Title: [VA] Recieved a cease and desist over something I did not do...

Question:
I run a (very) small record label. A few days back I received a cease and desist letter claiming my label had been releasing unauthorized recordings of a (well-known) rock band. I had no knowledge of the recording's existance until I received this email.

Here's where the trouble kicks in. Whoever is using my label's name is obviously trying to keep themselves as anonymous as possible, so I don't know how to prove to/convince these guys that I am not releasing these bootlegs. Help would seriously be appreciated.
Topic:
Removed - PII

Answer:
 Speak with your company's attorney. Also contact Amazon about the seller.
Finally a cease and desist letter carries no legal weight -- it is not a court orderAnswer #2: Remove the identifying information from your post. It's against the rules and is also just plain silly.

Anyway, you should get a lawyer and take their advice. I would assume that the representatives of "a well known rock band" aren't going to just tolerate it if those recordings stay up, so you'd better get this sorted. Trying to save money now will only cost you more later.Answer #3: This is lawyer territory. Specifically an intellectual property lawyer. If you're in VA there may not be a ton to choose from, but copyright law (which is the applicable law) is the same nationwide so you may be able to cast a wider net and find a good lawyer somewhere else. The obvious places to look for lawyers familiar with record companies is Nashville, NYC and LA, but there are also some in secondary markets like Seattle, Detroit etc.Answer #4: lawyer, this is no simple task.


Title: Got into serious car accident. Airbags didn't deploy.

Question:
Yesterday my significant other and I got into a car accident. He looked away for a second and the woman driving in front of us had come to a complete stop on the free way. We hit her going over 50 miles an hour. He didn't have full coverage insurance. He was driving a used 05 Toyota Camry and the airbags did not employ. Seat belts stopped us from flying out the windshield but we both flew forward and our heads hit the windshield. Since he rear ended her he is at fault, but should we try to pursue a case with Toyota for faulty airbags? They could have saved us from a lot of pain.

Edit: located in Arizona state.

Answer:
 >Since he rear ended her he is at fault, but should we try to pursue a case with Toyota for faulty airbags?

Check to see if there was a recall on that particular model.

In the meantime use your SO's insurance to cover your medical bills.


Title: Please help me convince my grandparents that suing my former employer is a waste of time.

Question:
I was fired from my job at the end of September. Officially I was fired for not meeting job expectations. I live in an at-will state - Colorado.

I also have a disability, which makes it impossible for me to work a full time schedule. I was given FMLA which allowed me to miss a certain amount of time, and when that was exhausted (after a particularly nasty flare) I was given a similar ADA accommodation. When I was switched from FMLA to ADA it was explained to me that I did not have the same job protections, and that if i was unable to meet expectations I would be let go. And thats basically what happened.

My grandparents are adamant that I should sue for wrongful termination. They are not accepting that I don't want to go through the cost and time waste, and are willing to pay for it.

What can I say to explain to them that, while it sucks I was fired, I don't have a case for wrongful termination?

ETA location

Answer:
 "Grandmama, grandpapa, I am not suing. I understand that you disagree, and that's your right, but this is my decision. I'm not interested in discussing it any further."

"But you should"

"I'm not interested in discussing this."

"But we're you're"

"I'm not interested in discussing this. I'll call you later - hopefully we can have a conversation then."

You have a relationship problem, not a legal problem. You can't convince - but you can enforce boundaries, like "I'm not discussing this with you."Answer #2: I mean you're an adult. They can't sue on your behalf. You can try to point them to at-will employment laws and similar but other than that this may be more of an r/relationships problem. Answer #3: It sounds like the accommodations you requested were not reasonable, and the employer severed ties with you. File for unemployment, and tell your grandparents that you don't want to waste your time and money on a case that will not win.


Title: Casino Deceit

Question:
Hi there reddit. I know a casino which states that some of their slots made by them have a 80% percent rate of winning. I am not a gambler but as I saw this statement I tested the win rate and I can say that it is much below 40-50% tested with real money.I can't find any terms & conditions that explain this statement, no information about this specific topic on their website. Is there a chance to sued them for deception?

&#x200B;

I will come back with more information if I can find about them

Answer:
 A single person playing, even with a several thousand dollar bankroll, cannot possibly aggregate enough data to calculate a true payout rate. Part of the gamblers fallacy is the failure to recognize the independence of each event. A roulette wheel coming up black 7 times in a row does not mean it’s more likely to come up red because it’s “due”. True randomness does not fluctuate back and forth as often as people expect it to. In fact, if you ask people to make up a “random” string of 100 coin tosses, then do the tosses for real, it’s always easy to pick out the real sample, because people hate putting the same value more than 5 times in a row, thinking “that’s not random”; but it will almost certainly pop up during the real values. In fact, 99 consecutive flips in a row is a possible outcome.

Some people will have bad luck and be below the advertised win rate. That’s not enough to win a case, even if they’re frequent players.

You can report your suspicions to whatever regulatory body oversees them; if they think there is a case they can audit their books, which will show the true pay rate.


Title: Filed for Divorce. Wife won't allow me to speak to or see the children. (Ohio)

Question:
I posted a while ago that my wife had moved out and we were sharing time with our kids 50/50. We had a disagreement unrelated to the kids and she changed our arrangement to me only having standard visitation. I immediately filed for divorce and for custody of the kids with an attorney.

My wife is now cut off all contact with me and my children. She blocked my number from her phone and my daughter's phone as well.

We have a court orderer counseling appointment on June 19th.

I understand not a whole lot can be done between now and then, but are there typically any consequences for this type of behavior as far custody goes? I'm just looking for some peace of mind that this will be worth it in the end.

Answer:
 The court does not like a parent denying visitation to another parent for no reason. It will likely end in a definite visitation schedule to protect your time. Answer #2: If she is completely denying you custody, ask your lawyer about filing for an emergency custody order. That would, in theory, get you a court date sooner than June 19 and give you a temporary custody order. It would also show the court that you're extremely motivated to have custody of your children, as opposed to just sitting around and waiting.Answer #3: Consequences will be up to the judge. You need to have all this documented and your attorney needs to know.

Talk to your attorney about the best options to address this with the judgeAnswer #4: This kind of behavior will definitely reflect poorly on her in court. How much of a consequence there is will depend on the judge.Answer #5: I’m a California family law attorney. This is one of the worst things a parent can do prior to a custody hearing. It is grounds to give you primary custody if the Court believes that you would facilitate visitation.

Now all that said, I would anticipate that she gives a reason for her alienation, whether true or not. The allegation could be that you were abusive, have allowed the children to do age inappropriate activities, do drugs around the children, etc.Answer #6: Your wife is alienating you from your kids which the courts do NOT look kindly upon. Keep a diary. Document everything.


Title: Landlord wants 6 months rent in advance and also a weird race question (Bavaria, Germany)

Question:
So my boyfriend and I are moving from Berlin to Würzburg. We received a call from a Property management company saying they was interested in renting to us, but due to our financial situations (I'm an American supported partially by my parents in a yearly lump sum) they would want 6 months rent upfront. I know you can only ask for 3x cold rent as a deposit, but what are the laws for paying the rent itself in advance?

The guy also asked if we were born in America (yes) and then if we were "Afro-American" (no) Is inquiring about race legal?

I know this seems scammy but we're honestly a bit desperate. We have a showing set up Monday to see the place in person and would sign a contract before paying anything.

Answer: R/germany might have some insight


Title: Roomate told GF to move in, never told me, I found out and now they refuse to pay me back rent after verbally agreeing. What options do I have?

Question:
(LA) So my roomate thought it would be a good idea to let his new gf of a few months move in w us. She's a stripper, and seemed pretty unstable to me so I was cautious whenever she was around. After a while I started noticing that she was always here, and that her stuff was starting to accumulate. I go to check the mail one day, and there's a letter addressed to her from her parole officer to my address. At this point I've put all the pieces together and confront my roomate. He lies and says that she hasn't moved in, so I threaten to move out. We came to an agreement that she wouldn't be in the house when he wasn't there also. That lasted for about a month before he started leaving her here alone. He has basically called my bluff and allowed her to continue living here. He offered to pay me about $1000 in back rent but has ignored me for the past few weeks when I ask for the money. To make matters worse, I walked in yesterday and overheard him scheduling a cancelation appointment with our ISP, which I pay for. I'm trying to contact the ISP to get the account transfered into my name, but not sure they will be able to help without his consent. This makes me think he is planning on moving out without telling me.

For now, what options do I have regarding the unwanted third roomate?

Can I call police for trespassing or do I try to handle everything w my landlord?

Answer:
 What does your lease say about this?

And no, you can’t call the police on your roommate’s guest.Answer #2: How was the lease constructed with your LL?  Are you both named in the one lease or each of you have your own separate Leases?

If the latter, report unlawful tenant to your LL, if the former, I am not sure of the recourse as anything you report in your roommate may come back to bite you as the LL can go after you or your roommate as both of you are like “one” tenant (except with two heads :)Answer #3: Get a copy of your lease if you don't have one and see what it says about having additional people live there. Some leases are very restrictive about additional people, some aren't. Some require both lessees to agree to add another, some don't. Let that be your guide. Your landlord may also need to be involved in the process.


Title: Am I legally ready to start selling on Etsy and other online sites?

Question:
Hi, all! I am about to start selling on Etsy in Los Angeles, California. I have my Seller's Permit and Sales and Use Taxes forms completed through BOE. I also have an EIN and the DBA is on its way. Am I missing anything? I was thinking about getting a different checking account for my business so the payments and credits don't go through my personal account. Is this recommended? When I signed up for my EIN, it said since this is a Sole Proprietorship that I'll need to file income and taxes through my personal TIN. Is that correct?
Thanks so much for your help! I truly appreciate it. This is a little confusing, but I think I'm understanding it with a few clarifications needed. Any advice is helpful! Thanks, again!
If you have another minute, I am also curious what else would I need if I were to start selling at a trade show or flea market?

Answer:
 You'll want a separate bank account for all of your business transactions so that your personal finances don't get caught up in them.

Your best bet is to speak with a business attorney to walk you through everything you need to set up to sell things online/at flea markets/at trade shows, since they'd be familiar with local laws.

A CPA would also help you on the accounting side, letting you know what kind of taxes you need to do and how to organize your accounts to make the most sense for you.


Title: Buenos Aires. Tango teacher groped me and at least four other women. We went to the police, he fled the country. How do I know if charges were ever filed?

Question:
Hello,

A tango teacher offers severely discounted prices for private lessons if you are a woman. He does various things (rubs hands over breasts, sucked the ear of one woman (not me). I posted about it on a facebook group and found several other women with similar stories and we went to the police.

I was in Chile at the time, so I didn't report with the group - I met with a special prosecutor in Chile who took my statement and translated it.

The teacher found out that women were making a report against him. He fled the country (which leads us to believe that he has done something worse, to someone...you don't flee the country over some groping, especially in Argentina).

I have no idea if charges were ever filed. I've emailed the prosecutor every three months or so asking for updates, but they only responded to tell me that the case had changed hands. Is there any way that I can get an update on this?

I wouldn't be surprised if charges were never filed. All of our cases described a not very serious crime (just a run of the mill creep, really), but we had hoped that if there were several victims the police might care.

Interestingly - we all wrote bad reviews of this guy on trip advisor, and trip advisor deleted all of them.

**Edit:** I'm back in the United States now.

Answer:
 Cross post this to r/argentina

They are a bunch of very useful and friendly people, English speakers too.


Title: Intersection right-of-way (Colorado)

Question:
Hi, I see [this situation](https://i.imgur.com/WDwTuw4.png) come up quite often in my daily commute. Both left-hand turn lanes have a green light. Since, legally, you are supposed to turn into the closest lane available, does Car 2 have the right of way to turn into Lane 3? What if there is only one left-turn lane, and the road both cars are turning onto has only two lanes? Does Car 2 need to wait for Car 1 regardless?

Thanks for the help!

Answer:
 They won’t have the right of way because they have a red light.

The other car SHOULD turn into the inside lane but even if they don’t the car that isn’t yielding and is turning right will probably be at fault.


Title: Landlord Blocking parking designated in lease.

Question: I came home from work today to find a POD container in my driveway. I assume it was put there by the current owner of the building who is selling the place, and has some stuff in the basement to move out. I have had no contact at all with the landlord, I pay my rent via a property manager, and everything goes through him. My lease specifically stipulates two off street parking spaces. I was given no prior notice that this was going to be in my driveway, and to make matters worse the town I live in bans overnight on street parking from November to April. I have to find somewhere to put my vehicle for the night or it will be towed. The property manager is not answering or returning my calls, and I have no way to contact the owner directly. Would I be within my legal right to call the POD company and try to have it removed? I live in Massachusetts if that matters.

Answer:
 IANAL

I'd think regardless of what it was, if some unknown person put some items in your driveway, you'd have the right to get it removed at the expense of the item owner.

As of right now, you don't know that it was your LL who did this. For all you know, it could be a neighbor or a mistake on the part of the POD company.

If it were me I'd call them and tell them to move it right away and the person who paid for it can deal with it.


Title: Neighbor’s dogs keep coming into my yard and neighbor won’t do anything about it (Illinois)

Question:
Recently, like 6 months ago ago, a new family moved into the house next to mine. I introduced myself to them when they first moved in and they seemed like nice, genuine people.

There was a fence around their backyard that the previous owner had installed, but that fence had some small holes and was broken at certain parts. My previous neighbor had a very large dog, so the dog going over to my yard wasn’t a problem because it could not fit through the small holes in the fence.

However, my new neighbor has 2 very small dogs that have been able to easily fit through the holes and go over to my yard whenever the choose. I have a pretty intense fear of dogs so it’s terrifying for me to be outside and see the dogs running over to my yard. Sometimes, the dogs have knocked stuff over off my patio table and have ran over the flowers I have planted as well.

I have asked my neighbors multiple times to fix the hole in the fence because i am not comfortable with their dogs being in my yard. However the only responses I have been getting is “don’t worry, they’re just small dogs, they’re harmless” or “yeah we will try to fix it as soon as possible!”

It has been 4 months and they have still not fixed anything. I barely even go outside in my own back yard anymore because I’m worried about the dogs coming over.

What should I do at this point?

Answer: Why not build your own fence on your property? Or block the holes on your side


Title: You know you have an arrest warrant. If the police demand to know your name, can you withhold it because it's a 5th amendment violation to be a witness against yourself?

Answer:
 Maybe.

But if they believe it’s you, they can arrest you anyway and hold you until they figure out who you are.

You don’t need a name to go to jail, but you generally need one to get out.


Title: Landlord needs me to re-up on a year lease to get a home loan, or he's threatening to terminate my lease.

Question:
Title pretty much says it all.  I rent the 1st floor in a two family flat in St. Louis city.  Landlord and his partner live in the second floor.

They informed me yesterday they have bought a house and are moving out, but in order to get the loan, they need a signed year-long tenant in the current property.

I'm currently month-to-month.  I told them I'd rather remain that way because I'm keeping me ear to the ground for a house too.  They're now saying if I don't re-up on at least a 6 month lease, they'll terminate the current agreement and I'll have 30 days to vacate.

Can the do that?!

Answer: Yes, they can require you to sign a year lease or terminate your month to month, if you won't.  You are not a desirable tenant to them, as a month to month tenant, and they are entitled to decline to continue renting to you, but must give proper notice of termination.


Title: My Landlord broke in and destroyed tons of my belongings. I beg you for help.Brooklyn, NY

Question:
Hey hi Hello,
I am a freelance jeweller inBrooklyn, who has been renting studio space in a basement for 2 years now. A little while back, My landlord asked if he could install new ceilings, and asked me to clean a bit. I cleaned everything, put all my precious materials, and made sure everything was tidy. I also asked that i be present. He agreed, and it seemed fine. when i got to my space on the day, he had already forced his way into my space by tearing away the wall, and two workers under his direct supervision trashed everything. I was heart broken, and still am. not only had they taken absolutely everything, and piled it all up. jewellery that had taken hundreds of hours destroyed under piles of tools that had been walked all over. Delicate and expensive tools had been thrown and stepped on, destroying them completely. Gold, stones, and other precious things just disappeared completely. the boxes wher pulled out of the drawers, strewn across the room, and the gold pieces i found where stepped on and destroyed.  In total they did around $14,000 in damage to my personal items.
I presented this to him, with photos, descriptions, costs in a very polite manner. He wouldn't even look at them. Saying that that i didn't have any real legal ground to stand on, and that out of the goodness of his heart would give me a few months off rent, to which i didn't agree was enough. Stupidly, i listened assuming i was out of luck, and it would be a very long time untill my practice would be back on its feet.
As it turns out however one of my witnesses to the damage and the process told me that no, i needed to do something. Ive looked into him and the building, and found that he was subleasing, in a basement that had a legal occupancy of 0. He had me sign a lease 2 years ago for a year, and i have signed nothing else after he told me he had extended the lease by a year. he decieved me by renting me an illegal space in a building that was not certified, and then destroyed my welfare. i am desperate for help, and just want to be able to leave and set up in a new space with the neccasary funds to get back on track. I don't want to get more than i am owed in damages, because i just don't feel that sort of behavior is good in keeping everything fair. I am really desperate and destraught, i feel like i am stuck in a corner and i have no other option at this point. Someone please, if you can just point me in the right direction, have some information, anything would help. Nyc.gov is confusing the hell out of me, and i feel like a fish out of water.

TLDR: My landlord rented me an illegal space, and destoyed my belongings. Someone please help, I am scared.

Answer:
 File a claim with your insurance company.

If you have none, sue the landlord for damages.
Answer #2: Do you have renter's insurance? It sounds like you have a business, do you have any kind of business insurance? Did you file a police report?Answer #3: Stop listening to your landlords 'legal advice' - he clearly has a vested interest in covering his own ass - he caused the damages!

If you're running a bussiness, especially one with such expensive materials and tools, you really need to get insurance going forward.Answer #4: I dont have insurance is the issue! I didnt file because he kept telling me i had no case and he didnt want to "come down on me". I was just too scared, but i have multiple witnesses, photos, and pretty much every conversation in text. It sounds like suing is my option, what kind of case should i file? Thank you so much guys, you don't know how relieved i am to find out that i actually have an option to get everything back on track.


Title: [NY] employer has been paying me extra $1000 for the last 4 paychecks

Question: I dont know how or why but for the last 4 pay periods I have been receiving an extra amount of exactly $1000 in my paycheck. What does this mean? I'm never telling them, but if they find out, am I obligated to pay them back? I plan to quit my job soon anyways because I am moving, but what would happen if they find out?

Answer:
 Not a lawyer, but I've seen this question answered enough times to be of help.

Yes, they will find out. Yes, they are legally entitled to the money back and yes they can extract it from you if it's spent.

Don't spend it, alert them to the overpayment and ask how they would like it repaid. If they take a while to respond, which happens, I would gravely suggest *not* spending the money so that you have it when they finally come after you.

*edited for words*
Answer #2: Eventually this will come back to bite you in the ass. Is it in the form of extra hours on the check or is it just 1000 added to the total? I would set it aside and not spend it. If they figure it out it’ll be a bad time.


Title: Girlfriend dated myself and another man, insisted on unprotected sex with both. Any recourse?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Report her for what?  Being manipulative?  Unless she's going to a private school with a morality contract, no one will care about her sex life.

You both consented to unprotected sex.  You made adult choices.  Live with the consequences.

If she's pregnant and claims you're the father, get a paternity test.Answer #2: Just to be clear: you _voluntarily_ chose to have unprotected sex?


Title: UPDATE:(FL) Bank connected my account to random persons account and refuses to let me close mine or change it.

Question:
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/454zvp/flbank_connected_my_account_to_random_persons/

I went in there again. They claimed that they closed it. Today I found out that they didn't close it after all and are still taking out over draft fees for someone else's account. I told them that I filed complaints about them and they threatened to sue me.Lawyer time.

Answer:
 Hopefully you have that threat in writing. Somebody in the corporate level is going to have a field day chewing out whichever manager threatened to sue a client for their mistake and wanting to close their own account.Answer #2: I just read your first post and now your update (thank you for updates, this sub really likes updates). As odd as some people may find this story, banks are not immune to outright idiocy. I've had two interactions with different banks that have been less than stellar. One somewhat similar to yours, but it was my MIL's acct they tied us to, the other was fraud which put us $500 in overdraft charges that they wanted us to pay them back for, when their own fraud dept agreed we didn't cause it.

As for a lawyer, call your state's BAR Association. They can give you the type of lawyer you need. I used that for immigration and was VERY happy with the lawyer we got.Answer #3: Have you tried heading to a different branch and speaking with that branch manager?  Worth a shot.Answer #4: Did they say to contact the CFPB in your first post?  Give them a ring.

http://www.consumerfinance.gov/Answer #5: I still am not understanding why they are not able to help you. What is the reason they gave you for not being able to close your account? Or even investigate the matter further?


Title: [OR-US] Two food subscription boxes sent to my house addressed to someone I don’t know, the sending company I contacted said I can have them instead of sending back, is it illegal for me to open these?

Question:
I live in a house that I rent, which also has a small AirBnB unit on the rear of the property that is also managed by my landlord. A week ago, a box showed up addressed to a name I’ve never heard of. I figured it might be for the person staying in the AirBnB so I knocked and asked, but the guest didn’t know anything about it. I then emailed my landlord who didn’t know anyone by that name and also reached out to the guest scheduled to check-in later to the AirBnB and they didn’t know anything about it either. I decided to leave it outside in case the owner claimed it. It’s been a week and hasn’t moved.

Tonight, a second box showed up from the same company, addressed to the same person.  I contacted the food subscription company and told them the situation. They said they’d reach out to the buyer to try to resolve. I said I’d just write “return to sender” on the boxes and have them mailed back unopened but they told me to keep them and try the meals inside of them.

I know that it’s illegal to just open up someone else’s mail that isn’t addressed to you but does that still apply in a situation like this?

Answer: It's fine.  Enjoy your Blue Apron or Hello Fresh or whatever.  Get that stuff in the fridge pronto.


Title: Rock from rocking truck shattered my sunroof. Now what?

Question:
Thank you in advance for any advice I receive.

I was driving on a major highway in Dallas when a rock off a truck two cars in front of me went airborne and hit my car. IT was roughly the size of a baseball. At first, I was relieved I wasn't hurt or my car wasn't harmed, then I heard whistling from above. That's when I pulled back my shade and saw this: [https://imgur.com/a/VtrWydR](https://imgur.com/a/VtrWydR)

I was able to catch up to the truck and found the company name. I called the company and calmly explained the situation, despite being shaken up. The woman I spoke to was apologetic and asked me if I was okay. She then put me on hold and returned a few minutes later a little more "stiff." She asked me to explain the situation again. She argued with me about the size of the rock. She said the driver was carrying gravel. (I later searched on the company's website and learned that its "gravel" pieces were roughly the size of a plum.) She asked me if I retrieved the rock from the highway, which I could not do due to the highway being a heavily traveled highway. The woman then said she'd call me back. She texted me later, asking for pictures, which I sent. I finally received a call back and she asked if I had file police report or filed the accident with my insurance. I have not done either, which I explained. She again said she would call me back. Until today (six days after the incident), the company had not called me and would not return my calls. This morning, the woman texted me again if I had filed a police report. From what I understand, normally there must be at least, from a subjective standpoint, at least $1,000 worth of damage to file a police report on an accident in Texas. I definitely could be incorrect on that though.

I guess my question is if I should file a police report, or is there a reason why this company is so insistent about learning if I have a police report on the incident? I have 10 days after the accident to file a report.

Thank you again for y'all's help.

Answer: Stop talking to the company unless they plan on writing a check. Inform your insurance and file a claim and advise them of what you told the rep on the phone.


Title: Someone claimed a body injury after 10 months of incident demanding for over $40,000. What do I do?

Question: It's been about 10 moths over the incident, I'm 120 percent sure the person I hit was not hurt. But she's demanding me for over $40,000. At first, my car was easily fixed under $100 and she did it for over $5000 and it's only a little dent on her car, I don't know how does this work at all and my insurance went sky rocket high after that. I'm a college student, and I'm broke. I don't have the money to pay for anything and I don't know what to do at all........... My life is ruined.......... Please help. I'm going to have to drop college pretty soon if this is my faith...

Answer: This is why you have insurance.  Notify your provider of the claim and let it handle things.


Title: (USA-WI) Employer changed severance package after signing (cut in half), now wants me to sign a new agreement.

Question:
I was laid off with several other employees from a job. I don't believe industry or anything is important, but let me know and I can provide more detail.

We got laid off on Thursday. They asked us to come back in after hours to sign paperwork. There was a severance package offered, which amounted to about $30k in my case. I signed it during that after-hours meeting, and my employment there has ended. I don't believe they signed anything at that time. I don't believe there was a space that asked for their signature or anything.

However, I just got an email today saying that they made a mistake, and they have new paperwork to sign regarding the severance packages. The new document shows that my severance would be around $15k instead.

I don't want to push back against the new offer if I'm not entitled to severance or if they could rescind it for some reason. So my question is: Is the first document stating I would receive ~$30k legally binding?

As follow-up questions:

1) Is it worth pursuing? I know sometimes even if you are technically correct in a legal sense, that it won't make sense to pursue anything.

2) Does it matter that they didn't sign it? Some people I've talked to said they have to sign it in order for it to be legally binding.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration!

Answer: You already signed. They can't rescind it at that point. They gave an an offer and you accepted at that point. Tell them you won't be signing a new document. What are they going to do, Fire you?


Title: Can someone who is being charged with possession of marijuana refute the case/charge based on factual scientific evidence that marijuana does in fact have a plethora of medical benefits and is safe for human consumption?

Question:
So the only reason as to why you can get arrested for marijuana possesion in the majority of states is because the plant is deemed schedule 1 by the DEA.

Cleary, they are innacurate. I dont have to but i can pull up sources all day long on how marijuana has tons of medical benefits, and is clearly safe for human consumtion. 100% safe if you digest the thc through edibles. http://www.businessinsider.com/health-benefits-of-medical-marijuana-2014-4

 Then you have the evidence for political/racist motivation of the Nixxon era, where they literally publicly admit that they made weed illegal as a controlling mechanism towards black/hispanic individuals. http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/politics/john-ehrlichman-richard-nixon-drug-war-blacks-hippie/

So my question simplified: can you refute marijuana charges based on factual evidence supporting that it is innacuratly labelled as a schedule 1 substance?

Answer:
 No.

> So the only reason as to why you can get arrested for marijuana possesion in the majority of states is because the plant is deemed schedule 1 by the DEA.

This is untrue. The reason is because most states have seperate laws banning such.

States could decide to ban soap if they wanted to. Law does not need to be based in fact, Law is based in will.


Title: [MASS] Galaxy Note 7 Usage

Question:
I have a friend that's decided to keep their Galaxy Note 7 despite the recalls. If it goes poof and burns down his house, is there any possible issues with regards to his home insurance? I would think yes but he's like that's what insurance is for.

MASS AKS Massachusetts

Answer:
 >If it goes poof and burns down his house, is there any possible issues with regards to his home insurance?

I would expect so, yes. The policy probably has a sentence in there somewhere about not deliberately keeping unsafe, randomly-exploding things in the same building where your other stuff is.

Keeping that device and continuing to use it at this point is, in my very limited view, egregiously negligent.


Title: Armed robbery in apartment below me. Can I break my lease without penalty?

Question:
(Georgia) Last weekend a criminal shattered the large main window of the apartment below me to gain access. Once he took the TV, he moved 3 doors down, entered another woman’s apartment and held her at gunpoint, forced her on the floor, and robbed her.  He stated he’d been watching this place and picked their two apartments because they were easy targets. I’m a single female and no longer feel safe within this complex. I asked if they’re willing to let me exit the lease without the 2 months rent+ deposit penalty. They responded with saying it’s the first crime in 20 years and they plan to fix the fence separating the complex next to us and removing bushes from the complex. They have yet to respond to my question about breaking my lease.

Short of what I found on google, is there any precedence for leaving a complex due to crime happening to other apartments within it?

Answer:
 Not unless the landlord was the suspect.

They aren't responsible for the criminal acts of others, unless you think they were somehow provably negligent.


Title: [SC] Boss has scheduled me to work at times I've "requested" off due to surgery. Does FMLA protect me?

Question:
I'm scheduled for a hysterectomy March 17th.

I've been telling my boss since December 2015 that this was happening. I've turned in FMLA paperwork weeks ago and provided a cursory "request time off form" showing I needed to be off for 8 weeks starting the 16th.

I MUST have the 16th off. I work night shift so if I worked that night my shift would carry over into the morning of my surgery and past the start time of my procedure.

Additionally, I requested off the 9th because I have pre-operative appointments all day and won't be able to sleep.

As I said, I've turned in all necessary paperwork (and then some) and discussed this with my boss at length.

Today I got my work schedule and he's scheduled me for the 9th and the 16th.

My question is, does FMLA protect me regarding these dates since they're technically before my surgery?

I'm planning to talk to him in the morning, but I need to know the lW and my options before I do.

Thank you!

EDIT for relevance:

My company has thousands of employees across 3 states.

At my site specifically there are probably upwards of 60 including all departments and management.

I've been with the company 2 years as of the 18th of March.

EDIT 2: VICTORY! I'll do a write up later, but I was successful. I had to drop the name of our FMLA guy at corporate, but I was successful.

And I recorded the call just in case.

Answer: If you are fired by your manager for not being able to work due to surgery and recovery time, your manager is not violating FMLA. He's violating an even older set of laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as you are temporarily disabled during your medical leave. He can also be violating state and local laws.Answer #2: Get HR in the loop here that's their job. Answer #3: No advice, I just wish you good luck and a swift recovery.


Title: I used to be a “cam girl.” Videos and images from my broadcasts have been recorded and uploaded on third party websites without my permission. What can I do to remove them? [KY]

Question: Needless to say, I’m devastated. Over a year ago, I was really short on money and started working as a cam model. I found out today that some of my streamed “shows” were actually recorded and uploaded to porn websites. Of course I should have known this could happen, but I was young and desperate. And now I don’t know what to do. These aren’t mainstream websites like Pornhub. They’re sketchier websites dedicated to posting recordings of cam girls. There’s no “report” button or even an option to contact the website owners. Is there anything I can do to remove these images and videos of me?

Answer: Contact the domain host. That's your best bet.


Title: [Colorado] Bankruptcy question. Roommates kidney is failing. He's stuck in the "makes too much for Medicaid, can't afford insurance" bracket. Is his best or only option to throw all his money for insurance, get all his surgeries, then file bankruptcy?

Question:
Hey. My roommate's in a medical pickle and doesn't really know for sure how to tackle it. So I thought coming here would be a good start to see what anyone can say to help or direct him to resources that'll help advise him for this predicament.

He's had kidney issues for a few years and it's been really bad for years but it hasn't got severe until very recently. He went to the doctor yesterday and they said he doesn't need treatment *right now,* but definitely will in 2-3 weeks. They had to turn him away.

Problem is since he can't do anything without insurance until 2-3 months waiting time, presumably too late.

So he can throw basically all his money at health insurance now, then get the treatment/surgeries in time, then when all the bills are stacked at the end, would bankruptcy be his best option from there?

What's the best approach to consider for this sort of bind? What does he need to know and keep in mind for pulling through this difficulty? Any insight and advice is muchly appreciated. Thanks for any input.

Answer:
 Kidney failure is a qualifier for Medicare!Answer #2: So - there's a few things to consider.  What kind of treatment does he need "right now?" Medication?  Dialysis?  Surgery?  It's curious that a doctor would say "you're good now, but in 2 - 3 weeks, you'll need treatment for sure!"  In a window of time that small, a doctor would just start treatment.  If money/lack of insurance is an issue, the doctor should have referred him to someone that would treat on a sliding scale or community resources.

Call health and human services, or your local equivalent.  They can likely offer a list of medical providers that will treat him on a sliding payment scale or resources for funding.  In addition the weird timeline doesn't really sit right with me.  I'd go in for a second opinion.  There should be a low cost clinic.  Worst case, your roommate can go to a county general hospital ER.  They can't refuse to treat him for lack on insurance and he can literally pay $10 per month until forever and ask them to write off the bill as charity after he's made some payments.Answer #3: Colorado is a state that fully implemented ACA with expanded Medicaid - this should mean your roommate would qualify for a significant subsidy to buy insurance if he's past the Medicaid cutoff.  How much have you explored the subsidized insurance option?


Title: Florida Tipped Employee: I believe I am a victim of credit tip wage theft, or have I missed something here?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Gather any documentation of discrepancies you have and contact the Department of Labor. Florida does not have a state DOL, so you will have to get in touch with the Federal DOL. Their contact information is [here.](https://www.dol.gov/general/contact)

I'd also advise you start looking for a new job, it's illegal for them to retaliate due to a wage claim, but such retaliation is very difficult to prove.


Title: Question regarding adoption. My wife wants me to adopt her son...

Question:
We live in Iowa. My wife wants me to adopt her son. Let's call him Joe. Joe's bio-dad hasn't been around for years and is a drug addict. My wife has been told that if she were to die, Joe would go to bio-dad, even though Bio-dad has been M.I.A. for several years now, is this true?

Also, if I do adopt Joe, and my wife and I get divorced later, would I be responsible to pay child support for Joe?

Lastly, are there any alternatives to adoption that would prevent Joe from going to bio-dad if my wife passed?

Thanks.

Answer:
 >My wife has been told that if she were to die, Joe would go to bio-dad, even though Bio-dad has been M.I.A. for several years now, is this true?

yes, bio dad is next of kin.  if wife dies and bio dad is mia, you can file for guardianship or it would fall to say aunts/uncles/grandparents/etc of Joe.

>Also, if I do adopt Joe, and my wife and I get divorced later, would I be responsible to pay child support for Joe?

yes, as long as joe is <18.

>Lastly, are there any alternatives top adoption that would prevent Joe from going to bio-dad if my wife passed?

Joe turns 18.


Title: Can a Homeowner keep someone from having alcohol inside their home?

Question: my mother lives in my home that i own and i dont want her to have alcohol inside the house can i take it away or throw it out?

Answer:
 She's your tenant, even if she doesn't pay rent. You can't steal your tenants' stuff just because you don't like them having that stuff.

You can tell your mom "Get rid of the booze or I'll evict you" and then if she refuses, you can evict her pursuant to your lease and/or local law.  Assuming there's no lease you'd probably have to give her about thirty days to to leave under local laws.


Title: [AZ] I was given a "waste of finite resources" ticket in a company rental car and am far past the deadline to pay. Questions in text.

Question: Does the delinquent fee apply or is there a different set of rules for this type of ticket? Will it show on my record since I haven't payed it on time? It was supposed to be paid a couple months ago so clearly my company hasn't been notified as I am still driving a company vehicle while on the job and have not been approached by a supervisor about it. Basically I am just really unclear on how this ticket affects my record, and I can't find any info on it online. Thx.

Answer:
 Translation for those not in Arizona:  OP got caught speeding on the freeway.  He didn't pay his speeding ticket.

The speeding ticket is associated with your license, not the vehicle.  Figure out how to pay it.


Title: Landlord dumped a large pile of rocks on the property. Destroyed part of the yard in the process. He’s using it for maintenance on a neighboring property. Do I have a say in this?

Question:
(KY - US)

Hey guys and gals, I’ll make this as succinct as possible.

I rent a house that is owned by a local pastor. His church sits right next to my house.

Over the last couple weeks, he’s had volunteers out outing up a retaining wall on church property, which borders my yard. I’m not a fan of these volunteers, but that’s another story.

Yesterday - without any notice to me - a dump truck backed right up to the side of my house, using my driveway, and dumped a large pile of rocks into my yard. In the process, the truck became stuck in the grass, and dug a large hole in the ground. It had to be towed out. This part of my yard is now ruined. The entire pile is located on my side of the property.

On top of that, his volunteers walk onto the property to carry the rocks to the retaining wall, without my permission. I wouldn’t have a problem with this, but these people are incredibly loud and obnoxious. I’ve asked them several times to keep it down (I work nights and have to sleep during the day. )

Before I voice my grievances to my landlord, I want to know if I have any legal grounds to ask these people to leave - should things continue to escalate.

I did some research and found this:

“383.615 Access.
(1) A tenant shall not unreasonably withhold consent to the landlord to enter into the dwelling unit in order to inspect the premises, make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements, supply necessary or agreed services, or exhibit the dwelling unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workmen, or contractors.
(2) A landlord may enter the dwelling unit without consent of the tenant in case of emergency.
(3) A landlord shall not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant. Except in case of emergency or unless it is impracticable to do so, the landlord shall give the tenant at least two (2) days' notice of his intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times.
(4) A landlord has no other right of access except:
(a) Pursuant to court order;
(b) As permitted by KRS 383.665 and 383.670(2); or
(c) Unless the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the premises.”

1. The house’s address is on the lease. I’m assuming this includes the yard. Does “dwelling unit” include the yard?

2. None of this wall they are constructing is located on the rental property. Is it fair to say they may not enter the property because they are not making necessary repairs?

3. Again, I’ve received zero notice of any of this.

4. For what it’s worth, the landlord does give me a discount for allowing other volunteers to run a food pantry out of the lower level of the house once every two weeks. These other projects were never mentioned.

Thanks in advance. I’ll clarify anything I can.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Who maintains the yard? You or the LL? If care and use of the yard isn't mentioned in the lease it could be a grey area.


Title: Is it illegal to say you need 60k on a mortgage to buy a home from someone who only wants 36k for the home while the bank thinks 60k is the price? (details inside) NC

Question: Wifes grandfather offered to sell us his old home it was built in the 60s. It has no central heat or air conditioning, and old roll out Windows. Also a fuse box instead of breakers and just tons of things needing to be updated immediately. He said he would sell it for half the tax value which would be 36k. He said if we wanted to take a higher loan from the bank he would give us the extra so we can update the home.  Example is asking the bank for 60k but with him giving back to us the extra 24k. We are just wondering how legal this would be and any concerns that might follow. Hope I said it clearly enough.

Answer:
 What you want is called a home renovation mortgage. Using deception to receiving something of value is fraud. Don't lie to the lender. Answer #2:
There are other ways to finance the repairs or even other ways to re-frame what you are trying to do. You could do a sales contract with the purchase price of 60k and an allowance for repairs of 24k. That way, it's all above board. But don't just lie to the bank...
Answer #3: Well, they make loans called fha 203 k loans that would allow you to borrow up to the value of the house after repairs. That could be a easier way.


Title: I texted with a tinder girl for one day. She got mad that I was only looking for a hookup (because I’m moving). Now she has asserted that she will post fake dick pics and reach out to all my Instagram followers and broadcast fake pictures everywhere. Help?

Question: Classic case of texting with an insane person. I told this girl that I was moving next week and was just looking for something short term (a hookup). She started projecting her anger toward white people and previous fuckboys on to me and has sent a series of threatening texts. This person is actually crazy. Says she wants to make me pay, thwt I’ll be suffering from fucking her over forever, and that my professional career is ruined. Has called me a sexual predator and wants to broadcast that everywhere (we never met. Only texted for an hour maybe. I never said anything creepy, aggressive, etc). I’m paranoid and need help. Sorry in advance if this is the wrong sub

Answer: Cut off contact and set all your social media to private. Not much else to do.Answer #2: Screenshot the messages before she unmatches you so you have evidence. If she actually does all of this, you'll be able to sue her for any damages that she causes you. Be aware of the Streisand effect though, and hold off on taking action against her till she's actually significantly harming you.


Title: I'm 16, in a bad situation, just want to know what rights I have

Question:
Hello. I'm posting this from a throwaway, for obvious reasons. I'll be 17 years old in a few months, and I'm living in PA under a borderline emotionally abusive father and enabling mother.

First of all, yesterday my father said something along the lines of "if you don't clean your room by Thursday, I will destroy every last thing in [the basement, where I have my TV, computer, musical instruments, video game consoles, etc]. I'm pretty sure he can do that to anything he wants that he bought, but for stuff I bought with my own money when I had a job earlier this year, is this technically my property or can he destroy it as he pleases? I know it sounds so simple to avoid this being an issue in the first place, but I have pretty severe depression and that makes it hard for me to have enough willpower to do anything.

Also, he will not take me to a doctor, dentist, or therapist. Haven't been to a doctor since 2009. Last time I went to a dentist was in February when I got two root canals that were supposed to be crowned a week later, but that never happened, and pieces of the teeth have been breaking off ever since. He claims I don't need a therapist, that either A. what I feel is nothing compared to what he's felt, or B. I just need to "think happy thoughts." My school tried to set me up with a therapist, but they didn't accept my dad's insurance. Is it possible at all for me to get the care I need without his involvement?

Thank you for reading.

Answer: You're not borderline being abused anything. You're straight up being abused if he won't get you the medical help you need. Call CPS.


Title: PA: Should judge have recused himself?

Answer:
 Biased about what? You are reaching there. This isn't a conflict that even remotely requires recusal.Answer #2: > I just learned that the lawyer teaches a night class there in the same department as my ex wife!

What lawyer?  Do you mean the judge?

> Shouldn't she have stepped down?

Do you have any evidence of bias?  Actual evidence, not just "I didn't win."  Did the judge know your wife?  Does the judge know her well?  Did they work together closely?


Title: are professors tests their property?

Question: I want to start an online test bank where students upload college test papers and those who view them pay them. Is this illegal?

Answer: Most universities all content made by staff/students for classes or in classes is intellectual property of the university check the student code of conduct for details.


Title: Parents trying to marry off my 19 y/o sister to a 45 y/o man (x-post: exmuslim)

Question: [I thought you guys may be able to help](https://www.reddit.com/r/exmuslim/comments/9250mz/parents_trying_to_marry_off_my_19_yo_sister_to_a)

Answer: shes an adult. she can leave tomorrow, unless you think your family is capable of honor killing


Title: Legal name change for my daughter

Question: If I allow my daughters mother to legally change my daughters last name (which isn't even my last name) will it remove me from the newly issued birth certificate. I live in Albuquerque New Mexico

Answer: No. Your daughter's last name has nothing to do with legal paternity. For all intents and purposes, as long as you remain on the birth certificate (and are the biological father), you will remain her legal father.


Title: (MA) Received eviction notice because of problem roommate

Question:
I'm writing on behalf of a friend who received a court order for the end of the month if he or his roommate doesn't pay $2800 by then. They're on separate leases but he is somehow jointly liable. The roommate (an international student) hasn't been paying his rent or the utility bills and is out of the country until August, and recently notified their landlord he'll just "pay when he gets back", which is some next-level bullshit on his part.

The roommate hasn't been responsive, and if he doesn't pay, the only way my friend can avoid the court order is by paying the debt on top of 3 months' worth of rent until August. Is there any way he could get out of this situation ASAP? Is there nothing that would protect an innocent tenant in this case?

Answer: They cannot both be on separate leases and be jointly liable for rent.


Title: I threw food at a rude cashier after arguing with them.

Question: I'm pretty sure it was on camera and I payed with card at the place if that matters. If the police happen to come looking am I done for?

Answer: well that was assault. if they decide to press charges, you're going to need a lawyer.


Title: Art Restitution Cases

Question:
This hypothetical has been bugging me:
Lets say person A had a painting stolen from them by person B worth $10 million. Person B sells the painting to person C for this amount, and after spending the money, he/she dies. Person C had no idea that the painting was stolen and purchased it in good faith. After a while, person A finds out where the painting is/who now owns it, can they get it back? To make it more cut and dry, lets say they have irrefutable proof that it was stolen by person C to person B, but that there is also irrefutable proof that person B purchased it in good faith. Does person C have to hand it over and be out $10 million? Obviously person B cannot pay the money or go to jail for the crime, but person A should get their property back, right? IANAL (obviously) so please dumb it down for me, thanks in advance!

Answer:
 That depends on what happened and where.  There's a concept in property law called being a "Good Faith Purchaser for Value".  The Uniform Commercial Code uses it quite a bit, but not all states have adopted that exact rule.  It basically says that if you buy something in good faith and for market value, but it later turns out that it was stolen or the person selling it didn't have the right to sell it, then you still own it and won't be forced to return it.

The logic being: 2 people were wronged (the original owner and the new owner) in equal measure.  Only 1 of them can get a fair deal here, and "possession is 9/10th of the law", so the guy who has it now is the lucky winner.

It's pretty difficult to do this in practice, especially in cases like art.  If a $10 million painting was stolen, then the new buyer (as a wealthy art collector) probably knows that the painting is stolen (or should know) and would be dealing with art dealers, museums, art experts, and all kinds of other professionals who can or should inform you of the nature of the painting.  If you avoid that intentionally, you aren't acting in good faith, and if you ignore their warnings and buy it anyway you aren't either.


Title: [USA] Is it legal for an eligible ex-spouse to "sign away" their rightful claim to former active duty's retirement pension?

Question:
Asking for a family member. What type of lawyer should be contacted? Could there be a claim for retroactive monies? Is there a better subreddit to ask? Thanks

Edited to add that the divorce took place prior to the United Services Former Souse Protection Act if that matters.

Answer:
 Sure. If they're getting an equivalent value of present day assets. Otherwise it may be seen as an unequitable distribution and voidable by the court.

So I could say "I'll give up all of my claim to your military pension if you sign over your share of the house", but just saying "I don't care anymore, I just want a divorce - sure, keep your pension" likely won't be approved by the judge.

Or you're saying the divorce decree is already final, and they want to seek a modification after the fact?


Title: Friend brought an airsoft pistol to school as a prop for a presentation about gun control, could he go to jail/juvi?

Question: We go to a high school in Virginia, and my friend gave a presentation on gun control where he had to bring in a prop. For his prop, he brought in his airsoft revolver, which looks very real especially because it doesn't have an orange tip. He asked the class how many of them knew someone who owned a gun, and then pulled it out, saying "Well me too" as a point that guns are too easy to access and he was easily able to bring the prop into a classroom. The teacher had to tell the principal, who said he had 10 days of OSS, and a meeting with the school board to determine if he would be expelled. Now, he is being told that the county DA will be determining if he's gonna be charged with possession of a gun, and he might get tried as an adult. He didn't threaten anybody and told them that it was fake, could he really go to jail for this?

Answer:
 He has to be a complete moron to being a gun of any type to school when school shooting happen on a regular basis. I mean elementary age kids have had Barney squirt guns taken away. So yeah he could really be in trouble for this. He should get a lawyer.Answer #2: He needs an attorney if they file criminal charges which is a real possibility.  The "prop" was a real weapon, even if it wasn't a firearm and bringing it into a school is a crime.  That he didn't threaten anyone is irrelevant, it wasn't fake it was a real weapon and school don't take that lightly.  I'm shocked he wasn't immediately suspended outside of school and expulsion wouldn't shock me.Answer #3: > could he really go to jail for this?

Yup.

Your friend needs a real good lawyer.


Title: Laws Regarding Parking on a NY Private University and Tickets/Boots

Question:
I go to a private university in New York State (not city) and I got a parking ticket for "Improper Parking", basically I was parked on the end of the lot on hash lines. I knew it was not a spot but I was not blocking traffic, fire-lane or anything else for that matter. It was $30 and I said to myself "Why do I have to pay this?" I went down to the ticket office and the lady there told me that I was parked illegally and that I have to pay the ticket. I asked how is that illegal if its private property and what gives you as a private entity the right to issue tickets? She dismissed me and so I made a meeting with the Chief of Public Safety for tomorrow. I did some digging and I can't find anything that gives them the right to actually ticket the students. What I found is they could notify the police that there is a car that is not parked in accordance with there parking regulations and the police could issue a ticket and then the school could have the car towed, but that was about it. Also, the more I thought about it, colleges are the only private entity that issue tickets. Most other places (like a box store) just have the police deal with it. When I was poking around to find the schools parking regulations, they said a car could also be booted for outstanding tickets? How???? On top of that couldn't I post something in my window saying any boots attached to the car by a private entity in accepting that the boot is subject to destruction? Just wondering where I stand when I go talk to the Chief so I don't look like a dumbass haha.

Edit: It seems that people think I'm a dumbass. Ok, but a) I'm asking for legal advice, so I don't know that law regarding this matter, surprise! And b) I probably will just pay the ticket, but I wanted to know why I actually had too because it didn't seem right. Lot of hostility towards me right now, not sure why.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 You already look like a dumbass...just pay the $30 and stop parking in places you know you shouldn't. Your school at the very least can hold your diploma.Answer #2: IANAL.  While these tickets aren't like a police-issued ticket, failure to pay can result in them holding your records/diploma if you don't pay up or forbidding you from setting foot on their property.  Answer #3: Generally this falls under whatever contract or agreement you signed with the university as a student. If you weren't a student, they'd likely have your car towed but couldnt issue you fines.

This also depends on the local laws, since universities are usually a special case when it comes to the authority of their campus police/public safety department, and that authority can vary between jurisdictions.


Title: Landlord is threating to kick me out, we havent signed any deal, what are my rights?

Question:
I keep the place clean, i even fixed washing machine.The deal was that i stay untill march of 2019.

But here is the deal, the place has two rooms, i only rented one.Its easier for the landlord to rent entire apartment long term, than to find me a roomate untill march.

So now the greedy shithouse wants to kick me out under the excuse that i was once  late with rent for 7 days.

What should i do? What are my rights considering we havent made any written deal?

Answer: You're month to month, so they just have to give you 30 days to leave, unless you can prove otherwise. Also, they aren't a greedy shithouse for wanting rent on time. Changing your attitude towards your landlord will help you greatly in the future.


Title: Couple keeps driving by my house with their dogs making my dogs go crazy (Texas)

Question:
Everyday there is a couple in my town that purposely drives by the house with their dogs to make our dogs go crazy. I’ve watched them several times roll down their windows when they go pass my house, have our dogs go crazy barking at each other, and then roll their windows back up when they finish passing my house. Sometimes they even drive right along our fencing to do this!

Is there anything legally I can do about it? I’ve taken videos and pictures of them doing this and I’m getting fed up with them doing it every single day.

Answer:
 > Is there anything legally I can do about it?

No, you can't stop people driving down a public street.Answer #2: You can control the behavior of your dogs much easier than control the behavior of a person driving down a public street in front of your house.

You have no practical remedy to make them stop based on the information you disclosed.

Don't know why they might be doing this.  But, I suspect that if your dogs stop reacting, then they will lose interest.Answer #3: You can train your dogs not to go nuts, if that is possible


Title: [PA] can a Christian daycare refuse to hire me based on my religious preferences or lack thereof?

Question:
I interviewed recently at a daycare that is attached to a church. I know they have worship in the afternoons and I know they teach the kids from under age 1 to school age things about the Bible. I don't care. Give the kids the information and let them do what they want with it but let them know there are other interpretations of the bible or, like me, believe that religion was great for people back in the middle ages to explain things that were hard to explain but now it would be irresponsible to teach the kids that crap because Science has explained away everything in the bible that wasn't rooted in historical fact.

During my interview they asked if I believed in God and I said no. And it was heavily, heavily implied that i would not get the job unless I allow myself to be indoctrinated into this church. The pastor giving the interview told me twice it isn't a prerequisite for my being hired but that I needed to take a couple days to work on it so I can teach the kids the word of God.

I doubt I'm going to be hired but I am curious if that is even allowed.

Answer:
 Religious organizations can discriminate based on religion.

https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/religious-discrimination-lawyers.html

Answer #2: You can’t force a place to hire you.


Title: Can Local Law Enforcement Make Traffic Stops in "Unmarked" Vehicles?

Question:
location/jurisdiction: Illinois

Had a couple detectives from local PD in civilian clothes in an unmarked city police vehicle pull me over for not having my front plate affixed to my vehicle. Turned out they wanted to talk to me about a possible criminal matter unrelated to the front plate not being on my vehicle. Fyi, the reason I ask is because I've been hearing that it is illegal (in certain states) for unmarked cars to pull over people for moving violations.  Is it legal?  How do I find out?

Answer: Yep. They're fine to make stops in unmarked cars in IL.


Title: Requesting legal advice and all info for discrimination in the state of Minnesota

Question:
Good afternoon. I am requesting any information, links, articles, legal advice anyone can provide toward discrimination of personal health, significant others health (Work injury and 100% disabled from it) , and family health (Mother hospitalization for extremely possible CHF). Employer has dictated 1on1 and write ups based on cumulative call ins. I believe maximum of four last year and three this year do to flu, and now mother hospitalized with unknown condition as of right now. Many concurrent incidents have been adding up from the manager toward the individual and HR was communicated with. HR stated they dealt with it and no retribution toward the individual will be allowed. It was calm for a couple weeks (maybe 2 maximum). As such the behavior toward the individual continues.

Thank you for any help involved.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 We dont do research here.

If you have an actual legal question you need to ask it

and no one has a clue what the actual problem is


Title: (CO) Who can legally ID you in a public restroom?

Question:
This evening, my girlfriend and I were out at a nice birthday dinner downtown. I'm wheelchair bound (also female) + she was helping me into the restroom when a rather drunken woman grabbed her shoulder, pulled her away from my chair and stopped her, demanding to see some ID while blocking access to the restroom.
I informed her that was rude and none of her business; some comments were exchanged about hair (she commented on my girlfriends short haircut, I commented on her cheap box color job) and in the end I asked her for her ID to prove my point that she has no business bothering other people or demanding private information.
This pissed her off and she ran and got the manager. She was asked to leave the establishment and our meal was comped for our trouble (hell yeah for the customer service).

tl;dr. My short-haired (but female) girlfriend was IDed by another woman to get into the bathroom, so I asked for her ID in return. I'm just curious--who can legally ask for ID in a public restroom? At any point, do I (or my girlfriend) have to comply?

We're in Denver, Colorado. I looked around online but couldn't find what I was after + hope someone here can clarify for me.

edit: wording

Answer:
 Frankly, if I, being a gentleman, was helping a lady in a wheelchair go to the restroom I would take her to ladies room.  I would have someone check the restroom, or verbally call into it, to make sure it was Ok to enter and/or that no one inside had an objection.

I don't think there is anything inappropriate with someone helping another person of the opposite sex in a public restroom if they need assistance and would always use the restroom for the gender who needed the assistance.

I also know that many public restrooms are not totally accessible to wheelchairs, even if they think they are or have attempted to be, so somone in a wheelchair might truly need assistance.

Getting to the point of your post:  If stopped and asked for ID my immediate response would probably be to ask why and why do they think they have the right.  Then after their question sunk in I'd tell them to leave us alone before I call the police (unless they were law enforcement in which case I'd show them my ID).

Edit:  In case it wasn't clear, my point in the first couple of paragraphs is that even if the person Op was with wasn't a woman, there still shouldn't have been a reason to stop them and hence to reason to ask for ID either way.


Title: Deciding To Do Jail Time Rather Than Stay on Probation. What Do I Need to Know?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Have you ever actually talked to somebody whose been to jail? You don't want to go to jail.Answer #2: No way was this a low level DUI.  You've got to be a repeat offender.  Reading some of your other comments, here's my advice - do not opt to go to jail.  First, people who go to jail once tend to go back.  Recidivism is a huge issue and you'll be surrounded by losers.  The fact that you're from a family that has felons in your immediate circle is a huge social strike against you.  Don't stack the deck further.

Second, stop taking advice on the wisdom of volunteering for prison from convicted felons.

Third, here are the questions I feel comfortable answering:

2) Doubt it.  You're likely on some transitional program.  The fact that you found the terms of probation so arduous that you've already violated the probation multiple times speaks to your inability to control criminal behavior.  They aren't going to dump you into the world so you can reoffend in a week;

3) You can speak to your probation officer and request the revocation.  You could speak to an attorney, but I'd have a hard time imagining that an ethical attorney would advise or participate in this course of action;

4) Unknown.  We have no facts of your case but it sounds like the sentence was already set.  This request will piss off the judge because it's you throwing a huge middle finger at the attempt at therapy and restoration.


Title: Hit my neighbors parked car while backing out of the driveway today.

Question: I had a doctors appointment so I did not stop to talk to her. She saw it go down, so I figured we would hash it out when I returned. Well, she took the low road and called the cops. I was not cited for a hit and run, but I now have an accident on my record. I do not have insurance, the vehicle is insured under my moms name. My neighbor took the vehicle to the body shop and they quoted 3500 :/ . Its hefty. I do have the money, but I was saving for a principal mortgage payment. Ugghhh. The problem is, she already involved the police. I have an accident on my record now. Should I just navigate the channels using insurance? Looking for advice during this rut, thanks guys.

Answer:
 OP- You hit another car and left. Calling the police is entirely reasonable in that situation. *You* took the "low road" here.

You can ask the neighbor to get a few other estimates for the bodywork if you want to see if another body shop comes in cheaper.Answer #2: "low road"

you left the scene of a collision. it doesn't matter if you had better things to do.


Title: My girlfriend's late father took out student loans in his wife's name without her knowing

Question: As the title states my girlfriend's dad,(GD)  who passed away a few years ago had apparently taken out student loans in his wife's (my girlfriend's mom, GM) name. They first received a letter from the department of education who said that they were going to start withholding money from my GM's paychecks.  My GF called the DOE and asked what the letter was for since my GM hadn't gone to school since the 80's, before my GF was born. They said that my GM had re-enrolled in school in the early 2000's and had taken out student loans, and had yet to pay them back and the loans had accrued through interest to nearly $47,000. That would have been when my girlfriends family lived in Minnesota. They then moved to Texas in 2008. Now according to my GM she never went back to school and requested a letter with proof that she had applied and signed for these loans. The DEO sent a letter with proof of signatures to them, and my GF, and GM both agree that the signature is nothing like my GM's signature. This means that the only other person who could have had the information to take out the loans was my GD, who must have hidden it from my GM.  The DOE has already begun taking money from my GM's paychecks, and most recently taken her tax-return. My biggest question is what are my GF and GM's options here. Is there a way to prove that the debt is not theirs and a way to get back the money that has already been taken? There is no way my GM would ever be able to pay back the loan anytime soon, so what can be done?

Answer:
 File a police report. That should have been the first thing GM did. You almost certainly cannot get out of fraudulent debt without a police report.

Second, hire a consumer debt attorney to fight what looks like a default judgment against GM. There had to have been a summons, and a court case, and GM clearly did not go or did not know. If she did not know she can maybe get a hold placed on the judgment for improper service of papers.  If she knew but didn't go it's going to be a lot harder.

Third, or in concert with 2, file disputes with the credit bureaus using the police report.

This will be expensive, but cheaper than paying off 47k in debt plus interest and fees.

NALAnswer #2: Perhaps there are reasons that aren't mentioned in this post, but as far as I can tell the conclusion that it was GD who took out the loans is premature; while he'd likely have the opportunity to do it, it's certainly possible for third parties to somehow have aquired that information.

When you present this to a lawyer, you should probably mention that you suspect GD, and he'd be able to tell whether or not that suspicion is worth bringing up. In either case, *someone* took out the loan fraudulently; that is really all you *know* and enough to act upon.


Title: Mugshot on Jail.com

Question:
My mugshot is on jail.com and comes up on google images when you google my name. There is a website (www.internetreputation.com) that advertises on jail.com to remove your information but they charge $400. I wouldn't be surprised if the same entity owns both sites. Can I hire a lawyer for cheaper than that to send a threatening letter to get my info removed?

Location: Texas

Wondering if this law has any applicability here: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83R/billtext/html/SB01289I.htm

Answer: You can send ask the letters you want. They are breaking no laws by posting it. Answer #2: There's lots of mugshot websites, and you may be on others as well. You can't make them take it down. It's public information, and anyone who wants to can get it from the country where you were arrested.


Title: Company refuses to accept my vacation requests.

Question:
I work 80-110 hours a week. I have 80 of available PTO that must be used within the next two months. I have requested single days off and up to 3 days off for PTO vacation days and every single time they say I can't for one reason or another.  They say if I don't use the PTO it will just be unused and wont roll over. They also won't pay for what I don't use. Over the course of the last 10 months off I have put in 14 requests and all have been denied. So what is the point of me getting PTO if I am not allowed to ever take it and I lose it since they won't allow me the time off?

This is in South Carolina.

Answer: Try flipping the request around. Let them know you have 80 hours of PTO to use by whatever date, and let them propose the days off. If they say no, find a new job.


Title: Is it illegal or unethical to tell someone that if they take their wife to trial for divorce instead of settling that you will speak against them as a witness for the wife?

Question:
That may be long winded, but basically I have two friends who are in a long messy divorce, and the husband beat the wife up and is an all around bad guy.  I've tried to stay out of this so far, and served as a supervisor for visitation when the husband wanted to see his kid down the road.

Now I'm told the husband isn't happy with the terms of the divorce settlement and is trying to push for a trial, and that I may be subpoenaed as a witness because of my supervision.

My question is, since the husband is the one pushing to go to trial, and the wife (whose side I am on) wants to settle, and I don't want to get dragged into a trial, would it be illegal, unethical, or in anyway harmful to the wife's case if I, without anyone telling me to do so, spoke to the husband and told him that should he take this to trial, I will serve as a witness for the wife and give my honest and damning testimony of the husband's behavior and personality?  I believe this could persuade him not to go to trial, but I don't want to do it if it's going to get me, the wife, or anyone in any sort of trouble.

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 You have no stake in the game, so stay out of it.  If you tried to do something like that the husband's attorney would almost assuredly know of that, and if you did appear as a witness for the wife he would absolutely eviscerate your credibility as a witness.

So if it goes to trial, you'll get what you want anyway...to give your honest assessment and answers to the questions asked of you.  I don't think you need to make any threats before doing that.  Answer #2: You don't get to choose whether you are subpoenaed to testify, so your threat is meaningless. Don't do his side any favors by showing the wife's cards to him. You're liable to screw up her case.


Title: ESA and breed restrictions/pet interview in rental? Modesto, CA

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >and requiring a "pet interview". is a pet interview legal when it is an ESA and can they enforce the breed restriction?

Generally yes.  If this rental is covered under the fair housing act, there are some situations where a landlord can deny such a request.  For instance, if the ESA causes financial harm such as increased insurance premiums or loss of insurance due to the breed, the ESA can be denied.


Title: I owe the department of defence over 100k in debt without it being my fault and they send letters in the mail threatening to garnish my wages 25%

Question:
A few years ago I was a victim of a violent crime in Texas from a gunshot wound. From the crime scene I was airlifted to a military hospital where they treated my injuries until I was discharged. The actual case that happened at the crime scene is a long story but the shooter was found guilty and sentenced whereas I was not charged with anything. Anyway after leaving the hospital I was billed for over 80k and the health insurance company keeps putting me through hoops and excuses to try to get them to cover it. Meanwhile after calling the treasury they told me for every year i dont make payments on the debt it goes up 10% in interest. So today it has to be over 100k in total. Also whenever I start working somewhere new I get a new letter in the mail from the treasury saying that soon they will garnish every paycheck 25% of my total pay towards the debt. None of this debt is by my own fault and I am poor and cannot afford this so the debt keeps rising. Anyone have solid advice on this kind of issue?

Just a few things. I'm a civilian, I am unable to sue the criminal who was put away he has nothing, and I've been trying to get the insurance company to pay for 4 years but it's always some excuse.

Answer:
 If you're in Texas the Texas Department of Insurance may be able to help in the dispute with your insurer: https://www.tdi.texas.gov/consumer/health-complaints.html

You say you've been trying to get insurance to pay for four years but if you're overestimating and it's actually been less than three years you may be able to get the Texas crime victim compensation program to cover it:https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/crime-victims/crime-victims-compensation-program/eligibility-crime-victims-compensation-program (I realize it's probably been more than three years but just wanted to include this just in case).

If you couldn't deal with the medical cost issue for a while due to physical incapacity or something like that while recovering you may be able to convince them that the three-year cutoff shouldn't apply in your case.


Title: Received arrest warrant in mail - petit larceny

Question:
There's no information on charge. Only way to find out is to go in person.

The only think that I can think of is prior employer (CEO of company) fired me for leaving to go to the ER without his permissions due to having chest pains from the verbal abuse that i had to endure for the last 2 weeks.

Upon showing up at the office there next work day, the locks were changed and he was there and told me I was fired. I was remaining polite while he again verbally assaulted me and made slanderous statements like I haven't done any work or I've been paying myself days I shouldn't have,  etc. He approves my time sheets, so he knows what I put down. The whole time I worked there he refused to even give me a job description or even an offer letter. After a few days when I inquired about my last paycheck, he said I am not getting one because I have been paying myself for time I shouldn't have and also made claims that I stole my and another employees files. This is completely untrue and the only thing I took was my doctor's notes that I had in my desk and that were never in my employee files.

I'm not sure how I can prove my innocence as this is a he said she said situation. I think that sitting in jail or paying bond for a crime I never even committed is absurd.

What can be done?

Answer: Arrest warrant in the mail? Can you post it with personal info redacted? Arrest warrants are typically served in person, along with nice bracelets and a free ride in the back of a police car.


Title: Recruiting company did not withhold taxes although I was a W-2 employee.

Question:
As stated in title, I was a W-2 employee for a certain IT staffing firm.

I left them earlier in the year, I recently got my W-2 and I discovered they withheld zero federal or state taxes.

Question is, am I now on the hook for this although my employer is responsible? Is there any recourse? I am unemployed and cannot pay these taxes.

This was in Oklahoma City, I am now in Grand Rapids MI.

Answer:
 >am I now on the hook for this although my employer is responsible?

Your employer is responsible for withholding taxes pursuant to the W4 you give them.  But you are responsible for paying them, whether they are correctly withheld or not.

You were always responsible for paying them and you likely have no recourse against your employer.  You have no loss.  An inconvenience to be certain, but not a loss.


Title: CA landlord: Can I limit the number of adult occupants?

Question:
I'm renting out a small 3 BR apartment. I want to limit occupancy to 3 adult inhabitants.

Children would not count toward this limit. If I needed to limit total inhabitants, I'd follow the "2 people / bedroom plus 1" standard, i.e., no more than 7 total people, and no more than 3 adults.

An applicant responded negatively to this, claiming that according to California rental code, I cannot state an occupancy limit lower than the number of people that would violate fire safety code. (If the fire code allows people to sleep in the den, I think that equates to 11 people.)

I'm in Oakland, and I could find no city guidance on this issue. The adjacent, and usually stricter, [City of Berkeley's rent board](http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Rent_Stabilization_Board/Home/FAQs_Occupancy.aspx) states "there is no prohibition against limiting the number of adults provided the purpose is not to discriminate on a protected basis. State and federal law prohibit landlords from discriminating against families with children and landlords cannot limit the number of people in order to discriminate against a family with children. On the other end, the Housing Code limits the number of people per square foot."

It seems like I'm in the clear if I limit adult tenants to 3 and total applicants to 7. Am I missing something?

I replied to the applicant reminding her that my limit applied only to adults and quoting that Berkeley page, as well as also offering that if she could provide any code or other information to support her claims, I'd be happy to accept an application.

For whatever it's worth, the place is priced low for our market, in part because it is very small. We're not trying to gouge people or use pricing to greatly restrict our applicant pool. (I mention that in case there's any chance that could be construed as having a discriminatory impact.)

Thanks for any input you might have!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: [This](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/can-i-limit-the-occupants-rental.html) appears to have your answer. It doesn't sound like you're doing anything illegal.Answer #2: You aren't going to rent to the guy who thinks he is a housing lawyer, are you? That's just asking for a 7 month eviction when he decides that you can't make him get rid of his 5000 emotional support cockroaches.


Title: [UK] Didnt think, clicked on porn, now i get a message from "police.uk"

Question:
Clicked on some porn, on my phone, on my home wifi, from r/tipofmypenis (NSFW) and got a message saying that my browswer was blocked unless i sent a £100 paysafecard to whoever it is. I was using redditisfun, so just the in-app browser is useless
This is the first thing that popped up - http://imgur.com/a/j0zJL - I then pressed ok, and this popped up - http://imgur.com/a/8pXo5

The url of the site behind the notice is itsecurestop.org/Z_qv... I cant see the rest, but i'm thinking its a scam, as i doubt the UK police would use paysafe cards (https://www.paysafecard.com/en-gb/buy/) to ask for a fine?

any help is appreciated, i'm currently shaking with nerves

EDIT - I feel like a right idiot now, but any help on making my app usable again would be great

Answer:
 Hahahahahahahah

You're okay, kid.

It's a scam.


Title: California: Kid in apartment shot a pellet gun at my dog. I chased him down and firmly put my knee into his back to pin him on ground. I also socked him 5 times in the head. Polce were not called. Family dropped off a medical bill at my place. Am I liable?

Answer:
 You are sorta screwed.  You 1) assaulted a minor and 2) technically kidnapped him (physically restrained against his will).

You will be lucky if the medical bills are all you end up dealing with.

A defense of "he was shooting my dog with a pellet gun" does not absolve you of your own crimes.  That was the kid's crime and even if it could be proved that the kid did this after assaulting him I doubt you'll get a DA to charge him with anything.Answer #2: Yes, you're liable. Two wrongs don't make a right here.


Title: My boss is stealing company equipment. What do I do?

Question:
I work in IT for a medium-sized firm, supporting the systems and computers there. What happened was, while getting training from my boss on his computer, I saw his eBay username. Curious me, I went to eBay to check it out. Saw a bunch of equipment that we use, checked the serial numbers in our inventory system, and sure enough, they show as being "in stock". Checked the history of the account, and this has been happening slowly over the past year. It's not too much equipment, but with how traceable this is, I'm afraid it will blow up in the future.

He's a treasured part of our company as well, constantly being recognized for his work. He does excellent work to support the site and enables me to do well.  He's also the only other person I work with besides his boss. I wouldn't be able to fill his shoes yet. It would not be good for anyone if he were fired.

We are good friends at work, and I am the best help he's ever had (he tells me). I am thinking of being a good friend and cluing him in that I am noticing equipment missing. If it comes down to it, I believe we can confide and get this to stop. He's a very reasonable person, but in a bad situation. Fortunately, it has not gone on too far. But I can ignore this, or report this as well. I have also taken screenshots to cover my ass.

Am I missing anything in terms of unseen consequences, legal or otherwise? This is the best job I've ever had and I don't want to screw it up. What should I do?

Answer: You need to tell the bosses boss. It will eat at you if you don't. Be sure to take your evidence with you when you do.


Title: School Permit

Question: Hey guys, first time poster here. If I did anything wrong let me know and I'll correct it. So to start it off, I'm 15 and have a school permit. My friend and I were driving around his neighborhood and we parked on this side street, thinking nothing of it, listening to music. We were just chilling there until this man approaches us with a Great Dane and pounds on my window, I, obviously scared, crack the window about an inch when he asks us what we're doing. We tell him were just listening to music causing no harm, he replies saying that we should leave because he "doesn't like the look of what's going on". We leave because we don't really want any attention pulled to us and go to a park and chill there until two police cruisers pull up on us and our friend. I get out and ask what's wrong and he said they were looking for a vehicle matching our description. The cop goes on to say that there was a complaint about us acting suspicious, I admit to parking on the side street and everything. He then asks for my ID and I present him a school permit which he then says this isn't a school event or even a school at all. He had me call my parents and they had to pick the car up. I know I was breaking the law, no question about that. I know it was a dumb idea but just get past that. Isn't it a right that I don't have to present my ID? I just was so flustered with my first police interaction to stop and think if I have to show him ID. Was there anything I should've done different? I was chill with the cop and  cooperated with him and he let me off easy with not reporting me. Thanks for all your help!

Answer:
 What's a school permit?

Where are you located?

What law were you breaking?


Title: Need help writing a clause in my lease that allows me to break it.

Question:
New Jersey resident here. I got a new landlord and he agreed to give me a lease with a clause that allows me to break it given two months notice. I need to hand write this part into the lease and I can't afford a lawyer. Any suggestions? Below is what I have so far.

At any time during the term of the lease, the landlord agrees to let the tenant break the lease agreement with two month notice with no charge to the tenant.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 > Landlord agrees to permit Tenant to terminate Lease at any time and without cause by providing Landlord 60-days written notice.

don't get too much cuter. straightforward and to the point. also doesn't allow landlord to do the same.

if possible you also want this typed into the lease if the rest is typewritten. if not possible make sure you both initial and date this specific clause in addition to signing as you would normally.


Title: The local Walmart that my mom works at makes their employees open their purses to make sure they aren't stealing

Question:
It sounds like an obvious violation of the 4th amendment, but I'm not a legal expert. I was just wondering if this is illegal like I think that it is?

Edit:
This is in South Carolina btw.

Answer:
 They are not forced to open it. They are asked to, so not an illegal search. They can walk out without doing it. They will be fired. Answer #2: The 4th amendment protects against *government* searches.

Private employers can require searches as part of a loss prevention policy.  They can fire you for not complying.Answer #3: It is not a violation of the 4th amendment.


Title: Pizza delivery with no delivery fee.

Question:
We have a policy that basically says if the delivery is over 5 miles away, we get $5 to deliver it. I took a delivery that was 11 miles away. I made a mistake that resulted in the customer cancelling the order. My manager says since the order was cancelled, and it was my fault, I do not get a delivery fee which results in me losing money on the job (about 40 miles of driving with no reimbursement beyond the hourly). I lost about $4 in gas plus wear on my car meaning I had a net loss of money while on the job.

Basicay, is it legal for my manager to have me use my vehicle to drive for free if I caused the mistake?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: You can raise a stink about this and potentially recover the money, but you'll be fired.


Title: MA - getting non-contributor off the deed to sell a home

Question:
EDIT: USA - Massachusetts

I bought a house with my then-pregnant girlfriend a year ago.  We needed her name on the paperwork to secure the loan (I do not have family members to help with this).  I paid 100% of the down payment from proceeds from my previous house.  I have made every mortgage/tax/insurance payment.  She does not reimburse me.  She pays for daycare and some food, but overall contribution to our expenses is like 75% me.

When things were ok in the relationship, she admitted without prompting that it was 100% my house, but now that things have soured badly, she is refusing to leave, and casually dropped how her name was on the deed.

I need to sell the house in order to afford another.  I did some basic homework and saw that the way to allow for a sale is to do a partition action.

The questions are:

1. in case such as this, where I can prove that I am the sole contributor, does that make the process go faster/smoother/cheaper?

2. Is a partition action a huge pain in the ass no matter what?

3. Does she have a leg to stand on because she does work and pays for childcare (my overall contribution to expenses is like 3:1)?

4.  Anything else I'm missing?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 This is going to be a huge PITA and very expensive.

Best bet is to offer her cash to sign a quit deed over to you.


Title: A letter from the attorney who is representing the The Cobbler

Question:
So got a letter today from the lawyer representing the cobbler. It basically says the same thing as the letter before (subpoena) but in addition it says "we have found this same IP address associated with bittorrent download of other titles. With the observed activity associated with you IP address, this type of material is likely tied to an adult at the address who was a permissive user rather than young children." Is this a scare tactic? Aren't they coming after me for just the Cobbler or for more?

Washington

Answer:
 We are missing some key information here. Who/what is "The Cobbler?" Did you steal some shoes from him?

In all seriousness, Google tells me there is a film by that name. Are you accused of illegally downloading it? Is this maybe an update from an earlier post that explains all this? (You mention a subpoena as if we already knew about it.) If so, please link the original post so we can catch up. Answer #2: Man, you really need to secure your unsecured WiFi so the homeless can't torrent things without your knowledge.


Title: Why is "damaging material" redacted from evidence?

Answer:
 Because the court only wants to violate the victims privacy as much as is necessary to achieve justice and because they don't want to give the alleged perpetrator back the fruits of his crimes.

These kinds of cases are challenging as different principles of the law collide. People should have access to the evidence against them, but when that evidence is sexual material from unconsenting adults or minors they may be harmed by knowing their abuser still has the material. Likewise prosecutors should be able to introduce all lawful evidence, but victims also should not have to have embarrassing or intimate materials and information widely shared.