Title: [UT] Bought a truck, as-is, no warranty, from a small local dealership near SLC. Had it for less than a month (hadn’t even made our first payment on it yet) when it blew a rod through the engine block on my way home from Vegas. The lemon laws in UT don’t apply to as-is, no warranty vehicles.

Question:
The mechanic who is fixing the truck has had to tear the entire thing and replace almost everything due to the fact that it has OBVIOUSLY been in some sort of flood. There is sand everywhere, rusted parts that were covered up, etc. We received service records from the dealership stating a 125+ point check, a couple things fixed, so on and so forth. But according to the pictures and the mechanic, there either absolutely no way any of that was done, or it was looked at and blatantly covered up in order to sell the truck. Is there anything we can do?? We have to drop another $17,000 of repairs into this truck we bought on top of $26,500 we bought it for. I know the dealership got the truck at auction, so I’m sure they made a killing off of us.

Thanks in advance

Answer: I think you’ve answered you own question here. You purchased a vehicle with no warranty and didn’t get it inspected before purchasing it.


Title: Amazon has been committing possible labor violations/wage theft against hundreds at a sort center in central CT

Question:
There is a recently opened sort center run by Amazon in Wallingford CT that doesnt have enough parking for all its extra employees that it hires for the christmas season. To solve this dilemma amazon has rented out a parking lot about a mile or two down the road from the facility and hired a bus company to shuttle hundreds of us to and from the lot. Us employees spend a good chunk of extra time and gas accommodating this mandatory policy; about 30-45 minutes of extra time spent per shift. These time frames are conservative estimates as the buses are often not on time and we can not all fit on the first bus that shows up. We are forced to deal with this situation at our own expense, which many of us suspect isn't legal.
        From the brief amount of time spent searching for a relevant CT labor law, i've stumbled across this: https://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/HP/MinWageGuide2014.pdf
Page 52 yields the section 31‐60‐10 about travel time. I believe they are in violation of at least "c" and "d" in this section. The reason for this post is because i'm not sure where to go from here.

Answer:
 In this case, Amazon has no duty to pay you for getting to work. This includes the time it takes to get from your parking location. That is not what is meant by travel time.

You have other options in getting to work. You don't have to drive yourself and park there. Answer #2: Is the bus really mandatory? If you could, for instance, have someone drop you off at the warehouse, would Amazon still make you go to the distant lot and take the shuttle?Answer #3: >Yes, there was a class action lawsuit against them for making employees clock out before waiting in line to go through a metal detector. the facility is actually set up with this system but its not used, probably because of that lawsuit.

I highly doubt that.  Especially since Amazon [won that lawsuit](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/13-433_5h26.pdf).


Title: Dog Custody Question

Question: I’m located in Rockbridge county, Virginia. My now ex husband and I got a dog together in 2015, all of which I paid for (2,000) and is in my name on the purchasing contract, we married in 2016, divorced in 2017. We have been roommates since with no issue, we have 6 dogs total counting the one we got in 2015. I pay for all their medical care, food, treats (totaling over 7,000 dollars just for the 2015 dog) , and I actually spend the majority of the time with them while he sits in his room playing video games. Now he is moving out and wants to take the 2015 dog. Is there any legal action I can take to keep her? He has been abusive to our other dogs in the past but I have no concrete evidence other then several eye witnesses. I fear for her quality of life if he takes her. I was out of town for three days and came home to find my house covered in dried urine, diarrhea and mud. The dogs go without food if he is in charge of them if I have to go out of town for work. It has gotten to the point when I go I pay someone to come and take care of them when I am away with the exception being this past weekend. We are completely divorced and settled our own property, he did not want anything. Thank you all in advance for any advice you can provide.

Answer: You bought that pup before you were married. The pup isn’t considered community property.


Title: Don’t trust my boss or HR. Do I need a lawyer? (IN)

Question:
Indiana

Wall of text.

I work for a division of a large corporation. Our division is an onsite (Contractor / Vendor) inside a union manufacturing facility.

My boss = Site Manager. Me = Scheduling Coordinator. I answer to my boss only.
2nd, is the Production Supervisor, 3rd is a Team Lead (TL).
I have been working for this company for 2 years.
We have 14 employees & 2 temps.
I am the only female on the day shift and there is one female that works production on the 3rd shift.

For 2 years TL has harassed, slandered, intimidated and lied about me to get me fired.
I have gone to my boss 5 – 7 times and have asked him to please make this stop.
Each time I ask my boss for help He tells me I am just as bad and at fault as TL.

In April / May of 2017 the Area Manager was in Indiana. TL told the Area Manager it was my fault our department was behind on production. This accusation is grounds for termination.
My boss did nothing about it.

I asked for a meeting with my boss and PS in May to discuss TL’s multiple accusations.
TL accused me of defacing company property, inappropriate internet use, continued to say it was my fault production was behind and accused me of sexual harassment towards a coworker and was going to report me to HR.
I pleaded with my boss to ask him to stop lying about me. My boss did nothing.

Late May I spoke to my boss again about TL telling our Area Manager that I was at fault for production being behind. My boss told me the Area Manager knew I was not the problem and that TL is bitter. I now have confirmation that my boss knows TL said this to the Area Manager and is lying about me, trying to get me fired and my boss will not do anything about it.

October 4th 2017 HR came to Indiana. TL accused me of sending him text messages. I was questioned for an hour by HR. During that hour I told HR about all the lies and that my boss has done nothing about it.
I was called back in for a 2nd chat with HR. TL has now accused me of leaving notes on his desk.

From 10/4/17 – 10/24/17
TL continues to tell my coworkers that I am saying terrible things about them.
TL paces back and forth behind me on a daily basis and claims to be talking to his lawyer.
Then TL accuses me of buying pot from my boss. My boss actually got mad about that but never said one word to TL. On 3 separate occasions I told my boss he needed to tell HR.
I called and told HR. The next day my boss told HR.

I had a meeting with my boss about this pot accusation. During this conversation my boss apologized to me for not believing me sooner that TL lies about me.  Boss said TL can be very persuasive. Boss also told me that at one point in time everyone in the department wanted me gone due to the lies being told by TL.

October 24, 2017 I had a conference call with HR. I am found not guilty of all accusations.
I am required to take 2 workplace harassment / bullying online courses.
TL is told to take the same courses.
Case Closed.

What do I do next?
Do I file a formal harassment complaint with HR? Or, do I talk to a lawyer?

Answer:
 >What do I do next? Do I file a formal harassment complaint with HR? Or, do I talk to a lawyer?

 ...Ignore TL and continue to do your job. There's nothing to do. Nothing has actually happened to you as the result of TL's claims. You also don't really know whether or not they talked to TL. They wouldn't necessarily tell you if they did.


Title: I texted my child’s mother 15 times regarding whether I can see him or if I should go to court. Is this legally harassment I did?

Question:
I don’t want to get in trouble. I’ve asked her over the course of 4 days if I can see the baby and if she doesn’t respond I’ll have to go to court and serve the court paperwork via the sherif.

4 days, 15 texts including those details

Can I get in trouble ???

Answer: If she hasn't responded by now then she likely won't. Go and get a family law attorney to fight for some type of visitation/custody.


Title: (NC) CPS Case Decision

Question:
Throwaway for obv reasons. Location is North Carolina. My family is being harassed by CPS over a very seriously minor incident (no, we are not druggies or alcoholics and we don't abuse our children and no they weren't taken away). They are expected to make a case decision today which is earlier than the state's 45 day limit. I believe in good faith that the case will be closed favorably for us with no services needed.

Now, my question is: They have to deliver us a case finding sheet. Are we under any legal obligation to sign it? We will be speaking to our attorney this afternoon but I wanted some general advice on the possible consequences of signing or not signing.

Answer: You are literally never required to sign anything... Ever. But there may be consequences to not signing. You should ask your worker


Title: Can a therapist commit me for SH

Question: I'm seeing a therapist who knows about my past self harm, but I relapsed tonight. If I tell her about it can she admit me? I'm male 16yo in Oklahoma.

Answer:
 If the therapist has reason to believe you are a danger to yourself or others, then the answer is yes.Answer #2: IANAL but I am a psych nurse. If your therapist believes you are an imminent danger to yourself or others, she can involuntarily have you admitted inpatient. Generally, though, as long as you are willing to cooperate with her and are oriented, you won't be. No one wants to commit patients. Things go MUCH smoother if you're there voluntarily.

So unless the self harm was an attempt, you probably won't be committed.

Anecdotally, I had a family member actually make SI statements and she wasn't treated inpatient. The ER just set her up with more therapy and got her an emergency appointment with her psychiatrist.

As far as treatment goes, it's largely a case by case basis and dependent on individual factors.


Title: [UT] Does Creating a Fake Instagram Account Advertising the Target as a Prostitute Rise to the Level of a Crime?

Question:
Hello,

Someone created a fake Instagram account impersonating my sister in-law. The account contained publicly available, non-intimate pictures of her along with low-quality risque videos of someone who vaguely looked like her.

It was clear from the bio of the account that she was looking for cheap sex at best, and advertising her services as a prostitute at worst.

There were clear references to both her children's school and her place of employment in the captions of the pictures.

It seems to me like the intent of the account was to harm her employment and ruin her reputation.

We have a very good idea of who did it, but no real evidence that it was the person we suspect.

Does this rise to the level of a crime that police could compel Instagram to share information regarding?

Thanks for any advice.

Answer:
 IANAL. Could *potentially* be identity fraud.

My best advice would be to file a report at the police station. Show them the account, tell them who you believe to be behind it and why, and move forward from there. Hope you guys can get it straightened out soon. Best of luck. Answer #2: Who took your SIL's pictures? The person who stole them is likely violating copyright and you can report them to Instagram and have them taken down for DMCA violations.


Title: Daughter (18yo, passenger) injured in car wreck.

Question:
My daughter was in the front passenger seat of a car on Friday  that was t-boned on her side. She spent 2 days in the ICU, is still in the hospital with  internal injuries, bruised ribs, collarbone, multiple lacerations, etc. The driver of the car she was in was apparently at fault and also uninsured. I'm wondering what our legal  options are and if the hospital could possibly go after us to pay the bill.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 Contact a personal injury attorney.

You may need to pay the bill and then get reimbursed by your winnings from the lawsuit, but be warned that people who drive uninsured usually won't be able to pay out on judgements.


Title: My parents took out an educational loan in my name during college and used it for personal expenses. What can I do? (Alabama)

Question: I posted to personal finance to get that perspective of the situation, but since this is also a legal matter I wanted to get advice here too: When I was a freshman in college (I'm now 24), I qualified for some federal loans based on my parent's income. However, I had a scholarship that covered full tuition and housing so all that I had to pay for was a meal plan the first year and my books, so I chose to work part time at various jobs to cover that. My first year my parents told me they wanted to use that loan money to help make ends meet, and since it was only $2,500 and they said it was low interest, 18 year old me wasn't really concerned since they seemed confident that it wouldn't be a problem for them to pay back. That was pretty much the last I heard of it. Fast forward several years to this past September, and I get a call from my mom asking me to look into loan forgiveness since they had gotten a letter in the mail saying I qualified. Low and behold- they continued to take out loans every year it seems (unbeknownst to me- we only ever briefly discussed that my freshman year when it was $2,500) and now I had 20k in debt (with the interest that had accrued). I only ever saw a small portion of that (couple hundred) to help pay for a meal plan my freshman year, and I'm not sure what they actually used that money for. So for two and a half years after I graduated my parents had been bypassing me and paying twice the minimum every month in my name (my mom pitches this as the silver lining that it helped my credit). However, now I have two younger sisters about to go to college, and it was putting a financial burden on my parents; my mom said they didn't realize how much interest would be after I graduated. I called the fed loan people, and I was able to get the loan restructured where the dep't of education covers my payments and after 10 years the loan is forgiven. All of that was based on my salary (24k/year) and bc I work at a university and qualify as a civil servant (IBR plan).  But I don't like my job. I want to leave, but I'm not sure what happens if I do. Will I have to pick up the payments? Would a job change affect any of the payments already made? My parents say that they'll continue to pay if I want to leave my job, but I'm not comfortable with putting my financial standing completely in their hands now that I know this is going on. I tried to reach out to the fed loan people who set up the restructuring, but they never answered my emails. I worked really hard to graduate debt-free, and now I realize that's not the case. I know $20k isn't unmanageable, but I would really like to get out from under this. But I also don't want to screw my parents over unnecessarily. Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 Your parents committed fraud and stuck you with the bill - a bill that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.

Report them, because it won't stop here.Answer #2: No legal advice here but OP, you need to check your credit report.  They may have taken out credit cards or other loans in your name.  You also need to lock down your credit NOW and advise your sisters to do the same.Answer #3: Did your parents forge your name on the FAFSA each year? Did you give the student accounts office your parent's checking account information?  Did you never look at your student account?

Where did the money actually  go?

Your options are: report it as fraud and make your parents pay the consequences or pay the bill. Answer #4: IMHO it's time for you to stop making excuses (inherited trait from parents?) and report them to the appropriate agencies. Otherwise the cycle continues.

Trust your fellow non-biased reddit members.Answer #5: If you leave a public service job you can still continue in an IBR but it becomes a 25 year forgiveness program instead of a 10.

Personally I would report them. They have shown that they are willing to lie and illegally take out loans. What will stop them from doing it again? Yes they have been paying, but that doesn't make any of their behavior ok.

EDIT: Also, if fed loan is being shifty you can submit all the IBR paperwork yourself. All it is is a yearly renewal and you submit the IBR form and proof of income. Loan servicers like to give people the run around from time to time.


Title: Starting a business selling cardboard cutouts of famous people

Question:
[CA, US] What issues are at play here? Obviously I will need to purchase the rights to any image I use from the photographer or copyright holder, but would problems arise with using a celebrities' likeness? Is that even something to worry about when I am just starting out?
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: You need permission from the celebrity to make commercial use of his or her likeness.


Title: I own a franchise restaurant, can I legally buy discounted gift cards for my restaurant online and use them to pay customer's bills?

Question: I own a single franchise restaurant location. Not a major fast food chain like McDonalds, more similar to say a BJ's restaurant and brewhouse type place. Recently I came across gift cards for my restaurant chain online for sale for a pretty big discount. Would it be illegal for me to purchase a bunch of those discounted gift cards and use those when people pay their bill in cash? My guess is that the franchise wouldn't want that, but would I be committing any sort of serious crime by doing this? Location: CA USA

Answer: Is it worth getting your franchise terminated and getting sued over? Because that is how you get your franchise terminated and sued. Answer #2: Your franchise agreement will almost certainly prohibit this, especially since it is a means to reduce the percentage fee paid to the franchisor. But by all means check with your attorney if you want to be sure.


Title: Is it ethical for attorney to use knowledge to influence police report? (RI)

Question:
So, do you think it would be ethical for an attorney to tell their child what they need to say on a police report in order to have probable cause for an arrest?

Specifically, to tell them that they should say "I thought he had intent to injure or harm me" instead of saying "I dunno what he was thinking."  While I doubt such an instance could have any influence on the merits of a case it is nonetheless a curious question.

Located in Rhode Island
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Coaching a client (even if that client is a child) on how to properly articulate the facts as they happened is a legitimate avenue to ensure the proper response from authorities.  Telling them to lie is not.


Title: (OH) OSHP pulled me over, wondering if the reason he gave me was valid?

Question:
Hey all,

I recently got pulled over by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The reasoning he gave was "someone called and reported that you cut them off". The officer was not present to witness the validity of this claim. Is someone placing a call to the patrol complaining about my driving a legitimate reason to be pulled over? Seems odd to me that one person's word was enough to send an armed officer to track me down and essentially interrogate me. He didn't ticket me, so all is well that ends well. I suppose I just want my curiosity satisfied.

EDIT: I realize my post may have come across in a negative way, please realize this was not my intention. I am still a little a shook up over that encounter, and ultimately let it influence the tone of the post. This was posted in hopes of educating myself about how I ended up in that particular situation.

Answer:
 Yes. [Reasonable Articulable Suspicion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reasonable_suspicion) is all that is necessary to detain someone in the course of a criminal investigation.

>an armed officer

Are you from another country where the police officers do not routinely carry weapons? If so, then I'll disregard this remark, since you may not know that almost all American police officers carry weapons on duty. If you're an American, quit the snide bullshit remarks.

>essentially interrogate me

The officer was conducting an investigation to determine if a crime had been committed, which he has every right to do. He either didn't establish probable cause to ticket you, or he used his discretion and decided not to ticket you.

If you don't want to get pulled over, don't commit traffic violations. I would also recommend not cutting people off, since it could lead to you being on the wrong side of a road rage incident.


Title: Is it negligence?

Question: My friend's parent died, they were 100% blind and was schizophrenic, they stayed in a home but was allowed to leave on their own recognizance. they walked into the street and were hit by multiple cars. My friend and his family didnt find out until 30 days later because 30 days is how long the coroner will hold a body before they cremate it, when the facility was asked why they didnt inform the family they said oh it was all over the news, we thought you guys would have seen it so we didnt say anything. Is there any legal standing to sue these people?

Answer:
 Lots to unpack.

Blind people aren't housebound. People with schizophrenia aren't housebound.

The decision to go out - is it likely that your relative had capacity to make that sort of decision, ie they knew the risks they were taking? Did they know the area and had they been out before?

Negligence is fact dependent, and  we have so few facts here I am not sure we can say all that much.


Title: Can a landlord in California keep a deposit for violating a clause in a lease that limits how often guest can stay over?

Question: My friend just moved into a new place after her house burned down in Santa Rosa two months ago, and after she agreed to rent she had a new couch delivered before she signed the lease. When she signed the lease the landlord told her that there was a limit on how often guest could stay over in the lease.  She did not have many options so she signed it.  She feels that she was railroaded into it.  The rental is a mother-in-law unit on a few acres and the main house is currently uninhabitable because of another fire a few years ago.  The landlord has a business (some kind of car shipping to Europe) business in a barn on the property that he said was his office.  He has been on the property almost everyday recently and multiple days cars being dropped off early by tow trucks and making lots of noise before she is out of bed. Now the last week he has been there doing some kind of construction that has involved a lot of sawing in the morning.  I know that the clause is allowed in a lease in California, but what is the worse that he can do if someone does stay there for a few days more than allowed?  She is not happy with the place because he is there all the time and sometimes makes a lot of noise.  She sometimes has to work late and sometimes sleeps in past 10am.  My understanding is that the deposit can only be used for damages, and for lost rent if she was to move before the lease is up, but I am not a doctor. Lawyer! I ment lawyer.  Thanks for any info anyone can share.

Answer: He can terminate the lease.


Title: (OR)Police came to my work to arrest me without a warrant

Question: So the police came to my work to arrest me without a warrant.  They said that they wanted to ask me some questions, but when I asked if I could have an attorney present, they arrested me.  I go to court the following Monday, and the DA sent me home saying No Complaints.  I tried to get my phone back from the police officer, but he refused to give it back and said that he will talk to the DA next week.   How do I go about getting my phone back?  My bitcoin wallet is on my iPhone, and I am without most of my assets.

Answer: Was the phone seized as evidence? What did they arrest you for? It is entirely possible that you won't be able to get the phone back for quite some time.


Title: (California) My dog was confronted by my neighbors off-leash dogs, it didn't end well for one of their dogs

Question:
My dog walker was walking my dog yesterday (she comes on a set schedule whether I'm home or not) when suddenly I hear the sound of dogs fighting. Realizing it is about the time she would be back from their walk I figure it's my dog.

I run outside and sure enough my dog has my neighbor's dog by the neck. Knowing what to do to get her to release I did it quickly and the neighbor picked up her dog and ran inside. The son of my neighbor came outside and I asked how their dog was and he said he wasn't sure, then he apologized? I found it odd he told me he was sorry.

Come to find out, their big black lab initiated the fight. My dog is fine with dogs from a distance or other dogs walking by leashed but two dogs running up to her while she's leashed up likely didn't sit well with her. My walker is aware of this and avoids off leash dogs when possible. Their little dog got involved and my dog pinned her down.
Mind you, my dog was leashed up and their dogs were running loose

I right away felt like I should cover any vet fees they may have if it comes to that, I haven't apologized or admitted guilt. I feel really bad though.

Their little dog was bloody but certainly not dead. After bringing my dog inside I drove to my vet and had her rabies vaccine printed out just in case.

Here's where I need advice: my dog was given to me February 2015. I've never bothered registering her with my city or licensing her. I've taken her to the vet, got her all her shots. I've hired professional trainers and behaviorists to help me curve her behavior towards other dogs. If my neighbor decides to call animal control or the police, will they take my dog? Will she be euthanized? Will they force me to license her? What should I do now to protect us from any liability? Or does the fact that they were off leash when there are leash laws here absolve me?

I've knocked on their door once to inquire about their dog and they either weren't home or didn't open the door. Regardless of the legality of it, it sucks this happened and I feel really bad for their dog. I hope she is ok

TL;DR: Leashed dog approached by unleashed dogs. Fight broke out. Who's liable?

Answer: The neighbor was in the wrong. And you don't owe them vet fees. Unleashed dogs are a menace. If they call animal control on themselves, you could be dinged for not registering your dog or paying taxes. Usually it's a small fine. Of course, they'd end up fined for a dog at large.


Title: My Landlord (Ohio) wants to change the terms of my lease 5 months in.

Question: What's the legality of that? On December 30th I signed a 24 month lease. The landlord is my girlfriends Brother in Law, and has come into the house without 24 hours notice, which I already know is unlawful, I'm just curious about changing the terms of the lease. Wouldn't there have to be a new lease signed?

Answer: What changes does he want to make?Answer #2: (Not a lawyer) One cannot change the terms of a contract after signing without both parties agreeing.


Title: My sister is being over powered by a rich asshole

Question: My sister is a poor woman who had a child with a wealthy man. He is a horrible person who has been using his money to over power my sister when it comes to the daughter. Right now they argue thru an arbitrator that costs 350$/hour. She lives in Canada and cannot bring up anything because she is broke. He has hidden his income and uses his wealth to get everything he wants. Is their any kind of aid my sister can access?

Answer:
 what do u mean by "over power"?

who has custody?


Title: Wife and I have a mutual restraining order against one another. She wants a divorce I want to do marriage counseling. Is it possible to petition the judge to lift the RO and court order counseling ?

Question: We live in South Carolina

Answer:
 Yes. It's possible. In some cases it mandatory. Don't know WITHOUT YOUR LOCATION.

EDIT: Given your location, it doesn't appear that South Carolina is one of the ones that has this baked in, but it's hard to say. It seems it's still within the judges ability to do if they wish. This is a really great question for a local lawyer familiar with your case.

Personally, if you both have gotten to the point of filing RO's against each other, I don't see a judge mandating that you try and work things out.Answer #2: It depends on what court issued the restraining order. If it's a regular restraining order, a family court judge doesn't have the authority to lift it. If it's one ordered by the family court, then yes. Honestly, if she doesn't agree to marriage counseling, it's probably not going to be ordered by the court. The court can try to help you reconcile, but they aren't going to force someone to stay married when they don't want to.  You're likely already ordered  to go to mediation. If you guys can't hash out your difference at mediation, you're not going to hash them out in counseling.


Title: I got Salmonella from the Walmart egg recall. It was so bad I needed to be hospitalized. Can they do anything about it?

Question:
Florida

My responsibility of the hospital bill is  $1,600+.

I ate the eggs Sunday morning 4/8, and felt really sick Sunday night. Fever on Monday into Tuesday, felt really weak and had severe abdominal pain and dehydration. Symptoms got worse by Wednesday 4/11 so Wednesday night I went to urgent care who sent me to the ER.

Obviously had I know the eggs were bad, I wouldn't have bought/ate them, but it wasn't released or I didn't see it until the 15th, a week later. And I know I walked into the ER willingly, but being in so much pain I knew something was really wrong.

Is there anything they can do at this point? File a claim etc? Or should I just bite the bullet and pay it?
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: Contact a personal injury attorney and ask for a consultation. They're usually cheap, or even free if they work on contingency.


Title: Custody situation in Arizona. Dad needs to know what to expect.

Question: My ex and I split a little over a month ago. We have an 8 1/2 month old daughter together. We had a verbal agreement as far as our daughter goes with custody but I have her at least 6 out of 7 days of the week. I try to make sure my daughter sees her mother as often as possible but mom always has to work or is going to go out with friends. However I found out she has been lying about having to work and where she is at so she won't have to take our daughter for the night. She has been doing this so that she can see another guy and apparently they have been sleeping together for weeks. I want to take full custody of our daughter so that I can cut her out of my life. She's made it obvious that the kid isn't important to her while I bust my ass to take care of her and actually work full time. What worries me is she had threatened before with the line "this is a mothers right state". I don't know what to expect and I would like to have my ducks in a row before I open Pandoras box here. Suggestions?

Answer: You will really need an attorney to fight for full custody. Just so you know, you will not be able to cut her out of her child's life. You can likely get primary custody and mom gets visitation. It will be her choice if she uses the visitation. But courts do not cut parents out often and only for violent/safety issues. Or if they agree to give up their rights and there is a step parent to take those rights. Answer #2: You have a 0% chance of "cutting her out of your life". You may well win primary custody, but mom will have visitation, probably liberally. You cannot prevent this.


Title: [NC] If I pick my child up from school and take him home, is that against the law?

Question:
I have a four year old son that has been begging to spend time with me the last few weeks.  I am his biological father, and there is no step father or anything in the picture.

His mother will not answer my phone calls or texts, and refuses to let me see him if I stop by her home.

We currently have no custody agreement whatsoever.

I have filed for joint custody, and received no response.  I filed 1.5 months ago.  She did confirm she received the papers.

I then filed for a TPA, and received no response from heror the court as of now.

I know where he goes to school, and often visit him there, since that is the only place I ha e been able to see my son for the past two months.

Every time I am there he begs me to take him to my home, or to go play in a park.  So far I have avoided doing that because I did not want to cause additional problems prior to the custody hearing.

However, it is breaking my heart seeing my son upset that he doesn't ha e both parents in his life.

There is no legal reason I can think of for me to not visit with my child.  I am a stable adult that works full time, does no drugs, has no history of violence, etc.

I was thinking that I could pick him up from school and bring him to my house for a single sleep over.  I would text his mother that I did so, and where we will be, and how she can reach me.  I thought I could also tape a letter to her front door informing her where we will be and again, how she can reach me.

Me and the mother of my child live about half an hour apart, so I would not be taking him out of the state, attempting to flee, etc.  I would not be holding him against his will, making any demands of his mother prior to returning him, and he would be in a safe and loving environment the entire time.

I will be consulting with my lawyer tomorrow morning about this situation, but in the meantime I was wondering if my hypothetical idea would be legal or not? From the research I did, it was unclear.

Thanks,
a concerned father

Answer:
 What is your relationship with the mother?  And are you actually, officially, the child's father?  (This is not the same as the genetics, but rather a question of what the paperwork says.)Answer #2: What does your lawyer say? The one handling the custody situation.Answer #3: These situations can be insanely complex. Not a lawyer, seen the custody system up close as a child in a contentious case.

Listen to whatever your lawyer says on the matter. It can be very risky to move prematurely on something like this and if the mother freaks out and screams kidnapping, it may not be true but it can sure as hell muddy the waters for later in the civil custody hearings.

North Carolina is a one party consent state so you can record yourself leaving message. Record SMS message. Even try sending certified mail requesting your kids. Her lack of a response and being unable to work with you will not play in her favor.

But I repeat LISTEN TO YOUR LAWYER!


Title: [GA] My ex-wife threatened to call the police on me for kidnapping because I asked her to pick up our son, 5, when I didn't have a car.

Question:
Today I had parenting time from 5:30pm to 7:30pm with my son. I don't have a car because it's broken, so I walked 35 minutes to pick him up, and we walked 35 minutes back to my house.

Now technically I'm supposed to drop him off, but usually we just play it by ear and often she or her mother will come pick him up and it's not a big deal. It also is rarely exactly according to the schedule, sometimes it is later than 7:30pm, sometimes it is earlier. Usually she doesn't care. She knew my car was broken.

She called me at exactly 7:49pm and asked me to bring him back. I said I didn't have a car, so we'd have to walk, and it looked like it might rain, and that she should just come get him. She hung up and texted me that she was going to get the police involved if I didn't bring him back and that I was kidnapping our son.

I told her to calm down, said I'm not kidnapping him, she is welcome to pick him up, it's not far. She eventually came and picked him up.

The whole thing really stressed me and my son out, he was crying and wanted to call his mom to tell her not to call the police and to just pick him up. I did not coerce this out of him at all, he is just scared of the police like any kindergartener is.

Just hypothetically, I am wondering if I actually could be arrested for kidnapping because of this, or what sort of legal consequences could I realistically face if she pursued this.

Answer:
 >The whole thing really stressed me and my son out, he was crying and wanted to call his mom to tell her not to call the police and to just pick him up. I did not coerce this out of him at all, he is just scared of the police like any kindergartener is.

First off in the future your five year old son should not be having those feelings because he should not have been a part of any conversation involving the dispute between you and his mother. If you need to have an adult conversation do it away from his tiny ears.

This would not be a kidnapping issue but if there is an order in place stating that you need to get the kid back to mom's house then make sure you find a way to do that in the future without relying on her for a pick up. Answer #2: 1.) Sharing it with your son (unless he overheard it by accident), could be considered parental alienation. One case like this won't really be a problem, but don't make it a habit.

2.) If you have shared custody, then you legally can't be guilty of kidnapping for something like this. Even having the kid outside the normal custody time is not going to trigger kidnapping. If your ex called the cops for something that stupid, it's not impossible she'd be charged with making a false report, depending on the department.

3.) Consider using Uber/Lyft or another ridesharing service.Answer #3: Not legal advice, but parenting advice. Don't share things like this with your son.


Title: Walmart in San Marcos, Texas, as I left self-checkout and tried to leave the store, an employee grabbed my cart and stopped me.

Question: I have filed a police report for unlawful detainer and am waiting to hear from the police department. Do I have any other recourse? The employee was not in loss prevention and had no reason to believe I may have done anything requiring being stopped as they were stopping everyone from leaving the store and demanding receipts. In fact, the person who grabbed my cart and prevented me from leaving didn't even see me until I approached the door.

Answer:
 Yup you have to show your receipt at many Walmarts to leave. If you don't want to do that don't shop there. The police aren't going to do anythingAnswer #2: > and had no reason to believe I may have done anything requiring being stopped

That's your opinion.  You don't know precisely what their cause was.

How long did they "detain" you?Answer #3: >prevented me from leaving

They cannot prevent you from leaving (though they may be able to hold you a short time, depending on the location and facts). They may be able to prevent you from leaving with your cart until you show proof of purchase. You should be prepared that their argument was that you were free to leave, the cart was not.

Costco/Sam's Club can do so because your membership agreement **specifically** allows for it, but I'm not sure on the legality of Wal-Mart stopping your cart until you've shown proof of purchase.


Title: Scared of physical retaliation after suing landlord [Chicago]

Question: Hey all.  Long story short, myself and several roommates recently moved out of a house whereby the landlord screwed us out of several grand of our deposit, in addition to breaking a number of laws (entering the property without notice).  We are now moved out.  I am in discussions with a lawyer regarding suing the guy - we have a very strong case.  My roommates do not want to be involved because they are nervous that he will show up to their houses with a gun and try to retaliate.  He does have somewhat psychopathic tendencies - he called me to threaten me that if I don't "accept" the deposit being taken away that he will "get us for every broken thing in the house" - implying that he would go break things.  We did notice that he showed up to the house one time with a gun tucked in his belt (illegally most likely) to turn off the water for the winter. The house is in what used to be a very bad neighborhood.  I think my roommates are over reacting but frankly this guy makes me nervous as well.  He has our forwarding addresses due to sending what was left of the deposit.  Does anyone have any advice for a situation like this?  Non-legal advice is welcomed as well. Thank you.

Answer: Call the police if he actually shows up.  Not a lot else to do without a crystal ball.


Title: We think my half sister (4) is getting abused by their dad's girlfriend.

Question: My sisters are 7 and 4.  Our mom and their dad broke up. They go and visit him every other weekend. Things have been going fine for months. But now the past few weekends the 4 year old has been coming back with bruises. Their dad is now dating a girl and she has 2 sons. When my mom first saw the bruises, she asked their dad. And he just said something about her playing with the boys( his girlfriend's sons). But they just came back today and she has 3 more big bruises. And what looks like someone tried to grab her and sunk their nails into her side. When my mom was taking her a bath,  my sister said that at her dad's house someone grabbed her throat. And when asked who did it, she says the girlfriend's name. We tried asking the 7 year old but she gets this scared look on her face and starts crying. We have no idea what to do and what steps to take from here.

Answer: Call your state's child protective agency and make a report immediately.


Title: CANADA-Fined for not having a life jacket on a kayak, found one in the back after getting the ticket.

Question: So like the title explains, I was using my friends kayak when a police boat pulled up and asked if I had a life jacket which I said I didn't. After I got to shore, I told my friend what happened and he showed me there was one in the back compartment. I just received the 271$ ticket in the mail that reads: "has operated a human-powered craft without having on board a personal flotation device or lifejacket that is of an appropriate size for each person on board" (SOR/2010-91), section 209(1). Can I plead not guilty since technically there was a life jacket on the boat and the police never checked for one?

Answer: From a safety perspective, if you didn't know it was there, it might as well have not been there.


Title: My band has been offered a contract, it seems sketchy. Would like to know your thoughts

Question:
Throwaway because I post a lot of my band stuff on here. We were invited to a meeting yesterday with someone who wants to strike a deal with us. I've attached the contract for reference.

http://imgur.com/a/0L4hZl7

As you can see, it's pretty vague. He's old school, says he knows a lot of the larger acts and he's been a session musician for big rock bands that I won't mention here. He has said that he would pay for our studio time which is our biggest expense and is planning on getting us as support for big acts on tours, but none of that is in the contract and seems like a sales pitch. Would love to know your thoughts.
 He has said he went to his lawyers and it cost him 1.5k to get this contract made. He certainly has the gift of the gab. He supposedly has links in the industry, but you hear horror stories all the time.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 You are right that the contract is vague.  This contract promises 30%  to them for 5 years in return for exactly nothing.

>..their best endeavors and financial input as they deem to be necessary or essential from time to time to further the advancement and career of [band] to the best of their ability.

They can literally do nothing and collect 30%.  This looks like a bare bones management contract, not a record contract.  It might depend on your area, but music management deals are typically in the 10-20% range.Answer #2: NAL. My advice: do not sign. Why?
1. this contract did not cost £ 1,500.
2. £ 1.00 sign fee is weird.
3. Term of 5 years seems way too long.

It seems sketchy. Answer #3: /r/legaladviceuk and you need to retain an entertainment attorney.


Title: At what point should I sue my HOA for failing to maintain exterior structures? Utah, USA

Question:
Quick rundown: Exterior cantilevered deck. Exposed to elements. Poor construction causes wood to rot. Railing becomes loose, almost detached. Floor is about 15' above concrete slab. I email HOA to report damage October of 2016. Contractors come and go, but no work is done. HOA manager keeps promising action, but nothing.

I email HOA manager at year mark and put pressure on resolution. Two different contractors come (in sequence) and proceed to tear the soffit out of the underside of the deck to inspect structural damage from water accumulation. My deck has now been disassembled for going on three weeks, including a week when the railing had been torn off. Now, local birds are starting to nest in the exposed joists and are constantly pecking at the rotted wood. I work from home and have to listen to it all day, like someone constantly knocking on my door.

I emailed the HOA again today, and they basically said that they have contractors, but they're asking too much to do the work, so they're trying to find someone more affordable. At this point, I'm wondering if something in small claims court would be advisable, assuming they don't figure things out in the next month or so? I hate to be that guy who's out for a payday, but this has turned into a real PITA. Others in the neighborhood have had their decks repaired (more minor damage) in the time since I've reported mine.

Update: I emailed the HOA (again), outlining the timeline, how fed up I was, and to let them know that I was planning on pursuing appropriate legal action. They're supposedly going to get a contractor on it, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 IANAL, check your HOA contract for litigation stuff(do you have to go through a mediator, etc.) And specifically look for untimely response to maintaining properties, it seems that this is getting to the point that it is unsafe/danger to your property, and you might be able to fix it yourself and bill the HOA, or with hold HOA payments due to the issue not being fixed. Again check you HOA bylaws, and if need to, consult with a real estate attorneyAnswer #2: Most lawyers offer free consultations.

Write up what has happened in a timeline.  Be brief.  Annotate each step with what you can prove (ie texts, emails, phone calls, pictures.) . Bring all this to an attorney for a free consultation to figure out where you stand.

my two cents: paying $200 to an attorney to send a nastygram is likely to light a fire under their ass.  It may also make your HOA not love you.  It's worth exploring.Answer #3: > I hate to be that guy who's out for a payday

Well, that's good because there really won't be much of one here. Any legal fees or judgment you rack up with the HOA are just going to be charged back to the homeowners, yourself included, as part of your assessments or they're going to have to divert budget from other things that matter to you in order to pay for the court case.

Moral of the story: suing your HOA is somewhat akin to suing yourself.


Title: Name changes after marriage: can you pick something new?

Question:
I'm planning on getting married and both of us have no attachment to our last names- in fact, we want to change both of our last names to something completely different that is not a combination of our names together. We live in Texas. We have looked in to changing his name legally first, then getting married so that I can just take his last name, but the process seems really tedious (court appearances, fingerprinting, and at the end the judge may not grant the name change). Is there an easier way to go about this in Texas or surrounding states? We would be willing to travel. Thank you!

Edit: Just for anyone who has this same question as me and finds this post. We were able to change his name all in one day. We have an amazing "legal library" in our city that has free legal help available and they arranged all the documents we would need to do the name change. The fingerprinting place was down the street and took 5 minutes to get the official fingerprints on a card you have to get. Then we went to the courthouse, sat down in the courtroom during an open session, and she signed the form. We got about ten official copies of the name change form (for the social security office, etc.) and we were on our way. All in all I think the entire process took about 4 hours.

Answer: Of course you can, Miss Princess Consuela Bananahammock! Can be almost anything you want.


Title: Florida Landlord repeatedly refuses to give notice of entering dwelling - refuses to communicate

Question:
My current landlord does not give notice before entering my apartment for either showing it or for repairs. I have sent her a certified letter stating Florida Law 83.53 [Landlord’s access to dwelling unit](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0083/0083.html).
Her reponse was that I am pushing her buttins and that giving notice was more of a suggestion.
I asked her to follow the law, just as I was following the law.
Now she is refusing to communicate with me.

Is this grounds to break the lease? If not what are my options?

Here are some of the recent texts: http://imgur.com/a/0UH64

Some background: I am currently trying to rent the apartment out because I am buying a house, but have 6 months left on the lease. SHe was helpful at first -advertised and showed the place, but her entering without notice has made her not want to help anymore.

Answer:
 > If not what are my options?

File a complaint with the police for trespassing and/or breaking and entering.


Title: Help! Can I get my "non-refundable" wedding deposits back?

Question:
My fiancee and I were planning on getting married in July 2017 (1 year from now), but due to unforeseen financial circumstances, we're scaling back our plans.

We've given significant deposits to the wedding venue, and to our wedding planner, who both deem these to be "non-refundable". These were given 3 months ago, and no significant work has been done to date.

Since our wedding was planned to be a year away, there is plenty of time for the venue and the wedding planner to find other clients (they are consistently booked up a year in advance), can I ask for my deposit back, less expenses?

Answer: You can ask, but it seems likely that they can keep it if you signed a contract which stipulated that the deposit was non-refundable.


Title: My boss says that if anyone quits and tries to use our company as work experience he'll deny that they ever worked for him. Is this legal? VA

Question:
I work for a pretty small company that seems to be starting to go under, and my boss/the owner isn’t taking it super well. We’re all updating our resumes, but the job market isn’t great where we are so most people are trying to hang in there in the meantime. My co-worker Marie was the first to quit and has been trying to use our company as a reference, since she worked here for ten years. Yesterday my boss got a call from another place who is looking to hire Marie and trying to confirm her employment dates. He’s really pissed that Marie left (he thinks she’s being disloyal and we should all just stick it out, as payroll gets later and later) and told them that Marie had never worked for him and he’d never even heard of her. He then sent out an email telling everyone that there were “no rewards for disloyalty” and that if anyone else “bailed” they’d get the same treatment.

Today they called back and asked for Tom, one of the people on Marie’s former team. I don’t know if he didn’t get our boss’s email or what, but he did tell them how long Marie had been with us and generally what her duties were. Well our boss overheard this and fired Tom on the spot. So now the rest of us are freaking out. I’ve been here for four years and can’t afford a gap that big on my resume. But also I don’t want to get anyone else fired. One lady here has been with the company since it was started in the 90’s. If she leaves, she’ll have no employment history to speak of. Is this legal? For our boss to make all of our work for him basically amount to nothing?

Answer:
 > I’ve been here for four years and can’t afford a gap that big on my resume.

If nothing else, it won't be a gap on your resume. You have that crazy email, pay stubs, tax forms. Worst case you have to simply explain to a potential employer that although the experience was good, the environment was not. YOu have proof, and if they're interested enough to call your old boss and he denies knowing you then they know your story checks out 100% because they're holding a copy of your pay stub right there.Answer #2: He emailed this?  What a dope.  Contact a lawyer, to be safe.  I'd also forward the email to your former co-worker ... if that's not illegal, et cetera (contact a lawyer)Answer #3: I'm not a lawyer and don't have any legal advice to give. However, I work in HR and there is a way to verify employment. It's called The Work Number. It costs $25 but you can set up a code for a prospective new employer to go in and view your employment history. We use this all the time when someone worked for a company that is no longer in business. Answer #4: IANAL, but for advice presenting this to a potential employer I suggest looking through the archives of askamanager.com. It's kind of like an Ask Amy for workplace advice. She's responded to several letters about companies refusing to provide references or confirm employment, so you can find some helpful wording to use during the job hunt.


Title: Getting a divorce and don't understand this paperwork. Please help!

Question: Me and my wife are both 22 and getting a divorce in FL. We have no children and nothing to split at all, so we qualified for a simplified dissolution of marriage. Some of it I understand, and some of it makes no sense at all. What can I do to get this paperwork filled out correctly and as soon as possible?

Answer:
 >What can I do to get this paperwork filled out correctly and as soon as possible?

I'd suggest speaking with an attorney if you don't understand the paperwork.  They can help you fill it out correctly.  Please note that you and your wife should (and must) get separate attorneys.

As far as help from this sub, we enjoy helping answer legal questions.  However, going through specific paperwork and helping you to fill it out may be nearing too close to an appearance of an 'attorney-client' relationship.  Many of our members (note: our most trusted members) would be unlikely to help you do that.


Title: Roommate wants me kicked off lease due to incompatibility

Question:
Throwaway account and novice redditor here, please help! The question is straight forward but takes some context to understand, so please bear with me.

I've lived with a friend of mine for the last year, and we have already renewed the lease for the upcoming year that's beginning next week. I've known this person for a decade and we've never had any major quarrels beyond the normal sort of friend issues. For reference, the lease is through an individual owner and not a large management company.

We have conflicting work schedules so we interact fairly infrequently, but it is always civil and we both respect each others sleep schedules, property, and routines. We also both hold jobs that are not the typical 9-5, Monday through Friday sort of gig. I work evenings and usually go to the bars to unwind and socialize before heading home, always being sure to be as quiet as possible when I do come in. I don't bring people over often, and if I do I keep them outside on the porch out of respect for my roommate having to be up early for work.

My roommate is on the autistic spectrum and finds cleanliness and order to be a high personal priority. I do my best not to leave any messes for him to find, and limit any clutter to my room only. I can be fairly messy in general, but I have made a serious effort to limit it for my roommate's mental sanity.

Anyway, we renewed the lease a few months ago to live together through August 2016. However, in the last couple weeks my roommate has expressed concern that we are incompatible as roommates, and wants to break the lease and kick me out while getting to stay. This is with a weeks notice. My roommate has already contacted the landlord behind my back about this, without letting me voice my side.

My roommate has cited my frequent attendance at bars as problematic, that I stay up/sleep in too late, and that I have had little to do with keeping the apartment clean. My roommate went so far as to contact my parents that I was out of control with my drinking, which wound up with an intervention of sorts. While I will admit that I drink frequently, it is rarely to excess and never do I interfere with my roommate's life by doing so. It's all just judgement being cast on me. While not as obsessive about cleaning, I do my part in keeping my own messiness under control which my roommate is failing to recognize.

I'm wondering what the legality of kicking me off a lease is given that it has previously been signed and that I am in no way in breach of the lease. I want to know if I have grounds for a lawsuit should my roommate or landlord attempt to kick me out.

This is all very one sided in my opinion. I have not been unhappy with my living situation for the past year, and I have not been consulted by my roommate about anything I have done to cause personal dismay. I feel my roommate is looking for the PERFECT cohabitant, which will never happen. Someone to hang out and do activities with. I see a roommate as a sort of business relationship, not a perpetual slumber party. I also doubt there will be anyone else who would show the same level of respect towards his autism as I have.

I do not wish to move from this apartment and have no problem living with my roommate for another year. It would be extremely difficult for me to find another place with this short of notice that I could afford myself. Finding another roommate would also be a huge crap shoot. He has said it is not personal, but given that all of the reasons he has cited are judgements of my character makes that hard to believe. He is the one with the problem, yet I'm the one expected to leave.

Please help.

Kansas, USA.

Answer: He can't just kick you off the lease if you're both on it. (Barring some sort of weird provision in it, if that's even legal)


Title: Apartment Twitter Posts a deceiving tweet

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You quit your job and signed an apartment lease (which includes the rent required, btw) because of an obviously joke tweet? And never once asked anyone "hey so just to confirm, rent is free?"

Painfully obvious troll post.


Title: Are Senior Engineering Capstones Legal? (Asking my group to put in 1000+ hours for FREE)

Question:
Hello Reddit world,
(NC)
I am wondering if engineering senior capstones are legal.
I am an engineering student and I have been tasked with completing a project for a company.
The issue that I have with this is that:
1. I paid to take a class with a capstone project (It's required for me to graduate.
2. We are required to log 10 hours a week individually but not be paid for our time. (This 10 hour is a minimum 10 hour we need to record and document AND give to our university).
3. We had to sign an NDA meaning that all of the work that we did throughout the semester does not belong to us. Furthermore, we have 0 rights to any intellectual property we create as the University takes all of them.

I don't have an option to not take this class because I would like to graduate with an engineering degree at my university; however, they are asking me to put in a minimum 250 hours into a project that I have 0 rights for and for FREE.

TLDR. I have some issues with senior capstone requirements for an engineering job. They are asking for over a 1000 hours of engineering work from my group but do not plan  on compensating us. In addition, we had to pay to get into this class and sign all our rights away.

Answer: Isn't that literally what college is? You pay money to do work that you're not compensated for.Answer #2: It's likely legal. If you're doing this as a student to be able to complete your program, you're likely not considered an employee. 10 hours a week isn't a whole lot of time to be required to do something. That's two hours a day if you only did it on the week days. NDAs are common when you're working with an outside company. Your rights to the work would likely be a contract dispute between the university, you, and the company you're doing the work for.


Title: Is it legal to advocate for an economic boycott of the banks?

Answer: It is in the United States.


Title: Breeding contract

Question:
I bought a puppy around a year ago. Her breeder told me that I will have no breeding rights on her and she is sold as limited AKC registration. But I didn’t get her paper at that time. I didn’t want to breed her or show her. Just pet. We signed a usual puppy sales contract like transfer of ownership and stuff like that. The contract has no wordings like “ no breeding right” or “must sterilized her by certain age”. Only “ if the puppy is so as limited AKC registration the papers will be provided to buyer only after proof of spay or neuter has been furnished at that time” is written.
Recently, I was thinking if I can bought her breeding right back and breed her once before I fix her  (only for 1-2 of her puppies myself, other puppies would be transfer to my friends and family). I asked her breeder and she rejected it seriously. I promise her I won’t breed her in the future because she said I would break the contract if I do so. I totally understand her and I don’t want to get into a lawsuit like that. She brought up the no breeding right thing and demand me to fixed her within 3 months. I have to show her the certificate after I fixed her.
After all this, I wonder if she has the right to force me to fix her? What if I don’t fix her meanwhile I don’t breed her? I know I will lost her AKC paper by that. Just want to know if she can force me to do that.

Answer: It does say that you have no breeding right and the dog must be sterilized - that’s the entire point of limited registration. You signed the contract knowing all of the restrictions on the dog. Id probably listen to the breeder before he/she takes their dog back.


Title: Toronto - Landlord let cleaners into my condo without consent. $1,700 worth of property stolen

Question:
So I just moved from one rental condo to another here in Toronto. I have the original condo until March 31st.

Since I had both units for a whole month, I had left some things behind to move over at my leisure. Earlier this week my property manager confirmed with me he would be doing his inspection on March 31st (tomorrow). I agreed and told him I would go leave the keys at the concierge for him to pick up on the 30th, and that I had a few items there I was still dealing with.

Today is the 30th and I went to collect the last of my belongings and drop off the keys. They are gone, and there are a bunch of cleaning supplies there. No cleaning has been done.

I call the property manager and ask where my stuff is and why is there cleaning stuff in the condo. I did not give consent for anybody to enter prior to the 31st. He says he will call the cleaners and call back.

He calls back 15 minutes later and says "there was a scheduling error on the cleaners part. They accidentally thought your items were garbage and threw them away."

Naturally, I lost my shit. He kept putting it on the cleaners and I insisted he was at fault for providing access to my condo without consent to a person who stole from me. He facilitated theft in my opinion.

Anyway, it is an actual property management company, and not just one person. I don't at all trust them to repay me the $1,700 for my stolen items. I sent them a list and he said he would review it with their team tomorrow morning and respond immediately.

I'm going to call the tenant board in the morning, and I'm not sure if I should file a police report tonight, or wait and see what happens tomorrow.

Advise on that would be good. But I'm mostly looking for someone to tell me what I can expect if they don't reimburse me. Do I take them to small claims? Take the cleaners to small claims? Both? Do I stand any chance of getting the full amount through this process?

Thanks for any help.

**Update:**

Police report has been filed. They have to assign a detective to it before anything happens on their end. They told me to follow up tomorrow and indicated they may assist in attaining security footage if necessary. I'm not expecting much out of the police as it has been indicated by posters here that this is a civil dispute.

I contacted the cleaning company to find out what time they were there and get his version of events. He apologized, admitted fault in misunderstanding the schedule, and confirmed that he threw every item down the garbage chute. Now I am definitely going to try to obtain the elevator security camera footage to see if that is true or not.

I filed a T2 form this morning (31st) with the Tenant Board indicating an unlawful entry. Explained everything with dates and times. There is a section where you propose recourse – one of which is reimbursement for lost or damaged property. I listed each item as detailed as possible with values. They will schedule a hearing in 3-6 weeks. I can cancel this if the property manager settles with me before then.

Property manager is having a meeting with their ‘team’ this morning to discuss my list of stolen property. They are to respond by 12:00PM today (31st). I told him if I don’t hear from him, I’m calling him at 12:00.

**Update 2:**

I got a call back from the PM after their meeting. They discussed with the cleaner and the cleaner concedes it was his fault and is willing to pay. They said he doesn't make a lot of money and asked if I would accept a reduced amount. I told them the number I gave is what it will cost me to replace those items and I expect the full amount. The cleaning company should have insurance, and I'm not made of money either.

The property manager I assumed discussed with their legal counsel during the meeting. They are insistent they have zero fault in this situation as they have a work order with the cleaner for March 31st. I argued that I never agreed for anybody to enter on the 30th, and they facilitated the unlawful entry by handing over the keys. They want to work with me as a middle man to settle with the cleaner. I told them if he agrees to pay in full, that's fine. If not, I'm proceeding with my T2 claim against them with the Tenant Board and we will have the hearing. They will discuss with the cleaner again and let me know today.

Answer:
 > I'm going to call the tenant board in the morning, and I'm not sure if I should file a police report tonight, or wait and see what happens tomorrow.

I would start by itemizing everything that was lost, it's replacement value, and send a polite demand letter to the landlord to pay for the items. I would also send the same letter to the cleaning company. Both have contributed to the fault here: the cleaning company by showing up on the wrong date, and the property manager by letting them in.

I'm not so sure the LTB would have jurisdiction over this matter. You can call them, or go to the office and speak to a duty counsel who should be able to give you a quick answer.

I'm also not sure the police would do anything. You can try calling anyway, but if both the landlord and cleaners were mistaken, then it's negligence. There was no criminal intent, and the police won't care.

Your most likely route would be the small claims court. If your demand letter doesn't work, you can file a claim. Again, I would file against both the cleaners and landlord because, if you're successful, they'll likely be held jointly and severally liable, meaning you can collect from either. I'd suggest getting in touch with [Law Help Ontario](https://www.lawhelpontario.org/), who are located at the 47 Sheppard St E court house before you start your claim. They should be able to give you 30 minutes of free legal advice.Answer #2: Do you have tenant's insurance? If so, they are your first call. If not, go buy it. It is pretty cheap.


Title: Can my ex take back a laptop she gave me for my birthday?

Question:
She bought me a MacBook Pro around 2 months ago for my birthday. I have tons of proof that it was in fact a gift, and I have been the only person to login to it, she doesn't even know the password I don't think.

Anyways, she broke up with me around 5-6 days ago. I specifically asked her if she was taking the MacBook and she said no over text. I have that saved. Today she asked for clothes that she left here, which I told her would be outside. Now she is saying I have to give the MacBook back too.

I talked to the police dept and they said it was a civil matter, so I know she won't come tonight "with the police to get it" like she said lol. I've blocked her as of a few hours ago. Ive read a ton of websites saying that gifts are final, and exs can't just get them back.

Do I have anything to worry about here in terms of losing the laptop? All of my work is done on it aha, it's how I make money via programming... It really was a gift months before we broke up, and I have tons of proof of it. I just want to make sure I won't lose it lol... I'm not totally clear on the gift laws...

I'm in MA if that matters.

TL;DR: can ex gf take back laptop she gave me as a gift months ago for my birthday? If she takes me to civil court, do I have a solid argument?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: No she cant take it. Gifts are no takesies backsies and she can shove it.Answer #2: Gifts are gifts. The police are not coming. If she sues you in small claims, you need to go. She will definitely lose as long as you show up (they may give a default judgment to her if you don't).


Title: NJ: Girl I matched with had her friend harrase me and potentially upload my information on social media.

Question:
Exactly like the title says. I've attached a link of the messages.

http://imgur.com/gallery/uhr0WIn

Yes, we're assholes. Now do I have grounds for restraining orders/harrasement? Can I sue? What exactly can she do to me and what are likely outcomes here?

Answer:
 Yea, both of you are idiots and neither of you have any clue what you're talking about. Doxxing is not illegal and this almost certainly doesn't qualify as harassment or give you grounds for any sort of protection order, but ultimately that would depend on what exactly she updated.

For example, if all she posted was "Check out this idiot trying to cheat on his girlfriend" and showed pics of your profile, it's almost certainly legal.


Title: Signed a car lease after surgery and heavily medicated.

Question:
So I've been in a car lease with a 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk for about 18 months now and it's a 3 year lease. I've regretted it ever since the I've gotten the car because I really can't afford it. During a conversation with someone at my work I was discussing how it was one of the worst financial decisions I've ever made because I wasn't thinking due to the percocept I was taking from surgery. The guy at work said that the lease could be void as I was medicated.

The surgery was repairing my shoulder after a rock climbing incident. I was in a sling for 3 months and taking opiod pain medication for about 2 of those months. When I signed the lease I was about 2 weeks post op and still in a sling and couldn't even drive the vehicle off the lot.

To add to this, the salesman I bought the car from was my friends dad. We were hanging out and she needed to bring her dad something. She brought me with and I bought the car that day. Not sure if this matters but just something else.

I'm curious if there might be some way to break the lease with proof of medication and the surgery. Thanks and I appreciate any help!

Answer:
 Maybe the next day. Certainly not a year and a half later

Answer #2: Influence of a controlled substance can be grounds to rescind a contract. But it's a high hurdle to clear.

And in this case, you (presumably) made payments on the lease, which would likely be seen as a ratification of the contract.Answer #3: You *might* have had an argument if you had gone back right after signing the lease but 18 months later? No way. And even the next day would have been iffy; Washington state has no "cooling off period" during which a customer can renege on an agreement to lease or purchase a car. Automotive contracts in the state apply the moment the customer signs the agreement unless otherwise specified in the contract.

And don't you mean to say you bought the car from your ex-friend's dad?


Title: Is it illegal to own a WW2 Hitler youth flag?

Question:
I collect historical items...
Topic:
Canada

Answer: Assuming you live in the US or Canada, no it isn't illegal.


Title: (Washington) A popular pizza restaurant is text threatening to tell my boss about charge backs.

Question:
So I had 7 unrecognizable charges on my CC and I called my bank and they did a charge back. Yesterday I had a missed call from a local number and a text saying "I'm going to tell your boss about these charge backs if you don't pay us back those 7 charges" I'm guessing it was a manager of the pizza place. I had never even talked to this guy before and he doesn't even know if my card was stolen or what. He just texts me this and I got pretty upset. I'm not worried about him telling my boss because they weren't my charges. I'm just wondering if it's legal for him to contact me in such way. Thank you.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 Something doesn't add up. How did he have your number, and how does he know where you work?Answer #2: Sending those texts might be a violation of his merchant agreement with the credit card processor but they are almost certainly not illegal.Answer #3: The more important thing is that what you've stated here seems to imply that this pizza restaurant has committed credit card fraud. You should probably talk to a lawyer about that.Answer #4: How does a random pizza place know who your boss is?

Under the FDCPA, a collection agency can't contact third parties about a debt, including your boss (Although they are allowed to contact your employer to verify your employment). However, the majority of the FDCPA provisions only apply to collection agencies, not the original creditor (like the pizza shop in this case).

That being said, it's a bit of a dick move to do the chargeback without giving the store the opportunity to fix the issue first, because a bad chargeback ratio can cause the card processor to drop the business entirely; whereas if they just refunded the fraudulent transactions themselves there wouldn't be any negative consequences.
Answer #5: Were they charges you actually made? If not, how did he find you?


Title: I backed into an illegally parked trailer in my husband's jeep...

Question:
Last Thursday I stopped by my local water company to pay my bill, early in the morning right when they opened. When I went in there was one car parked to my left. I was in and out in about 2 minutes, and when I came out there was a white truck parked to my right with one space between us. The entrance of the parking lot was to my left while sitting in the car. I made note of the truck but didn't pay much mind to it aside from that it was sitting there.
I got in my husband's jeep, headed to work. I looked in the rear view mirror. Nothing behind me. I look to the sides. Nothing. I begin to back out, still looking behind me. All of a sudden...bang! I look around panicked, what did I hit?? I pull forward at least a car length and see a long, flat trailer that was attached to the truck parked two spaces down from me. It was empty and completely not visible from inside of the jeep. I park and get out. The man sitting inside of it approaches me to see if I'm ok. He is very nice. I have crushed the metal casing (I'm sorry, I don't know the term) that goes on top of two of the tires. He states it also looks like a tire was punctured by the piece of metal. I apologize, I didn't see the trailer. We exchange first names and phone numbers. I leave, happy no one yelled at me and running late for work. I am a pretty anxious person and don't think clearly in stressful situations. I should have called the police, but I truly thought I was in the wrong because hey, I hit something. Like I said, just happy no one yelled at me.
I call my husband and explain what happened. He is mad that I didn't stand up for myself because a truck with a trailer attached to it is supposed to be parked across spaces in a lot, not in one with the trailer out in the road. He later sees the minor damage to his jeep and says the guy needs to pay for that as well. My father lives nearby and knows everyone in town, including the sheriff. He also agrees the other driver was in the wrong and tries to get in touch with the sheriff but he is out of town. He advises me to wait until we talk to the sheriff to get into contact with this man. This man calls me on several occasions and I do not answer.
Now, I live in a small town. A very small town. This morning I was at work and I get a text from my husband. This man has shown up at my house asking for $150 to repair his truck. My husband tells him absolutely not, he was parked illegally. The man admits to parking that way and said there was nothing wrong with parking that way, and states he has been hit before while doing so in another state and the police found the other party at fault. He asks for my husband's information and my husband tells him no. My dad then shows up and actually knows this person. They tell him we are waiting to speak with the sheriff and he leaves.
I know I was in the wrong by not calling the police when the incident happened. There were no witnesses. I am really displeased that he would show up at my house because he drove around town trying to find out where I live. We are awaiting word from the sheriff. What should I do from here? Should I go ahead and contact a lawyer or wait? How badly did I mess up by not involving the police straight away?
Thanks in advance for the advice.

Answer:
 Your husband is wrong, you are at fault because you were backing up. You are better off just paying and being done with itAnswer #2: You backed in to something that was stationary. Nothing about what he did right or wrong in any way absolves you from that. You need to be aware of what's behind you before backing up - checking your review mirror isn't enough. If some kids had decided to play in the parking lot and were sitting behind your jeep and you backed over them, you'd be responsible (this is the line an insurance adjuster would give you).

Whether or not the other person did something illegal (which is unlikely, as you were on private property, but who knows what local laws are like for where you live) has absolutely nothing to do with who is at fault here.


Title: If a married couple are tried, convicted, sentenced the same for the same crime, do they ever get to see one another?

Question: Is there some sort of visitation that happens or can happen?

Answer:
 It's not strictly *impossible*, though it would be very, very unusual.  There are *very* few circumstances where prisoners can visit each other (and, of course, this is all highly dependent on where they are and what crime they were convicted of) and it's vanishingly unlikely that they would be housed in the same correctional facility (so no randomly meeting up in the cafeteria).

So they would probably be allowed to write to each other and might get phone calls, but the chances of them seeing each other before one of them is released is incredibly close to 0.


Title: [NY,US]Is this a scam? (Regarding alleged patent infringement)

Question:
I'm a mobile game developer and received this email today stating that I must pay a "Conformity Royalty" to the legal department of this alleged patent holder. This is about supposed infringement of a patent on Push Notifications. Here's the email:

Ref.: N� 1.33.17.3503 EUROPEAN PATENT EP2378800 (A1) "SECURE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM" Dear Sir/Madam: We reach out to you in the name and on behalf of our client, FMF GESTION S.L., patentee of European Patent of Invention number EP2378800, granted by the European Patents Office on 23.04.17. The Mobile Application Color Match, of which you are developers, infringes my client's patent. It infringes it through the use of the system whereby so called "Push notifications" are sent and received, which is protected by the Patent of Invention "Secure Communication System". For a better understanding you can access its claims and drawings visiting the EPO (European Patent Office) website. The different platforms offer developers the termed "Push notifications" as a way of communicating with its users. What the Patent protects is the system used by the applications to send and receive those "Push notifications". This circuit, the process whereby notifications are sent and received, is what is protected. We inform you that, in accordance with the Law, registered Patents confer upon its titleholder, the patentee, the right to prevent anyone without consent from using and commercialising the patented notification system. In light of the above, we formally require you, on behalf of our client, to legalise your current illegal situation within a period of 30 days counting from the date of receipt of the present letter. This will be achieved through: 1. Payment of the so called Conformity Royalty, a sum which during this 30-day term amounts to 345 € per annual period (paying-in slip attached). 2. Acceptance of the direct debit payment of the subsequent annuities, which will be based on the conformity Royalty until the end of the right. Immediately following the receipt of your conformity royalty payment, your Application will be registered in the EPO's register of Royalties for the patent. Lack of conformity royalty payment within the thirty day period will trigger the following course of action by our clients: 1. Your Patent infraction will be formally notified to the different platforms (Apple, Google and Windows Phone). It will be demanded, in accordance with the law, that they stop offering your Application in their respective European platforms. 2. Loss of the price of conformity Royalty. (The price of the royalty to be paid following the set period will be established according to the number of users, the platforms and the countries in which the App is on offer. Calculate it) 3. The implementation of any measures necessary to prevent the continuing violation of the Patent. 4. The publication of the judgement against the infringer at the expense of the guilty party. 5. In the event of non-compliance with the commitments set out above within the period provided, we have received instructions from our client to immediately prepare to undertake the appropriate legal action against you before a Court of Law. Pending a solution satisfactory to all, we seize the opportunity to extend our kindest regards.
Javier Ruiz Legal Department
http://www.notificationcommunicationpatent.com

It looks pretty scammy, but I just wanted to be sure. Thanks!

Answer: It's a scam. No doubt about it. Don't worry.


Title: Mother in law restricting access to kids

Question:
I’m in California. Currently going thru a divorce. Mother in law watches our two children. She lives in a gated apartment complex.

Since the separation she requested her gate key back from me. Now when I pick up my kids I have to message her to bring them out.

If my children are in anyone’s care, don’t I have the legal right to free access to them?

Thank you

Answer:
 Custody agreement?What does that say?

I have to say: I'm with your MIL. She's not refusing to bring them out is she? And she is quite within her rights to ask for her gate key back. She would have been even if you were in an intact relationship with your soon to be ex spouse.


Title: I have an 8 year old DUI conviction and need to travel to Canada for work. What do I need to do?

Question:
I've been asked to travel to Quebec for work at the beginning of January.  I received a DUI conviction in 2008 that has prevented me from traveling across the Detroit/Windsor border in the past.  I do not qualify to apply for rehabilitation (10 years must elapse post conviction) and am looking to apply for a temporary resident permit at the border.  Does anyone have some advice or expertise in completing this process successfully?

Thank you.

EDIT:

Thank you to everyone for your responses. Here is some additional information:

One previous attempt to cross (about six years ago) resulted in a stern talking to by a Canadian immigration official but little more. I was just told that, due to my conviction two years prior, I could not be permitted to enter the country and any further attempts to cross the border could result in arrest without the proper documents.

My behavior has been impeccable since the conviction and this is the only blemish on my record. The DUI was marijuana related and not alcohol, although that makes little difference. I was not drunk.

I only require four to five days in the country for work. I'm an industrial chemist and have been asked to attend some product trials for nuclear tube drawing applications at private customer facilities. These trials have been initiated by a Canadian distributor of products my company produces. Perhaps I can inflate the nature of this work as a matter of economic importance for Canada? Maybe?

I do feel like this restriction of access is disproportionate. Within the last three years I have traveled to France, Germany, Mexico, and Brazil for work and have had no concern expressed about my history when entering those countries. This feels like a punishment from the great, white north.

Answer:
 At a guess, you're not going to Canada. Answer #2: It's totally up to the Canadians, and they turn people away from the border all the time for things like this. Speak to an attorney but you probably aren't going to get through.Answer #3: >prevented me from traveling across the Detroit/Windsor border in the past.

What happened when you tried to cross?  Depending on what happened, you might be inadmissible.

Depending on the type of work you are doing, you might need a work permit.  This might not be doable before the start of January.

I would start by having a good look at this website:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.aspAnswer #4: Here is the relevant page from CBSA for overcoming criminal convictions and being allowed entry into Canada:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/inadmissibility/conviction.asp

The good news is that the time period for formal individual rehabilitation is five years, not ten. The bad news is that applications can take over a year to be processed, so starting work in Quebec next month would be a non-starter using that approach.

You're right that "deemed rehabiliation" isn't an option, given the criteria (particularly 2 & 3):

* you only had one conviction in total or committed only one crime
* at least ten years have passed since you completed all sentences (payment of all fees, jail time completed, restitution paid, etc.)
* the crime you committed is not considered a serious crime in Canada AND
* the crime did not involve any serious property damage, physical harm to any person, or any type of weapon.


Title: Broken down car searched

Question: When I was in class today my husband picked up our daughter from school and on the way home my husband’s car broke down a few miles from our house. Since I was in class I couldn’t pick them up so our friend took them home and he left his car parked way off the road. When I was on my way home I saw a police officer searching my husband’s car (it was locked) all the doors were open and he was shuffling through it. The car wasn’t even on the side of the road for an hour. When my husband went back the police officer was already gone and there was an impound sticker and his car was wrecked on the inside.  Is this legal??

Answer: Is it possible that someone else ransacked the car before the police arrived? Did you ask the police about it?


Title: Are prosecutors similar to public defenders in a way?

Question:
Over worked, possibly under paid, doesn't have much time to spend per case, etc etc

Reason I'm asking this is because I always wondered how criminal defense lawyers frequently defend clients if the opposing lawyer (the prosecutor) also went to law school and passed the bar exam and etc etc

Answer:
 Overworked, maybe. But prosecution has a bigger budget. Some of that goes to their salary and a lot of that goes to resources to help them win cases.

Most prosecutors and public defenders want to spend as little time in court as possible, so they may come to a compromise or plea deal to cut down on time and cost.


Title: [FL] Grandmother told she will be served with an eviction (7 days to vacate) if she calls the police anymore?

Question:
This can't be legal.

So, another layer on my earlier post: (https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/6a071e/crazy_neighbor_screaming_in_my_grandmas_window_at/)

I told her to call the police and make reports every time this happens (and she has been) until I can get up there and install cameras (planning to go up this Sunday).

Her landlord has given her some kind of warning. I'm unclear if it's written or verbal but it sounds shady as hell. They said that if she calls the police anymore, they will serve her a 7-day notice to vacate. Apparently this has been going on longer than two months. I don't know the whole story but it sounds like they think my granny is the crazy one calling the cops for no reason to harass the neighbors, and the neighbors are angels. Thing is, the OTHER neighbor next to my grandma is corroborrating her story, saying they hear it too.

So, for now, I told her to just keep all the records, note dates and times, and sit tight until this weekend when I can meet with her landlord and get the cameras set up and go through the police reports.

This whole thing is just insane really but I thought tenants had to be served with legal eviction papers and they have to be like 30 days. Is there anything I am unaware of with tenant law here or are they just trying to scare her?

Answer: Certain towns in the U S have "nuisance fees" they place on property where civil services are called to repeatedly(usually regardless of context of the repeated calls). They can get expensive and the cost falls to the land lord when tenants occupy the property in questions. Usually it's ~~better~~ easier to just get rid of the tenant than address whatever grievance your grandma has about the area she lives in.


Title: House Question

Question:
Okay, So some backstory. My Grandfather, Dad and two Uncles bought a mansion. My Grandfather Funded $1.5m, my Dad $1.1m, Eldest Uncle $1.3m and Middle Uncle $1.2m. Eldest Uncle is the first brother, Middke Uncle is in the middle and my dad is the youngest.

&#x200B;

So, my Grandfather died and didn't leave the mansion to anyone. There wasn't a fight over it. But I was wondering who owns it. My father is the one that's been paying the bills for it since 2010 (When we Moved into it after getting it built).The Bills come at (at least) $1000 a month per bill.There are 4 bills. Plus, he also pays the maid and gardener each $100/ month.(All prices are in CAD)

Who owns the Mansion?

Location: Pakistan
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: Ah if your paternal grandmother has passed already, then it belongs to your eldest Uncle, according to tradition in Pakistan. According to the law, you have to determine not who paid how much but who's name is on the deed. Just because your family is renting it right now, doesn't give you a claim to ownership. Best case: everyone gets their share and your grandfather's share is divided up equally among his sons.


Title: My Ex; We dated 3 months, now he wrote me an 18k email and "jokingly" threatened to kidnap me

Question:
I am frightened and in a too calm state of shock. He still messaged me a lot since we broke up 2 months ago. I blocked him everywhere but went looking for a school email in spam and found his latest email. We live in Oklahoma.

We dated for about 3 months. He was erratic and cursed at me, treated me like shit, and then one night freaked out when I wouldn't do some things. So I ended it.

Now comes the 18,401 word email. 18 THOUSAND words! And in it, he references a weird joke we used to make, well he made, about him kidnapping me so we could be alone. Except it's not funny now. He said this:

"No crazy serial killer Tinder first date story for us to share, I apologize. I should have kidnapped you, kept you chained up in some cabin deep in the forests of Oregon, where you could only write and make love to me."

I don't know what to do. I hate getting the cops involved because it's traumatic for me to go to the cops. Childhood issues. It sort of feels like I'm tearing into my soul when I've had to go to them before.

TL;DR! Ex wrote me a novel\-length email and maybe threatened to kidnap me. What are my best legal options?

Answer:
 Call the police non emergency lineAnswer #2: > it's traumatic for me to go to the cops.

Not to be insensitive, but who else do you think would protect you from a kidnapping threat?Answer #3: I'm sorry that it causes you stress to do so, but there just isn't another option but to go to the police with your fears. Call them on the non-emergency number for your area and tell them your concerns. Answer #4: Police report, restraining order, and get some security cameras for your home. If he continues to contact you, or if you get a restraining order and he violates it, continue to push on the police. It may be traumatic - and I _sincerely_ hope you have a good support network around you - but that might be preferable if he escalates.

If you're uncomfortable speaking to the police yourself, you may be able to have an attorney help. You might also check if your police department has a victim's advocate you can speak to.Answer #5: This made my skin crawl. I’m really sorry you’re having to deal with this. As several others have said, you have to go to the police. I’m sorry it’s hard for you, but it is your only option. This guy is unstable and could be dangerous to you, you need to get police involved. Answer #6: >I hate getting the cops involved because it's traumatic for me to go to the cops

Whats more traumatic, going to the cops for protection or getting kidnapped by a batshit crazy psyco ex?Answer #7: Yeah, call the police. Give them the 18,000 word pile of crazy. Answer #8: what everyone else said about calling the police. if you are a fan of dogs you just got a perfect excuse to get one.


Title: Starting new job in a different state and all my I-9 documents are in the shipment

Question: Stupid me forgot to take out my passport from the cabinet before wrapping it and shipping it. My new job starts this week. I need my passport for the I-9 requirement within three business days. My shipment is estimated to arrive late next week. What to do???? My SSN card, my naturalization certificate are in the shipment as well. Please advise (HELP)

Answer: If you have no other way of showing eligibility they may not let you start work and you will have to wait.


Title: [theoretical] Firing At-Will Employee for Refusing Illegal work

Question:
Theoretical question inspired by a post on the main sub reddit.

An at-will employee is asked to do something clearly illegal (say, drive a truck w/o a commercial license, or serve improperly maintained food). They refuse to do so, and are fired for it. Would that be a legal termination? Or would it be considered retaliatory (which AFAIK, is one of the few illegal grounds for termination)?

Answer: The employee could take it to the labour board and or sue. OSHA would love to hear about employees being terminated for not doing illegal work ($$$$ FINES $$$$). But sadly in the end an employer dosnt have to fire you for refusing to do illegal work. Wink wink.


Title: In light of the recent US bill passed stripping internet privacy protection and allowing ISP's to sell your browsing history, why is it that my browsing history isn't protected under the forth amendment?

Question: My first thought was that ISP's are private organizations and thus aren't bound by the constitution, but does the 2015 FCC reclassification of the internet as a common carrier affect that at all?

Answer:
 You generally have no 4A protection against private entities, or for data held by private entities.

The FCC's rules can be overriden by statute - in fact, that's how things are *supposed* to work.


Title: Caused $1M Damage, Can Employer Sue Me?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If whatever work your doing has the possibility to cause 1 million dollars worth of damage for what seems to be a simple mistake they need to have insurance. Answer #2: Only if you were grossly negligent or performing duties outside of the scope of your work. If the customer gets a judgment against the company, the company can in turn sue you to recover their losses. The company would have to prove that you were grossly negligent, though. Were you grossly negligent?Answer #3: HR here - frankly there's not much *point* in suing you for a million dollars. They know *exactly* what your annual income is, and how many hundred years it would take for you to pay it back. Now, *firing you* - that might be different. Note that in most companies,  if you weren't grossly negligent, generally you won't be disciplined for a honest mistake.  So pretty much, if you don't get fired, nothing at all will happen except for your new company nickname...

 * My rule was that a mistake could happen to anybody, and that's just life, but if somebody had *two* big mistakes, they're unlucky and I'm superstitious enough not to want unlucky people around.

FWIW