ($5.97 in value) in plain view of a camera. Once (presumably) out of view of any cameras, I concealed this item. I then went and selected the other two items I came for, and purchased them through self check. While paying, an associate said “Yes, he’s still right here. He’ll be done in a minute” and I don’t know what it was, but it just clicked. Associates used to be very friendly as I’m a regular and make regular purchases. I think they know. There’s no doubt in my mind that they know. I was not followed (as far as I could tell), I wasn’t watched while exiting, I was not approached. Nothing. I never have been.

The plan: I’m not going to steal anymore. That sounds stupid, everyone says it, but I’m not. It isn’t worth the risk anymore, point blank.

I was thinking that I could just frequent a different Walmart in my area, one that I have stolen from previously but not as frequently. I was also thinking I could just wait a while before frequenting that store again.

My questions:

1. If all concealment has taken place out of view of a camera, what is the likelihood that they are building a case against me? What can they do without video evidence or an LP apprehension in store?

2. My state (SC) apparently has no statute of limitations. Is this true? If not, what is the statute of limitations on petty theft?

3. Will simply shopping at another location (and obviously not stealing) be enough to ensure that they won’t have the opportunity to apprehend me?

4. Do they have the right to apprehend me after the fact even if they do not have LP stop and confront me while actively stealing?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 They are likely waiting for you to hit felony levels of theft.  We did this in another big box store I worked for, although generally reserved that for employees.  Stop stealing, avoid that chain of stores, and dont talk to anyone about it unless you are arrested, and then only talk to your lawyer.Answer #2: In the Wal-Mart we work at, we're not allowed to accuse people of theft, but tbh they surely KNOW you were stealing, we're not dumb and youre not as smart as you think either. They just arent allowed to accuse you of it.

What they do is mostly tell every single employee about you so that they can catch you in the act and then the managers (who are allowed to accuse you of theft) can deal with you.


Title: Turning right at a stop sign onto a two lane road. Other driver could change lanes.

Question:
Virginia.

It is very common for people to turn into the right lane of a multilane road from a side street (uncontrolled by lights, but with a stop sign on the side road) when the right lane is clear - even if there are cars travelling in the left lane.

This presents a danger if one of those left lane cars changes lanes. If that happens and there is a collision who is at fault?

If a person is waiting at a stop sign at an uncontrolled T intersection and they wish to turn right into the right lane of a four lane (two lanes in either direction) major road:
1) Must the person waiting to turn right wait until both lanes are clear, or just the rightmost lane they are turning into?
2) If the right lane was clear, but a driver travelling in the left lane of the road changes lanes just as I pull out, who is at fault?

Looking here, it seems that the driver at the stop sign must yield to all traffic, does that mean both lanes?

http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-824/

The lane changing driver might share some blame, but if the intersection is uncontrolled and there are no solid lines, then I assume they are allowed to change lanes?

I know that if you are driving defensively you would avoid changing lanes at any intersection, but some roads have so many side streets and uncontrolled intersections it would be impractical to never change lanes at these points.

Thanks!

----- EDIT -----

Thanks for all the comments guys, I am finding it very interesting. I did not realize it would not be a clear cut thing.

I had assumed that absent any solid white lines or traffic control signals in the lane, oncoming traffic can change lanes and has the right of way regardless. I therefore assumed that the car turning right should wait until both lanes are clear before turning.

It seems sometimes that two parties can do something that is legal by itself, but if circumstances conspire they could still get in an accident and both be found liable.

Of course in an ideal world no-one would change lanes at an intersection if there is another car waiting, and one should ideally wait until both traffic lanes are clear before pulling out.

Answer:
 It would almost certainly be the lane changers fault.

[46-2-804](https://vacode.org/2016/46.2/III/8/1/46.2-804/)

>2. A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as is practicable entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from that lane until the driver has ascertained that such movement can be made safely;

So either the car making the right gets rear ended by the car changing lanes (making it the rear Enders fault) or it gets sideswiped (meaning it wasn't safe for the person to change lanes.


Title: I rear-ended a guy over two years ago and just got papers saying I'm being sued for $225,000, I have no idea what to do

Question:
A little over 2 years ago I was in an INCREDIBLY minor rear-end collision with another driver. It was the worst weather day of the year, with a massive blizzard. I was coming home from work, and while coming up to an intersection, a guy beside me on the right was being a bit aggressive, so I shoulder checked to make sure things were ok, and while judging the traffic ahead of me. The guy in front of me decided to stop at the green light, which I thought prior to shoulder checking he would have more than enough room to drive through (intersection was busy based on the blizzard). I noticed slightly too late, slammed on my brakes, and slid on pure ice and snow for way too long and ended up rear ending him.

Air bags did not deploy, I was sliding maybe 10-15kmph when the collision happened. We got out and I checked to see if he was ok, which he was. There was some cracks in the plastic in my vehicle, and seemingly zero damage to his vehicle minus maybe a crack in the plastic of his bumper. I just looked for pics but I can't find them right now, it was nothing.

We drove up the road quickly into a parking lot to talk and exchange info. Cops were not called. It was -30C outside so he jumped into my van. He was a younger guy, seemed almost jovial and totally fine. We exchanged info, we even both kind of laughed that neither of us had ever done this before. He went on his way I went on mine. I got home and reported it to my insurance company just in case he decided to do the same.

He made a claim for a little over $1,000 in damages which my insurance company paid out. I was never contacted by either him or my insurance company until I had to renew my insurance the following year. This jumped my premium up to the point where I can no longer afford to drive, and am back to transit.

I then today got papers dropped off by a smug looking clown saying I'm being sued for $225,000 because of this, citing, among many other things, Sever injuries to the head, neck, back, both shoulders, both arms both legs, and a long laundry list of other bullshit.

There is absolutely no way this is legit, and I am completely at a loss. I have always tried to be a good person in everything I've done in my life, and one horrible weather day and touching some guys bumper two years ago and my life is ruined. I just sat down and cried for half an hour before coming here, wondering what the hell I do next?

I will be taking tomorrow off of work. Note, I am in Western Canada. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Papers say I have 20 days to defend. Please help reddit. Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Contact your insurance company that covered you back then..they should handle itAnswer #2: Provide the legal paperwork to the insurance company you had at the time of the accident.  They'll almost assuredly defend you on this matter.Answer #3: call your insurance company and let them deal with it. it doesn't matter if you are no longer their customer.  you were their customer at the time

do you know if $225k is above your policy limit?Answer #4: 1. Calm down.
2. Contact your insurer at the time.
3. Where in Western Canada? I'd look up statute of limitations... in the US, in most states, someone has 2 years to file such a claim a and more. Canada is different in many ways, maybe this is one of them, but your insurer from that time will no.
4. Deep breath. Don't panic. It is going to be OK, this happens all the time.Answer #5: Typical insurance situation where someone decided to try to pump up a big clan to get the insurance to pay out more (they usually don't).  Assuming that's the case, your insurance will settle for a much lower number than that, they're used to seeing things like that.  We've seen it here plenty, and it even happened to me many years ago.

Let your (former) insurance handle it, chances are you'll have to do little more than answer some questions.Answer #6: Let your insurance know. Regardless, if you're right on the dates, in most of Canada (if not all) the statute of limitations is 2 years so he's dead in the water on that.Answer #7: If the accident was over 2 years ago they may be outside of the statute of limitations. If you're in British Columbia they must file the suit within 2 years of the accident.


Title: [WA] My sister gave parents $65k for a new house, thinking she would be on the lease. Now they’ve sent her to live with grandparents.

Question:
First off, some context: My 20 year old sister is blind and has some mental disabilities due to fetal alcohol syndrome. Our parents are horrible with money.

I’m in college about 5 hours away. I had no idea anything was going on until my sister called me in tears 4 days ago. A few months ago, our parents wanted to purchase a house, for which they didn’t have enough money for the down payment. My sister has been working part-time jobs and has a sizeable nest egg built up which she wanted to use for her graduate degree.  Our parents asked her for ALL her savings saying she’d be much happier there and everything  would be fine and dandy. From what it sounds like, my sister was reluctant to give our parents money for the down payment, but our mom emotionally blackmailed her saying things like “You don’t love me” and “I don’t want to live if it has to be here (their current rental home).” Finally, she gives in and everything’s good. They have her sign what they told her was the form so that she could be on the house deed. Fast forward to recently. They closed on the house and moved in. My sister got home from one of her shifts, and our mom instantly starts screaming at her that she’s a freeloader and to get out of the house. She finally calms then, but then the next morning she and our dad approach my sister and say that she has to leave and they’re going to send her to her grandparents who live in the next county over.

This is when I get a phone call. I do some digging and find out that the paper she signed which she thought was for the deed was actually for a gift letter.

My question is: Does my sister have any recourse? She didn’t know she was signing a gift letter. Her life has basically been derailed. She’s living with our grandparents now and she has no money left. She’s had to call her jobs to quit because she can’t feasibly get to her workplace anymore.

Sorry for the poor formatting/grammar. I’m just really worried for her and don’t know what to do. Thanks in advance for your guys help.

Edit: Forgot to add that my sister has paid monthly for rent and some of the utility bills, but they’ve been in cash.

Answer:
 Having a blind person sign a document and telling them it's another is fraud. She needs an attorney. Answer #2: Sounds like your parents would rather be in jail than their rental home. This is textbook fraud.Answer #3: [You can report it here](https://www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/home-and-community-services/report-concerns-involving-vulnerable-adults) if you want to. Answer #4: Get an attorney asap. The court will tear them apart if handled correctly. Taking advantage of a blind girl and clearly emptying her bank account does not go over well.

Luckily they can't blow the money she gave them as its hopefully all wrapped up in the house.Answer #5: Wouldn’t forcibly moving the daughter out of the home also be an illegal eviction? OP didn’t say if she went to the grandparent’s home willingly (not that you would want to stick around asshole parents like those anyways).Answer #6: Is there evidence that she thought at the time it was a deed? If so, compile that. Text messages, facebook posts  - *especially* ones by your parents are going to be very useful evidence pretty soon. Start documenting before they can cover their tracks
Answer #7: Are you sure you have all the facts? How does a part time disabled 20 year old save $65K? At most she's been working 4 years, and still paying rent. What does she do?Answer #8: If she signed a gift letter for $65k there are tax implications for your sister as well.  We're talking a potential tax bill for your sister of $14,800.  She needs an attorney.Answer #9: This is terrible and I am angered beyond belief after reading this. That being said please do something about this and help your sister OP. Your parents are terrible people and they deserve to be brought to justice ASAP. Update when you can....


Title: If I start a private company to send people to space, how do I deal with them dying?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Liability insurance.

_Lots_ of liability insurance.


Title: Executor of the will is exhausting the estate for legal fees in defending himself against one of the benefactors.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 maybe try r/LegalAdviceUK

regarding 3. Nope he isn't defending himself against the aunt. He is acting as the agent of the estate defending the estate against your aunt.


Title: Moving out of state with my daughter?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Yes you can leave. But Illinois holds jurisdiction over custody for 6 months after you move out of state. He can file within that 6 months for custody and for the child to return to Illinois.


Title: Business wants me to pay for car insurance for the company

Question:
I work for a small business in Kansas. Husband and wife own and operate, while 4-5 other guys actually do the work. We travel with Hazmat occasionally. Anyways, I got 3 points against me on my license which one point should be coming off anytime. While the other two should be off by January 2020.

I understand that I am high risk for insurance purposes. I've never signed anything stating I would pay for extra insurance. If I'm not on the insurance I wouldn't be able to drive and if I can't drive I don't have a job. It would probably be better if I wasn't related to the owners.

I was just wanted to know it was legal to for them to make me pay for my insurance plan.

[Letter I received](https://imgur.com/a/lZfpnGn)
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 I would call the Kansas Insurance Commission. The state can advise you if they can require you pay for a portion of the company's insurance premium as a condition of your employment. My guess is no.

**Consumer Assistance Division - Complaint/Inquiry**
File a consumer complaint or make a consumer inquiry
Consumer Assistance Hotline: 800-432-2484 (in Kansas only)
Telephone: 785-296-7829 (local)
Fax: 785-296-5806 TTY/TTD: 877-235-3151
Email: [kid.webcomplaints@ks.gov](mailto:kid.webcomplaints@ks.gov)


Title: Delivery Man Fell Through an Appropriately Marked Weak Floor and Caused Damage but Also May Have Hurt Himself

Question:
Texas. My wife and I are renting a mobile home from her parents. It's about 21 years old and we are not its first or even second tenants. We were aware that it had some problems after we moved in. One such issue is that I found the floor of the home's front porch to be pretty weak-feeling. The home is raised because the air vents run underneath so there is a set of cement steps leading from the grass of the front yard up to the little porch before the front door. The house is on a corner and the front door is set quite a ways back from the street. On the side of the house is another door. It's like a side door, but its the one we actually use all the time and it's the much more obvious entrance to the house. There's a wooden three-tier deck that we built out there and a cement slab driveway where we park. The driveway lets out onto the other street (not the street out front door faces), being a house on the corner where two streets meet. So even though our physical address lists the street that the front door faces, that is not the street-abutted side of the house. The driveway on the other side of the house is what attaches us to the street.

&#x200B;

I haven't been able to get the funds together to make the necessary repairs to that floor yet so I made a yellow sign and taped it to the inside of the glass door that faces the weak porch. The sign says "Caution: Weak Floor. Please use the other door on the side of the house." And there's a symbol of a little man like you would see on traffic signs with one of his legs falling through the floor. It's taped to the bottom-right corner of the glass, if you're facing it, so that it's eye-level with someone who would be standing at the base of those cement stairs. I didn't want to put the sign at eye-level with someone who would be standing on the porch, because a sign at that height practically invites you to come up closer to read it, and then it's too late. You're already on the weak floor I want you to avoid. I want you to notice the sign as soon as possible, so it's at eye-level with someone crossing the yard to approach those steps that lead up to the porch.

&#x200B;

Well I was having a mattress delivered and the big delivery man walked right up the steps and stepped in just the right place and one of his feet broke clean through. His whole leg went right down into the weak floor. He acted out the exact picture of the figure on my warning sign. But the first thing he did was make a joke about it. "Hey, man. Sorry. I didn't see your sign until I was down here eye-level with it, hehe." He seemed okay. He pulled himself back up, hauled my mattress in, and when we found out that I'd ordered a full-size instead of a twin-size like I actually needed, he loaded the mattress and box spring back onto the truck, drove them back to the store, drove out the twin-sized mattress and box spring that I really needed, and lugged away the current mattress and box spring that we were getting rid of. So I guess he wasn't too injured.

&#x200B;

So now we have to repair the porch. I called the company and asked if they'd pay for it, and they said that they would not. For a few reasons.

&#x200B;

1) I am required to maintain my own home to safe standards.

2) I didn't tell them when I bought the mattress and scheduled a delivery that the floor was weak and to have them go to the side door.

3) The sign was not posted at eye level with someone who would be standing on the porch.

&#x200B;

Not only that, but the man told me that the employee could decide to come after me if he so chooses. If he decides that his leg really is hurt and he goes to the doctor, he can make me pay his medical bills. If he misses work, he can make me pay for lost wages.

&#x200B;

How should I proceed?

Answer:
 The sign is almost certainly not adequate. Something this unsafe should have been blocked off if you wished to prevent people from using it.

Ultimately the owners of the property are liable for injury caused because of structural problems. As a renter, even renter's insurance may deny a claim for the driver's injury. Your parents should have insurance on the property, and any claim should be forwarded to them. Unfortunstely, their insurer may also deny the claim unless they are aware the property is rented out. If he sues you for lack of insurance covering his injury, you need to respond and hire an attorney to argue as non-owners, you are not liable. If he sues your parents for the same reason, they need a lawyer as well, but to argue they should not be liable because you had a sign in the window, which again, is almost certainly not adequate to remove responsibility.

The driver is not responsible for the repair, either. A weak, unsafe portion of the structure broke during what one would expect is normal use by them. You knew a delivery driver was coming and knew the prlorch as unsound. You really did have a responsibility to ensure they did not use it, and a sign like you describe is simply not going to cut it. Sorry.


Title: Friends daughter met with an accident in front of school. Car insurance is denying responsibility. No proper health insurance.

Question:
Sorry for the wall of text. English is not my native language so please bear with me. My friend recently moved from Asia to Iowa, US to attend grad school. His daughter (Ria) is in sixth grade. On January 27, Ria walked to school with her mom. She had to cross a road to get to the school premises. While they were waiting to cross, a car stopped and the driver waved to Ria to cross the road. Ria hesitated but since the driver waved again she decided to cross the road. It is a three lane road with two lanes for regular traffic and one for the right turn. They are in the two lane side and the car which stopped was on the right turn lane. There is no stop sign or pedestrian crossing on this part of the road. The mom stayed and when Ria crossed the stopped car, another car came in the same direction on the regular lane and hit her on the driver side. It indicates that Ria was almost in the median of the road. The driver stopped but Ria suffered two fractures in her leg. The cop and ambulance came and Ria was eventually treated. The total bill came to about $44,000. Since my friend was new to this country and he is a grad student, he had only a visitor’s insurance which covers about $5000 of the expenses. The police report said that the mistake was with Ria because she didn’t cross at the pedestrian crossing. We came to know that the car was not driven by the owner but it was the owner’s daughter’s boyfriend. The car owner had Statefarm insurance. My friend was in touch with Statefarm throughout. Initially they said that they were trying to contact the driver but I don’t think they ever talked to the driver. Later they said they are trying to talk to the two witnesses, we don’t know whether they talked to them but this week they denied all responsibilty. As a grad student my friend gets an annual salary of $18,000. His wife is not eligible to work and he has another kid aged four. We approached four law firms and all of them denied taking up the case because the police report says it was Ria’s mistake. I understand the point that Ria didn’t cross in the pedestrian crossing. But this happened just before the start of the school and some kids were near the road and all drivers are supposed to drive slowly. Ria wouldn’t have attempted to cross the road if the driver from the stopped car waved her to go. My friend is devastated and he lost almost all hope in his life. He doesn’t read reddit so I am posting it here to get suggestion from the experts. Are there any options left or my friend has to bear all the expenses?
Tldr; Friends daughter met with an accident right in front of the school. Car insurance denies responsibility.

Answer:
 Your friend needs to hire a personal injury attorney and sue the driver of that car. There will be a lawyer who takes this case, I'm truly surprised they indicated that a 6th grader was "at fault" for getting run over by a car. It doesn't absolve the fact that someone still ran her over. Suing is the only option. Answer #2: If she was treated at the hospital, he can call them and ask about applying for a hardship waiver.
He can also set up low monthly payments.
Or he can file bankruptcy.

If he can't even get a lawyer to take his case, there's not a lot of hope these expenses are getting paid by someone else.


Title: (TX) I'm a step dad and wants parental rights

Question:
Hello all,

I have an rather complicated senario. I am a step parent to my 5 year old stepson. His mother and I have been married a year but have been together for 4 years. I have raised my step son along with his mother since he was a year old. With all of this we have decided that it is time that I am given some if not all rights as a legal parent. The problem is my son's biological dad is being stubborn. There is no legal paperwork for visitation and such as when he and my wife broke up they were not married. He sees my stepson maybe once or twice a month and the only reason for this is because my stepson stays with the bio dad's mother once a week while my wife and I work and he might swing by there to visit my son and his other child that he has with another woman that lives full time with his mother and his mother has full custody of. We have a great relationship with the bio dad's mom. We have asked him to sign his rights over but he refuses. I don't believe that we could get his rights revoked either. All in all we are on friendly terms with my son's bio dad but the fact is I have 0 legal rights to a child I am raising and Frankly I just want to be recognized as a legal equivalent to a parent so if my wife is incapacitated or dies I have rights to the child that I have cared for the majority of his life.

We don't have an abundance of money but the bio dad doesn't either. What are our options here? Thanks in advance.

Answer: You can’t replace your step child’s biological father.      He had a relationship with his father and regular visitation.  There’s nothing you can do here.  If something should happen to your wife, your child’s father will get custody of your stepchild.


Title: The company I work for is bringing me back from furlough and they want me to take a pay cut to $40 an hour when I was previously an exempt salaried employee making $6500 gross monthly. My pay cut could be over 60%. What are my legal rights in this situation? Any advice on how to proceed?

Question: They are not offering me my previous full 40 hour work week, and I could very well be working only 1-4 hours daily (some days 0 hours).  This puts me in huge financial distress because I will not be making enough to even pay my rent in California, and I won't qualify for partial unemployment if I make more than $450 in a week.  I asked my boss for a number on how much I'd make and he said anywhere from 1.5-2.5k gross monthly, which could be a salary cut of over 60%.  Any help or resources would be greatly appreciated, thank you!!!

Answer:
 Hello,

From the facts provided, nothing going on here is unlawful. Your recourse is to file for unemployment. If you want to continue working at the company with reduced hours, you would file a partial claim. Due to the Coronavirus, the EDD is waiving requirements which made getting UI benefits more difficult (for example, there is no longer a requirement you are actively job-hunting when filing for a partial claim). So do not assume you do not qualify.

You need to file for UI benefits:  [https://edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/UI\_Online.htm](https://edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/UI_Online.htm)

You should likely start looking for a new job as well. I know this fact doesn't help, but almost 20% of the U.S. is in a similar position. If you are not ready to start looking for a new job then hopefully between UI benefits and part-time work with your employer you can get through this crisis and resume a normal schedule.

Good Luck.


Title: Wedding photographer failing to follow through.

Question:
Hi, guys. I really need some help and I have no idea where to turn.

I live in the state of Virginia, and I got married here in April of this year. My wife had her heart set on a particular photographer who had done a wedding previously that my wife had seen posted somewhere on facebook or whatever, and so she hired her for our engagement photos and wedding photos. This was all done using an online contract with an electronic signature, and ended up costing roughly $8000. (That's pretty big money, for us.)

During the engagement shoot and on the wedding day, the photographer was great. She was funny, charming, and efficient. She kept everybody smiling and laughing during the long process of getting family pictures. It was great. She used film cameras, and said she would scan the pictures into a computer afterwards.

After the wedding, she dropped off the face of the earth. Four months went by, and my wife was trying to get information via email, phone call, and text. One day, my wife got a text from the photographer saying "Everything was uploaded to my website two weeks ago, nothing was late." Ok, whatever. The text included a password so we could see our photos on the website.

Two problems: Several of the family shots were completely shadowed and my wife was really upset (ok, photography can be tricky sometimes, and the lighting in the church was terrible... not unheard of) and also, a bunch of photos were just missing. Several of the shots of me and my groomsmen (some of whom were my wife's brothers) as well as the entire set of photos of my wife getting ready with her bridesmaids, getting their hair done, etc etc... all just missing. Ok, maybe something went wrong with the film or the shots were just bad... but we wanted to know, so in September I started trying to reach out to the photographer myself. I called about 6 times in September - after my 6th voicemail, I finally got a text from the photographer saying "Oh haha I didn't realize this was your number!" -I had identified myself in all the voicemails. She said I should email her, so I texted her asking what email address she would like to use. No response for a week. I texted again. No response. I called. No answer. I texted her My email address - she emailed me that day, asking what the problem was (which I had also detailed in all the voicemails.)

I emailed her back and explained that I just wanted the files of all the photos she had taken, good or bad. She responded the next day, agreeing to send them, but warning the total size was huge - I said I would buy a thumb drive and she could just mail them to us. She said she would purchase the thumb drive, and asked for my mailing address. I gave it to her... and then heard nothing back for three weeks. I got tired of waiting and texted her. No response.
I emailed her- her email address had been deleted.
I looked on her instagram - she has quit photography and moved to Connecticut.

I called her last thursday morning and left a voicemail. She texted me an hour later saying "I'm at work, I'll text you as soon as I get home!"

That was over a week ago. I texted her again today, saying "It's been over a week, this is totally unacceptable." and got no response.

My question is: Can a lawyer do anything to help us? My wife (unfortunately) did not print out a copy of the contract, and the photographer no longer has a website. We paid this woman a lot of money to record the most important day of our lives, and while I can appreciate that working at weddings must be overwhelming (with all the bridezillas and whatnot... although my wife was very chill through the whole process) I finally lost my temper when this grown woman left me hanging for months on end.

What should I do?

Edit, TLDR; Paid a photographer $8000 to shoot our wedding 6 months ago, she dropped off the face of the earth immediately afterwards and has not addressed problems with the photos. She has since moved, quit photography, and deleted her email address.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 > Can a lawyer do anything to help us?

Yes.

You could sue for an injunction that requires her to deliver the photos - depending on what your contract says. Or you could sue for a refund (but that might not satisfy you because you want the pics). Or you could locate her mailing address using a skip tracing service, and use it to offer her some money for the pics.

> What should I do?

In your place I would offer her more money. That is likely to be your cheapest solution.Answer #2: Holy crapola. I am a wedding videographer, and that is just absolutely unacceptable. and $8,000?!? I don't know anyone that makes that much as a wedding photog!! Not even Nat Geo photogs get paid that much. I would absolutely sue for a refund, and for the stress it has put on your family. You did not receive the product that was intended.


Title: [USA - MA] Jewelry was stolen form my car during an oil change. What are my options?

Question:
I’ve never posted anything on here or like this before so if you need any more info I’d be happy to provide it!

Within the last month I went to a large quick oil change company to get my oil changed in Massachusetts. I was coming from the gym and had put my $8,000 engagement ring and $150 sapphire anniversary ring in my cup holder prior to entering the gym like I always do (I know not the smartest move but the gym is in a private area so I never worried anyone would break into my car, plus we can see the cars from the gym).

After the gym I drove to the oil change place, hopped out so they could take my car and completely forgot about my rings until my car was almost done. They brought my car around I instantly got in and noticed my rings were gone. The manager came out and started to look through my car and was extremely defensive stating his employees would never do that and I must have missed placed them. I called the police who came and patted down the employees and took my statement but he stated there was nothing else he could do. My father ended up going down there that day and made a big scene, confronting the manager and all employees. While my father was in a heated confrontation with one of the employees (he never threatened or touched them) the employee barged out of the shop the manager came forward stating “he didn’t take the rings” and proceeded to present both rings to my father. The manager stated that he found them in an employee’s backpack. We alerted the police we got the rings back and the manager gave the police and myself the employee’s name. I was extremely upset that the manager did not call me immediately when he found the rings seeing as how I had called him 30 minutes prior given him all my information and my telephone number. The police wrote me an email stating that they are going forward with legal action and the corporate facility called me and stating they were going to refund my $62 oil change.

What are my options for legal action against the shop/company? I was robbed of expensive jewelry and put under extreme emotional stress. I’m still shaken up from the whole incident and not sure where to go from here. I planned on contacting a lawyer but I don't know what to say. Thank you!

Edit: Typo

Answer:
 >extreme emotional stress.

This doesn't mean what you think it means. Intentional infliction of emotional distress is hard to prove, and even if you wanted to try and go about proving it, you'd need months of psychotherapy records and corresponding bills detailing the level of treatment you received, plus a note from the psychologist/psychiatrist stating that this specific event triggered this and life will never be the same, which is even harder.

They're arresting the individual. You got your rings back. Don't be one of *those* people. About the ONLY action you can take is hiring a lawyer to find out if the manager knew that the employee had a criminal record for theft before, was aware of this, and hired him/her anyway...and even then, you've sunk thousands into a retainer just to *maybe* find out if you have a shot at a negligent hiring lawsuit, and even given this you *still* don't really have damages to speak of.

Just move on. I hear Yelp is a good way to truthfully communicate your dissatisfaction with your experience. Answer #2: You've already exercised your legal options.

You got your rings back, and the police are pursuing it.Answer #3: You are $8000+$150+$62 better off than most people who leave valuables in plain sight of minimum-wage employees of low-skill franchise operations.

And because you have no easily provable damages, your chances of recovering anything are practically zero, and your chances of considerable expense are practically certain.

You might be better off to let Dad cool down and go see the manager and give him a sincere "thank you, no harm, no foul" when dad's due for a next oil change.  He might get that one free too.


Title: Storage Unit Robbed Due to Negligence, Insurance Won't Pay - Recourse?

Question:
Hi all,

Back in January, my storage unit (along with about 16 others in the same building) was robbed. I let my previous umbrella policy lapse after State Farm tripled my premium. In retrospect, this was a stupid decision. I ended up purchasing a small policy through the storage unit company. Technically they're a third party, but, you know how that works.

Anyway, as I said, my storage unit was robbed. I've finally gotten a police report and learned a few things.
1. The primary door to the facility, located in the back of the building, was not only unlocked, but open. It was known to be faulty and stick open. This was documented by repeated service calls from the storage facility.
2. The security cameras were broken. Again, this was a known issue that the storage facility had records of. As a result, there is no suspect in the burglary as he appeared on one external security camera, and only briefly.
3. When the regional manager of the storage company was alerted about what had happened, he said it could wait and that he would not be coming to help re-secure the units (paraphrasing). The burgled units were left open and/or unlocked for three days (my estimate).

In spite of this, the insurance company has gone back and forth about paying out any money because I have not provided them with my original receipts for the items I owned. Among the stolen items were the entirety of my CD collection (300+ CDs) as well as all my old video games, many of which were gifts when I was a child. I do not believe it is reasonable to expect me to have kept the receipts for these items. They have stated that they may also accept photographs, but, again, I didn't take a lot of photos of my CD collection or my old video games.

You bet your ass I've got photos of everything I own now, though.

That said, in the event that I can't get a dime out of the insurance company, what options do I have? I am in Oregon.

Thanks!

Answer: Small claims court is your next recourse.


Title: Rental agency broke our signed lease for our apartment 6 days prior to move in

Question:
We received notice today that the tenants in the apartment that was offered to us are 'not moving out.' We have a deposit on the apartment and a signed lease agreement by both parties (myself and partner, and the rental agency). We are supposed to move in 6 days and just informed today that it is no longer available. They want to discuss but I have not spoken with them as of yet.

What are our options here? We have a legal lease agreement for that apartment. This apartment has perks that many of the others in the complex that are available do not have. If we were to take another I would expect some kind of compensation in the way of available perks or square footage I imagine. I have spoken with some friends who are lawyers that say this is the best recourse. It is an incredible inconvenience and highly unprofessional. I have never heard of something like this happening.

This is California so renters rights are notoriously good. What should I do next?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Your lease will typically have a section on what happens in the case of failure to deliver the rental unit. What does this section say? Typically, if the failure to deliver the unit is due to no fault of the landlord, the only recourse you have is to request a refund of your deposit.Answer #2: *This is California so renters rights are notoriously good*

Yes, and the current tenants are a good example of why this isn’t unprofessional.

Have your lawyer friends review your lease. It would be strange for a complex not to have something about delivering possession as this is a common issue. If not, you may be able to pursue damages.Answer #3: Since you are all about the perks of the old apartment, write them all down and email and ask the LL if they have another with the same or better perks.


Title: Timeshare tells me my Ex-wife cannot be taken off the deed.

Question:
My ex-wife while we were married insisted on getting a timeshare. Now that we are divorced she can't afford it and wants to give it to me. I just got off the phone with the timeshare company and they insist that the only way to take only her name off of it is to pay it in full, then do a quit claim deed(For the record the property is in Florida). I was very confused by this response because I thought for sure that when people divorce they sell/split properties all the time. Am i just uninformed about how quit claim deeds work? or are they just scared they wont get paid? Do i really have to pay it in full before being allowed to do a quit claim deed.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 Don't take real estate advice from timeshare people.

That said, if your wife is on the deed with a lien of some sort only way to transfer it is to a) satisfy the lien, transfer via normal means or b) have lienholder agree to transfer so that lien transfers aswell.

Either way, talk to a real estate agent or attorney.


Title: California nanny of a violent M 11 year old needs help

Question: I am a live in nanny in California for two children and am working without a contract. The older child is extremely physical (hitting, kicking, biting). As he grows older and more violent I fear he might injure me. What are my legal rights in this case? I am leaving this family in half a year but need to know what to do if the situation escalated before then.

Answer: Get a new job? Do the parents know? Have you recorded this in case they don't believe you?


Title: What can I do if a company stole(?) my game translation?

Question:
I've translated a few games as a hobby while I was learning a new language. It took me several hundreds of hours, but I released them as fan translations, or free patches that can be applied to the original games.

Recently a new organization has taken one of my fan translations and is advertising to sell it on online marketplaces.

When I contacted them, they told me they have already bought the license from the original game developer. However, they also asked to buy the rights to my translation for a (very) small sum. I declined, and they said they would continue with their own translation and we parted amicably.

However, judging from available screenshots of the game, it is the same exact fan translation that I made and they do not plan on honoring their promise to me.

Do I have any rights in this situation or do I have no choice but see my work turned into their commercial product? I'm from the States if it makes a difference.

Answer:
 Yes, you have rights. The translation was your work, even if it was fanmade, unlicensed, and released for free. The company does not have the right to commercially benefit off your labor without permission just because they have the license for the game.

Proving that it's your work being re-used rather than them "just happening" to translate it similarly can be tricky though, but I'm guessing there's a community who should be familiar with your work and able to back you?

What's your desired outcome here? Do you want them to pay you a fairer price, or do you want them to stop using your work completely?

Also, now that they have the English license to the game, they can probably stop you from distributing your fan translation on your own.Answer #2: **The nuclear option:** You can send a DMCA takedown request to their web host (every website is hosted somewhere), and have their website taken down. This is a serious copyright violation. Do it on a Friday afternoon and it'll be more expensive to them. If the host is in America, the host must take the website offline.

Risks: Not much. You'll certainly annoy them. They won't want to deal with you.

If that works, but you still want them to cut you a real deal, or get more revenge: You can leverage that community and find out if anybody else is in the same boat. Get in touch with each person in the same situation, and have each of them file the same DMCA takedown notice for a different date.


Title: Friend fired multiple shots at someone. How likely is it he'll serve jail time?

Question:
One of my friends got in to a road rage incident. He is still in the midst of the court trial process and he doesn't want to talk about it much. I dont want to press him cause it's a sensitive topic. Though this seems out of left field as far as his character and demeanor. I can only guess what happened based on the news article and access to court documents online. So I'm just at a loss for words. He isn't the type of guy to do that. As far as I know he even has a clean record, aside from some traffic tickets.

I know there can be a lot of "if" questions, and that can change everything. According to the news article online. He supposedly got in to it with another driver. At one point he ended blocking the road then got out of his car and actually file a couple shots hitting the car, no injury as the other driver fled the scene. Cops got called and my friend got arrested from there. Thats all according to the news article. I dont know if the other driver was being an aggressor and trying to run my friend off the road, or if my friend was in the wrong.

He's being charged with:
 Intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder.
Carrying concealed with an unlawful intent
Felony weapons charge
Felony assault

How likely is it the judge is going to give him jail time? I'm just confused and worried about him. I would sit in the court room and offer support but everything is zoom now and invite only.

Answer:
 If your friend drew and fired at someone over aggressive driving, or for any other reason not related to imminent danger of death or serious injury, then he's in the wrong. The other driver may also be in the wrong - it's not necessarily an either/or situation, and aggressive driving can rise to the level of a criminal offense, as well.

We can't speculate on the outcome, for a bunch of reasons, but this looks really, really bad from my perspective and I would not be _surprised_ at jail time, even on an optimistic plea deal, given his actions. He should plan on not owning guns, as well, either due to a felony conviction or due to conditions of his plea deal.

Please don't press him on this. He absolutely should not discuss what happened with you, or with anyone other than his lawyer, until at least his trial has concluded. His lawyer can advise him better than we can, and his remarks to you aren't protected the way his conversations with his lawyer are.


Title: Dropping out of highschool

Question: So i live in MA, USA. and I'd like to get my GED or HiSet. I know it cost money which wouldn't be a problem but do I need my parents permission? My parent told me not to ask her for anything, she wished me dead, and even threatened me, so I'm trying to get my life together on my own. So how would I be able to get my GED or Hiset?

Answer:
 Get your high school diploma. Dropping out will significantly limit your options for the rest of your life.

How old are you?


Title: Tried to purchase THC cartridges online, but I live in New York. Am I in trouble?

Question:
I was messing around to see if I could buy THC cartridges for my vape pen online from http://budmanoc.com but I live in New York.

I didn't enter any credit card info but I foolishly entered my name and address. The site says to pay with cash on delivery. The email gives me no type of link to cancel my order.

I'm panicking right now. I'm new to this vaping scene and now I'm afraid people will come rob us or the police will arrest me. What can I do? Please, somebody give me advice.

Answer:
 >Please, somebody give me advice.

How about you don't "mess around" with this kind of stuff in the future?

Assuming you entered your name/address and actually *submitted* it as opposed to just filling out the fields, under no circumstances should you actually **meet** said person and give them cash for this. If they show up at your door, do not answer. If they try to call you, do not answer. Eventually, even if they are a legitimate business, they won't waste their time with you because it loses money for them.

If the police knock at your door to ask you about this purchase, do not answer, and do not let them. If the worst happens and somehow you are arrested, do not say anything to the police except that you want a lawyer present during any and all questioning.


Title: Florida: Divorce: Postponing Final Judgement for Health Insurance reasons

Question:
Hi Reddit,

I’m in Florida and in the process of getting a divorce.

Here are some of the details:

-Married 9 years
-Separated 18 months
-No kids
-Neither of us own real estate
-Both of us make less than $50k/year
-We agree on terms and can sign a Martial Settlement Agreement

My situation is complicated by the fact that my spouse has a serious health condition — treatable cancer. She’s currently covered under my insurance, but may not be able to get coverage for her condition on her own. As you can imagine, her treatments are crazy expensive.

I’m needing the closure of finalizing the divorce process, and she needs more time under my current policy to get some treatments and find decent health coverage of her own.

I’m thinking a workable compromise might be to file for divorce, and go through the whole process including filing the Marital Settlement Agreement, but then postponing the Final Judgement for several months up to year.

Basically, I’m wondering if we can go 98% of the way through the divorce process and then hit the pause button on the last step.

I’m hoping this will accomplish two things:

- Give my spouse time to get some treatment and get her own insurance
- Since we’ve already gone through most of the work of divorce — getting the final  judgement will be a mere formality. I won’t have total closure during this year, but all the heavy lifting will be done and it will be very quick and easy to put the final signatures on everything.

Will this work? What are the risks with this approach? What can we do during our divorce process to make an arrangement like this stick?

One thing I’m considering is that a lot can happen in a year and one of us might change our minds about something and blow our deal. I’m hoping that with a signed Marital Settlement Agreement on file, neither of us can change our minds on our divorce deal after we file it.

Thanks!

Answer: Please take care with this.  I know someone with a healthcare.gov plan who has fought nonstop to get cancer treatment, and has ended up paying for a lot of it out of pocket.  It is heartbreaking.