Title: Partner and family starting to gaslight me. Not married only have a house together in CA. He says I'll get nothing. He payed the mortgage. I payed property taxes. NO agreement saying who had to pay anything.

Question:
I have been with my partner now for the better part of seven years. Early on I noticed that he tended to sleep a lot but he still went to work and maintained a life. Flash forward to today.

For the last two weeks he has slept until 5 p.m. nearly every day. I have expressed concern to his family on numerous occasions. And in my last exchange with his sister she told me that he views me as using him as a meal ticket. She said that he feels like going to work is just providing me with food and a "lifestyle".

I work as well. In fact in the coming two weeks I am going to be working 12 hours a day 6 days a week. It is not like I don't bring money to the relationship. However what I'm noticing is both my partner his sister and now his mother are starting to say things like I never said that you're using him for a meal ticket.   You are imagining it because you feel guilty. They're starting to try to get me to disbelieve my reality: in other words they're gaslighting me.

How do I get out of this situation as quickly as possible and sell this house and get my portion of it and move on with my life so I can get rid of these toxic people? Please please anyone help me with your advice I would greatly appreciate it.

Answer: You actually have joint ownership of the house? You are both on the title?Answer #2: Assuming you own the house jointly, you file a partition action in court to force the sale of the house and a split of any proceeds.


Title: [US-DC] Is there any recourse against a company for selling products tainted with mold if they have made you sick.

Question:
I went to a store this morning and purchased prepackaged cold brew coffee.  I was about to get back to work, but right after I bought the coffee, I opened it and took a swig as per usual.  I half swallowed a huge thing of mold floating in the bottle and began aggressively puking everywhere.  The bitter, musty taste was coating my mouth and after vomiting everything in my stomach I ran inside and washed my mouth out with water.  I puked a couple times after that and have been experiencing waves of nausea since.

I wrote to the company and filed a product quality report.  I have images and video of the remainder of the mold colony.  The product was not expired and it was sealed.  They basically said sorry - have a coupon for another one.  Is there anything I should be doing besides just trying to get better and not consuming their products ever again?

Answer: You're entitled to a refund of the cost of the cold brew coffee, and perhaps any medical expenses you've incurred.


Title: [FL, USA] My grandparents are kicking us out of a house they let us live in, but we have $10,000+ in renovations.

Question:
So my family has been an air force family for over 20 years. we've waited for the day to retire and move back to FL, to live close to family. With my GREAT-grandparents unfortunate death, we were offered to live in their house by my grandparents right about the time we retired. "Sure" we said, that sounds awesome! My parents moved in, put in $10,000 in renovating the house while my mom was in school in California and my dad working retail jobs trying to live. Basically my dad did %90 of the work while working shit jobs, in a house he's worked for his entire adult life.

I turned 18 and moved out two days after i got here. A few months later i lost my job due to the market and i'm back to living with my parents. That's fine, it happens, i want to go college anyways.

So that was the basis before my grandparents went ass over tea kettle. My grandparents threated my moms friend, a girl from california, to never  come back again. Ok, my mom was upset but other than that, nothing permanently damaging. She lives in california anyways, and there's tons of hotels around if she wants to visit.

Then they threatened my mom. Granny came over when my mom got back from doing some job networking, yelling at her to get off the hill. My dad gets home from a job interview since his last job was temp., and my grandpa tells him to get off the hill as well.

so i'm with my parents now, mom and dad are talking about divorce, and we're out of a house. We slept in a hotel last night, that ate up $100 out of our $300 budget.

What i'm wondeing is, no matter what the cost to my grandparents, is there any reimbursement for the money my parents put into this house? There was no papers or anything. My grandpa and his dad built this house. That's fine, but they're talking about bulldozing this house as well. Now since we're homeless with $300, we have nowhere to put our stove, fridge, dishwasher, tv, beds, couches, all that stuff.

Is there any legal action we can take in this situation? Both my parents are writing off the situation as a done deal, but i'd like to present to them options, if possible. My mom is just letting off the $10,000 of innovating, my dad just wants to be done with all of this. They gave us absolutely *no* notice. They are threatening to bulldoze the house, with all of the money we put into it. I'd just like to hear some thoughts or possibilities.

Answer:
 there is in Florida a concept of "unjust enrichment", where if your grandparents were unjustly enriched by the contributions of your parents then they can make a compensation claim

the problem is valuation, and tenants tend to massively overvalue their renovations, plus your grandparents could argue that the renovations were payment for rent

your parents would have to take your grandparents to court, and they don;t want to do that


Title: A Verizon technician replaced my equipment and lost the broken box, now Verizon is charging me

Question:
So I set up service in June of 2013 with Verizon Fios in NYC. It took about 3-4 different times for technicians coming out to finally get all my services to work properly and Verizon wound up comping my first month. In that time, I had a technician come out to repair my services. Well, he took my old TV set top box and replaced it with a new one.

Fast forward to June of 2014 when I'm moving out. I return the equipment in my possession and get my final bill stating I have a $100 credit coming my way. One month passes, no refund. Two months, nothing. August bill comes in(I kept checking online) and I notice a $626 charge for unreturned equipment. I call and they verify that I returned everything but one box, the box that the technician lost, or improperly stored. My initial call was 8/21 or there about. They assured me everything would be ok.

I come back from vacation, same thing. I've called at least 10 times now, about once a week. I've been promised its taken care of, that I'll get calls back and that this won't affect my credit, but none of these have happened.

They put a hold on collections until they sort this out. That lasts for 90 days. 90 days from 8/21 is rapidly approaching and I don't want to get sent to collections.

I can prove that I have returned everything and that they are the ones who messed up but they keep denying it and I feel like are just postponing until that 90 days is up and I am forced to pay.

Any ideas on how I should go about this? Small claims court? I've spoken to countless "supervisors".

**TL;DR A Verizon technician lost some equipment when they were repairing my services and now they are trying to charge me.**
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: There twitter support can be helpful I would try contacting them. You could also try the direct support option on dslreports.com in the verizon forums, but this May be above what they do.


Title: If beneficiaries are changed a few days before a suicide, would it allow the life insurance company to deny the claim? (Indiana)

Question:
Specifically talking about a State Farm 10 year $500,000 term life policy. The policy has been paid faithfully for three years.

This wouldn't reset the clock on any sort of suicide or incontestability clause, would it?  Would the insurance company be able to dispute the claim for any reason?  Could they claim fraud for some reason?  I'm concerned that they may use some little-known clause to contest the pay out.

Thanks.

Answer:
 please seek help. 1 (800) 273-8255 or /r/suicidewatch are resources for you to use.Answer #2: > If beneficiaries are changed a few days before a suicide, would it allow the life insurance company to deny the claim?

Usually, yes. Best case scenario is the claim would be tied up in court for years. And the insurance company would keep the money during that time.

But insurance law is complex, so you should contact a local attorney for specific advice.Answer #3: This is not a substitute for talking to an actual lawyer, but [here](http://time.com/money/3117698/how-life-insurance-policies-deal-with-suicide/) is a quick rundown of how insurance companies typically deal with suicide (usual caveat: all of this could vary *drastically* depending on the specific language of the policy). The short version:

>The "suicide clause." Usually, this clause states that no death benefit will be paid if the insured commits suicide within two years of taking out a policy. Whenever an insured person replaces an existing life insurance policy with a new one, the time clock for the suicide clause is set back to zero and starts over again.

...From a totally different perspective, anyone who loves you would *much* rather have you alive than have the $500K (corollary: anyone who would rather have the money doesn't actually love you and is generally a shitty person).Answer #4: - [National Suicide Prevention Lifeline](http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/): 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) Veterans press 1 to reach specialised support.

- [Online Chat](http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/gethelp/lifelinechat.aspx)

- Crisis Text Line: Text "START" to 741-741Answer #5: A quick Google search seems to indicate not. However, if you or a loved on is considering suicide, please get help - 1 (800) 273-8255.


Title: (NJ) first traffic ticket ever, i believe im not guilty but i dont know how to prove it.

Question: I was driving on the highway going the speed limit, then a car pulls up behind me. This is at night time so there is no way to see who is it, it was also very close to me. I assume this is someone tailgating me, so i speed up. There are no other cars around us so why is this guy so close. Of course i speed up he speeds up, i think this cop was baiting me into doing that just to get me going 15 above the limit. Also a dumb qustion but on the ticket there is only a court summons date and the violation, no fee or price to pay and i checked everywhere, is this normal?

Answer:
 > I assume this is someone tailgating me, so i speed up

When someone is tailgating you the responsible thing to do is to continue safely driving at or below the speed limit and then move out of their way allowing them to pass you as soon as possible. Arguing that the cop was "baiting" you into speeding will not go well for you in court. Answer #2: Why do you believe you are not guilty?  You said you were going 15 above the limit.

> on the ticket there is only a court summons date and the violation, no fee or price to pay and i checked everywhere, is this normal?

You can likely call the clerk to find out the dollar amount.  But the final amount may not be determined until the summons date.


Title: Parents claimed I molested their son, now I need a lawyer I can't afford

Question:
I'm a high-school student in Australia that teaches piano.
My student was running late so I was talking with a teacher to pass the time; she was telling me about where the student could improve. The student arrived so we went into the classroom and began the lesson. He made many mistakes throughout his practices but I slowly helped him get through everything he couldn't do -- slowly he was able to play the first piece well, so we moved onto the second. This was much more tedious than the former and took a lot of time before he finally got it right so I told him he did well and gave him a hug and I told him not to tell anyone because I was scared I'd get in trouble -- in hindsight this was very wrong and I shouldn't have done it. He didn't seem upset by that and we continued practicing.
When the lesson was over I sent him off with a pat on the back and a "good job" -- only for his parents to burst into the room a few minutes later claiming I sexually assaulted him. His father kept yelling at me saying he was going to sue me and call the police on me. He claimed that I kissed his son and touched his penis -- which I definitely did not.
I don't know whether this was just a threat or if he actually plans to take me to court which would be a huge problem for me because at the moment I have no money for a lawyer. I know I was in the wrong to do what I did, but can I get sued for that? I didn't molest their son -- I would never do anything like that; it's disgusting -- and they don't have any evidence to support their claim. Can I win this case if I do get taken to court? Is there anyway to get my money I used for the lawyer back, because I can't afford it at all? Would a public defence attorney be wise in this situation?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: I'm sure this has been said several times already but you done goofed and you need an attorney. And for future reference, don't tell a child something you wouldn't want relayed, children are little tape recorders.


Title: [CT,USA] Is this reasonable grounds to sue my workplace?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 For doing what? Giving you a job and a paycheck? Other people's work duties and checks have nothing to do with you. Answer #2: You cannot sue your workplace for giving someone else money, even if you feel it isn't deserved.

You cannot sue your workplace for firing you or laying you off, absent an employment contract or a violation of layoff rules.  Answer #3: What exactly do you think you can sue for here? Your step-dad is not obligated to employ you. Go get another job if you don't like this one.


Title: Illinois search of my vehicle that was at home.

Question: Over the course of the last few days I have been in the hospital due to a severe seizure and was transported 70 miles away to the nearest hospital that could deal with the issue. While I was in the hospital my fiance father asked my fiance if he could search my car- to which she said yes. The car was parked at my house and in my name, not hers. Something was found during the search and now the police officer is wanting me to come down to the station. Where do I stand here or how do i proceed

Answer:
 You get an attorney and don't talk to the policeAnswer #2: So, your fiance's father searched the car, then he called the police?

You need to talk to a lawyer, and not talk to the police.  Period.   If they have enough evidence, they will charge you with a crime.  If they don't, they will try to convince you that its in your best interest to help "clear things up".   That is the lie.  (Cops can lie to you).  What they want is to get more evidence or just get you to admit to a crime.    (they can be very convincing).

Since you were not seen with "the issue", they have no way to completely associate you with what was found.   (I mean, the dad or the gf could have planted it, then called the cops... see?   This is called reasonable doubt.)

You are not obligated under any law to talk to the cops.  Period.   Don't do it.  Ignore their calls, emails, and letters.    IMHO, it is unlikely you could be charged, since you were not even in possession of the car or "the issue" when discovered.


Title: Apartment complex is telling to sign up for cable/internet with Time Warner, when I have the option to choose other ISPs

Question:
Location: NC, USA

In the lease, it also states that
> You agree and consent that "apartment agency" has the right to designate who Your utility providers will be, to the extent allowed by applicable law.

I have already signed the lease so am I obligated to sign up with Time Warner? I know FCC prevents apartment rental agencies from only allowing one ISP to their residents. If I decide to sign up for a different ISP than Time Warner, what can they do?

Answer:
 My guess is that the apartment has set up the wiring so that no other ISP will be able to provide service.  But if you can find an ISP that is willing and able to provide a connection, then go for it.  Per FCC policy, the apartment cannot stop you.Answer #2: >..."apartment agency" has the right to designate who Your utility providers will be, to the extent allowed by applicable law.

That's like saying "We have the right to beat you to the extent allowed by law."

In both cases, the extent allowed is zero. The landlord has no such right under applicable law.

>If I decide to sign up for a different ISP than Time Warner, what can they do?

At worst, they can sue you for breaching the lease. However, given the FCC's ruling, they're unlikely to succeed.


Title: [TX] I stomped on a guys windshield when he started to flee the scene of a wreck he cause.

Question: Now I'm being charged with a class b misdemeanor for criminal mischief. I'm a fucking idiot. I should have just let him drive off. The guy rear-ended me and one other person. I stepped out of my car and he pulled right up to my knees with his front bumper and waved me to get out of the way. I was like hell nah you ain't getting away with this. Stomped his windshield and instantly regretted it. Should I even bring this part up with my court appointed lawyer tomorrow? I'm freaking out here. It says this charge requires 180 days in jail. That would ruin my life. What do?

Answer:
 How exactly did you stomp on his windshield? Are you 12’ tall? Answer #2: Did you have to climb on top of this guys hood to stomp his wind shield??Answer #3: You were in the wrong as far as the law is concerned.

Tell your attorney everything.

It's unlikely you will go to jail for a misdemeanor for more than a few hours, at worst, while you work out bail. Assuming you have no criminal record.

Might end up costing you a few thousand though...

Answer #4: This is the most Texas story I've ever heard. Answer #5: Timing is everything here. If he swerved out from behind your car and up to your knees as you stood there, that is life threatening. If he proceeded even an inch it could have broken both legs. I'd consider it reasonable to jump on the hood for self protection. Breaking the window may be considered reasonable to protect you from him driving off with you on the hood. Don't talk to police. Just talk with your attorney. A good attorney will put a whole new face on what happened and be looking for charges on the driver/offender and civilly for threat against you.Answer #6: Tell your attorney everything.  I don't have a crystal ball, but if you have a clean record, there's a chance you'll be given a plea agreement to a reduced charge that will reduce or eliminate jail time.Answer #7: Can’t you come back at him for fleeing the scene of an accident? While you’ll still get punished so will they


Title: [AZ] Probation officer leaves business card on my door?

Question:
Hi everyone,

Was hoping someone could shed some light on something super creepy/weird that just happened at my apartment. I moved into a newly renovated apartment complex two months ago. I don't answer the door as a policy for people I am not expecting. This morning I slept in and someone aggressively knocked on my door. I didn't answer but noted a guy in khakis and a polo shirt was outside by peeking through the blinds. I wasn't expecting anyone. I opened the door a few minutes later and found a business card with this dude's name (First name and last initial only) stating he's from my county's probation office and that I need to call him? Sounds like a scam. I called my county's probation office and they told me it wasn't a scam and that the guy did work for them. So I called the "probation officer's" cell number and left a message. I've never been arrested in my life. The only thing I can think of is that someone who was on probation used to live in this apartment? Any ideas, guys?

FWIW I'm three days out from taking the bar exam and am sufficiently spooked as-is. Don't need a case of mistaken identity screwing up everything even more.

EDIT: Probation officer called me back; someone with an arrest warrant gave an address to a convenience store down the street from me and since my address is closest to the convenience store address they tried here instead. Downside is that they told me other law enforcement agencies could still come to my place since they can't change the address on the arrest warrant? Ayyyyy. Not what I need three days before the bar exam, but at least I got my explanation. Thanks guys!

Answer: Sounds like they're looking for someone else.


Title: Applying for citizenship through naturalization

Question: I am applying for citizenship through naturalization. I have been a permanent resident since 1988. In 2009 I was convicted of misdemeanor first degree petite theft. According to my court disposition I was not sentenced to any jail time. The maximum penalty for this was a jail sentence not exceeding a year. From what I can tell this does not fall under aggravated felony and is within the definition of petty offense definition. I do not think I would be inadmissible as a citizen. My concern is the deportability factor. Under INA act 237 for general classes of deportable aliens a crime of moral turpitude comited within 5 year (or 10under certain conditions) and is convicted of a crime where a sentence of one year or longer may be imposed is deportable. Since I came to the USA in 1988 I don't not meet the first requirement bit I do meet the second. the maximum possible jail sentence was not exceeding a year. So my question is am I deportable? Is my understanding of the word "and" correct? I need both conditions to be meet to be deportable? This is in Florida. Thank you for your time.

Answer: You need an immigration attorney, this is to important to get wrong and it's not DIY territory.


Title: Is it possible to start a company without ever having my name listed as being related to the company in any way?

Question:
I need to start a company to sell a product that I built. There is a chance to make some serious money here. This is all great, but I really like my life right now and don't want to change anything and I don't want anyone to know how much money I am going to make off of it.
There is enough money here that it would completely change the lives of my kids and family and we are all very comfortable with our middle class life.
So my question is, is it possible to do this without ever having my name on a publicly available document?

thanks in advance

Edit: I am in the US
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Yes there is.  The others posting here are incorrect.

You can do a Wyoming LLC where only the organizer is listed online. However whatever bank account you use would know.

You can do an LLC and bank account offshore.  It would be reported to IRS and such but with an offshore LLC coupled with a St. Lucia bank account, for example, nobody in your world would ever have any idea and you could receive money into your offshore bank and spend it with a debit card.

The total cost of setting this up would be about $1,900 and would take about a month.

Full disclosure/ I am a director of an offshore trust company.  Ping me if you want I can put you in touch with someone who can set this up for you.


Title: [IN] House mate bought new appliances for the house months ago, decides to move out, draws up contract and is forcing me to sign. Do I have to sign?

Question:
Hello Reddit, first time posting in legal advice. Just want to clear up some things that I have going on in my life currently.

I am currently residing in Indiana. I have a roommate who pays around $380 a month, no lease, just a verbal agreement between Him and I to pay monthly, no problem. He recently has decided to move out at the end of May, but today he has brought up that I must pay him for the Washer, Dryer, and the refrigerator. All which costs in the $ x,000 which would render me bankrupt and would lose my house in the process. He stated today, that I must pay him back for what he spent on the appliances and will have a contract drawn up and I must sign the paperwork. I don't want to ultimately lose these appliances because they are basic utilities that i need for my everyday life.

Also I forgot to mention, that I own the house, I pay all the bills (except the portion he pays), and all utilities are in my name.

Do I have to sign the contract? If I don't sign the contract, can he remove the appliances out of the house after he has moved out or are they technically mine because they are in my house?

Thank you Reddit for your help.

TL;DR - House mate is moving out and has paid for appliances (washer, dryer, fridge) is demanding monthly payment for them by contract (have not signed or seen contract). Do I have to pay or are the appliances mine because they are in my household?

Answer:
 Did he gift these appliances to you or was their purchase a part of any rent he was to pay you? If not, he owns them and can take them with him when he leaves. If you want the appliances, you will need to come to an accommodation with him.Answer #2: There's a ton of factors involved.

You've already said he did not purchase them in lieu of rent. So that points to his sole ownership and he is free to take his property when he moves.

You say that other than the refrigerator, everything else was in working order. What is everything else? And what was done with the original appliances? Were they sold? What conversations did you two have when all of this was taking place (him buying new, removing and disposing of old)?

Were the his appliances brand new or used-but-better than yours?

Okay, like someone else said, it's clear he doesn't want to take these appliances with him. He is not entitled to "full price" for these appliances. Depreciation is pretty easy to calculate. Google "depreciation formula _________" for each appliance. That will be the fair market value and you should be able to haggle with him from there. Maybe you can work out a payment plan. Get it in writing.


Title: I was handed a letter that states I possibly have $50,000 towards education....what do I do now?

Question:
Hey guys!

So I am not sure if I am posting this in the correct place but I'm sure if I am not, someone will let me know where I should be posting this.

I came across a letter today and I am a bit curious as to how to go about finding some more information on it. I am a recent college grad, about to start paying off my student loans. In the middle of my nervousness about having to start paying my loans back, I brought it up to my mother who in return handed me a letter. The letter was addressed to an old family friend and has a Fordham University letterhead. The letter seems to be some sort of will in which I am mentioned on it on the fourth bullet point that states: $50,000 for the education of \(my fathers name\) daughter. This money would help me out a lot if there is a way of me actually getting it because it would help me cover my loans. My question is what do I do now? Do I contact the university? Is the money only to be used at this specific university? Someone help me in my confusion please.

Answer:
 This sounds a lot like a scam...

BUT go ahead and contact the person who sent the letter. Proceed with caution. As soon as they ask you to send them money in order to get your $50,000, then you know it's a scam.Answer #2: Nobody here can opine on an unseen letter.

Take it to a probate attorney and see whether it is meaningful or not.

Until you know for sure otherwise (which, bluntly, is a very long shot), assume that the letter is worthless and you will have to deal with the entire financial burden you are under by yourself.


Title: I think AT&T is making me wait 30+ minutes to cancel my service for no reason, are they allowed to legally?

Question:
Edit: 2 quick responses saying I have no case, advice taken. Thanks folks, just thought I'd ask.

Not a serious matter but I really hate getting bullshit so I'm asking for advice. I call AT&T to cancel internet service in Texas around lunch time. I get an automated voice asking for the reason to my call and I answer "To cancel my service." They put me on hold saying their representatives are busy and I wait 30 minutes before I decide to hang up and call back later. I wait until 5:00 and I call again, same story. I get an idea so I hang up, but I call back immediately afterward and when the automatic voice asks the reason I say "To upgrade my service." I don't wait at all and I am immediately connected to a representative. I did the exact same thing afterwards on a different day, same thing. I had to wait 20+ minutes to talk to a representative to ask to cancel a service, but I get an immediate response to asking for an upgrade.

So I feel like this is morally wrong but legally do I have a strong case? And if I do, is it simple enough that I can represent myself in something like a small claims court? I don't really care if some say it isn't worth the time because I have a lot and would enjoy learning the court process firsthand.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: You have no case at all.


Title: If a person has no will and commits suicide, what happens to their assets?

Question:
Currently unmarried, legal adult, but co-own (aka paying a mortgage) on a home with a significant other of 5.5 years.

If I were to commit suicide where would my assets go if I have no will? Like I said I am unmarried, I have no offspring, and I guess my closest family would be my parents and sibling. I don't have much, but I have some money in savings. Where would that go? And as far as belongings, if I have no will would my family and SO be able to split things up or would my family get it all or would it all get eaten up by the state?

What would happen to my medical bills?

If I left a suicide note would I be able to legally designate things there or would it have to be an official will or stamped by one of those official licensed legal witness people (can't think of the term right now).

Lastly, if the answer is yes you need a will to all those, generally how long does it take to get an offical will in order?

Signed, a chronically ill SD, USA resident.

Answer:
 I'm not a lawyer but please call:

**[USA and Canada Phonelines](https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/)**

Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Trans Lifeline 1-877-565-8860 (USA)  1-877-330-6366 (Canada)

Military Veterans 1-800-273-TALK (8522) and Press 1

Spanish Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and Press 2

**[Directory of International Call Centers](http://iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/)**

**[Directory of IM and Chat Centers](http://www.nowmattersnow.org/help-line)**

Please accept their help, if not for your sake then for your childhood self, your future self and your significant other.


Title: A Hospital Caused Me To Live My Life Legally Blind

Question:
Ok this is a very long story and I do not have the time or memory to explain everything.
I am a 14 year old boy that live in California. I’m just going to get right into the story.
When I was 5 years old I told my mom that I was having pain in my head arms legs etc. my mom, being over protective like she is (in a good way) took me to the hospital in question, and long story short, the doctor told me I was find and it was just growing pain. Over the next ~2 weeks I kept having pain and told my mom that the TV is blurry for some reason. My mom was extremely scared so we went  to a different hospital. My grandma came with me for whatever reason (don’t remember). I think the insurance or something wasn’t working, but my grandma yelled at the people and told them that I NEEDED to see a doctor. They eventually got me to someone and eventually they told me I needed to be sent to another hospital immediately.
I then was taken immediately on a helicopter to LA where I went to a very large hospital. They then discovered my vision was getting worse from a sudo tumor and I needed to be treated immediately.
Now today and for the rest of my life I will have worse vision and be legally blind just because of a doctor that did nothing about what he saw.
I want to know if I have a good case here. I am 14 and writing this on my phone so if anything is too vague or misspelled then im sorry. Thabk you for reading my story, and thank you in advance to any future responses

Answer: The medical malpractice bot didn’t seem to pick this up, but the answer is that it’s beyond the scope of this sub.  Medical malpractice is incredibly fact specific.  You have to prove that a doctor breached the standard of care which must be established by experts and again is very fact specific.  You can seek a consult from a medical malpractice attorney, many do free consults and may even take on cases for a % of any settlement or judgment meaning you have limited out of pocket costs.  Sorry that’s the most anyone can realistically tell you here.


Title: Final update: Fired because my coworkers knew my pay rate.

Question:
First off I'd like to thank everyone here for their advice and assistance in getting this taken care of.

In July I was fired from my position because my coworkers knew my hourly rate, and my boss at the time had forbidden anyone to discuss that information.  I knew this was illegal so I asked all of you what I should do, and you came through.  One of the first suggestions I got was to contact the NLRB, and that's exactly what I did.  I didn't end up contacting a lawyer on my own and ended up just going through the NLRB, but they were pretty awesome about the whole thing.  I definitely felt like they had my back the whole time and they were very helpful and professional.  They appointed me a lawyer for the case and we were preparing for trial next month when the company decided to settle.  I got back pay plus interest, the company has to post a notice telling everyone they were wrong and that they're allowed to talk about pay, and they had to offer me my position back (which I declined).

So seriously thank you all.  I wouldn't have known where to start without this sub.

TLDR: Company did something illegal, asked r/legaladvice what to do, got advice, took advice, got paid.

Answer:
 [original post](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3dk4pq/fired_because_my_coworkers_knew_my_pay_rate_i/) and [update](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3j8mi4/update_fired_because_my_coworkers_knew_my_pay_rate/).

this was probably the best result you could have gotten from a super shitty situation. i'm glad the NLRB was able to help!Answer #2: >they had to offer me my position back (which I declined).

I'm curious, did you qualify for unemployment during this whole ordeal?

Answer #3: So what you are saying is not only standing up for yourself the right thing to do, but it also can pay off? You are a hero.Answer #4: Damn, nice. I've always wondered how much weight there was too those contact the NLRB responses.

Was this a state or federal thing?Answer #5: if the contracts actually had an NDA for pay rates, would that be a valid and legal reason then?Answer #6: Wow!  Thanks for the update!  Glad you've found a different position at a better place (I assume).
Answer #7: Woohoo!

It's always nice to see some justice. Glad everything worked out for you, OP.Answer #8: So drinks on OP?


Title: Sister and Boyfriend Bought Furniture Together Nightmare

Question:
My sister and her boyfriend recently bought $5,000 worth of furniture together for HER new house (not his, though he'll be staying there). They got a 0% interest for 12 months credit card in his name to buy it with because she didn't want another credit card. She is still going to be the one actually paying for the furniture even though the card is in his name.

 I am worried that they will break up and he will take all of the furniture with him since the card is in his name even though she's actually paying for it.

 I am located in Missouri. Is there anything that she can do to prevent this in the event of a break up? Does it help if the payments are coming out of her bank account? Thank you!

Answer: Considering she's living with someone without an agreement that outlines what happens during a break up, buying furniture is the least of her problems.


Title: Does your right to remain silent supersede ID laws?

Question: I know some statutes declare that you must give ID **if** you are suspected of committing a crime, BUT can you exercise your right to remain silent (verbally declare so because Berghuis v. Thompkins) before that, thereby implying that you do not have to ID yourself even if you are suspected?

Answer:
 No, because your identity isn't something that could incriminate you, and the state's interest in knowing who you are (when they have reasonable suspicion that you committed a crime) overrides your interest in keeping your identity secret (in those states where you are required to identify yourself.)

Note that identifying yourself is not the same as showing your ID.  You generally aren't required to carry ID, unless you're doing something that requires you to (such as driving), so you logically couldn't be forced to show your ID.Answer #2: There are no cases where a "stop and identify" law has been overturned because of the 5th amendment as far as I know.


Title: My kid bit another kid at a play place, parents might be looking for a payout

Question:
My almost 2 year old bit another kid at a play place and the parents freaked out. It didn't break the skin and they didn't leave to take the kid to the doc. They got all weird and started making phone calls like they were talking to a lawyer or something and posturing my wife. My wife made the mistake of giving them her phone #, then realized they were probably seeing dollar signs. What is our responsibility here? Anything we should do to get our ducks in a row if they do call?

Edit, this is in the US.

Answer: Almost certainly not. A 2 year old can't really do anything willfully or maliciously.Answer #2: They sound rather crazy. Ask them not to contact you again the next time they call, and then ignore them if they keep trying.


Title: Need to get help but don't want to be forced to go to a mental hospital or jail

Question:
I need to get some kind of major psychological help, but I'm scared that if I tell someone that I'll be forced to go to a mental institution. I'll also scared about what I may do... Here's what has been happening to me lately. I've had a growing desire to watch animal snuff videos, animal abuse pictures, etc. What started as morbid curiosity has morphed into fantasies where I want to hurt young animals, mainly kittens. I have a psychiatrist but doesn't he have to report me if I'm a danger to myself and others. I've been thinking of plans on how to carry it out. For legal purposes, can I go to jail for harming stray animals? I live in Texas.

Basically, I'm sick and getting sicker. I don't want to go to jail or a mental hospital. It's just that damnit when I watch those videos I WANT that control. I want to hear their cries. I want to feel life leaving their bodies. Please help me. I'm not trolling. Im scared. And most importantly, **I have not hurt any animals before.**

Answer:
 Yes, you can go to jail for harming stray animals. It sounds like you need some serious help and you should consider going to a mental facility voluntarily before you end up in jail against your will.Answer #2: Please be open with your shrink about this. Right now there's no mandatory reporting for what you're going through. You really really want to get help before you get to a point of actually causing harm. Good luck, and thank you for having enough self-awareness to know this is a problem and wrong.
Edit: And if you do actually harm stray animals.... there's few things more despicable. Please don't do this. I live in Texas.


Title: A Crown Victoria car is driving through the parking lot with 4 cameras at a business park. Appears to be scanning license plates. Is this legal? Is it a cop?

Question: I live in Ohio if that matters.  Not the first time I've seen him.  Considering call the local police office to ask about it.

Answer:
 It's a Repo man. We had one in our parking lot a few months ago.

As soon as I approached the car to ask him who he was and what he's doing he pulled out of the lot faster than he should have. A police officer in the town where my employer is located would have talked to me as we're a big employer in the town. Answer #2: It's legal. Could be a cop. Could be a private investigator or a security company.Answer #3: This is likely the reason:

http://consumerist.com/2014/03/05/the-repo-man-might-be-scanning-your-cars-license-plate-and-location-selling-the-data/Answer #4: Magic 8-ball says "signs point to yes". Answer #5: They're called automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and are totally legal. Anything in public is legally allowed to be photographed. I install these in Texas. They are used by law enforcement and repo companies mainly.Answer #6: It's probably a repo company looking for cars.Answer #7: Police are doing this all over the country, so it's probably them. In San Jose they're [probably going to put them on garbage trucks too](http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/08/forget-license-plate-readers-on-police-cars-how-about-on-garbage-trucks/).Answer #8: Could be private parking enforcement as well.

There is nothing illegal about photographing cars parked in public, or on private property with authorization from the property owner.


Title: Stepped on Rusty Nail at my Apartment Complex. Can they be sued for negligence?

Question:
My cat escaped the back patio and I ran after her barefoot. In doing so I stepped on a 2" rusty nail attached to a small piece of metal. Is the apartment complex liable? There was some construction a few months ago and they are currently doing renovations though out. Would this be negligence? Or can they argue that anyone could have dropped it?  I'm a professional dancer and my feet are necessities for my job. I'm afraid of infection.

Edit: location Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Answer:
 If the rusty nail was left in a public area that is maintained by the complex, both them and the construction company could be liable for any damages you suffered as a result of stepping on the nail.

They could try to argue someone else dropped it, but the issue is whether the preponderance of the evidence suggests the construction company dropped it and the apartment complex failed to monitor the construction to ensure no hazards were left in the public areas. In this case, the most likely scenario is it was left by the construction people.

However, they'd only be liable if it turns out you end up with major medical bills and/or lost wages as a result of the injury. Absent clear monetary damages, there's nothing to sue over.


Title: Forgot to close a foriegn bank account, I received an email saying I needed to look at something important and that they "can help."

Question:
I, a Canadian Male, went backpacking in Australia for a year in 2016/2017. I opened a debit account at a bank there, I intended to close it before I left but honestly forgot about it. I recently received a cryptic email saying there was important information I needed to look at and that they "could help" me.

I admit it was stupid of me to not close the account and there was no type of credit line attached. I think if anything I may have an outstanding debt of the account fees that have racked up since coming home. My question is if this is something I need to deal with? I tried logging into their website but no longer have the debit card issued to me. I doubt the debt is more than a few hundred dollars, but I haven't used the account in literal years. Can I ignore it, or would they have any kind of recourse with me living in Canada? I could probably call their international line, but at this point I'm wondering if it's worth contacting them to pay a debt for account fees on an account I no longer use.

Answer:
 Are you sure it is actually send by the bank. It sounds like a phishing/scam mail.
First try to verify that using contact information from the website paper information you have.Answer #2: We get a hell of a lot of email scams claiming to be a bank. I get one a week at the minimum.

Most of the time it doesn't mean anything but it also wouldn't hurt to find the number to said bank and ask if there's an issue  ( obviously don't use the number from the email)

I'm not sure about the legals behind it but I don't see it being an issue. Commonwealth bank and heritage bank just close the accounts if they haven't been used in a while


Title: Someone I know was accused of child abuse by a bitter estranged wife. First steps?

Question:
[Georgia, USA]

Just got a call from a person I know who's wife accused him of child abuse to the police. He claims to have never done anything to both the child or his wife ever. What kind of steps should he take at this point?

Answer: He needs to hire a lawyer.


Title: College Student Worried about being fingered.

Question:
I promise this title wasn't intended as clickbait. I meant to finish it with "for rape", but I guess I dropped the ball.
Hi, /r/legaladvice. I'm currently a college student living in Orinda, California, but my question pertains to Fort Worth, Texas. I'm about to transfer to Texas Christian University, and I want to make sure I don't get expelled or even criminally charged for rape.
I don't exactly live a chaste lifestyle, and presuming that continues when I arrive, I'm worried about female students calling me a rapist on this new "collegiate rape-culture" sensation. My questions number three.
* Most importantly: What constitutes consent? How can I know I'm not breaking the law?
* If I am falsely accused of rape, what should I do to protect myself?
* I think I know the answer to this one, but if I am expelled, etc. after being accused of rape, again, assuming that I didn't commit it, do I have Legal Recourse? (I assume I don't)
I wasn't able to find clear answers from a cursory search. Hope this question hasn't been done-to-death.
EDIT: Reddit formatting isn't exactly like riding a bike

Answer:
 >What constitutes consent? How can I know I'm not breaking the law?

When she says yes. Stop doing anything to her when she says no and only do things when she says yes is a good rule of thumb.

>If I am falsely accused of rape, what should I do to protect myself?

Say nothing to **anyone** except your lawyer. Anything you say will be used against you.

>do I have Legal Recourse?

Can't say for your school but my school has an appeal process which one can use to be reinstated.


Title: [tx] is it legal for my neighbors to put traffic cones on our streets to slow down drivers?

Question:
Hey guys,
I live in Texas suburbia (with an HOA) in a middle class neighborhood with loads of families with small children.

We have posted street signs for 30mph on the main road that runs through the neighborhood. Certain streets have small speed bumps, but most don't. There are also loads of greenspaces and parks scattered throughout the neighborhood.

My question is, some neighbors have started putting store-bought traffic cones on the roads where their kids play, meaning to slow traffic, is this legal? When it's been suggested that they use the provided green spaces they basically either say "we can't let our kids out of our sight in this terrible world of today" or "kids will be kids, you never know when a ball could roll into the road!"

From a prelim search I find that it is illegal by anecdotes, but couldn't find any actual statutes or whatever on it. I'm really just curious.

Edited pros to parks.

Answer:
 Just call the non emergency police.

If my neighbors tried to make some kind of homemade weaver I would just stop my car, move the cones out of the way, and drive on through. But you may be more confrontation averse.  Answer #2: Are they blocking the road?Answer #3: Sorry to hijack this comment, but can anyone find it if this is legal in Georgia? There's so many lawn care businesses that block 3/4ths of the road in neighborhoods with their giant equipment vans and then out comes a good 3 or 4 feet from their vehicle to keep cars away. It creates a really dangerous situation, especially with the younger teenagers that fly through my neighborhood


Title: Leaving money on the table at a restaurant. When does the ownership of the money transfer?

Question: I was at a friends birthday dinner the other day and the bill for about 14 people was something like 1400 bucks.  Everyone had brought cash and so there was a huge amount of paper money on the table when we were ready to leave and walked out.  I was wondering, if someone walked passed and stole the money and walked out, could the resturant hold us accountable for the bill?  Or has the money been stolen from the restaurant?  When does ownership of that money transfer over?  I've had trouble googling an answer.  This is in the U.S. by the way.

Answer:
 The money transfers when someone accepts it.  So yes, the restaurant could sue you for the bill if they found no money on the table.

You should've handed that off to someone, especially in that quantity.Answer #2: While not legal, a lot of restaurants make the server cover the cost of dine and dashes or if the customer shorts them money. Why wouldn't you just take a minute to find your server and hand the money to them? It's really irresponsible to just leave that lying around.


Title: Rented a room from friend's mom - now she's demanding more than we owe her. Advice?

Question:
Okay, this one is a doozy. Let's lay it all out.

March 1st, my SO and I moved into a spare room that our friend's mom was renting out. She does not have any sort of license to legally rent out a room. This is also in Schaumburg, IL. We didn't sign a contract or do a lease or anything, it was understood that it was month to month. We were actively looking for real estate in our area.

Living with her was a complete nightmare, for reasons far too long to list here. We paid our rent on time however, for march, april, and we gave her a check for may. We were paying her $500 a month.

May 4th, she still has not deposited our rent check. I happened to find an excellent rental opportunity, so I immediately let her know that we had a good feeling about the place and would like it very much if she could return our $500 check, and we would give her a $250 check, and give her another $250 if it didn't work out. She was very flustered about it, but in the end, accepted it.

The next day, we saw the potential apartment and felt good about it, so I called her and let her know that I definitely would like to split the checks. She stated that she had No knowledge of the conversation, that I was incorrect, and that she now wanted $300. In the end, we agreed to give her $300 upon moving out, and she told us she wouldn't deposit the original $500 check.

Fast forward to several days later, we end up getting the apartment and plan on moving a week later from our first notice. Last night, I talked to her in person and explained that we were moving out the next day (today), and I'd like the old check back so I can give her the new one. She laughed in my face and told me that she already deposited my $500 check. She also told me that I needed to learn 'how the world works' and 'the rules of the world'.

Immediately, I went to my room and put a stop payment on the check. It came with a $25 fee. Today, when we moved out, we ended up giving her a check for $200 (because 13 days at $500/month is about $225, and we deducted the stop payment fee from the check).

We have since completely moved out of the house, and she has gone ballistic. She has texted me over 5 times telling me she is going to take me to court, make me pay double the rent, damage my SO's credit, etc on and on. I would like to know, does she have any legal standing to take us to court? Thanks for your help!

Answer:
 A few things that happened

1. You didn't give appropriate notice

2. You deducted the cost of a stop payment you decided to place from rent you owed

3. You decided to prorate rent yourself.

4. There was a modification of the month-to-month rental agreement for May. What is enforceable, I'm not sure of at this moment.

>She laughed in my face and told me that she already deposited my $500 check. She also told me that I needed to learn 'how the world works' and 'the rules of the world'.

It would seem that you do in fact need to learn the rules/laws of your jurisdiction. Further, you are likely liable to your landlord for some amount. A judgment will be reflected on your credit reports.


Title: Old employer is costing me my career

Question:
I worked for my ex's parents company for 3 years.  I sold my own company to help them run theirs.

When I broke up with my ex I also left the company.  I gave 2 weeks notice but they wanted months.  We ultimately agreed on 6 weeks but they had to write me a $25k check for staying that final month.

Since then I can't put them on my resume because anyone that calls to confirm my employment gets told "there's an investigation and that's all they are willing to say"

That "investigation" is BS.  They're saying it because I didnt want to give more than 2 weeks notice.

Its been over a year and they're still using that line.   Is this legal in NYC?

Answer:
 If that is all they are saying then it's not slander. Stop giving them as a reference.Answer #2: Certainly stop giving them as a reference.

If they defame you with a reference with a provably false statement, [you may have a case.] (http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/reference-laws-new-york.html) Answer #3: You could sue for defamation if you wanted to.  Ignore the posts arguing that the defense of truth applies even if they claim that they are "investigating" the duration of your bathroom breaks.

Truth is a defense that has to be proved; let them explain to the jury what they meant by you being "under investigation," and then let the jury decide whether that was actually the "truth".

Similarly, if a former employer told everyone that they fired an employee after they learned that there were charges against him, but the charges were actually $1 in late fees imposed by the library, that technically true statement will not likely protect them from defamation charges.

"We fired him after we learned he had a history of stealing" (second base in Little League).

"We fired him because we discovered he was a terrorist."(one Halloween when he was in college). Answer #4: You can't force them to give a good recommendation.


Title: My ex (28tf) is backing out of our agreement to sign away custody. She's lying about my husband (25m) and me (27f) and I don't know what to do. OREGON.

Question:
This is a long story but I will try to keep is short. We're in Oregon.

The quick background is that my ex Starfire (formerly Joey) and I broke up January 2015 due to her coming out of the closet as a trans woman. We have an almost three year old daughter. Starfire was supposed to watch her while I was at work, an agreement we kept even after separating. I own my home and she moved into the guest room.

In February I started seeing a different housemate, a long time friend of mine who had been renting a room in my house. Starfire went into constant drunken rages, threatening to kill herself and lying to the police when we called out of concern. She began sleeping all day and neglecting our daughter.

I asked that she get a job instead of staying home with our daughter because I was coming home to her covered in sharpie or in dangerous situations around the house because she was 14 months old and completely unsupervised.

I gave her my second car (both acquired before our relationship began) and asked her to come back and watch our daughter until she found a job. Her friend offered a free room and I thought that getting space would make her a better parent at least.

She left and never came back. My now husband, Ryan, quit his job because I make more, and so he took on the SAHD roll right away. Our daughter was already confortable with him and began calling him daddy all on her own.

The next thing I heard from Starfire was in April 2015 and she had totaled my car while driving drunk. I did not ask for child support until I lost my job and insurance and had to get on OHP, through which they automatically garnish wages of the other bio parent.

After her wages began to be garnished she called me to tell me that she could not afford to pay child support. This was in June 2015. She asked that Ryan adopt our daughter and requested to relinquish parenting rights. We have no custody order and she didn't show up to the mutually scheduled mediation in June 2015.

My husband and I eloped in July 2015 to solidify a marriage for the sake of adoption. We began saving for the cost of the adoption. Nova lost her job and I was no longer receiving child support once again. I took a new position that payed much less, but afforded much more time with my daughter.

Fast forward to January 2016 when I contact Starfire and ask her to sign the paperwork relinquishing parenthood. She agreed but kept pushing back the meeting. In March she told us that she would rather be involved in our daughter's life. We talked to a CPS worker and they said that Starfire needed to find a therapeutic environment to reintroduce her into our daughter's life.

We have heard nothing since then, except that my ex now refuses to speak to me without the presence of a mediator, something I had tried at the beginning of the breakup. She has made no plans for either meeting, so I don't even know what service she plans to use.

I also found out through mutual friends that she is saying that she fled for her own safety and that she had to leave Mia due to my emotional abuse. I have email chains and text messages that prove otherwise.

I guess my question is about whether Ryan can still adopt out daughter? Should I take Starfire to court? Or should I wait to see if she takes me to court? Should I be looking for a mediator?

I'm really out of my depth here. The family lawyer I consulted with was helpful in educating me on my rights, but this new development seems time sensitive and legal aide is booked solid.

Please, any advice would be great. Thank you. Feel free to ask clarifying questions.

TL;DR: My ex backed out of having my husband adopt our daughter and is now telling everyone I was abusive and she fled for her safety. What should I be doing here?

Answer: You can proceed, but you'd have to get the court to terminate Starfire's parental rights before the adoption. If she doesn't want to do this, the judge may not grant it. Courts are very hesitant to grant them. TPR is nicknamed "the death penalty of family law" because there's not really any way of coming back from it. Starfire will no longer have any rights to your daughter.


Title: My boyfriend lives in an apartment in Ohio, his "property manager" is threatening him with a three-day eviction if I do not complete the lease application.

Question:
My boyfriend lives in the apartment and has since November 2014 in Ohio. He pays all bills associated with, I pay nothing. I live with my parents in Michigan and stay with him almost everyday of the week. She is asking that I fill-out a lease application which will include a background and credit check, along with $50.

She says that I live there because she sees me all the time with my dog. Am I required to complete this since neither of us want me on the lease?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Well you are effectively living there off lease. Does your bfs lease say anything about long term guests or roommates?Answer #2: Same thing happened to me, my girlfriend basically moved in and my landlord wanted an application and application fee.

What did I do?  I filled out an application and paid an application fee.

Why?  Because she moved in and it was the right thing to do.  And because fighting an eviction is a hell of a lot more trouble than just doing it.

You will lose this one and get evicted, over $50.

Just fill out an application and pay the application fee.Answer #3: His lease will likely contain a clause governing the frequency of overnight guest stays. If you are complying with the lease, he can't evict your boyfriend. If you aren't - say, if the lease limits guests to three times a week and you're there every day - then he could conceivably begin an eviction case. Either way you should probably just fill out the application. Better safe than sorry.


Title: Please help me get to Canada

Question: I have planed a road trip to Canada about a month ago and after working hard to take off work and get people to cover me, last night I found out that my passport is expired... It’s a huge fuck up considering that I am supposed to be leaving 3 days from now and they take forever to be renewed.  Do any of you know of other documents that I could take to be able to cross the border? I’ve been trying to look it up, but websites are saying different things and all of the places that customs hotline are referring me to are disconnected.

Answer: If you go to a passport service center and pay for expedited service, you can get your passport renewed in 24 hrs.


Title: i bumped into a kid on his bicycle as i was pulling out of a gated community in texas. what should i do?

Question:
so this just happened. i was pulling out of the gate , about to join the main road when this kid sped accross me so i hit him. I got out called his mum he seemed fine, they denied ambluance and said they would get him to the hospital and that they would be in contact.
what should i do

UPDATE: So everything done at the hospital showed nothing was wrong, no injuries nothing but kid's dad says he's filed a claim and filed a police report ''to cover his ass just incase his son is affected in the future by this'' whatever that means . What do i do now?

Answer: Wait for them to contact you and then send them to your insurance company.


Title: My car was hit in a parking lot while I was working, they left the scene, and some kind witnesses left a note on my windshield [MO]

Question:
Hi everyone! Thank you in advance and I apologize if this comes up often, I couldn’t find and answer in the wiki or searching the sub.

Pretty simple, I’m a vendor and was in a grocery store for a couple hours today. When I left the store, I had a note on my windshield from a bystander that someone had hit my car and drove away. They did not get the plates unfortunately, but said it was a White Dodge Ram. I have a photo from the parking lot from the security tapes but the picture is not clear enough to see the plate number. The store is going to try to get a picture of his face, but my hopes aren’t high.

I assume I should file a police report for the accident? I took pics of the car but other than that I’m not really sure what to do.

Thank you kind stranger who left the note or I wouldn’t have noticed and thank you in advance to all of you!

[Here](https://imgur.com/a/409D9zQ) is the security photo, the note, and my car.

Answer: Call the police. Your insurance *might(?)* want a police report (but not likely). As there is no visible plate and the face is unclear, the police will likely not be able to track down the driver.


Title: Return fraud--what to do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 1. Ask yourself - is it worth it? Is this a $5 or a $500 bottle of perfume? If it's not worth going after them, don't bother - just blacklist them from your store and move on with your life.

2. If it is, file a police report - the police will tell you that it's not worth their time, but try anyway.

3. If you really want to seek justice, go to small claims. You have this person's name. It's not worth your time, or the judge's, but go ahead if you really want to. Bring whatever evidence you can.

4. In the future, tell your friend to check returns before the returnee receives their credit.


Title: Dealer Buyback of Vehicle - Sold as CPO and wasn't. Just found extensive bodywork and frame damage. What are my options?

Question:
Hey everybody! Could use some help on this as I am pretty overwhelmed.

If this isn't the best place to post, please let me know where I ought to.

Bought a '16 Honda Accord Coupe EX-L V6 in January of this year. Car was sold as a CPO. A few days ago we noticed some weird rusting in the trunk and tore it apart. Tons of damage such as popped welds, spray painted modules, bondo, and a damaged bumper. I called Honda and they said the car was not a CPO.

After a few days of trying to speak with someone at the dealer, they acknowledged that the car is not a CPO for whatever BS reason and they claim to know nothing about the damage. They immediately offered to buy the car back for what I paid: 25413.26. The problem with this is that I have just recently installed some nice tires, paid interest on the loan, and some other things which means I would be at a loss. In addition to losing money with a straight buyback, the inventory for CPO V6 Coupes is basically nothing. Regardless of color, anything still available costs more, so that's another issue.

I am not looking to "win" really - I just want to have a good car and be made whole. Any suggestions as to the best course of action to take?

Answer:
 I’m sure there’s places in the hood where you could get used accord tires for $25/corner. You could keep the nice ones for the next one.

“Making you whole” probably amounts to giving you back the purchase price in this case. Answer #2: First, tell the dealership about the things you have installed, and see what options they give you. It's possible they're willing to make you whole (or at least reimburse you in part).

If they refuse to do anything for you, consider complaining to the car manufacturer. They might be able to intervene.

Finally, you can file a complaint with the state AG's consumer protection unit.Answer #3: > They immediately offered to buy the car back for what I paid: 25413.26

They absolutely knew about the damage if this is the case. Otherwise they would have contested it.

you may want to figure out exactly how much more is required to make you whole and sit down with them


Title: Lawrence, Kansas. Quick question, Is it legal for me to turn left on a red light if the road is one-way?

Question:
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: As long as both are one way in the proper direction, yes. But according to the police there there is no such intersection (first Google result...)


Title: Arrested with someone else's REAL ID as my fake [MI]

Question:
Hey, I'm not sure how bad this is, but hopefully, it's not that big of a deal. I'm a freshman in college, and I had a fake that I got last semester. One night, I was at a bar, I found a woman's **REAL** ID. She looked a lot like me and had an in state address close to campus AND it showed that she had turned 21 last summer. Thus, it was the perfect fake.

Last weekend, I went out and got wasted, and I was arrested along with two of my other friends and my boyfriend. My bf is 21, so he has a real, but my other two friends have fakes that the police knew. But they didn't get charged for having the fakes. I got charges for public intoxication and possssion of cocaine, but the substance was not cocaine but MDPV, so I assume that charge would be dropped. I don't remember anything from that night if that helps, otherwise I would have told the cops that that wasn't my ID.

The main part is that they think I'm the woman on the ID, and I'm not her, and so I'm probably getting off, but I feel bad for if that woman gets in trouble, but she can just tell them that she lost her ID last fall. I don't really have a question, but just damage assessment of what the situation is and whether I'm freaking out over nothing or if it's a bigger problem. Thanks, I really appreciate any help as I've never been arrested before, and I don't want anything on my record.

Answer: The important thing is that you don't suffer the consequences of your stupid behavior, just innocent people unfortunate enough to cross paths with you.


Title: Did I solicit a prostitute? Could I get in trouble now?

Question:
Basically, I went to a strip club while visiting another state for the weekend and the stripper brought me back to a private room and I kept giving her money. I eventually kinda notioned to my pants or maybe asked if she would give me a blowjob but wasn't too straightforward about it (i was pretty drink). Once she said no we kinda got in a little argument about how much money I spent and another stripper that was in the room was like "um you know you just asked for prostitution and there's a camera on the wall so we have you on camera saying it". We eventually moved on and she kept dancing and was cool about it, even texted me the next day telling me she also dances in the city I'm from and would love to make it up to me. But I'm worried that I'm on camera asking for it.

So basically my question is, is it possible that the stripper pulls the footage and sends it to the police to try to get me charged or something?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 NAL - Specific laws will depend entirely on your location, but VERY broadly speaking? Yeah, sounds kinda solicit-y to me. It sounds like they're probably not going to make a further issue of it, and you only have their word that you were on camera, and even if they make an issue of it they're then dependent on the local police / prosecutors caring enough to follow up on it, but it's POSSIBLE.

All that being said, please don't do this again, and if you did it because you were drunk, learn your limits. What you did was not cool.


Title: Girlfriend works in sales and had a major account taken from her

Question:
She’s currently employed as a medical sales rep and lately a doctor has been sending her extremely sexual messages. She wasn’t sure what to do, so showed her bosses he messages. Instead of working on a solution with the doctor they took the account away from her. The big issue here is it’s the biggest account in the region and where she makes most of her sales. With losing this account she’s probably going to lose considerable income. She’s essentially being punished for that doctors actions. Is the way her company handled this the right way, is it legal? Is there anything I can tell her to do to be able to get that account back? She works in Georgia
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: NAL... I’m sure the company doesn’t want to lose the doctors business.  HR made the move to remove your girlfriend from a bad situation.   They “protected” her from harassment unfortunately her income is taking a hit because of it.  Keep records of all interactions though, better advice may come.Answer #2: If she works on commission, she likely has a compensation plan that is tied to a quota.  Sales quota is set to reflect the value of a territory, and can be adjusted when the value of the territory changes. This is often done throughout the year as new reps are added, and territories are divided to accommodate that change.  Commission payments are calculated by dividing the value of the order by the quota and then multiplying that result by the target variable compensation rate.  So a lower quota results in a higher multiplier paid on each order.  So, she should request a reduction in quota equivalent to the average annual order volume received by that account over the last 3 years. That would be a fair adjustment, and allows the sales manager to resolve the situation without losing face.  Good luck.Answer #3: Since it sounds like the doctor is not an employee, her company may have little to no control over the his behaviour. So working on a solution with the doctor may not be possible. You indicated she is unionized. What does her CA say in regards to accounts and reassigning sales reps?


Title: Is this an acceptable injury settlement?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You can pay an attorney hourly to help you finish negotiations or help you determine an appropriate amount. You don't have to structure payment as a portion of the settlement.

It is too fact specific for anyone here to answer. Answer #2: Generally speaking you are far better off with an attorney even if they take their 1/3. Nobody can tell you what a fair settlement would be. I can tell you that with representation the amount you're describing would be a very low-end settlement. If it were me… I would absolutely get a lawyer.Answer #3: Honestly seems low for an ORIF with continuing problems.


Title: Dog Stuck In Canada

Question: Hey, my friend is a citizen of the USA and is a naturalized citizen. Several weeks back he drove to Canada towing a small trailer with his personal items and his dog. He crossed the USA/Canada border with no issues and they never searched his trailer. Upon his return to the USA, his trailer was searched by USA border officials and they noticed his dog. They asked if he had "declared" the dog, which he explained he hadn't as they never searched/nor asked and he didn't think it would be an issue. The USA officials are refusing to let him bring his dog back..My friend decided to stay in Canada for a few more days to try to clear things up. Any advice?

Answer:
 Bringing a pet into the US after living abroad requires certain specific procedures to be followed. [The CDC requirements apply.](https://www.cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/dogs.html)

[The State Department](https://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/34600.htm) cites the CDC for requirements. Your friend has to declare his dog. He needs to show proof of rabies vaccination that has not expired, because Canada is not a rabies free country. Otherwise the dog must be vaccinated and quarantined for at least 30 days. You must bring along the vaccination certificate, which your friend hasn't.

He could request a unimmunized dog permit online. The CDC site lists how. It will not be given at the border. The permit is emailed. Answer #2: Dog tags, Vaccination Tags, Vet Bills, Groomers, Borders. You just need proof the Dog is from the US and it will be let in.

Always carry documents for pets crossing international borders.


Title: (WI) Nephew looked up illegal things on my phone as a prank

Question:
My nephew is 13 and has a gross sense of humor. He asked if he could use my phone and then went on Google and looked up the most disgusting things he could think of so it would go on my history. I just type in G and get suggestions 'gay poop' and 'girl blowing dog'.

Am I going to get locked up for this when the state goes through my search history?

Answer: No. and why would the state be going through your history at all? They don't randomly select people to look at their search histories. Gross porn isn't illegal. CP is, but you don't say he looked for any of that.


Title: [California] Mom passed away no will. Mom's property in dad's possession and dad plans to remarry.

Question:
Background: My mom passed away in 2011 while my brother and I were still in college. She didn't have a will (her death was unexpected). At the time of my mom's passing, I was naive to think my father would take care of distributing her property. However, he hasn't and is still withholding it from my brother and I. Both of my parents are on our house's title. The house was paid off after my mom's passing. My dad also has her valuables in his possession. She left behind a decent amount of money and had a number of pieces of jewelry. We live in California and my father is getting married to a woman in China (I don't have too many details on this because my father won't tell me). Because he is getting remarried, I want him to turnover my mom's property to my brother and I. Additionally, I want our names added to the house. I am emotionally attached to the house because it's the house that my mom passed away in. I did some research and we need to file a quitclaim deed to transfer property rights. I think my dad would agree to adding both our names to the title, so my dad, my brother, and I would be on the title.

Questions:
-Do we need to go through probate?
-Is adding my name and my brother's name to the title of the house enough to keep my dad's new wife from owning the house when my dad dies?
-If my dad does not agree to distribute my mother's belongs to my brother and I, what legal action can we take?
-Does timing of his marriage matter? Ideally, I want this taken care of before he gets married, but if he is already married, would it complicate distribution of my mother's belongings?

Answer:
 Your mother died intestate. You and your brother are each entitled to 1/4 of what she owned as separate property. Your dad gets 1/2 of her separate property, as well as their community property.

He has no obligation to give you ownership of his house. If your father doesn't distribute your share of the separate property, consult a local attorney.


Title: DUI 3 years ago, now they want to collect fingerpeints/DNA.

Question:
Got thrown in a drunk tank 3 years ago on a military installation for suspected DUI. Accepted non-juidical punishment (article 15), so the charges were dropped in Federal court.

MP's want me to come in and submit a DNA sample along with fingerprints. The DODI I looked at says that Article 111 is an offense that warrants a DNA sample. There doesn't appear to be a statue of limitations on how long they have to collect it that I can find.

My questions are:

1) Is this in some way unconstitutional? It seems pretty intrusive. I'm not a convicted rapist for Christ's sake.

2) Is my only option really to go through with it, and submit for a process to get my DNA expunged?

-No, I don't need a defense counsel, ironically I work for 9 of them. They weren't much use besides pretty much saying I unfortunately might have to do it due to a loop hole because if I refuse, my CO might mess with my current upcoming orders if the MP's notify my CO that I refused to give a DNA sample. The defense counsel said they'd help me expunged, but is there a way to not consent without any reprisal?

Thanks.

Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer:
 Wait... you asked **nine military lawyers** about this, and they **all** said that if you refuse the DNA sample, you could face further sanctions.

I'm really not sure what else you need to know.

Maybe don't go throwing around "constitutional rights" so casually when you agreed to be bound by the UCMJ, especially considering that said UCMJ allowed you to get off with a slap on the wrist (the NJP).  In my state, a first time low-level DUI comes with mandatory jail time, severe fines, and probation that would exceed the scope NJPs.


Title: I got ID to buy a pregnancy test.

Question: So long story short i live near a small town and the local sotres wont sell pregnancy test with out valid ID amd 18plus. The same applies to Plan B in this town.can the local pharmacies/stores do this?

Answer: Just buy a test from the dollar store or order one from Walmart online.


Title: Person going to insurance for "neck rupture" after my father very lightly rear ended her (Ontario).

Question:
My father very lightly rear ended someone on the high way in stop and go traffic, the impact barely left a small marking from the screws on his license plate.

She's now called two days later saying she is going to insurance after getting a diagnosis for a "neck rupture" from her doctor.

To me this seems like she is clearly trying to take advantage of the situation. Is there anything we can do to prevent our insurance premiums from going up?

Answer: I doesn't matter how "lightly" you rear-ended someone. Their injuries may be very real.


Title: Got arrested for theft of services in NYC

Question:
I hailed a cab and then got into a dispute with the driver.  He called the cops on me and I was arrested for theft of services because the cab driver said I refused to pay him.  I was issued a desk appearance ticket.  What should I expect to happen in court?

I have 2 arrests from 2009 and 2010 that were dismissed and were unrelated to this current charge.

Answer: What is the substance of the disagreement of why you wouldn't pay the driver?  I'm not sure what kind of advice you expect based on the limited info in your question.


Title: Contacted by an investigator from the public defender's office after completing jury service - CA

Question:
I'm a subscriber to this sub, but using a throwaway.  Not an active poster, but I'm here everyday. I'm in Ca. locationbot!

I completed jury service a few weeks ago on a criminal trial. In fact I got to sit right next to the gold fringed flag!  We found the guy guilty on 3 of the 4 counts, could not agree on the 4th, and the judge declared a mistrial on the 4th count only.

Yesterday I received a letter in the mail from an investigator in the public defender's office. He'd like to talk to me about aspects of the trial, including exploring the jury's conduct and interactions throughout the trial and during deliberations. This is the first time I've served on a jury.  Is this normal follow up?  Might the defendant be looking to appeal?  I am not interested in talking to this guy.

Answer:
 In my jurisdiction (WI) this is completely normal. After all of my jury trials, I've reached out to the jurors to learn about what they focused on, what they thought of witnesses, myself, etc. I've learned a lot from speaking with jurors.  In my state, after the verdict is read, when the judge formally dismisses the jury they'll instruct them that they now have the ability to speak to whomever they want about the case and their deliberations - including the parties - but that they absolutely are not obligated to say anything.

So if you don't want to talk to the guy, that's well within your rights, and politely decline.

If there really was a legal issue about jury tampering or jury misbehavior, you'd be subpoenaed or contacted directly by the court. That would be a different story.


Title: Went under contract for a condo. Inspection revealed mold damage. Withdrew. Can I report this?

Question: I went under contract for a condo in Denver, and the inspection reported mold damage. The seller refused to see the inspection and covered the mold. It was inside the shower wall and they replaced the broken tile with a ceramic covering. They just put the place back on the market. I'd hate for someone to buy it with mold damage that won't come up in a basic inspection. Can I report it to a health department or something?

Answer: Send a copy of the inspection report to the listing agent and owner, they are legally obligated to disclose the issue.


Title: [TX] Drug dealer 'friend' got arrested with my drugs and incriminating texts. What should I do?

Question:
I fucked up. I know that. So spare me telling me that I am stupid for texting about this stuff.

I go to university in Texas. I am being careful, I stopped texting everyone about anything really besides school. I am on Tor using a VPN.

I came into contact with this person when I started self medicating because I didn't want my parents to know the problems I was having. (xanax and adderall)

My drug dealer 'friend' Mary (fake name) who was on **probation** stole a lot of drugs from me and the following night she was arrested with those drugs.

She stole about 80 2mg bars from me, and about 10 20mg adderalls.

She is now facing a **first degree felony,** not for possession, but for "DELIVERY CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE PENALTY GROUP 1 WITH INTENT TO DELIVER".

Now I am worried that she is going to try to go after me for the chance at a lesser sentence. I know for a fact that she was heavily involved in dealing. So there are probably a lot of people on her phone that could get in trouble, like her suppliers. But I was one of the last people she texted. I accused her of stealing that stuff from me, in those last texts.

I really only bought from her, but the night we hung out and she stole the bars and addies from me she also bought adderall from me, which was arranged from texts. There are also about five other individual occasions where I bought either xanax, adderall and one time LSD from her.

I'm not trying to justify anything. I'm ashamed about what I was involved in, especially now that i went back and read all of our old messages.

I have already had a consultation with a criminal defense attorney. He basically told me a little of what I've read on here before. Break off contact with her and anyone of her friends, get rid of anything illegal, maintain a low profile, if someone calls you asking questions about the case tell them you will only speak with your attorney present. He also said, I may be charged with the same thing as her based off of those texts if there is an investigation, or another thing that could happen is nothing.
They may not even have her phone, which I think is doubtful.

She was also arrested with her boyfriend, who was there when I sold her the adderall and she stole my xanax. He is being charged with the same thing as her. They could both testify against me, right?

I have a clean record. I think that's worth noting.

How should I move forward?
Should I expect to be charged?

**TL;DR** Friend was arrested with drugs that she got from me. She is being charged with a first degree felony. I have more than incriminating texts with her. What should I do?

Thank for in advanced, any insight/advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 Listen to the attorney, he's right on the money here. Move forward exactly as he told you. Nobody here can really guess if you'll be charged or not. I'd lean toward yes, but nothing is ever certain. And yes, her and her boyfriend could testify against you as well.

Edit to Add: Police like to investigate "up the chain". They're typically not *as* interested in small time buyers, they're looking for the providers of the people they catch. While you may have only sold her 8 Adderall pills, you had enough drugs in your possession (without a prescription) that she was able to steal 80 Xanax bars and 20 Adderall pills. That type of quantity is something the police may be very interested in investigating.


Title: Keyless Deadbolts on Rental Property - Houston, TX

Question:
EDIT: Summary: landlord didn't comply with request to install keyless bolting device within 3 day window provided by state (it's now been 8 days). She insisted there is, in fact, a keyless bolting device on the door. I said I would take care of it myself and deduct cost from rent, per state law. She responded threatening legal action, and that she has a handyman available, but did not provide a timeline for completion.

EDIT 2: Replaced "keyless deadbolt" with "keyless bolting device" because that's the language of the Texas code, and what I've been discussing with the owner. [The definition in this context can be found here, under section 6.](http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/property-code/prop-sect-92-151.html)

DETAILS:

Hello r/legaladvice,

I'm having an issue with a condo I just moved into a few weeks ago. It's owned privately, but the owner is using a rental management company to lease it. The management company doesn't really do much of anything; they just serve as a middle man to receive and process communication, rent, and maintenance requests, but it's up to the owner to actually perform those maintenance requests. All correspondence I have is through that rental company, and the majority of it is in writing.

The condo itself is a nice property, and I have almost 10 years of flawless renting history. There's not anything questionable about the terms of the lease or any related agreement; I'm a financially stable tenant and the property is just like any other well kept rental property.

So, to my actual problem: the condo has a single front door (no other exterior doors), and it is lacking a keyless bolting device, which property code 92.153 says is required for practically all rental properties. None of the exceptions apply to me.

I requested the lock be installed last Monday, and after some run around between myself, the management company, and the owner, including the owner cancelling the ticket yesterday and claiming there is already a deadbolt on the door, she finally said "I've got a handyman and will take care of it at some point" but offered no timeline. I've got two cats at home and I will be away on a business trip all next week, so I want to get this completed ASAP because a) 92.164 indicates she had 3 days to comply and b) I want to avoid having maintenance coming by when I'm not in the state since my cats can be a bit of a hassle.

In light of all that, I told the maintenance team that I will just get the job completed myself and deduct it from rent, since that also seems to be a clear solution I have under 92.166. In response, the owner said that she would pursue legal action if I did that, BUT she supports me breaking the lease (another legal recourse in this situation). I really don't want to break the lease - the location is great for my job and close to my parents, whom I help around the house regularly as they're getting older, and I signed a 3 year lease with those factors in mind and to keep rent stable over time.

I wasn't expecting such a hostile response; I'm genuinely just trying to feel secure in my home. What should I do? I have a busy schedule with work and really don't want to terminate the lease, and I also don't want to completely destroy my relationship with the owner. I feel like she has no legal ground to stand on, but a legal battle sounds way too stressful right now. It sounds to me that she's calling my bluff with her own bluff, counting on me to just back down. Does anyone have any advice on how to defuse the situation, but still stand up for my rights as a tenant?

Answer: You don't get to decide when maintenance comes by. If you don't want them there when your not there, then make time to be there. If you're worried about the relationship with your landlord, it sounds like you've already damaged that. Especially with the rent deduction threats.


Title: Question about my mail.

Question:
I am having a bong shipped to my college. Are they allowed to open or confiscate my mail? Am I allowed to have it while unused? XD
I am from New York.

Answer: In Saudi Arabia, you could lose a hand for this.


Title: Employer insurance won't cover me in my state.

Question: My employer is a California company that has a branch in Pennsylvania where I live and work. The insurance they provide me is based in California and I can't find any healthcare providers in Pennsylvania that are covered by this insurance. I end up paying for everything out of pocket and am effectively not getting coverage. Is this legal? What recourse do I have?

Answer: How many employees does the company have? Are you a full time employee or a contractor? Have you talked to them/HR about the coverage and also talked to the insurance company as well?Answer #2: There is usually some manner to request a provider is approved by the insurance. You can usually find it on their website and get it approved within a few weeks.


Title: Client is requesting additional duties not covered in my contract (security issues involved) and boss doesn't care. What can I do?

Question:
(Edit: can't change title. I'm in MD)

I'm not entirely sure if any actual laws are being broken, but I'm sure some kind of policy somewhere covers this or something.

Basically, I'm a private security contractor, also the supervisor of my team and our particular client site. My job is to supervise the force protection team (and provide force protection when/if necessary during my shift.)

My contract covers this exclusively, and no additional duties outside of the realm of any other supe role (submitting payroll, etc). Of course, this means there is a lot of downtime.

At first, she brought up personnel files for me to sort through, little things here and there. File this, organize that. She's a slob, so basically it's picking up her mess.

She works in the classified area, where I work in the unclassified area. The lobby, as a matter of fact. It has escalated now to the point that I am being handed documents that openly display PII such as full names, **social security numbers**, ID numbers, addresses, phone numbers, spouses info. Whole SF-86s, sponsorship packages and the like. In the lobby. I know this isn't considered Sensitive CI, but it's not something you want out in the open in a lobby with no concealment or privacy. Also, she has me fingerprinting now. I know for a fact you need a legitimate certification for that, but she has me do it anyway. I'm submitting visit requests for her, organizing, creating and sorting personnel files, faxing, emailing, scanning... basically, I've taken on an entire second job as her secretary (already doing what feels just wrong) and for no extra pay at that.

I have told her time and time again that I am not comfortable with handling PII in the lobby. She tells me there is nothing wrong with it and complained to my boss that I refused the work.

Putting myself in their shoes, I would be absolutely livid if I found out my social security number was visible in the lobby. It's just not right.

I wouldn't mind the extra work *as long as it was safe* and my boss (who knows all the details) would pay me for the extra work.

**My questions to r/legaladvice are:**

What can I do or say that creates the "either pay me or I'll stop the extra duties" ultimatum tactfully?

Additionally, what can I do about the visible PII? Should I report that to someone? Who?

Thanks in advance.

Answer: So your boss knows that you're being asked to do this secretarial work and doesn't have an issue with it?


Title: Need an attorney’s opinion in my own domestic assault case. I do not want the state to press charges. Oklahoma lawyers most helpful.

Question:
My husband got black out drunk, and strangled me. I did wake him up, and slapped him bc I had found inappropriate messages on his phone, but nothing he had acted on. He choked me twice, and immediately realized what he was doing the second go around.

He went to the bathroom crying, and called the cops on himself. They showed up, saw the markings on my neck, and immediately arrest him. I did not have to press charges.
My husband has not ever had any past criminal record, history of violence- if anything, he goes above and beyond to make sure I feel loved. Yeah, he gets annoying when he drinks, but that’s been it. I’ve known him for almost 20 years, together for 2, married for 1.

This was a freak isolated event, and they are wanting to charge him with a felony, and I do not want that. He’s never hurt a fly. This is totally out of character for him. He has had bouts with depression, and anxiety.

I have talked to him since he’s been in jail, and he cried and cried. He wants to take classes, counseling, anything he needs to get him back home- because I said that’s the only way he was coming back. Isolated incident, yeah, but I’m not just going to give him a pass either. I do, however, do not want him sitting in jail. He says they want to charge him with a felony, but he will not plea to that, which can ultimately lead to more jail time.

I have googled and googled. Some articles say, write an affidavit for the DA; others say that would only hurt his case because of “battered spouse syndrome.” What can I do, if anything?

Answer: Your husband needs a lawyer.


Title: How long can an employee be denied access to water for? (Tennessee)

Question:
I manage a small team that is often sent to work in secure facilities to conduct evaluations, interviews, etc. We're starting to have issues with a few particular facilities not allowing staff to bring in their own water and refusing to supply any while inside. They are in these facilities (and not allowed/able to access water) for no less than three but no more than six hours at a time.

One employee in particular is (very rightly) bothered because the facility she covers does not have an air conditioned room for her to work in. When she told me this I contacted HR, but they said we're not responsible for the conditions of another facility, only providing adequate conditions in our own.

When I told my team member this, she became very upset and said that it isn't legal for her to be denied water for more than a few hours. She's started spreading this around, and now there's growing unrest in the team, with several people asking me for written confirmation of our policy on the issue, which is making me nervous.

Is there an actual law on this? I can imagine that denying access to water for an entire 8-10 hour shift could be an issue, but no one ever has to stay in a facility for that long. Is this just a gray area? Is the water thing more of a guideline than a rule?

I'm definitely going to need to address this with HR again, and I'd like to be prepared. Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 OSHA requires that "*An adequate supply of potable water shall be provided in all places of employment.*" [Source](https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10624)Answer #2: Your employee is absolutely correct. OSHA is very clear about this. Answer #3: This seems a bit nuanced so I want to make sure we're clear:

* You manage a team as an employee of XYZ Corp.
* You and your team provide services to RST Inc. on-site.

What your HR told you might be true in that XYZ Corp cannot be responsible if RST Inc. doesn't provide you water or AC.  That's on RST Inc.

The only situation I am aware of is if eating and drinking are forbidden due to issues of contamination.  For example, a medical laboratory can forbid employees from eating and drinking in the lab because it's dangerous to do so.  BUT the medical laboratory MUST provide access to a break room where eating and drinking can occur and allow for breaks every so often.

So, are you working in an area where ALL employees (including RST Inc) cannot drink?  If so, do they have a break area where water drinking can occur?Answer #4: Are they denying your employees access to bathrooms as well?  If they're refusing to escort people to the bathroom, you have another problem.  One larger then the water one. However, if they are escorting people to the bathroom, then I would instruct your employees to demand escort to a water fountain when they're thirsty.
Answer #5: Yes there is an actual law on this!  Call OSHA they will show up promptly.  Let these asshats explain their policy to them and see how that goes over.