Title: I May Not Get Financial Aid Because My Mom Won't Pay Taxes

Question:
I am 18, and going to be attending University here in Arizona by the fall semester of this year (yay!), and my family is the pure definition of "low income", so I applied for FAFSA's pellgrants and other forms of grants and financial aid. I've hit a bit of a roadblock in the final steps of verifying the information I've listed to be eligible for the aid;

So my father doesn't file taxes due to being on disability for years after his cancer diagnosis (Social Security won't let him work a whole lot, so he makes little to nothing a year from work and thus doesn't have taxable income). I have all of his verified information and files already on-hand and submitted, including his letter of non-filing for the year 2016, which is what my school is looking at here. He is parent 1 under my FAFSA verification section in my Aid account. My mother is parent 2, since she lives with us. My mother also hasn't done taxes in years, but here's the catch- she should've. I recently discovered that since about 2008-ish, which was around the time my father first fell ill, my mother hadn't been doing taxes, despite clearly having a tax-able income. She didn't claim disability (She suffers from MS but SS doesn't claim that as a disability for her, so she isn't eligible?), she didn't claim to be dependent on my father's income since they aren't legally married, she just never did it. I found this out when I tried using the IRS website's "request forms" function, only to be told multiple times that her information wasn't found in their system (and I believe it's kept in there from about 2009ish onward). She went ahead and admitted to me that she never did since "Her income was all going towards my father's extremely high medical bills since he wasn't eligible for disability at that time", and now I need to go ahead and request this special form 4056-T. She fears the worse for the time being (Being found out for not filing taxes, I can presume), and my father and I are very stressed out by this. I've been told that I won't be able to receive any sort of Aid until she can file taxes, since she otherwise can't get the forms she needs, and that's the last thing a poor kiddo like me needs, since none of us can afford to do so.

What Do I Do?

((also pardon if I sound like a bit of a dummy on any of this- I wasn't taught anything about finances in HS, or anywhere, really. My parents also kept a lot from me for the past years I've lived with them, and didn't give me much information as to how they handle their money and how it all works))

Answer:
 They both should be filing taxes, whether they owe or not.

Fill out the 4056-T. Have your parents contact the IRS Taxpayer advocate in their area re: amended/late returns.


Title: [CT] Lease agreement requires me (tenant) to be responsible for snow removal on public sidewalk.

Question:
I picked up the lease today to read over before signing (this is my first apartment), and there are some red flags. This is a two family house and I would be living on the second floor.

"Tenants shall be responsible for removal of snow and ice to and from the public sidewalk to their entrance, on the driveway, and shall have the duty to salt and sand the driveway, walks, public sidewalk, exterior steps and any other approach to the house by pedestrians and visitors."

Another concern I have is the insurance clause, which states "The Tenants shall maintain an minimum renter's liability policy on the Property in the amount of $300,000.00 with the Landlord named as an additional insured."

From what I've read, having the landlord as additionally insured is counterproductive to getting insurance to protect myself and my assets. I hope someone can shed some light on this, as my gut feeling is telling me this lease needs some serious revisions or I'm not signing.

Answer: Local law may require the removal of snow from public sidewalks abutting the property. It's not uncommon to see clauses like this in leases for that reason. The requirement to remove snow from the rental property grounds is probably to help protect the landlord (and you) from liability due to a slip-and-fall. But it's an issue if you go on vacation during the winter months, because you would have to have someone else do the snow removal for you. Another issue here seems to be that there are two rental units in the house, and you being made responsible for snow removal (or maybe both families have the same clause). I would not want to be responsible unless I was renting the whole house.


Title: Michigan - Dad forgot to remove ex-wife from life insurance policy

Question: My dad recently passed away. We are currently navigating the estate process and discovered there is a life insurance policy he forgot he had at work. He still has my mom listed as his beneficiary even though they have been divorced for many years and their separation was not amicable. My dad hired a lawyer from Michigan where he was a resident to create his will and serve as executor of the estate. I spoke with the lawyer and he informed that due to Michigan having particular laws about revoking ex\-spouse's rights upon divorce, my siblings and I would be getting the money from this policy as his will specifically stated any left over assets and estate are to be divided equally among us. He already started the process and informed the insurance agency. My mom is subtly hinting that she is going to try to challenge this. I just wanted to know, does anyone here have experience with this kind of situation? The lawyer is very confident about it and I do trust him but it would just be reassuring to hear any advice about what I should be expecting. This has all been very overwhelming.

Answer:
 Your lawyer is the best resource you have, but [here](http://jeannehannah.typepad.com/files/sweebe_v_sweebe-1.pdf) is a Michigan case on point if you are interested on reading up on it.

Basically, a beneficiary can waive their rights and it is pretty standard in divorces for the beneficiary to do so.


Title: NYC - Employer hasn’t discussed min wage increase, how to handle?

Question:
Minimum raise has gone up, and I’m heard of a sub 10 employee small biz has not mentioned it to staff.  They began to hire “family” recently and were concerned.

How to handle the conversation with employer and report if necessary? Unable to find no information on this on nyc doe website.

Answer: They aren't required to discuss anything with you. They are required to follow the law. Today is only the second day with the higher rate and I doubt you've been paid already.


Title: I became a victim of armed robbery on Thursday at 3:00 am while I was sleeping. I am not sleeping there again due to death threats and trauma. The apartment's management will not consider any safety issues and is asking for ~2,500$ to break the lease. (Alabama)

Question:
On Thursday at 3:00 am, my doors (which were double locked) was shattered and kicked into by two guys. One immediately ran into my room and pepper sprayed me, while the other tied me down and duct taped my mouth. Then they proceeded on to take about my wallet, phone, IDs, TV, laptop, tablet, and etc. They threatened to kill me and my family if I got the police involved and said they would be back "if necessary." The craziest part of this is that they were looking for a 28 year old man that had allegedly raped one of the guy's younger sister. This guy they were looking for lives right behind me, and they got the wrong tip that his house was MY house. Basically I have a rapist living behind me, and two other guys threatening to kill me (they are not caught yet).

So for obvious reasons, I am NOT ever going to sleep there again and want to break the lease, but the apartment management is not taking any of my safety and what happened into consideration. They are basically saying, "sorry, but money please."

Also, when the guys broke in, they shattered the door frame with one kick. The apartment management "fixed" my door by literally picking up the broken pieces and just GLUING them on to the frame. I took photos of this in case I need it later.

I am a college student at Auburn University, and I do not know where to even get legal counseling for this nor do I even have to money to do so. If anyone has any advice on what I should do please help me out.

Answer:
 I'm sorry that happened to you.

But the apartment complex is not liable legally for the actions of the criminals.  Unless your lease specifies that crime is a reason to break the lease, you'll have to pay the fee.

You would have to sue the suspects for the amount you paid to get it back.


Title: (MI) I'm being sued for revenge porn.

Question:
i was served with paper today stating that i'm being sued for publishing "revenge porn" by a girl I last dated in 2007 and talked to in 2009.

the papers say i tricked a photographer into giving me her nude modelling photos using her email address. I never did this, and was not even living in the state at the time these papers say they were published. i'm broke, and don't know how i can afford a lawyer to defend myself, and i don't know how to prove i *didn't* do something.

these papers say i have 21 days to file an answer or take other lawful action. i'm very confused about what to do.

Answer:
 You should go on your state bar's website and attempt to find a civil defense attorney to at least have a consultation with.

You're going to have to find someway to defend yourself if this has advanced to this point. Answer #2: Do you have homeowner's or renter's insurance? Either one *might* defend you, provided that you comply with your notice obligations under the policy.

At a minimum, you'll need to file - with the court, and by the 21-day deadline - a written answer that denies the false allegations against you. Failure to do that much will result in the entry of a default against you, which will likely preclude you from defending, except as to damages.Answer #3: You're best bet is finding a way to afford an attorney.

Question, if these claims are found to be false and frivolous ~~unfounded~~, does OP have recourse to go after this girl for his attorney costs?

**Thanks, that's indeed the word I was looking for


Title: Did not pay my ISP for last month. They refuse to shut down the internet until they get paid. (SWE)

Question:
I am broke and cant pay until the 25th. I found out I can get free internet from another provider according to my apartments contract. I called my ISP and asked them to turn it off, so i can put my new internet up. (Since my ISP is blocking it, being there)

They refused to turn it off until I pay the bill (Which I will on the 25th when i get my money) Ive been without internet for 2 weeks now, are they allowed to do this?

Im in Sweden if it helps.

Answer:
 NAL, and I have NO idea how ISPs operate in Sweden, but some perspective from someone in the (US) field.

Your account is likely in a "pending disconnect" state; technically active, but with service and billing suspended as of the date of interruption.

This state prevents any changes beyond restoration (by paying the amount owed) or completion (at which point the billing will backdate to the interruption date). Any other changes are blocked, including manual disconnects (as the completed "non-pay disconnect" will have different ramifications that an elective disconnect would not).

Again, cannot say w/certainty that a Swedish ISP would operate the same way; I would call for clarification as to the process, and just ride the clock out until it completes and they'll cut a bill for the remainder owed.


Title: storage for 10+ years for free?

Question: Connecticut My brother was in corporate with a partner. He Left a Backhoe in my yard and promised me storage payment. After 3 years of non payment when storage became more then the machine value he sold me(bill of sale) the machine for back payment.  Now his ex partner insists the machine belongs to him and wants me to let him take it off my property after 10+ plus years. Thanks for any help

Answer: Submit him a bill for 10 years storage, and tell him it's his when he pays up, if he wants it.


Title: Received bug bites from a plane ride

Question:
I just took a 15 hour plane ride on Cathay Airlines, and a passenger in front on me brought on some kind of fruit that must have contained bugs. I ended up covered in bug bites, as did my travel mate and a different person from the plane. They're extremely irritating, and both of my legs are covered completely. This is not the way that I wanted to start my vacation. I'll include (a photo)[https://imgur.com/a/x9xEv1f].

What can I do about this?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: I suggest calamine lotion. Unless you’re in excruciating pain or need costly treatment, this is a non-issue.


Title: I withdrew my 401k in December of 2016. I filed the return but did not pay the taxes of around 9000$

Question: I am now getting phone calls that they will be contacting my local pd to take me into custody within 24 hours. I didnt file my return from 2017 out of fear. Will I really be arrested?

Answer: No.  This is a scam. The IRS doesn't utilize local pd to arrest anyone.Answer #2: This is a scam. The IRS doesn't make outbound calls to you.


Title: I anonymously wrote book about gay relationship with public figure. Rumours are circulating about my identity, am afraid I'm going to be found out (UK)

Question:
I had a gay relationship with a public figure for a couple of months and wrote about my experiences anonymously in a book.

People are starting to speculate about my identity and I'm fearful that I'm going to be found out.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Ok. And? What's your question?


Title: Will divorce financially ruin my friend? [US/VT]

Question:
I'm posting here on behalf of my best friend.
He's been separated from his ex for almost 10 years. He has 2 children. Both teens. They've successfully co-parented for 10 years with no need of child support due to the fact that they share basically 50/50 custody.

He is currently involved with a woman that the ex disagrees with because the "new" woman (2 years and counting) has called the ex out on being a severe alcoholic and pathological liar. There's some bad blood there, to say the least.
He's been prompted to take full custody as the ex is unfit due to her drinking, multiple DUIs and loss of jobs due to theft. But he refuses to take the children from their mother.

He's started divorce proceedings because he wishes to marry his new partner but is having second thoughts due to the psychotic and neurotic behavior of the ex.

My question is, for one, will a judge order him to pay support even though they've been doing this schedule/no money  exchanged for 10 years? He realizes he will most likely end up paying  for their health insurance but he will end up homeless if he needs to pay child support. She lies on her income taxes (she's a massage therapist) and doesn't claim her cash clients. She also lies to the State to receive food stamps.

The second question is, would a judge allow her to add a stipulation to the divorce papers saying that he can't move in with the "new" woman or anything like that? The only way he will survive further bills is to move in with the new partner.

Sorry for the rambling but I was with him earlier today and he's a crying mess. I'm trying to help put his mind at ease if possible.
Thank you for reading. Sorry for the format. I'm on mobile phone.

Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 The best favour you can do here is to get your friend an attorney (and, if necessary, help him pay for it).

It's unlikely that he'll be required to pay any spousal support after ten years of separation. It _is_ likely that child support will be reevaluated, but your friend and his attorney can argue for the courts to impute income or to consider evidence that she has substantial unreported income, so that the child support calculation is based on something closer to both of their _actual_ incomes. That may result in no child support being ordered, or in the amount ordered being manageable. If he receives primary custody, he may even be _owed_ child support.

It's possible the custody orders regarding their children would include morality clauses regarding your friend's new beau, but it's not likely unless your friend's new partner is a danger to the child in some way. It's almost impossible for the decree to include a morality clause governing your friend's relationship: post-divorce, whatever limited interest his ex-wife had in who he lives with is entirely gone, and the courts are not going to curtail his freedom to associate as he wishes.

Your friend needs to stop listening to his ex about what she thinks is going to happen in a divorce.


Title: Crowdfunding platform - Payouts and funds holding

Question:
So we are starting a crowdfunding platform, in order to get the funds to creators the money has to go through the company's bank account in order to make the wire transfer from there.

Is this allowed? Can the company hold the funds even if it's for a short period of time in order to complete the payout?

Can the creators have a "balance" with us?

Thank you.

The business is registered in the United States

Answer:
 Not to seem unhelpful, but for what you're talking about, you need an attorney and an accountant. This is a few steps beyond the general advice and suggestions we can make in this kind of forum.

Also: state is likely to matter just as much as country.


Title: [Missouri] My (former) boss revealed my medical condition to at least one coworker while I was out on leave.

Question: Specifically, he showed emails to my coworker that he had recieved from the claims management company. I'm furious because my coworker came to me with more information about my condition than I wanted anyone to know. I don't think this counts as a HIPAA violation, so who do I talk to?

Answer: It depends on how the employer got the information.  Is this a self insured plan? Any information they get through providing insurance to their employees is protected health information and is covered by HIPAA


Title: Family lawyers, I need your help (CA)(TX)(OR)

Question:
So this is a bit of wild ride, and I'll admit, I made some mistakes but I really need some advice. Also I'm on my mobile so bear with me.

Way back in the day (2005), I was in the military in Southern California. I was a low ranking sailor so income was barely there. My best friend, a higher ranking sailor, had a bright (albeit, ridiculously stupid) idea. She knew a guy on her ship who was also a low ranking sailor and since the military pays for 'housing' for married couples, she said we should get married, just for the money.

 Well, I was a 20 y/o girl, far from her small town home with no parental guidance, so to say I was naive would be an understatement. So I did exactly what you think I did. I got married to a complete stranger. That was my first major mistake. We had a 'wedding' at the courthouse where we barely kissed when it came time and then went our separate ways. We only saw each other again twice in the next 2 years

A year after I got married, I had a nervous breakdown and tried to kill myself so I was, understandably, discharged. Now you'd think I would go home to my family after that but I didn't. I decided to stay in Southern California for another year. That's when I met and started dating my current SO (early 2007). We knew from the start that this was it. We were gonna be together for a long time. (Side note: my SO has known about my 'marriage' from the beginning. I never kept that from him. But of course he knew the whole story, and was understanding, him being a sailor as well.)

We moved to my home state of Texas in mid-2007 and by the next summer we were welcoming our first born. Here comes my second huge mistake. There I was, laying in the hospital, all drugged out, when they come in to do birth certificate stuff. The lady was asking the normal stuff (I don't remember, exactly) and one of the questions was 'Are you married?' I said yes. She said 'I assume to him.' pointing to my SO. Now I don't like lying, but this is one time I really should have and just simply replied 'Yep'. But I didn't. I told the truth. And, correct me if I'm wrong, the law states that if a woman is married at the time of birth, her husband is the presumed father, which, in this case, could not have been further from the truth (remember, I hadn't even seen my 'husband' in almost 2 years as this point). But because if that, they wouldn't let me put my SO's name on our daughter's birth certificate. They said I needed to have my 'husband' fill out a Denial of Paternity and file that. Sure, no pro bl - wait, there is a problem. My 'husband' lived in a completely different state (he went back to his home state of Mississippi after being discharged) and I had no idea how to get in touch with him. So I never took care of it (mistake number three, for anyone counting).

Jump to today. We have moved our family to Oregon and my SO has started a great, new job with amazing benefits. But the insurance company is asking for birth certificates with his name on them for proof, before March 11, before they'll cover any of our children (we have 3).

So what are my options here. I would like to get this taken care of ASAP, for obvious reasons, but I'm afraid it will all take too long.

Answer: You need to find your husband and get a divorce. Because of the way you handled this he may be entitled to some of your current family assets. You also need to have the birth certificates amended, he likely will not be able to cover the kids until you do since legally they are not his kids. The lawyer you hire for your divorce should be able to help you get all the paperwork in place for your current SO to have paternity established for the kids.


Title: Do the VA Police Hold Their Word?

Question: I go to college in Virginia and I was recently caught smoking by a Fairfax county trooper. I was cited for misdemeanor possession (less than half an ounce), and it was my first offense. In VA the penalty for this is a fine not exceeding $500 and/or jailtime not exceeding 30 days. The officers tried to tell me that if I cooperate they would 'see if they could get the judge to dismiss the case.' The thing is, I'm not sure if they're being honest with me. I've been cooperative so far, but I feel like they might be trying to implicate me in other crimes. If I tell the police that I've picked up marijuana x number of times, is that implicating myself in crimes? Will they attempt to prosecute me for that? Furthermore, how can I make them tell me if they are going to seek jail-time against me? If they are, I am getting a public defender ASAP.

Answer:
 The police are allowed to lie to you.

You need to get an attorney.  Do not talk to the police without one.  Contact the public defender's office, or hire your own attorney Monday morning.


Title: [UK] Crashed car avoiding unattended dog, what are my rights?

Question:
This was around 1-2 months ago now. I was driving down a side road near my house (30mph) when suddenly a small dog runs out into the road from a driveway (partially covered by bushes) I break+swerve to avoid it as I don't want to hit a dog as an animal lover myself, the dog then runs in front of me again and I have no choice but to throw my car into a bush and crash into a tree that was there.

The dog was unharmed and completely unattended, the driveway had a closed high gate set back from the road so he/she didn't come from the main part of the drive (shut away from the road.) A small family were opposite the driveway when the crash happened and although they didn't see me crash they did see the dog running around on the road and put 2&2 together.

The owner eventually comes walking down the road from a nearby farm, saw the crashed car and me on the phone to the police, instead of seeing if me or the car was okay, he insted shut himself in his house and locked the door (asshole). The witnesses were equally mortified at this and insisted I am not to 'let him get away with this.'

I was unharmed, the car however, pretty much a write off. It's not an expensive car (05 Vauxhall Corsa) but is still not something I can afford to replace especially at this time of the year. I rang the Insurance company and they pretty much told me as I was avoiding a dog that I was at fault and if i wanted to claim my access instead of the '£250' quoted would be around £600!! mainly because I was under 25?! It would also go as a fault on my licence and I would lose all my no claims.

The police did their investigation and found 'Your driving was not at fault' and that was the end of the matter for them. I felt this was also a bit of injustice because i'm pretty sure there is laws against unattended dogs?

So here I am, 1 car with: Busted passenger headlight, front bumper, Bonnet, Windscreen, Side panal, Sidelight, Wing Mirror. Insurance company being less then helpful, police not wanting to know, and little money to spend myself. Im not usually one to rush into taking legal action and as I was not injured myself I'm not really sure if I even have a claim?

I am thankful for any advice on this matter and thanks for reading through all of this!

Answer:
 In this sort of circumstance, your insurance company will determine that you were at fault for crashing the car as you were avoiding the dog. However, had you hit the dog and the car was damaged, you would not have been at fault, the owner of the dog would have been, and your insurance company would in turn have sued the dog owner for the damages.

Sadly, the rules generally are, unless it's a large animal, like a horse, it is safer for yourself and other road users to hit the animal, and so that is what you should do. If you crash trying to avoid a small animal, you're acting more dangerously than it would have been to hit the animal.

The determination of the insurance company also doesn't have to match the one from the police - the police judged you at no fault legally, the insurance company will be looking at it from their rules and policy.

Sorry man, it sucks, and it's natural to try to avoid an animal, but your insurance company isn't necessarily wrong here.


Title: [Oregon] Roomate disappeared from apartment a month ago. Left all of her personal belongings and is refusing to answer calls, texts or messages over social media. She isnt on my current month to month lease. What can I do with her things?

Question:
A friend of my boyfriend's moved into our apartment begining of April. We are currently in a month to month lease. She lived here without a problem for approximately a month and on 05/02 disappeared while boyfriend and I were at work. She didn't leave a note or send a text. Figured it was fine since she is pretty active and likes to be out and about. I messaged her two days later asking her when she's be back home, because we wanted to go down to landlord and put her on lease. She tells me via text message that she was spending weekend with her sister and would be back soon.

Since then, we have not been able to get in communication with her. We've reached out to her close friends and mother (whom she was living with before moving in with us). Both tell us she's at least not dead and they've seen her. I ask them to let her know we need to talk to her.

It is now 06/03 and now I've paid my portion of rent and her portion she agreed to pay for her room. ($300/mo). All of her things are still here and I don't believe she is going to come back.

-What should I do with her things?

-Do I have to wait for a certain period of time to take action of her possessions?

-Is a month long enough to establish abandonment?

-Can I sell her things for my own benefit?

I just tried calling her twice and texted her with no respect, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Answer: You need to make a good faith effort to notify her (with a time limit) to come retrieve her belongings, or else they will be disposed of.  Certified mail, text/email if you can get a confirmation, etc.  30 days is typical notice.  Then you can do as you please.Answer #2: OP, also take a good inventory of everything.  Take pics.   Document everything.   If, she does not make arrangements to get her stuff before the 30 days is over, you can very easily go to any yard-sale site or Craigs list, and just copy and paste the list of assets and list as "Best Offer for everything today".


Title: [Canadian] Parking ticket received in mail 10 years after violation.

Question:
I received a ticket for a parking violation from December 29, 2008 on Friday. My city notified me that there is no statute of limitations on time to give out tickets. This is all fine with me, well besides the fact I have never received any notice of this.

The part that I don't get is the person I was walking to said that they pulled an address from my insurance and sent the letter to that address. I never received this. Their rep  then said a court ordered summons was sent to the same address as the last letter. I also have not received this. She then said that the letter was never returned undelivered. this went before a judge and I was convicted. No letters were sent after the conviction. I was never notified by a collection company.

I was under the impression that someone must sign for a court ordered letter. How can there be court for my ticket when I was never properly notified of the court date and unable to represent myself.

The ticket is only 85 dollars. That's not the issue.

*****UPDATE MAY 24*****

Phoned back to inquire regarding summons ticket procedures. The rep on the phone said that they don't have to give the summons to a person. I tried to refer her to the pdf file on their own website showing her the laws. She would not listen. She kept telling me I'm going to have to wait for collections if I want to fight anything.

This was obviously not acceptable. I am currently waiting for a supervisor to give me a phone call. Hope it doesn't take the 9 year average.

Answer:
 Canada is a big country with lots'o'laws. You're going to have to give a province at the very least.Answer #2: I'm just wondering if there is any possibility of getting this ticket thrown out? Even if it costs more than 85 dollars it would be nice to stick it to the man. Answer #3: Saskatchewan. I've done some further digging into the laws and procedures for parking tickets and summons.
 http://www.regina.ca/residents/parking/court-parking-ticket/

In section 13-2 it clearly states that a summons ticket must be served on a defendant. Does pulling an address from someone's drivers license count as being served? I feel like the city did a half assed job giving out tickets and are trying to cover their ass.

The website also says that unpaid tickets get a 40$ fee. I'm unaware if that was added onto the original ticket. I have requested these documents and should receive them this week.


Title: [TX] I just found out my best friend has been smoking marijuana every day for the past 3 months while pregnant, she's getting induced for birth right now. What will happen when her and the baby come up positive for marijuana?

Question: We're in an illegal state,  they do mandatory testing on every baby.

Answer: CPS will be called and they will investigate. There's no point speculating beyond that because an investigation is the process used to find out what will happen.


Title: Can a retailer (Kohls) keep my merchandise and refuse a refund if I have no receipt?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: 3 items of the same model/color... Kohls thinks you are reselling, they are very hostile to resellers. Which is their right, but rather funny since their business model is partially based on buying clearance/liquidation  items from other companies and reselling them.


Title: (Virginia, USA) I’m a single mother (19) in need of some advice regarding gaining full custody of my son (3) and changing his last name from his absent father's to mine. Also, I have questions about signing away parental rights.

Question:
Hello, r/legaladvice. I’ve debated posting in this sub for nearly two years but I’ve always put it off due to anxiety towards addressing this situation and the idea of having to deal with my ex. Today I’ve decided that I don’t want to go into 2019 without having at least an idea of how to finally get things sorted out, thus, I’m here. Throwaway because what I’m going to post is going to be easily identifiable and I don’t want my ex knowing my main account.

Before I begin, I want to state that I’m not actively trying to keep my ex away, but even if I was it wouldn't be out of spite or anything like that, but more so for my son’s safety. I also do not want child support or anything else from my ex. Lastly, I feel like I should say that I had written up a post with a lot more details than this one has but it was too long to be acceptable for this subreddit. This is my attempt to narrow things down...

**Details**: I’m nearing twenty years old, my son is nearing four, and I live with my parents in south western Virginia. I got pregnant with my son at fifteen, had him at sixteen, and was in a relationship with my son’s father for just over two years. My ex is about three years older than me. We dated from the time I was fourteen to the time I was seventeen and he was my first boyfriend (and last, as far as I’m concerned); he used this to his advantage, getting away with a lot because I was clueless in regards to relationships and didn’t know that what he was doing was something someone who loves you wasn’t meant to do. He mentally, emotionally, verbally, and sexually abused me starting a few months in to the relationship and it only got worse and worse as it went along to the point that I didn’t want to be alive anymore. I believe he is dangerous and shouldn’t be around my son for many reasons, but I’ll only name a few to keep this short.

He has jealousy issues to a point that it is frightening; he slit his wrists in front of my younger brother (who was only five at the time) because he was mad at me for hanging out with my then best friend. Shut in my bedroom with me and that same friend, he pulled a knife out of his backpack and just stared at us, twirling it in his hands, terrifying both of us – my friend and I both were only fifteen when this happened. Basically, he thought that he should be the center of my world, the only thing that should make me happy, the only person I should ever need; his constant anger and manipulation led me to a place of self-isolation that only two of my friends managed to stick with me through. He got jealous / mad at me for enjoying music, for loving books and TV shows, for writing (which I loved to do), just doing anything to enjoy myself in general. I let him control me and what I did / who I spoke to, and allowed him to steal the joy that my favorite things brought me. I have no excuse other than the fact that I was young and scared and embarrassed to tell anyone what kind of man I had gotten into a relationship with. I was also afraid that if I told anyone, he would hurt me. So I stayed quiet and struggled to hold myself together.

I got pregnant at fifteen and I didn’t have to see him in person throughout the pregnancy (my parents didn’t exactly say that I couldn’t see him, but I never asked). When he showed up at the hospital when I was admitted into it five weeks early was the first time I had seen him in six months. Things were okay momentarily through the next little bit of life, through my son’s NICU stay and the new baby stage, and then everything took a turn for the worse.

My ex was jealous of how much I loved my son. No, I’m not making this up, though I wish I were. He would sulk whenever I cooed over my son in front of him. He cried because I bathed our son. *Seriously*. He lay down on his stomach on my bedroom floor and sobbed because my attention was all on the task of bathing my newborn son and wasn’t on him. He often accused me of loving my son more than I loved him (obviously I did and will continue to love my son more than anyone else) and he was visibly upset about that. I was scared to leave him alone with my son for fear of what he may do, so I normally never did except to run to the restroom. The one time I did, something happened, and I’ll never know for sure but I’m fairly certain he harmed my son, who was only about seven or eight months old at this time. Long story short, my ex didn’t want to help me carve my son’s first Halloween pumpkin so I went onto the porch to do it alone; I took all of ten minutes. My mom (I lived/ live with my parents) heard my son screaming for a good part of this time, but she didn’t know I was on the porch and thought I had it under control and that my son was just being hard to settle (he cried a lot in his first year of life). Finally after she felt it had went on for too long she went to back to my room to see what was wrong and found that my son was alone, covered in / choking on his vomit and red in the face screaming in terror. My ex was nowhere to be found; he had snuck out and left in the ten minutes I was outside, apparently having gone out the back door so no one would see him. To this day I believe he hurt my son somehow and skipped out once he couldn’t get him to stop crying out of fear of what I’d do. My mom thinks he hurt my son too, due to the state she found my son in. In multiple text conversations with both my mother and I, all he had to say about that situation (and him cutting his wrists and arms open in front of my brother) was that “the past is the past” and that we needed to lay it down. He also has this attitude towards everything else he did and has ways of making me doubt my own mind and memories... Gaslighting is awful.

Anyways, I slowly realized that the situation was only getting / going to get worse and that my son was one day going to be old enough to realize what was going on. He needed a better role model of what a man should be and how he should treat his future partner. He needed me to be happy. He needed me to be alive, and I knew that if I stayed with my ex that that might not happen. I had a burst of courage and left my ex right before my son’s first birthday. I’ll spare you the drama that followed and just say that since then, my ex has only seen my son in person once and has texted me or my mom only a few times to ask about him. I’ve been raising my son alone with the help of my family and friends. My ex hasn’t helped financially at all since my son was about five months old; he quit his job because one of his favorite coworkers was fired and never got another one. I think his mom gave us twenty dollars for diapers once, but that’s it. The rest of the financial weight has been on my parents, who let me stay home with my son and cover us financially in exchange for me doing work on / around the house. I will be getting a job in 2019, for the record, after my son starts school.

Hopefully all that I’ve said will shed some light on why I want full custody of my son and, if possible, want to look into my ex signing away his parental rights. I know many people will think or say that a son needs his father, but does that still apply when the father is abusive and dangerous? I personally don’t think so. My son has found a ‘father’ in the other men in his life anyway, and a second side of the family in my best friend’s family. Together we all make sure he has more than enough love, everything he needs, and some (a lot) of what he wants. He’s happy, and doesn’t realize anything is missing in his life, which I’m grateful for. The last thing I want is for him to be upset over the piece of shit that is my ex, excuse my language.

Let me wrap this up. I want to change my son’s last name to mine because of the fact that my ex hasn’t been involved since the first months of my son’s life (and even then my ex was more concerned with doing things to me / playing videos games than paying attention to my son during his weekly visits). It’s been me and my family who have raised and loved my son and I feel like it should be our last name he wears. My ex agreed with me on this during our last conversation and said he would sign off on the name change, I just haven’t quite figured out how to do it yet. I want to have full custody so I can know for sure my son is / will be safe and so I can have things arranged so that if I were to somehow pass away he would go into my parents’ custody and not my exes, because I fear what would happen if my ex wound up with him. Still yet, in spite of everything he’s done, I wouldn’t mind my ex visiting / seeing my son supervised if it weren’t for the fact that my ex only acknowledges my son’s existence sporadically when he (meaning my ex) is single. I feel like it would be better to have a completely absent father than one who only comes around when he’s not in a relationship, but that’s just me. If he makes a real effort to be around, great! As long as he doesn’t begin to do to my son what he did to me and the visits are always supervised, I won’t mind. I told him I wouldn’t keep my son away from him as long as he (ex) made an effort to be in his life. Thus far he hasn’t tried to be involved, though, not that I mind due to what all he did to me.

Now that that’s all been said, **let me get to my questions…**

1.	My ex has agreed to my son’s last name being changed from his last name to mine. He said he will sign off on any paperwork needed. What paperwork do I need in order to do this? Where do I go to get it? What should I know before beginning this process?

2.	I’ve heard that it’s not possible in Virginia for just one parent to sign away their parental rights if there isn’t a step parent to take their place.  Is that true? Is there really no way that he could just sign his rights over to me / away? I’m not interested in romantic relationships anymore, so the prospect of a marriage is pretty low at this point.

3.	If it isn’t possible for only my ex to sign away his parental rights, would it possible for both my ex and I to sign our rights over to my unmarried parents (that have been together for twenty eight years)? My son and I live with them and will continue to for the unforeseeable future, and I would still of course be the one raising him regardless of my parents becoming his guardians, so my son's life wouldn’t be uprooted or changed in any way. It bothers me to think that my son wouldn’t be mine legally and knowing that people will make assumptions about me due to that but neither of those things are as important as knowing that my son will be in a safe environment if anything happens to me.

4.	If it is possible for my unmarried parents to become my son’s guardian, how do I go about making it happen? Would I/we need a lawyer? What would happen? Sorry if that’s too vague of a question.

5.	This is probably a dumb question but I’m still going to ask it anyway because what do I have to lose: could my ex sign over his rights to only one of my parents, so I could keep mine? As in I would still legally be his parent and my mom or dad could legally be his other ‘parent.’

6.	Are there any resources for single mothers in a predicament like this? My parents buy us whatever we need but I only get money for personal spending on certain holidays and my birthday. I only got my son’s Christmas present this year because I took back the brand new (not yet worn) jeans my dad gave me the money for because I’ve stress-ate myself out of my old pair. Dad still doesn’t know I did that… But I’ll gladly wear my old jeans until they tear in half just to see the smile that’ll be on my son’s face when he tears the paper off of that toy he wanted in eleven days. It’s gonna be great!

7.	My final question (unless I edit to ask more) isn’t much of a question, I guess. I would just like to ask for any advice or input anyone could give me on this situation. What should I know about what’s ahead of me? Has anyone been through something similar?

&#x200B;

Thank you for your time. I’m sorry this is so long and for any mistakes.

&#x200B;
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 The simplest way to go about this is to petition in family court for sole physical and legal custody of your son with no visitation. That's going to be tricky, because they will impose child support on the father regardless of your wishes, especially if you receive any kind of public assistance. Courts do not like parents who don't provide for their kids.

There is no other way to place yourself as the sole custodial parent. You should absolutely do this, though, because as it stands if your ex chooses to visit he can legally take your son away with him. Court ordered custody is the only safe way to go.

Your state's court will have the forms for name change and the procedure for it posted online. It's likely your ex will have to appear in court with you to confirm his consent.Answer #2: Be aware that if you give your son up to your parents in this manner it would not be guardianship -  it would be a legal adoption and permanently terminate any rights you have to your son.

You may feel at this point in time that that is not a problem because you trust your parents.
But consider that they will be the ones making every single legal decision for him you will not be able to sign paperwork for schools, for medical treatment -
They will be one hundred percent legally responsible for him.


Title: Arrested for Criminal Trespass on a college campus dorm in Texas

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 >I realize that I've made mistakes and I know it's ultimately up to the university to charge me with anything, but is there anything I can do or that my girlfriend can do to make this not turn into a charge on my record?

If they ask her, she can tell them she does not want to pursue this. However, that is normal in toxic/abusive relationships and is likely not going to hold much weight.

Retain an attorney.

>As an aside, I was recording this interaction because when I broke up with my previous girlfriend two years prior, she damaged my property and assaulted me. So I was trying to cover myself if anything did happen.

You need to seriously look at who you decide to date and whether you are emotionally mature enough to be in a relationship. Obviously you have a pattern of problems here.

If you are not emotionally mature enough to handle a relationship without having the police called because you refuse to leave someone's property when asked, you probably should not be dating right now.

I know thats hard advice to hear, but when the police are being called to interfere in the relationship that is a massive red flag you need to heed. That should never be happening.

Your girlfriend should not need law enforcement to force you to do the bare minimum things strangers are required to do(not trespass).


Title: Walgreens accuses brother of stealing $2500 says they will be filing police report.

Question:
Any advice would be helpful. My family is kind of freaking out...My brother recently put in his two week notice at Walgreens due to being miserable at the job. He was a shift lead and would routinely be in charge of closing the store and depositing the money from registers into the safe. An important detail to note is that there is a camera in the room facing the safe. The reason for being so miserable was due to the management staff who would never give him weekends off, would purposely give him “clopening” shifts (closing one night and opening the next morning), and treated him like they wanted him gone by “forgetting” to include him in important meetings and nitpicking his every move.
One of his last days working he closed the store(6/26/18)and deposited $2500 dollars into the safe. A few days after his last day working there on 7/3/18 he got a call from someone at corporate Walgreens telling him that there was $2500 missing from the night he closed and if they didn’t find it that they were going to press charges. He is dumbfounded as he is not stupid enough to steal, period, let alone from a corporation as big as Walgreens where he was the only one left with the money. He asked them if he could come down to the store to watch the security camera as it would clearly show him depositing the money and they said “there was no need.” He got another call today repeating that they had still not found the money and would be filing a police report after an investigation. The rest of the managers he used to work with have all blocked communication with him. He has a bad feeling he has been set up somehow by the other managers who hated him and saw an opportunity to take him down and make a quick buck. They are not exactly cream of the crop people. My question is regarding the security footage. Are they legally obligated to let him watch the footage with someone from corporate or the store manager? This whole thing seems fishy to me. Thank you in advance.

TLDR:
Brother was shift lead at Walgreens, closed the store on his last night shift, accused of stealing a lot of money even though there are cameras in the back room with the safe.

Answer:
 Your brother should stop speaking to these people, and if asked about the incident by the police, refuse to answer any questions without his lawyer present.  Then he gets a lawyer.Answer #2: You need to tell your brother to not talk to them anymore. If they call ignore. If they are harassing him, file a police report.

If the police show up at your brothers house, tell him to keep quiet and get a lawyer.

Walgreen's has no legal obligation to show your brother the camera footage of that night until pretrial begins and it is filed in "discovery"

Keep exposure of this down to a minimum. don't share it around, dont talk about it to other family members, keep it quiet.


Title: Understanding ranting rules in the US

Question:
Hello,

I am not an american citizen. I've worked in many country in europe and asia and I must admit that what my landlord is telling me today is new to me, as it never applied to me anywhere before.

I arrived in Chicago IL on October 11, and I'm going back to europe on July 22. My rent being $650/month, I expected each of my rent to cover from the 11 of a given month to the 10 of the next one. Therefore, as I'm leaving on the 22, I only expected to pay a reduce rent covering from the 11 (inc) to the 22 (inc). That's what happened to me in France, in Spain, in the UK, even in Japan !

However my landord is telling me that I do have to pay for the full month. Therefore for my first (october) and last (july) rent I would to pay for the time when I was not here.

The difference ($400) is by no mean negligeable. I have a valid J1 visa and I'm working in a National Lab (basically DOE). I'm not making any money in the US (my visa forbids it) and my home institution in europe is paying me ~$1200/month. Living in the Chicago with $1200/month is already hard when you have to pay your rent, go to work, pay your bills and get some food. It's even worst considering that from july 22 onward I will have to pay another rent in europe.

Is it legal to make me pay a full rent that way ? How do americans manage to move in/out if they have to pay two full rent the month they are moving ? The more I live here, the more messed up this country looks

Answer:
 Renting, not ranting.

I was expecting a civil rights / free speech question. :-(

http://www.law.siu.edu/selfhelp/info/property/Landlord-Tenant%20Rights%20in%20IL.pdf has a good breakdown of your state specific rights as a tenant.


Title: In PA, my friend had a car accident while he and I were going too fast. Got a ticket in the mail a couple days later and decided to fight it. Need advice

Question:
On memorial day weekend, I was driving and my buddy was behind me. We came up on a car going 45-50 in a 55. So I waited until an appropriate passing zone to pass the car, I passed the car and got up to 80 mph at most during the pass and then slowed back down. My friend came flying up past the guy I just passed and me, lost control and sent it into a farmer's field. My friend claims a deer jumped out in front of him and caused him to swerve and lose control. I stopped and stayed because i was under the impression that you have to legally stay if you witness an accident, I later found out this is not true... when the police showed up they claimed we were drag racing and would not believe the truth, because apparantly the guy we passed called us in as racing. I received a ticket for "driving at a safe speed" which basically translates to driving too fast for conditions. I pleaded not guilty because the officer was not present to witness me actually driving and did not record a speed on the ticket. My question is should I try to fight it or just ask for the points to be dropped or am I just wasting my time.

Tl;Dr officer gave me ticket for too fast for conditions, did not witness me and did not record a speed on the ticket.

Answer:
 > they claimed we were drag racing and would not believe the truth

So you told the officer "We weren't racing I was just doing 80 in a 55?"


Title: Moving states, can I lie and say I'll stick with my current employer and work from home?

Question:
Posted in Apartment Hacks, told me to cross post have no idea how to.

Context: I am moving states to be closer to family. I have savings and will have help from family for rent when I move but no apartment will accept me because I told them I will be leaving my current job and searching once I move there, I just needed an address first. All of them said I needed income from that state or an offer letter for the proof of income and I couldn't use my current information. I was thinking I could tell them I'm staying at my current job but will be working from home since really my job could be done that way and my employers want to keep me on. Are there repercussions from this? I didn't think so but I don't know if they will ask me or my employer to prove it or other things might happen as as result. Help and assistance? Thank you fellow redditors.

Answer:
 > I don't know if they will ask me or my employer to prove it or other things might happen as as result.

 They can, yes.


Title: My vehicle was hit from behind while not moving. The other driver left the scene. The other driver and their insurance is denying responsibility.

Question:
It's been more than a month since the incident. I only got the license plate because a witness (2 actually but I only got the contact information for 1) came back with a photo of their license plate while I was in a gas station parking lot.

I covered the 500$ deductible to get my rear bumper fixed. What recourse do I have if my insurance company does not press the claim?

Edit: Location  is Seattle Washington.

Answer: Is your insurance company not subrogating ?  You can sue in small claims court


Title: question about eviction of my moms boyfriend

Question: Firstly if you need too know, this is in Alabama. Calhoun County specifically. My mother is fighting with her boyfriend and trying to get him out but he is refusing to leave. online her name is on the lease, niy his. He has been living there for probably around 7 months. Cop's said he has the right to stay. Any help is appreciated thank you!

Answer: He absolutely does. She needs to give him proper notice to vacate. (generally 30 days). Then she can go to court to evict if he doesn't leave. At no point can she take matters into her own hands.


Title: You rob a bank with no weapon and only a stern voice.

Question:
In one case you walk away from a teller with less than $5000, and in another case you walk away with $10000.

You decide to turn yourself in later, voluntarily, and without the police even knowing you robbed anyone. Based on [this](http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/39b67t/im_a_retired_bank_robber_ama/) and [this](http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/39b67t/im_a_retired_bank_robber_ama/cs2iduf).

What can you go to jail for? If there's any threat at all, it is purely implied from the seriousness in your voice.

I'm from Alberta, Canada, but I'm not too concerned about specific laws from my area. You can base your answer on the laws where you live, if you're from the US for example.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 In Ohio a note stating "this is a robbery" has been held to be an implicit threat of force.  The defendant was charged and convicted of robbery.  The court of appeals upheld the conviction, citing the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals -- written or verbal demands for money to a bank teller are common means used to rob a bank and “carry with them an implicit threat: if the money is not produced, harm to the teller or other bank employee may result.

So, to answer your question, in Ohio you would be charged with robbery.


Title: [USA] Why are bank accounts necessary to withdraw cash from a PayPal account?

Question: Title. Also goes for other ways to receive physical cash from online currency sites. Why is there not an easy way to transfer online currencies to cash?

Answer: Because PayPal and similar sites don't actually maintain any physical currency.  They're an intermediary, they don't have cash to send you, nor a location from which to disburse it.


Title: Dog attacked my daughter. Took half of her face. Bit me as well when I intervened. Gave him to animal control during home quarantine and told I'm in legal trouble. Am I? Colorado, military base

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The dog should have been euthanized after an attack like that. What was your husband thinking? (I'm assuming they told him how much it would cost to quarantine the dog at the vet rather than home?) I am really sorry this happened to your family.

I just wanted to add, my friend was bitten by her dog on her cheek and nose (a westie, small dog, so the damage wasn't too bad) and insurance covered plastic surgery. I believe it was the homeowner's insurance, but I could be wrong. Check into that! Her scars were pretty noticeable, and now there's nothing.


Title: Real Estate Legal Options In Virginia

Question:
We put a contract on a beautiful home on 22 acres with a large pond and an additional 3 bedroom, one bath guest house on the property that the seller is renting out.

The guest house sold us on the home, realizing the income from that would make the house closer in price to many of the cheaper homes we looked at. We fell in love with the place more and more each time we went back. Our seller was incredibly difficult (a used car salesman, who lived the part 100%). We had to fight him every inch of the way for the most minor things, and in the end, we basically agreed to pay top appraised price with us getting nothing in closing costs or anything else, because he listed his home for 935,000, and it only appraised for 850,000- and he was too delusional to believe that was what it was worth.

I think we ended up with 19 amendments and each one was a battle we lost. Finally, after 3 months of back and forth, we finally reached an agreement at the 850k appraisal price. We listed our home for sale and quickly sold it. Then our home inspection came- which I paid about $1,500 for. The report was 32 pages and maybe 10 items were "minor". Most notable was that mice had torn the attic up pretty badly, and the water pump was barely functioning. We asked the seller to remedy these two items and he told us to screw off. We continued with the deal anyway, but the inspector indicated a few things we had not noticed.

The 3br 1ba "guest house" was a big workshop that he threw some drywall up and called it a guest house. He never got a single permit to do so. As far as the county knows, it is just a giant slab of concrete. The vents from the workshop (where vehicles and mowers were parked), vent STRAIGHT to the guest bedrooms above them, rather than outside as they are supposed to- which is a huge carbon monoxide issue. To make a very long story short, it would cost a minimum of 10k and maximum of much more to fix this.

My agent called the appraiser who said the lack of permits would cause him to lower the price by a minimum of 30k, and possibly more, but he would have to come back out to review. I had my agent relay this to the seller, who had a fit. To make things worse here, the seller's agent has been just as difficult as him. I know she is representing his interests, but she has basically been encouraging him to lie and stonewall us on everything... Anyway, since he basically refused to lower the price, I went to the county to discuss what it would cost me to get permits for his illegal additions.

Well that opened an entire new can of worms. Turns out he has a second septic for the guest house, but he never got it permitted by the county- so the only option to ever have a legal guest house is to dig a third septic and have the county approve it, basically just leaving the 2nd one buried. In addition, he also never got a permit for his finished basement....

The seller was ready to kill the deal when I asked if we could have a "sit down" and chat about a way forward. My home had already sold and I needed this to work. The seller agreed. In our meeting, we actually hashed out a lot of our differences. We left, agreeing that the seller would get the necessary permits (or attempt to), and we would keep the sales price of 850,000k. Before we closed, the seller looked at me and said (in front of my agent and my wife) "I knew better. Honestly, I just wanted to save the money on the taxes! har har har". After a week, I called the county who had not heard a word from him but they said he was "on their radar". I have no clue what that means because it has been 18 days and they still have not contacted him... and he seems to think this is all going to go away once he gets rid of me.

During all of this there was a "lull" for about a week where we could not get in touch with the seller's agent. Turned out she was fired, or quit, but was still handling all of her "open" cases for her old team until they were settled- our sale included. During this week that we didn't hear from her, my agent contacted her to tell her she found out about the permit issues and explain why you can't sell something that does not exist, and that her seller needed to adjust the price based on the permits. Literally, an hour after she left that voice message, someone went into MRIS and CHANGED the listing. I have screenshots of the two, but the only real changes were to the guest house. Rather than removing it since they were now aware it was unpermitted, they ENHANCED the description about the guest house. They added an entire new paragraph mentioning all the extra square footage you'd get, and what great rental income potential it had....

I was furious. When the seller's agent finally did get back in touch with my agent 3 days later she said she didn't know who would do something like that or why but that it was not her. 4 weeks later, the description still reads this way. Today she called my agent and said that because I went to the county I have now made it much more difficult for her seller to sell the home. Basically, blaming me for finding out what it would cost me to fix his mistakes. She then stated that he is not willing to spend 12k+ in repairs without raising the price.

The deal is basically dead at this point so I have a couple of questions about legal options. I thought that it was against federal law to list something as permitted if you knew it was not? The seller built the basement out himself, and did most of the work on the guest house and is the original owner, and told me he did it to avoid taxes so he can't act like he didn't know. His entire listing was a fraud from the start and we never would have even made an offer wand wasted all this time if we knew that rental income wasn't a possibility.

I have now missed time off work, been stressed beyond belief, $1,500 on a home inspection, $500 on an appraisal, and now my entire family will be homeless in 12 days with nowhere to go, all because this guy tried to sell something that does not exist. On top of that, I know for a fact the agent CANNOT list the guest house as a guest house knowing it lacks permits. Is there any legal option against them, especially for changing the listing to enhance the guest house description the day my agent told them it was unpermitted?

I’m also curious about legal ramifications against me if I decide to be an idiot and proceed with the sale. Can the county charge me for his back taxes, or just from the time I close? Would it be illegal for me to rent the guest house without a permit, even if I got the tenants to sign a waiver saying they understand it lacks a permit and accept the risks?

TL,DR: Bought a home with features that didn't exist, and sold mine. Now that I am homeless the seller refuses to adjust price based on features that don't exist. Looking for legal options.

Answer:
 First of all, please do not go through with this sale.  Do not be an idiot.  Don't buy this house.  You already know you are overpaying, and on top of that you have to worry about back taxes?

Second, your family isn't going to be homeless.  Talk to the new owners of your home about renting your home back from them for a little while longer, so you can find another place to live.  Heck, check into a hotel if you have to.

When the dust settles, you'll have some damages as a result of two things: (1) his illegal misrepresentations about the property and (2) your willingness to commit to this sale.  It's *possible* you could sue him for damages.  But it may not be worth it.


Title: [MO/IL] Tax return taken for back child support. however, there is no back child support owed.

Question:
A little back story. My ex-wife and my daughter moved to MO from IL several months ago I have been paying Child support to her for years. During our court stuff the judge ordered me to pay my ex though the State Disbursement Unit. So I did. I have all the records for that.

Last month I got a letter from MO stating I owed 4k in back child support. I am guessing that she filed for assistance. I have been paying child support with no gaps since I was ordered.
I called MO and they told me that IL has no records of me paying. So I called IL DHS and I can’t reach a human. And when I did they told me they have no records. I told them I have been paying though the SDU. They said “we don’t communicate with the SDU”. I was then told that I needed to contact MO.
So I faxed my payment records to MO and they will not confirm that they got it, and refuse to give me any information.

I filed my taxes several weeks ago and I just found out that they took all of it.
“Your refund has been applied to a past due obligation such as child support, another federal agency debt, or state income tax. The Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS), who issues IRS refunds, will send you a notice informing you of the reduction”

So now what do I do? I am beyond pissed, I need that tax return so I could pay off more bills and stop living pay check to paycheck.

EDIT: Thanks for all your help.

UPDATE: So, I just talked to a rep at Child Support Enforcement. I need to come down with my paperwork showing I am current and they will update my file and let MO know I have been paying what I should. Now they didn't know what to tell me about MO giving my money back.

Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 I also posted on Avvo.com and got this reply.
> welcome to a common situtation. start with going back to the court that last ordered the support. do a motion to declare all paid in full and no arrearage. then enroll that order in mo and sue the dept there to have the judge there declare no arrears and refund the refund taken to you. this will take time and fees but it is the only way. talking to people on the phone and writing letters is useless.


Title: If I, theoretically, wanted to burst into a church during worship wearing a fursuit and shout things like “OwO” or enunciate words like “sowwy,” what’s stopping me?

Question: I’ve been having a discussion about it with some friends of mine and they don’t think there’s anything stopping me but I can’t fathom there being some sort of law against being disorderly in public spaces, whichever one it may be. I know on a private property they could just throw me out but I’m not sure about other situations.

Answer:
 A church is not public property. It is owned by... the church.Answer #2: Any house of worship would be the property of the church and you would be subject to warning, and then removal, for trespassing.   It probably wouldn't be criminal trespass unless you've done this previously and been given a trespass warning.

Can you explain to the un-hip among us what those words mean ?   Is it a reference to a cartoon or a meme of which I'm unaware ?


Title: Can a future employee find out I sued?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If a lawsuit was filed in court under your name then any one can find out.Answer #2: Lawsuits are a matter of public record.Answer #3: Yes.


Title: Can I Plead Not Guilty If My Lawyer Knows I Am

Question: I am a juvenielle who is getting pursude as an adult in a matter of a few criminal cases. Can I plead not guilty even though my lawyer knows i am?

Answer:
 A criminal defense lawyer’s job is to not decide who is guilty or not.  Their job is to ensure the defendant gets a fair trial.

So yes, you can plead not guilty.


Title: Wife told working off the clock acceptable because "it's slow most of the time we're on"

Question:
We live in Oklahoma, USA. She works at a bank. A few times a week she runs a package from the bank to the UPS branch nearby immediately after work. She clocks out before she leaves the bank. She asked her supervisor if she's supposed to adjust her clock out when she comes in the next day to reflect the drive and delivery of the package and her supervisor told her not to, because they have a lot of downtime during regular business hours. This is illegal as hell right?
Any help appreciated, thanks much!

Answer: Absolutely not legal. Once she clocks out she should stop working. If she is carrying employer property to make a delivery she's working and needs to be paid. Answer #2: Absolutely not legal, especially because of liability reasons. What would happen if she got into an accident on the way to the UPS store? She needs documentation that she's on the clock. Answer #3: When I worked at a tax office as a receptionist when money needed to be dropped off at the bank, the person doing so was to select that as an option on the timeclock system which would accommodate an extra 20 minutes and they were instructed to correct their time sheet if it took more time than that.


Title: Fired from my job for social media comments

Question:
Okay I've worked at this previous place of employment since December of 2009
We had a recent addition to our employee contract within the last few years that states you aren't allowed to discuss or talk about your employer on social media
Well I will be the first to say that everyone I worked with complained about the job and they were vague (some weren't) and I complained about my work but I never mentioned them by name, tagged any coworkers in a post, or tagged my place of work in said posts. My question is this: if you vaguely complain about work even if it's defamation and you don't mention the place's name,employees' names,  or even the location do they really have grounds for termination?

Answer: If you're an at-will employee, anything non-discriminatory and not otherwise protected by law is grounds for termination.  Complaining that you don't like your job is a perfectly legal reason to fire youAnswer #2: Wow I can't believe given your post history just how your employer put 2 and 2 together.


Title: City wants aerial easement over my property. Options?

Question:
I live in TN. I was notified by a door-to-door third party representative that the city wants me to sign paperwork giving them an aerial easement (which also includes access to all of the land underneath it) in order to put up new power lines. The document would give them access to 20ft on each side of the power line, including the right to use chemical means to control bushes. I also have a fence that runs directly below where these power lines would go. I do not want to give the city this access as I think it would adversely affect my property value. What are my options here? Do I need to contact a lawyer?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 This power line will definitely negatively impact your property values.

If you want to stop it, you need to find a lawyer and split the cost with your neighbors who would be similarly affected.

The power company wants the shortest/cheapest line. That is what they are going to ask for. There is often a way to reroute that would have less impact on homeowners... but that would take more work. Answer #2: Talk to an attorney, but if you don't sell it to them voluntarily they will likely condemn the property and the value you get will be determined by the courts.  Right now you have an advantage in that you can negotiate with them and may be able to get move money then you would get from a court.  Again, talk to an attorney. Answer #3: As everyone else has suggested talk to an attorney. Not only will this impact property value, it may make it harder (take longer) to sell in the future. I looked at a home near a power line and did not even tour inside the home. Answer #4: Definitely talk to an attorney. Moreover, this third party solicitation may not be the city, but the power company, looking to pick up cheap easments under the guise of the city, maybe without paying, if you just out right sign, with no consideration. In fact, you might want to also call the city to double check, and find out if in fact they do represent city interest, and not the power company, just to be clear.

As others suggest, it will affect property value irrecovably. At the minimum you can expect compensation, even if they resort to eminent domain condemnation proceedings. You should expect no worse than fair market value impact to the whole property.


Title: Possible ADA Discrimination. Question for anyone who might know if I have a case or I should not waste time.

Question:
Hi ya'll!

I am going to try to make this quick. However, I am going to leave peoples names and businesses out of this story. So I will replace it with a fictitious one.

I have been plagued with panic disorder / General Anxiety disorder within the past few years. I started having sever panic attacks and a constant rate of fear for the majority of the day... day after day... everyday. Let's just say I broke one day because of stresses in life, family, ego, etc. Never the less, to get it under control I had to see a psychiatrist to be medicated to balance me out.

But the down side is, life is not going to wait for you. So, I have to continue and struggle through to work and live. (Not having proper insurance is ridiculous, and I have now the utmost empathy for people with psychological disorders.) To fast forward, I was let go from ABC Company as a Consultant due to a financial restructure. It was a good job, I was able to work from home and not be able to really expose my anxiety to my colleagues. I had insurance, descent pay, and was on the path to finally becoming mentally stable.

Because I lost the job I had to pay out of pocket for medication and to see my psych. (Its all good, I worked out a deal with him and had sympathy for me due to my loss of employment). I am fortunate enough that I am in a field that I do not have to do much work to actually find a job, because people come to me (Annoying recruiters) and I can be easily placed in the workforce. A month out of work, I was contacted by a recruiter with an offer I could not refuse. The only down turn, it was in a random ass small town in Indiana.

The town might have been "small" but the advantages were close to a six figure salary and ridiculously cheap rent. I figured a year at this town, plus an awesome project that they were trying to implement was a win win, so to speak. HOWEVER, this is where it all went down hill REALLY FAST. (This is where I need your help guys!) The recruiter and the company wanted me to transition to the town and job really fast. I figured that I guess I will try to get up there fast. But, still being very fragile, I am vulnerable to worst psychological problems. My triggers are lack of sleep, poor nutrition and not properly exercising.

I finally get up to Indiana, move into the apartment, and only have 2 days to transition into the new job. Not having all the proper furniture and a bed it was absolute chaos. I could not sleep, I was not eating properly and I for sure was not taking care of myself. So basically I got off track from my regimented day, which can be very psychologically damaging. I had to double or even triple down caffeine, which is an absolute recipe for disaster. But what was I suppose to do, not show up to work? Not perform or function on the first day or two. I am sure I could have told them other wise, but I of course, my ego, did not want to be deemed 'weak'.

The first day was all introductions and paper work. On the paper work I did not write that I had sever anxiety. Because once again, ego. The weekend came, and I still had a shit ton of stuff to do. Wait for furniture, go to the grocery store, build furniture, get my mattress. And in turn I was not sleeping due to the constant go go go. Finally the new week started and I could barely keep my eyes open. I decided while on lunch I was going to eat and then close my eyes to "meditate" and try to keep it together. Someone came in and thought I was sleeping. So they said something to my new supervisor, and of course they are keeping tally of all the shit.

I really could not function through the day and it was bad. I was still lacking alot of sleep. The next day came around and I was late, because once again, I was really trying to talk my self out of bed and really tried hard to get motivated, but this of course took me a little longer than usual to get going. Hence I was late. Through out the day I would talk and have no idea what I was having a conversation about. I was so filled with anxiety and panic, thinking I was going to die, I was saying curse words out loud and just kind of loosing my shit by now. The next day, a Wednesday, I was late again, but by '5 mins'. And of course, by now, I am a target. I of course was not properly holding my self professionally and I was just 'shooting the shit', and not properly thinking of what I was saying. So of course I started talking about inappropriate things about females to my new male colleagues, which I just was not equipped at the time mentally to realize that these are not my "boys" or my "friends" and to speak locker room talk or "Trump Talk" (See what I did there). So this of course gets reported as well. And by the end of the week I asked to go home early.

The second week comes around, and as I walk right into the office they pulled me into HR. And of course, all of these faults were laid on the table and then offered me a severance package (of a week pay, kind of an insult). I, not being emotionally stable, cried my eyes out. Right in front of HR and my supervisor. I felt like absolute shit and I hated every instance of my self for having this stupid psychological issue. I then stated that I have a psychological issue and that I can prove it and that my psychiatrist can send over a statement I do indeed have an issue and under certain circumstances I can pretty much break down. It still did not help the fact, and I was to be immediately terminated and guided out of the building.

I cried all the way to my apartment, and slept for pretty much 2 days. It was bad. Now, I moved over 1000 miles, bought all this new shit, leased and apartment, and now I am out of luck, again without a job. I called my psych and had him email over an explanation about my issue. I called HR, and they still did not budge. Here is the kicker, along with that 'week pay severance package', in order for me to collect that, I have to sign there agreement form that I am not to sue them and other various items.

Now in safe keeping, I ended up moving back and into my parents home. So with all that being said, do I actually have a case or better yet, did they break any laws or wrongfully handle ADA compliance? Or should I just give in and sign the form and be done with it?

Answer:
 No, you don't have a case. If you have a documented disability, you must disclose that disability to your employer *before* your work performance suffers. Because you did not disclose the fact that you have a mental disability, they had no idea that your work performance had a specific cause, other than what might have just looked like laziness.

A week's severance pay is absolutely generous, especially given the fact that you were there only for a very short period of time. That severance, which they are under no obligation to pay you, should not be insulting to you.


Title: Scream my name Mary Jane...

Question:
Alright this may be a little complicated...I'm in NJ and enrolled in the Medicinal Marijuana Program. I'm also permanently disabled and receiving SSDI; which is basically nothing. I have a few questions that I've found conflicting information on and thought I'll give this a try.

Can a potential employer legally refuse hire for testing positive for Marijuana? Can a employer fire you for testing positive for Marijuana on a random drug test? If both of the above questions are a "no" is there a way to prevent my employer from viewing the results that show I tested positive?

Answer:
 > Can a potential employer legally refuse hire for testing positive for Marijuana?

Yes, they can.

>  Can a employer fire you for testing positive for Marijuana on a random drug test?

Yes, they can.

New Jersey currently offers no protection to medical marijuana patients.  A bill to change that is in contention, but has not been passed.Answer #2: >Can a potential employer legally refuse hire for testing positive for Marijuana?

Yes.

>Can a employer fire you for testing positive for Marijuana on a random drug test?

Yes.

You certainly can - and should - inform prospective employers, prior to drug testing, that you are a licensed medical marijuana patient and provide them with documentation to confirm your status.


Title: Question about laws canceling each other out…

Question:
I know that there are laws that says that’s it’s  illegal to refuse service to someone because of their race, I also know that there are laws that state that the owner can refuse service to anyone for any reason, at their own discretion. So if someone came in to a restaurant and was refused service, and then took it to court, which one would the courts rule: would the owner be safe, or not? Why?
Example: The gay cake controversy, was the owner within his rights to refuse service, or was discrimination? (I’m referring to the Supreme Court case)

Answer:
 There's no law that says anyone can refuse service for any reason. Generally it is legal for anyone to refuse service for any reason because there is no law that restricts them from doing so, except anti-discrimination laws, which restrict people from refusing service for discriminatory reasons.

There are not two laws cancelling eachother out, just an activity that is largely discretionary (because there are not generally other laws restricting it) except when it comes to discrimination.Answer #2: >  So if someone came in to a restaurant and was refused service, and then took it to court, which one would the courts rule: would the owner be safe, or not?

No, because he was in violation of the anti-discrimination law.

There is no "But this law gave me permission" argument.  The question is whether you were in violation of *this* law right here.


Title: [US OR UK]suppose a woman managed impregnate with a clone of her self. once she gives birth can she make her own dad pay child support as he’s technically also her clone/baby’s father?

Answer: I'm gonna go with "no such precedent has been set". Answer #2: No.Answer #3: No. She's the only parent of the child. They have the same genetics as they would if he were the father, but by that logic you could demand child support from the father's identical twin.Answer #4: Are you taking acid?


Title: (Advice) Neighbor is being intrusive and creepy. Don't know how to handle it. Want to call cops. Not sure if he's done anything illegal.

Question:
Some facts:
I live in an apartment complex that is locked and gated.
My landlord in on a surfing trip for another month and unreachable.
All of my neighbors are very cool and normal except one old man.
The old man lives above us and has his own porch/patio.
Technically speaking there is no arrangement that says the patio area outside our front door is ours only. However anyone would clearly see that it only applies to our apartment. There are no other apartment doors that are accessed by our area.

The old man waters the plants around the building usually twice a day. We live in California. So, that's illegal because of the drought.

He does weird shit all the time like:
-Walk up to our door and jiggle the door handle for no apparent reason.
-Hose down our patio furniture (made of wood and I ask him all the time not to),
-Turn our Darth Vader planter to face the wall,
-Move my ashtray and lighter around in a random OCD way.

And then today I found my girlfriend's gardening gloves (not cheap) were soaked and laying in my trash bin on our patio.
Also my girlfriend has a whiskey barrel planter that she is growing herbs in. This planter was wet in a pattern that suggests a liquid was thrown at it. Nothing around the planter was wet which suggests this wasn't spray from his habitual watering. So I see this as him hindering the growth of our plants.

I could go on and on. He's a total lunatic.

He does stuff all the time that just creeps me out. For a whole year I asked him politely to stop each thing and he always politely agreed to but continued doing it.

I travel for work often leaving my girlfriend home alone. I don't trust him and I wouldn't put even the most horrible act past him.

Wondering what action I can take. Has he done anything illegal? Can I call the cops?

Answer:
 Not legal advice, but how old is he? Maybe he has Alzheimer's? My grandpa does weird stuff like that but it's all relatively innocent. One day he ditched my grandma at bingo to go buy a $400 chainsaw to try and cut down the neighbors tree for them. He didn't get very far fortunately because he didn't have access to $400...Answer #2: You might also want to get a security camera for your door. You can find them cheaply online.

Calling [adult protective services](http://www.cdss.ca.gov/agedblinddisabled/PG2300.htm) is also advisable, as it seems like he has some sort of dementia or altered mental state. Answer #3: The LL when he/she gets back should be will to clarify that the patio is for your sole use. I would ask the LL for the ok to shoo the man away with the LLs backing.  The LL should be OK with firmly saying "Stop touching their stuff." and might be very concerned with the illegal watering.

Also calling for a wellness check may be appropriate, let them know if he has a consistent time of day when he acts specifically oddly. Answer #4: You could probably call the police next time you hear the door jiggle and tell them who it was. The police would probably tell the guy to stay away from your door


Title: I am driving a company vehicle, but recently noticed a gps device secretly ( no human notification nor any signs on the vehicle) installed. Is this legal? It just makes me question is there a camera too? Audio? This is in california.

Question: I should mention that my boss seems out to get me. Even though i already attempted to quit and only continued to work for them because they begged that they needed me. I am completing the work to standard (objectively) but their assumption was the contrary. Thus was my reason for attempting to leave.

Answer:
 Companies are generally free to track their assets (work vehicles, etc.) without informing employees that the assets are being tracked.

Is this a vehicle you drive solely for work, or is this a work-supplied vehicle that you take home and use for non-work-related stuff in addition to work-related stuff?


Title: New company rescinded job offer due to "background check"

Question:
Location: Michigan, USA

I was arrested 2 years ago for arguing with a police officer and urinating in public (in a dark alley behind a dumpster).  We had a verbal power struggle and I didn't want to back down(He wouldn't tell me he was arresting me for urinating in public and I kept asking him if I was being detained.  Stupid, I know).  He ended up arresting me.  I spent 4 hours in jail and paid my fine.

Before my charges had even gone to trial I found a new job, beat out 30 other candidates for the position and received an offer.
They called me and asked me if there was anything on my record they should be concerned about, I said no since I hadn't been brought up on any charges yet (and this was the only thing on my record).
They said it appeared on my record as "pending" and I should have told them about it and they were rescinding their offer because I lied.

Fast forward 2 years to last week, I settled last year on my case and got Urinating in public dropped but retained Resisting/Obstructing an Officer as a Misdemeanor:

I received another job offer, after high recommendations from 2 clients of mine and a strong recommendation from the Director at the new company, I passed drug test and they sent me this letter:
https://imgur.com/a/p1yqY

5 days went by, they didn't reach out to me via email or phone and sent me another letter in the mail saying that my offer had been rescinded.
I called HR immediately and they told me that since they hadn't heard from me, they terminated my offer and said that "people usually give up once they see that we found what they've done in the past" and figured that I didn't want the job any longer.

I argued that the letter they sent states only to contact them if I disagree with the charge listed, not if I agree but want to explain.
It's a measly misdemeanor for arguing with an officer, it happened one drunk night 2 years ago, it doesn't reflect who I am professionally or personally.

She said that they have to follow policy and that I should have called within those 5 days (even though the language of the document doesn't read that way)

So now that's 2 jobs I've lost to these damn charges, and the first job I hadn't even been to court yet for!

I feel like I'm going crazy here.  This seems like such a small spec in an otherwise stellar history and I'm losing great jobs left and right because of it.

What can I do???

Answer:
 I would say that resisting an officer is not a "measly" conviction. You should contact an attorney and see what paths you may have to getting this off your record, but it's not a minor charge that is easily overlooked. I would recommend reaching out to an attorney to expunge the conviction in Michigan after 5 years. You will have to stay out of trouble until then.

Although "misdemeanor" may seem like no big deal, many misdemeanor charges are fairly serious. This isn't just an MIP, but a much more serious issue. It has only been 2 years and it's a serious charge, so it's not incredibly surprising that you're losing job offers over it.Answer #2: When you fill out applications, you should let the company know up front. As for the second letter

>You have the right to dispute the accuracy of the information in this report by contacting the consumer agency directly. If we do not hear from you within five business days of the date of this notice, our preliminary decision will become final.

The top of the letter even says

>A decision is currently pending concerning your application for employment.

Seems to me that you should have reached out to the employer immediately. And only to the consumer agency if there was inaccuracy.


Title: [FL] Change in Pet bylaws at my condo might get me evicted?

Question: The condominium I live in have changed their pet bylaws 3 times without notice. The reason I'm in trouble is because they said I have too many cats and they told me I could only have one. I got the cats before they changed the bylaws and their are multiple people in the building with more than one pet. When I first moved in pets weren't really regulated and then later later they changed the bylaws to affect dogs but not cats. Now they're saying we were only allowed one cat and they might change the bylaws to ban all pets. I gave my other cat to a friend and fixed the problems in the condo which I own. The board always makes the meetings impossible to attend for most owners and several people have complained. They also never mention when bylaws are changed. Can they still evict me? Should I get a lawyer?

Answer:
 Your HOA cannot evict you if you are not a tenant. If the HOA board is threatening to evict you they are lying to you.

An HOA CAN fine you, then assess a lien for said fine and eventually attempt to foreclose based on said lien. This takes a lot of work. And legal fees.

Assessing these fines to the degree also means they need to prove you're violating their bylaws. For something like owning too many pets that can be difficult (EX: Prove that I have multiple cats in my condo. No you may not enter).

Look at your HOA documents. Particularly regarding changes in bylaws and replacing board members. Talk to your community about making a change. HOA appointments are not kingships and all of these people can be replaced.  Answer #2: What does your lease say about pets?


Title: Who keeps the engagement gifts?

Question:
A couple cohabitating in California have just finished an incredibly romantic day of skiing at Lake Tahoe. They spend the evening at her parents' place in Kingsbury, NV, where he proposes marriage to her.

He gives her a diamond engagement ring. He also hands her a watch, saying "This watch belongs to my parents. It is a family heirloom and it is yours to keep once we get married." The watch is worth $80,000. They spend the evening planning their wedding, and they end up booking an officiant to marry them the next afternoon in Carson City.

The next morning he starts to suspect that she has been cheating on him. He angrily returns home to California. She tries to patch things up, but he ghosts her. She sends a friend to pack up her belongings in California and moves in with her parents in Nevada.

Who sues whom? In which court? What law applies? Who gets the ring and watch? How many billable hours does the whole thing take?

Answer:
 Traditionally, if the marriage does not happen, any engagement jewelry is returned to the giver (in this case, the ring and the watch).

In the event of divorce, a person can keep whatever jewelry was gifted to them.

Pro-tip: If you want to ensure family heirlooms stay in the originating family, you need a pre-nup that requires those items be returned to you, your parents, your kids, etcAnswer #2: This is a bar exam essay in the making.  States vary on their laws concerning "conditional gifts" including engagement rings and the like.  Most agree that if the condition does not pass - for whatever reason - the gift reverts back to the donor.  Guy gets it all back.


Title: I got chlamydia from my partner. I have a picture of a text from his ex, saying he needs to get tested, that was sent during the time that we were together. He never went. How do I fuck him up?

Question:
Title basically says it all. I am in Baltimore. I am a female, I have been seeing this guy since mid-February. He assured me that he was STD free (I know, I'm an idiot) and that he had gotten tested after his most recent ex. Mid-March, we stopped using condoms, and we started having sex with each other exclusively (supposedly). I found a text on his phone form his ex a week ago from May saying that he needs to get tested, and I took a picture of his phone with the text (you can see the time and date it was sent). I know that he never went to to get tested after that text was sent. Along with the picture of the text, and the results of my test, do I have any way to get some justice here? Is there some sort of willful exposure situation?
Thank you all for your help.

Answer: You may be able to sue him for Battery or Negligence. You should have a consultation with a personal injury attorney to see if this claim would be worth pursuing, especially considering that you were assured he was STD free.


Title: I quit & signed a form so I can't get unemployment- Former boss telling potential employers that I was fired (preventing me from getting a job.) Can I do anything legally?

Question:
Hi guys! Throw away account.

A couple years back I was really unhappy at a job and decided to quit. My boss said he could tell I was unhappy and agreed it made sense for me to move on. I signed a form saying I had quit (I'm assuming so I could not claim unemployment.) I sent out applications afterwards listing him as my last employer on my resume.

I found out from a reliable source recently that when potential employers called my former boss to confirm I had been employed there, he was told them I was fired. My reliable source was a potential employer who made the call herself.
I'm obviously pretty upset about this. He made it difficult for me to find new employment by telling potential employers I was fired. At the same time, made me sign a form so I couldn't claim unemployment. Is there anything I can do, legally?

Thanks for any help! (In PA)

Answer:
 Get written conformation form the potential employers that were told you were fired. Then get an attorney and file for a defamation claim against them.

There may be a practical way to shut this manager up. Contact your former employer's human resources department . Explain that your former manager is going beyond the company's policy and giving out negative information that is harming your job search. Ask the company to immediately put a stop to this behavior and enforce its standard reference policy.