Title: Got my boyfriend arrested and lost my kids during a manic episode...

Question:
Last Monday, my boyfriend and I got into an argument which resulted in him being arrested. When we fought I fell into a window while holding my children and one of them got a scratch on the leg. In all the confusion, as well as some other issues, I felt that he had pushed me and I called 911. I told them that no he did not put his hands on me to push me but instead sort of used his body to walk me back when I tried to go around him. The following Wednesday, I had a bit of a mental breakdown and could not function. I left my children (10 month old twins) in the care of their grandparents and went to the hospital. I was admitted due to "suicidal thoughts" and not taking my bipolar meds. My children were taken out of my custody because of "homicidal thoughts" towards my children, which wasn't really true. I had made a comment to a social worker about something that had popped into my head a week or two before, I was mortified that that thought even appeared and I've never had another like it. I've never wanted to harm my children and I never would. Through counseling at the hospital, I've realized that the fight my bf and I had was in the midst of my manic episode and I had actually backed up into a window and fell when he stepped towards me. Being manic, the argument was over exaggerated in my head and I was really anxious which triggered my fight or flight response and made me freak out for no reason after he stepped towards me and back up and fall into the window. I wasn't thinking straight and had panicked and perceived everything wrong. Like I said, I even said from the beginning that he didn't put his hands on me and actually push me. I called 911 just because I saw the blood on my son's leg (which ended up, like I said, just being a scratch) and realized even halfway through the call he was fine. I was actually surprised when they arrested him and were asking me if he's violent and stuff. Who do I talk to to fix this? I want to explain what really happened and try and get his no contact order lifted and charges dropped. And could this affect me getting my children back? I'm worried it will either because of the fact that it was my mental state that ended up getting my son hurt or because right now my bf is deemed "violent" or whatever (hence the no contact order) and it would look like I'm trying to get him back involved with the twins or whatever. It's like my life is in a box and someone just flipped it upside down.

Also, just in case anyone is wondering, no I'm not abused or anything. We both have our own issues that will require counseling (psychotherapy for me, AA for him), however he has never hit me or anything like that. He's never hurt hit the twins. I'm not trying to make up a story to justify his actions or get him out of trouble or anything. It's the honest truth. He's not a danger to me or the twins and shouldn't be getting into trouble (he's facing 1 to 2 years prison time if convicted) for something he really didn't do. Also, we are in Nebraska. Any advice or anything you can do would be great!

Oh also, my first custody hearing is this Wednesday morning and they said most likely I'm just going to get visitation. How long does this stuff drag out until I get my kids back? Like I said, it was all a misunderstanding and I'm back on my medication and things, I mean what are the chances of me getting custody back at that first hearing? Thanks.

Answer:
 Talk to an attorney if you can afford it.

Talk to your doctor (I'm assuming you have a doctor you are regularly working with.)  She may be able to assist as well.

You need to have your medical issues resolved before you get custody back of your kids.  Not just because of the law, but for the kids' health.Answer #2: Please keep taking your medication for your kids' sake.Answer #3: Your chances of getting custody back at the first hearing are close to zero. Ask for a public defender to be appointed to represent you.

You have a right to parent as you see fit and you should be entitled to counsel at public expense if they're taking custody of your kids away, even temporarily.


Title: The owner of the driving school threatened to sue me for a negative review [Ontario].

Question:
I left a negative review with 1 star. I simply said, "He always yelled at me for making mistakes. I didn't need that additional stress."

I immediately got an email from him that he forwards all the reviews to his lawyer for libel or defamation. Will he win this lawsuit or should I take down the review?

Thanks.

UPDATE: He wrote a post in response to my review. He called me "stubborn and obstinate" and "hope that I drive head on into traffic." LOL!

Answer: Please leave it up and block his phone number. Answer #2: UPDATE: He wrote a post in response to my review. He called me "stubborn and obstinate" and "hope that I drive head on into traffic." LOL!Answer #3: Should I add to my original review that he threatened to sue me? Answer #4: I just edited my review to add his email. Lol this is hilarious.


Title: Sudden, possibly suspicious death of parent and lost inheritence

Question:
Hey guys and gals,

Firstly, some background information.  On Christmas evening my mother passed away unexpectedly at the age of 59 from a massive heart attack.  She was a smoker for basically all of her life so in that sense it’s not entirely unexpected.  Of note is that she had been fighting a chest infection for the days leading up to Christmas.  My step-father had her cremated as quickly as possible.

I am her only child and born in 1986.  In 1988 she created a self-proving will leaving the entirety of her estate to her descendants (i.e., me).  In 1993 we moved to Virginia where her parents (my grandparents) bought her a house with the intention that it’d be my inheritance.  My mother’s name was the only one listed on the deed.

In 2001: enter my step-father (you can probably sense where this is going now).  When he joined the family and for the past 16 years it’s been made clear to him that the house was my inheritance.  He has never disputed that.  My mother never added him to the deed nor ever had a lien filed against the house.

In September 2014 my step-father moved to Alaska for a job.  In January 2016 he convinced my mother to come join him and she moved up there in April 2016 when she placed the house in Virginia on the market.  The house sold and closed on December 20th, 2016.

Both in March 2016 and just prior to closing I asked her about the proceeds of the sale.  She told me (nothing written) that she would use the proceeds as the deposit for a new house in Alaska (in her and my step-father’s names) and draw up something making it clear that, upon their passing, I would get the original proceeds from the December 2016 sale as my inheritance.

Unfortunately, the proceeds for the sale were placed into two joint checking accounts with my mother and step-father’s names.  So now he has complete and undeterred access to the proceeds.  The initial consultation from a lawyer isn’t looking promising either.  I wanted to get a secondish opinion here.

I’m not sure it makes a difference, but in trying to fight this I would like to do so in Virginia using the argument that my mother still maintained residence here.  The support for that argument is that:
•	She is not listed on my step-father’s lease in Alaska.
•	She moved in April 2016 yet maintained her Virginia voter registration and voted in Virginia by absentee ballot for the November 2016 election.
•	She never changed to an Alaskan driver’s license.
•	When selling the house she placed everything into storage rather than ship it to Alaska.

In essence it seems like she kept as much as she could in Virginia in the event that things didn’t work out with my stepfather.

He flew to Virginia on 12/29/16.  The chat about the proceeds didn’t go swimmingly.  He contests that 3 weeks ago my mother told him she wanted me to have 1/3, her to have 1/3, and him to have 1/3.  He further talked about settling my mother’s debts, getting her credit report, etc. before going any further.

However, the will names my aunt the executor.  Had the house not sold or if the proceeds went into an account in her name, then there wouldn’t be any issue.  I only have to write this because he (in my opinion – more details to come) manipulated her into depositing the funds into their joint accounts.

So the legal question: how strong is the argument that the proceeds of the house sale actually belong to her estate and should be handled by the executor?  In support of that argument is that she died five days after closing, she was ill with a chest infection, and it was the holiday weekend so she had no opportunity to do anything else with the funds before passing.  Or does all that not matter and the proceeds of the house sale became my step-father’s property under right of survivorship laws since it was a joint bank account?

So why do I think he manipulated her?  On Saturday I looked through old documents of hers that I received on Friday from her storage unit.  In it were old e-mails showing my step-father cheated on her back in 2008.  It was shameful to read because he basically blamed her for causing him to cheat and made her feel guilty for HIS actions.  For whatever reason they mended things.

Then there were e-mails showing that he cheated on her again when he moved to Alaska!  Yet again he made her feel guilty for driving him to cheat.  On January 1 she wrote and sent him a letter talking about the “end of our marriage” and “hope you find happiness in your new relationship. Just remember, be honest from the beginning with her.”

He flew back to Virginia a few days later and somehow convinced her to forget it all and move to Alaska with him.  And it worked!  Then 8 months later she dies just after selling the house…

Needless to say I’m pissed about everything.  How he treated her.  How he manipulated her.  How he emotionally abused her.  And then he’s basically stolen the inheritance.  I’m probably grasping at straws here for help, but I’m hoping there’s a shed of light at the end of this very dark tunnel.  Thanks for reading my rant!

TL;DR Step-father is a douchewaffle, is desecrating my mother's memory, and stole my inheritance.  Please advise.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer: I'd really hold off on calling someone who isn't a murderer a murderer until like, you know, they've murdered someone. I don't have anything useful to add about the estate, I just want to let you know that if this proceeds anywhere, that kind of talk will cause almost anyone reasonable to stop listening to you immediately. Murder is not an accusation you throw around when an estate isn't being handled the way you deem appropriate. I get that you're hurt, but you and I both know your mother died of a heart attack which is incredibly normal for her age and lifestyle.


Title: Anything I can do about my parents using my identity? (Colorado)

Question:
My parents have opened credit cards in my name, without asking me, and I never found out until months later.

Now I get hundreds of calls a week from companies about late payments that I am not responsible for.

They also forced me to take out $7500 in loans, which I didn't see a penny of, saying it would help the family. I was 19 and unemployed so they forced me to lie about having a job as well.

My credit is surely being ruined, as they are struggling so much that they literally cannot pay for any of the financial burden they put on me.

Legally, is there anything I can do about this situation? I don't know anything about law, but isn't there a way they can relieve me of responsibility for paying these expenses, or something like that? Its not fair that I should get my credit ruined and possibly have to go bankrupt for money that I never borrowed.

Tl;Dr- parents stole my identity to get credit cards and loans, now my credit is slowly crumbling, and I can't do anything about it because I am a 20 year old unemployed college student. What can the law do for me?

Answer:
 You used the word "forced" a lot. How were you forced?Answer #2: > about late payments that I am not responsible for.

Actually, yes you will be, unless you file a police report. Your parents may go to prison.

> They also forced me to take out $7500 in loans

How did they "force" you? With a gun?

> Legally, is there anything I can do about this situation?

File a police report for the fraud. Your parents may end up in prison.


Title: Do the monopoly laws apply to sports?

Question: The NFL controls pro football so do they technically have a monopoly?

Answer: Yes, anti-trust laws apply to everyone.  The NFL (and the major pro sports leagues) have a specific exemption to anti-trust laws called the Sports Broadcasting Act


Title: Do I need to keep paying for a health insurance policy that isn't in my name?

Question:
After 10 years my wife invited this guy from the Internet over to spend a weekend... that was great I was so thrilled. So she left several months ago. We're still legally together.

She had me buy 2 2017 vehicles in December both in my name both my responsibility now. I'm not trying to be mean I just need to cut cost.

I've always paid her health insurance. But the policy isn't in my name it's in hers under obamacare. Can I stop? This is in Alabama.

Answer:
 Probably.

But you'll still need health insurance, so you'll have to pay anyway.

Sell one of the cars, that should open up some room in the budget.


Title: High School Organized Fighting (KS)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > My local high school has hosted a fight night for the last two years

> It's hosted at the edge of town, on private property.

These two statements contradict each other. Does the school host the match, or does the owner of the property host it?Answer #2: This is a liability nightmare.

The second a bad punch lands a kid in the hospital (or worse), the parents are going to sue everyone in arms' reach and the school is going to discipline everyone involved. If you want to have a boxing night, _that is legitimately great_ and I heartily encourage it, but do it at a professional gym, who will require that everyone's parents to sign appropriate waivers.

It'll cost more, but if anything goes wrong, that will be money well spent.


Title: Can my landlord use my emergency contact info this way? wi

Question: My landlord got it into his head that I am using drugs and contacted my mother who is my emergency contact number behind my back rather than coming to me with his concerns.  I thought that info was just for if I actually am, like, found dead in my room, or skip out on my lease.  Is it legal that he called and tried to convince my mom I was on drugs?

Answer: I really don't see how that'd be illegal. It might be shitty, but it's not forbidden by law as far as I'm aware.


Title: My friend is being sued for 50k for a car accident that wasn't her fault.

Question:
Last year (2014), my friend was driving her mini cooper and stopped at a red light. The light turned green, she started driving, and was t-boned (broadsided) by an SUV that was in a funeral procession (no flags or anything to indicate so). The cops said it was "no fault". She just received papers in the mail today to appear in court because the woman who hit her is suing her for 50k.

Any suggestions on what she should do or any arguments her way?

DETAILS:
- Papers said she is guilty of one or more of the following:
* Failed to have motor vehicle under proper control
* Failed to maintain a proper and sufficient lookout for other vehicles upon the roadway
* Operated said motor vehicle at a speed which was greater than reasonable under the circumstances
* Failed to reduce the speed of her motor vehicle so as to avoid collision with other vehicles on the roadway
* Failed to yield to a funeral procession

Answer:
 > Any suggestions on what she should do

Call her insurance company (whatever it was at that time) tomorrow and let them know. That's their job, to defend her. It's why she pays them.


Title: USPS "lost" prescription medication. Twice. In a row.

Question:
  My story starts off late December 2015.  I had been prescribed an off brand version of Adderall by my new physician at the VA (Veterans Affairs.)  I come home one day and my girlfriend, whom works at home herself said she received a missed delivery slip.  She thought it was odd considering she had been at home all day and definitely would have remembered someone knocking, mostly because our dog barks like mad anytime anyone steps foot on our porch.  I end up going to the post office twice trying to track down my package;  the second time a desk clerk takes 20-30 minutes to find the envelope (which you can obviously feel holds a bottle of medication and requires a signature.)  She was frustrated and said something along the lines of "Sorry about that, I finally found it, but I have no idea why it was on the top of that shelf."   I thought it was odd too, but I thanked her and went on my way.

  A month goes by, along with another checkup to ensure dosage is working correctly and my physician puts in another order.  Girlfriend received another missed delivery slip on 1/26/2016, but this time she wasn't actually home.  At this point I am working and taking night classes so the chances of myself being home at any delivery time are non existent, nor the chances of being able to stop into the post office myself during business hours, so I sign over the delivery slip to my s/o (there is a specific box to give permission for another party to pick up in your stead)  and she said she would pick it up.

Attempt 1:  They ask her why she didn't just leave the slip in the mail box because since it was signed they could drop it off.  24 hours passes, no delivery the next day so I call the support number for this USPS.  Female answers and tells me to call a # at 8:30am and Jane Doe will help us with our issue.

Attempt 2:  She calls the number in the morning, initially is unable to get a hold of anyone but eventually gets a call back, and another run around that I would have to come into the office myself and talk to a supervisor.  They had apparently received a note from the carrier that "It had an incorrect address marked on the package."  Which, upon calling the VA was able to confirm that my address on file was correct, the shipping log shows the printed label as correct, not to mention my physical address is about 4 blocks from the post office itself.

Attempt 3 (with a side of confusion:)  I get a text from my girlfriend, Feb 3rd "Got your meds finally!"  I thought the frustration was finally over, but when I get home I find that she had intercepted a completely different, unrelated NEW medication that had just been sent out that Monday, Feb 1st.   She says that was the only package they had, and they said nothing else about it.

Attempt 3:  After more unsuccessful phone calls and a week without medication, I take off work early on Friday, Feb 5th and get to the post office minutes before it closes.  I speak with a shift manager who it very understanding of my frustration and himself cannot figure out why the package is not physically in the post office.  I hear him yelling at employees in the back room along the lines of "Where the fuck is this package?!  There is NO reason it shouldn't be here!!!"  He comes back out front and is almost shaking, and apologizing over and over again.  He has a piece of paper with notes for his boss, the supervisor (who I've yet to meet) and explains that if maybe I had the tracking number for the envelope he would be able to track it down.   Just to note:  I asked earlier in these attempts about the person who delivers to my address, and in all cases of my medication not being delivered they were attempted by the same man.

Attempt 4:  Today, February 8th, 2016 I call the VA while on lunch break and get the tracking number for my package.  I take off work early and get to the post office.  I speak to the manager I spoke to on Friday and he shakes his head that sorry he hasn't heard anything about my package, but the supervisor is there.  I wait a few minutes and the supervisor finally comes to the counter and says "What's the problem?" with an annoyed frown on his face.  Surprised, I respond "Didn't they relay any of this information to you? About my missing medication?"  He immediately drops the attitude and says "Oh yeah come on back."  He opens the door and I go to his office.  He is starting to get a little flustered himself now, irritated and apologizing.  He mumbles something about "yeah it's weird, this rarely ever happens but it probably got stuck in an outgoing basket that some driver picked up."    I express my concerns that, despite it sounding like a conspiracy that I'm worried that the carrier is trying to run a scam, steal medications for sale after people forget about them.  He doesn't address my concern but says something along the lines of "Here's what I can do for you, I'm really sorry about this." and pulls up a Microsoft Word and starts typing.   "I'm going to write a letter to the VA explaining that you did not in fact receive this package and they should be able to issue you new medication."  I'm still frowning at this point, a little upset but I've never lost my calm in all of this and have thanked everyone along the way that has helped me.  He prints out the letter, puts a big stamp on it with the USPS logo, date, and his signature.   As he's shaking my hand and handing me the letter I ask, "so what if this doesn't work, what should I do from here?"
His response? "Oh, it'll work,.. *trust me.*"

TL;DR  Twice the USPS (United States Postal Service) misplaced my controlled substance medication in the mail, each time with big run arounds to obtain them.  This being the second time, I have not yet received my medication, but instead a typed letter from the post office that says I have not signed for the medication and should go try to get more, and was told  "Oh it'll work,... *trust me.*" from the branch supervisor.

  So my question, Redditors, what do I do from here?  My theory, after this happening twice, is that this is some shady mail persons scam, hoping that people forget about their medications and after a runaround are issued new ones.  It seems unlikely to me that they would be able to successfully pull this scam on the same person twice, though, so that's what confuses me.  Should I go higher up the food chain and possibly try to get to the bottom of this, or see what happens when I try to get another set of medication?  Thanks in advance for the help!

Answer:
 Don't ascribe to conspiracy that which can be easily explained by incompetence.  Frankly, there's no way for the random postal carrier to know what the bottle is in a package to engage in a wholesale racket to steal pills.

If it were me, and I'm only 4 blocks from the post office, I'd just get a post office box and direct my meds there.  That way, the packages never leave the building.

Otherwise, if you've covered for it, it may just be better to pick your stuff up at a local pharmacy and bypass the mail altogether.Answer #2: I would say that your packages are practically marked "steal me," because the USPS bad apples can recognize where they are from, what they are (pills) and that said pills are highly likely to be pain meds or some other sort of hot commodity.

The "trust me it will" comment?  I wonder if this translates to "we'll get our meds, and you might get yours."

Try googling usps stealing meds--sometimes it happens in airports, distribution centers; what's really upsetting is how often it happens.


Title: My landlord is trying to countersue me for 100k... over 2500 deposit

Question:
The basics of the case:

- Located in Washington DC

- $2500 was the security deposit

- move out was 2/4/2014

- sent a first class letter asking for list of damages/ return of deposit after 45 days (first class, written by attorney)

- refusal to provide receipts or itemized list of damage claims

- eventually I got a tenants rights lawyer and filed in small claims court for teble damages (capped to 5k so we could remain in small claims court)

- in mediation today his lawyer said if i dont immediately drop my case he is countersuing... for ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS

Some background, landlord has a history in small claims court as a defendant and he has been acting very intimidatingly. I expected to take a small hit on the deposit (broken door frame from attempted forced entry, and dirty oven)- but he is saying we stole stuff from him (he left stuff in the house not specified in lease- stuff like paper towel holders- that we were told we could use or throw out) and we caused 90k in damages and he is suing for 100k. other damages hes claiming are things like a spot where the wooden bedroom door rubs up against the wood floor, some trash that was taken to the alley during the walkthrough, and a crooked screen door.

I am at a loss of words. I have a clean rental history and I had a lawyer walk through the house with me prior to my walk through with the landlord. I do not want to drop the case and I am sick over how much of a scumbag this guy is being

- should i pursue this or should i swallow my pride and let him continue being the worlds scummiest human?

- If i continue with the case, i can bring stuff like proof I had a hired maid service, testimony from the lawyer, pictures of preexisting damages to the house (for example, there was an iron burn in the middle of the floor, the floor was damaged, etc), and receipts from repairs we did to the house independently (he failed to fix the air conditioning in the middle of a hot dc summer so we paid for that)

- what can you see the outcome being?

- during a record breaking cold snap, a pipe burst. We had the heat on in the house and the wall was not insulated. are we liable for the damages here?

- Can i try calling his countersuit a frivolous lawsuit?

- please please please any advice. I am a college student. I have clean rental history. I am done crying for now but I feel so defeated.

EDIT: This is the initial letter I had a lawyer-friend write after the first 45 days i was gone:

"I represent [OP] in an action arising from your failure to return their security deposit. On January 25, 2013, [OP] and yourself executed a lease for the property at XXX. On [date] that lease was terminated. Pursuant to DCMR §309.1, you have forty-five days to return the security deposit in full, plus interest due; or to notify the tenant in writing, to be hand-delivered or sent by certified mail to the tenant’s last known address, your intention to withhold part or all of the security deposit.

Neither [OP] received the balance on their security deposit, nor any communication from you following the termination of the lease. Failure to act on the requirements of DCMR §309.1 constitutes a bad faith act on your part, which in turn makes you liable for treble damages of $7,500.00 to my clients, who I have no doubt would prevail were this case to be brought to court.
My clients are interested in resolving this without the need for litigation or bringing a complaint with the Washington, D.C. Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs, who will likely conduct an investigation into your current and previous rental practices. Further, it is likely you will be responsible for paying attorneys’ costs and fees should this case not settle.

Therefore, my clients are willing to accept $7,500.00 in exchange for a full settlement of any and all claims against you. Please contact me within 14 days of the date of this letter. If I have not heard from you within 14 days, I will file a complaint on my client’s behalf with the Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs, and also a complaint for damages in the relevant court. I look forward to hearing from you."

Answer: lol; you cannot countersue to that amount in small claims; and if it's a straight-up drop your suit or I will file a suit against you at 20-fold the dollar amount.  The grounds that a spot or whatever caused forced him to rebuild the apartment unit (at the price of rebuilding an entire floor or two of an apartment building) is ludicrous.  It will never get filed; no attorney would think this is a good idea...continue with your suit; if the LL is playing scare tactics - they are horrible at it.  Don't drift from your rational mindset into an emotional reactionary mindset, esp. with utter hollow, ridiculous threats. Be professional and calm, let this clown bury himself...


Title: Buying a donut concession in Virginia

Question:
I'm looking to buy a donut concession business from basically an old hippy.  Most of the value is in the equipment, but he is also transferring, the LLC, the facebook contacts, the market stand, and his phone number.

The business was mostly legitimately run, all the expenses were kept on Quickbooks and we got 5 years(total years he has been in business) of profit and loss statements and a balance sheet.  He is also letting us pay only half the money upfront, and the rest after the season is over.

So type of contract would need to be written up to make this work?  What type of lawyer would I need to talk to, and roughly how much should it cost me?

So our accountant is worried that if they happened to employ anyone on a cash basis (rather likely) we would be on the hook for that if the IRS found out, is there anyway to avoid that liability?

Answer:
 >So our accountant is worried that if they happened to employ anyone on a cash basis (rather likely) we would be on the hook for that if the IRS found out, is there anyway to avoid that liability?

I am not 100% sure, but I think that your accountant is correct in that when you purchase a business you purchase both their assets and their liabilities - even if they don't know what exactly either of those might turn out to be.

But I think that you could have a purchase contract state specifically that the individual owner who is selling the business to you guarantees that should any undisclosed liabilities be discovered later to be owed by the business to anyone, then that individual owner shall be personally liable for them.  You as the new business owner would owe the liability, but then you could recover by suing the former individual owner pursuant to the purchase contract.  Of course if the old hippy has no money, then you will be SOL.Answer #2: You should create a new LLC and transfer ownership of equipment and have lease assigned to your LLC if there is a lease.


Title: [CA] My bank account was garnished for child support. My own child support.

Question:
TL/DR: My nowhere to be found dead beat dad and I share the same name.  My bank account was garnished for his child support to me.

**Background**

I am a high school senior that recently turned 18 and I also got my first job.  I opened my own bank account and have had two paychecks deposited.  Last night when I was trying to fill up my gas tank my ATM card was rejected.  I checked my account through my phone and saw a withdrawal of $380 which left me overdrawn by about $30.

I called the bank and was told the withdrawal was due to a court ordered garnishment and I would have to visit the bank today to discuss with them in person.  I met with the bank manager who confirmed that they had received a garnishment order and had no choice but to let the money be taken out.  She was very kind and could see it was an error and so at least they are waving the overdraft fees.

My mom and I live in the same house since I was born and that was the last address she used for my dad on all the custody paperwork and we figure my name and address matching was got the account garnished.  I don't know why they didn't check my age and SSN but they didn't.

My questions are:

* What do I do now to stop this from happening going forward?

* How do I go about getting the money back that was garnished?

* Can my mom contact the court or someone else to get this stopped?

I am hoping that the money will eventually be sent to my mom but I don't know that for certainty.

I appreciate any advice you can recommend.

Answer:
 You need to find out who issued the court order and file a petition with them to overturn the order.  The bank can show you the garnishment order, so you know which court issued it.

It will could a long time (several weeks), but once the order is cancelled, you can start the reimbursement process.


Title: I am in NYC. A cosmetic surgeon did serious harm to my nose and caused it to collapse after removing an implant and a graft he didn't understand the placement of. Can I make him pay for reconstructive surgery?

Question:
The reconstruction to repair what's left of my septum and nasal bridge is going to cost 15,000 to 20,000. The surgery involving removal an implant whose placement I wasn't even truly sure of cost 6000.

He never read my operative notes, he lied about questions I asked, and after removing both the nasal bridge implant and part of my septum, both my bridge and tip collapsed.

His words, as I underwent valve collapse: "I am not an ENT. You only came to two consults. Come back in six months and we can talk about a revision."

He actually lied during consults about certain things I asked for, like augmenting my bridge, so I would go through with surgery.
I've spoken with a lawyer and am thinking about going through the intake process.

Can I just get him to pay the 20,000?

Answer: Medical malpractice is very fact specific. Consults with medmal attorneys is generally free. Contact your local bar for a referral


Title: My sister stole scratch off tickets what can I expect?

Question:
I'll try to condense this as much as possible. My sister was working at a gas station and was fired. It turns out she was fired because she stole over 300 dollars in lottery tickets. This went down just a few days before Christmas and the police came today to arrest her.

So she's currently in county jail awaiting to see a judge on Felony theft charges of greater than 300 dollars. I guess to be technical she has to see a judge to tell her when her court date or hearing is. So my first question is. On average how long is it between being arrested on a felony theft charge and seeing a judge for sentencing? Is it a month? Three months? Six months? An average time if there is such a thing.

My next question is her bail is 2500 dollars. My dad doesn't have it, I don't have it, her husband doesn't have it. Would a lawyer be cheaper? Is it possible if we got a lawyer he could get the bail reduced or taken away completely?

To make things even more insane though. Is that last month she got into a physical fight with her husband and she was charged with domestic battery. As part of the fall out from that she was put on court supervision and then made to go to Anger Management classes and if she failed the Supervision or if she didn't go to the classes she was going right back to jail. Well she has obviously failed the Supervision since the judge was clear that any legal matter would be a failure. So since she has failed her Supervision will she be looking at jail time separate from this for that?

Knowing that she was just charged with domestic battery last month and was put on court supervision just weeks ago. Combined with this being scratch off lottery tickets, combined with this being over 300 dollars. The internet says 1 to 3 years in jail. I'm assuming since outside of the domestic case she doesn't have any legal history that she will be closer to the 1 than the 3. My question would be is it a minimum of one? Is there no chance she's let off with "time served" or just ordered to pay the fine and go home? Or is she no matter what looking at atleast a year in jail no matter what if she's found guilty? If she's in there for say a month or two awaiting a sentencing or whatever the term will be. Will that be considered "time served" and then say she gets a year would those months be taken off of that year or would it be on top of that year?

Its a lot of questions but with her having a two year old son at home I'm really just trying to have some kind of idea if his mom is coming home in a week, in a month, in a year. How much it would cost to get an attorney (on average). I appreciate any insight into this matter.

I'm in Illinois in the States.

Answer:
 All of your questions would be best asked to her lawyer, which she definitely needs.

Contact your state's bar association and ask for a referral.

Each ticket she stole can be a separate felony, so she's potentially looking at a lot of charges.

It is impossible to tell you what she'll get sentenced with.


Title: Moved to an apartment from out of state that was not transparent about amenities being unfinished (Colorado)

Question:
I moved to an apartment complex from out of state. I am paying premium rent for a small square footage space but the amenities are really great. Well, that is, the advertised amenities.. Over half of the common areas are still under construction and this information was not given to me until I pulled in with my moving truck to sign the lease. The pool and hot tub did not pass inspection, the courtyard is still not open to residents, construction of the dog park and dog wash have not even been started.

As of now, we have a club room, sky lounge, and gym. My question is, what are my rights about asking for a discount after signing my lease? I feel that I should not have to pay for these amenities while unable to use them- actually having to pay for grooming and go across town to use a dog park. But they were not transparent about these not being available when I moved here so I didn’t even know to mention this before signing.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Are the amenities listed in the lease? If yes, then you may have a contractual claim, which you could use as leverage to negotiate a lower rent.  If no, then you might still have recourse under false advertising laws (the Colorado Consumer Protection Act). But the best thing would be if the lease states that you have access to the amenities which you currently can't access.


Title: Escaping Hospital From 72 Hour Hold

Question:
Hi Reddit, In New Mexico -
Throwaway for obvious reasons -

This past Friday I want to the Emergency Room, and when I was being triaged the nurse apparently misread my weight as… what I would even consider to be dangerously low. When the docctors asked my normal weight and thought I had lost 30 lbs in the past month they placed me on a 72 hour hold. I agreed to the hold and waited in the ER for two days then after some thought realised it had to be a mistake, asked another nurse to re-weigh me and I had not lost any weight whatsoever, but she never documented this. I talked to the doctor but they refused to remove the 72-hour hold. They informed me they were transferring me to a psychiatric facility for at least a week so before they could, I walked out. I did receive a call from the Sherriff's Department and local Police Department that they'd received a call concerning my welfare. I told them I was absolutely fine, I never expressed any suicidal ideation, I have no history of it, and am perfectly healthy. They did ask where I was currently and I just said "a safe place" and hung up. Am I at any other risk of them still looking for me or am I okay at this point? I went the hospital because I was dehydrated and really do not want to spend 7 days in a psych ward for a problem that does not exist; however I also do not want to have the police on a "man-hunt" for me.

**bold**Edit:**bold** Before it is asked, they considered it "psychiatric" because I was considered mentally unfit to care for myself if I lost 30 lbs in one month with no medical reason. I would agree with this, had I actually been neglecting myself and lost that weight.

Edit 2: I do have a low BMI but not at a hospitalization level, and am working with a doctor and nutritionist on an outpatient basis. The weight they had me at put my BMI 15 which I agree is very dangerous, which is why I originally agreed with the hold and stayed until I realised they were wrong about the weight. Also, I wasn't deemed incompetent, I was deemed a danger to myself.

Edit 3: This is turning into a thread over the merits of me being in the ER or the hold in general. My question is just if the police will be pursuing me for the next 72 hours.

Answer:
 So the hospital actually misread the weight? Or what?Answer #2: "They placed me on a 72 hour hold. I agreed to the hold"

What? Why? This is not a normal reaction, is it? How do you not know if you've lost thirty pounds or not? I find this incredibleAnswer #3: Something very similar happened to me.  I requested a new doctor, and he was much more understanding and sane. You can also speak to the hospital administration in these type of situations.  Sorry I don't have more info, my case never escalated to these proportions.


Title: FL, US - Sold a car for scrap several years ago but the scrap yard didn't "junk" the title

Question:
Went to update my address with the DMV, and noticed they still show the car that I scrapped years ago as titled to me.

I remember doing the paperwork with the scrapper and signing the title over to him. In FL, the scrapper is then supposed to "junk" the title.

However, I don't remember any details about which scrapper it was, and the paperwork from that sale is who-knows-where.

What steps can I take to get this title off my DMV record?

Answer:
 I could swear they would just have you sign an affidavit that states you don't own the vehicle anymore...ask the dmv again.Answer #2: Did you have a bill-of-sale that they signed? Is that enough to prove you don't own it?

Sorry to piggy-back on your questions, but we're getting ready to scrap one of our cars and I am concerned that they won't change the title.  Is there a "best practices" for scrapping a title?


Title: Handicapped parking

Question: I live in a condo community in Louisville Ky.  Recently, I requested a handicap parking space to be reserved for my use only.  I have mobility issues and walk with a cane.  The property owner says the most he can do is put in a handicapped space which anybody with a handicapped placard could use.  That does NOT solve my problem.  There are several people here who have handicapped placards on their cars and we would all be fighting for one spot.  Can't he  provide an assigned, reserved space just for me?

Answer:
 >Can't he provide an assigned, reserved space just for me?

Can he? Sure.

Does he have to? No.


Title: Does one have to renew a green issued in 1987?

Question:
Hi everybody my name is Maria and I had entered the US in 1987 with the issued green card and currently I am worrying about whether or not if I should renew my green card and if there's any repercussions for not doing so. I read online that if a green card issued from 1977 to 1989 does not have a expiration date on it, yet I believe the USCIS is trying to get them out of circulation. Are there any (serious) repercussions to not "renewing" my card, despite it having no expiry date? I plan on traveling soon, and was wondering if this would cause any issues upon the reentering the US.

Thank you for your guys help/answers/resources.

Answer:
 Just out of curiosity, is there a specific reason why you've chosen not to naturalize? Most of the reasons I can think of may cause issues when you try and renter the country.

 Permenantly Resident Aliens can be denied admission by the CBP official at the border, no matter how long they were living in the US beforehand. Also, I'd imagine your biometrics aren't up to date (or in the system at all), which may slow the process down. Otherwise, it shouldn't make a difference. The card is still valid. Just don't lose it.
Edit: Straight from the [CBP site](https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/75/~/lpr--lost,-stolen-or-expired-green-cards-or-has-no-expiration-date):

>Note:  Green cards issued between 1979 and August 1989 do not have expiration dates and do not need to be renewed unless you want to use the GE kiosk.  GE kiosks cannot read the old format Green cards.

>If you have a Green card that was issued before 1989 and the photo was taken when you were a child, you may want to renew it even though its not required.  If a CBP Officer is unable to identify you from the old photo as the legal owner of the green card, you could be delayed until your identity is verified.

>IMPORTANT:  If you have a previous version of the alien registration card (e.g., USCIS Form AR-3, Form AR-103 or Form I-151), you must replace it with a current green card.  See USCIS for more information.


Title: [TX] Was in a minor car accident, Insurance marked me 0% at fault, other party threatened me personally

Question:
To be short, I was in a minor accident (cars cosmetically damaged), my insurance told me after my recorded statement that I'm 0% at fault, and that the other party may contact me and try to threaten me, and if they did to call insurance back and let them know. "We'll handle that".

Sure enough, I got a text a few minutes after talking to my Insurance from the other party that I am a liar and since I'm "not in good faith" that they're taking the steps to make sure that I pay the "damage I did on their car". They even made sure to end it in a cute "See you in court."

I called my insurance and let them know, but I had to leave a message. I'm just really anxious and scared of being sued because I am a broke as fuck college student on my parent's insurance, in my twenties, this is my first accident...I really don't know what to expect.

Details: I was alone when the accident happened, there was a couple in the other party. They yelled at me for my information, took photos of my ID and Insurance, but only gave me their Insurance card. They yelled at me about how they are going to call the police. Their aggression sent me into an anxiety attack so I was pretty useless, scared, alone and not knowing what to do. Then they decided "the police are going to take too long so we're just gonna leave and let insurance deal with it." and left me by myself. No one was cited. I know I probably did things wrong, but I didn't know. I have never been in an accident before.

I just would like some advice and maybe some insight on what I should expect? I'm just very shaken up.

other detail: they got my phone number by making me send them a photograph of my insurance card.

Answer:
 If you get sued, your insurance takes care of it.

This is exactly what you've been paying them for every month.

They'll settle it out of court.  Don't stress.


Title: I've been renting a room in California for over 6 years. No contract. Questions about my rights.

Question: 6 years renting a room with no contract. Was given a 60 day verbal notice to move out. I need to extend my time here as long as possible. What should I do? What will this process look like? Thanks.

Answer:
 >What should I do?

Move out within the timeline provided.

If you want, you can address the lack of written notice which will give you some additional time.

Unfortunately, if you wanted more than 60 days notice when you needed to move a month to month arrangement by its very nature does not provide that.


Title: Asked to make a police statement

Question:
I have recently been asked to go into a police station to make a statement on a lost laptop. (Canada)
The situation is as follows:
I found a laptop on the ground of one of my classes I had at my university. I had another class right after  in the exact same room, so I placed the computer on the table and waited for an hour to see if anyone would return to claim it. No one came back to claim it by the time my class ended, so I took the laptop with me because I was not going to just leave it sitting on the table. I brought it home and turned it on to see if I could determine who the owner was, which is most likely how the owner was able to locate my house (via Find my mac). I was not home at the time, but during the Reading Break that we had following the week I found the laptop, an individual came to the house asking about a computer. My sister answered the door, and not knowing about the laptop, told him that she didn't know anything about it. He left without leaving any contact information or coming back during the rest of the break.I had instructed my parents and sister to return the laptop if he had made another visit. All I knew at this point was that the owner was looking for his laptop. So upon returning to school after reading break, I dropped the laptop back in the classroom at the exact same location I found it. I had assumed whoever had lost it sat in that general area and would look for it there.
My question now is whether I should just not talk to the police and decline to make a statement (as advised by my old highschool law teacher), or to go in and make the statement of what happened. I do not have proof that I dropped the computer back in the classroom after reading break, and my teacher's worry is that by making the statement, it would only further cause more probing and questioning by the police. However he believes that by declining a statement, all they would know was that the computer was at my house at some point which would not be enough to proceed or charge me with anything.

What should I do? And what can they do if I do tell them my side of the story.

Tldr; found a laptop, waited, owner came to house, returned laptop to classroom. Need to make a police statement now.

Answer: Why on earth didn't you just take it to the police or a school office for lost and found? Answer #2: Your story is simply not believable. Answer #3: Don't talk to the police and quit stealing laptops.


Title: Event Photographer Suing Speaker, is she just to do?

Question:
At our monthly speaking event, a photographer reached out wanting to support us by doing photography for free. 2 days before the event she backed out. So we hired a photographer and paid them to take photos. The sick photographer decides to show up on the day of the event to take photos after having canceled. She takes great photos and later emails them to us which we post on our social media.  There was no communication around the usage of the photos and our understanding was that we could post them.

\`1 year later, the speaker at the event used one of the images as her book cover. That photographer is now suing her for using the image without her consent. The thing is, this photographer didn't have consent to be taking photos at the event. She just showed up after she canceled. We hired someone else.

Does the speaker have a case to counter sue that the photographer had no right to take photos of her? The event did not give her consent, there is no contract.  In fact, the photographer went on to use those pics of our speaker, on her own blog and website to promote her own interests,

Answer: The speaker does not a have a case for being photographed without consent.  Generally people, in public places, can be photographed without their permission.  The photographer may well has a case against the speaker.  It's clear that they did not give permission for the images to be used in this way.Answer #2: The photographer owns the rights to those images, the speaker needs to get permission to use as book cover.Answer #3: If he is going through all this effort to publish a book and liked the photo the photographer took enough to use it, the speaker needs to pay up.


Title: A man pretending to be out land Lord showed up to my apartment demanding 4500 USD

Question:
Hey everyone first time posting here so I'm sorry if I break any rules, I am in **west virginia**.

So today at around 10am a man knocks at our door. My girlfreind goes to get the door and it's a man, **who knows my girlfreinds name** saying that we haven't been paying our rent and we owed 4,500 dollars. We have only been in this appartment for two months for 650 a month and made all our payments on time. My girlfreind tells him that we've payed out rent but goes on about us having a recepit and eventually leaving saying he will be back.

So at this point my girlfreind is balling her eyes out and i ask her some questions like if she asked for his name, how we owe that much money, and things like that. The man did not give my girlfreind his name or how we owed that much, and eventually we found an email from our landlord saying that he got our rent payment for december.

At this point I was suspicious so I call the land lord and ask him if:

* he or an associate stopped by our apartment this morning

* if we owed him 4500 or any amount of money

The anwser I got to both of these questions was a no, he knew nothing about the man and we didn't owe him anything

At this point we called the cops to give them a description of the individual and what he said and sid. They told us if he comes back to not open the door and to stall him and call them once again so they can figure out what's going on.

That's what has happened up to this point and I just have some questions on what I should do next.

* if he comes back, dose anyone have any good ways to stall him? We have a, oh I just got out of the shower excuse prepared but I doubt that will keep him for long

* would it be advisable to record what he says with a phone, think zootopia with the tape recorder and the "it's your word against you" scene.

* is their anything I should have prepared for the cops if they catch him? Like name of the land lord and how long we've been staying here, seem obvio is but is their something else I should produce to show that this man isn't out land lord or something we can do to help ourselves out?

Thank you all so much for any help in advance

**TLDR; A man pretending to be our landlord demanded 4500 USD from us and said he'd be back. Any advice?**

Answer:
 Why would you want to stall him? Call the police and lock the door. If he leaves, great. If not, he'll likely be arrested.

West Virginia is a one-party state: you can give consent, to yourself, silently, to record a conversation to which you are a party. This means you can, for example, record your calls without having to inform someone. I doubt it'll do much good.

You do not have to prove to the police that your landlord is who you say it is. The police (and a prosecutor) can charge someone with trespassing regardless of whether they're your landlord or not - even if it _was_ your landlord coming by, refusing to leave and failing to give adequate notice of entry would be enough for trespassing charges.


Title: Can Redditers say keep their post from being shared

Question: I have been binge browsing AmITheAsshole and I came across a few posts that said “no cross posting” or “I do not give permission for this post the be shared” does that mean anything or are that just saying stuff?

Answer: Legally it doesn't mean anything, but some people will respect the posters wishes and not share those posts on YouTube for example. But there's nothing legally stopping people from sharing them.


Title: [PA] Years ago an officer pulled me over to ask for my number. Asking for my own knowledge.

Question:
I don't want to give up too many details here, but when I was 16 (over 10 years ago - God am I old), I got pulled over. It was seriously the first time I ever drove on my own so was terrified. He pulled me over on a back road and I was really stupid in the sense that I didn't realize you could call to see if it was a real cop. Anyway, I pulled over and he asked for my number. I refused and asked if I was free to go. He said yes, apologized for the trouble, said how he was embarrassed but thought I was cute. I drove home and told my dad.

My dad went down to the station and reported it. Very irate, I might add. They said they would investigate but nothing was ever done about it.

Besides getting fired (which I'm almost sure he didn't), did he break any laws? Oddly enough, I have a daughter now and just want to learn about this.

Thanks!

Answer: It was an unlawful stop (he stopped you for personal reasons), other than that, I see no damages.Answer #2: I'd raise hell about it and get him fired.  That was an unlawful stop.  He stopped you under [color of authority](https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/color_of_law).


Title: Boss considers me a “1099 employee”

Question:
I’ve worked for a mobile anesthesia company for the past 2.5 years as an office manager. My hours are a set 8am-4pm, Monday to Friday. Being the office manager, I work in an office with two coworkers. One is a nurse and the other is our anesthesia setup guy. From day one my boss has said that we are 1099 contractors and not W2 employees. He supplies all work equipment (computers, office supplies, etc) and makes my hours and assignments. I do not get paid time and half even though he constantly asks me to work over time and I average about 88-92 hours of work a pay period. These overtime hours are paid at my base hourly rate. Not 1.5x. I do get paid “vacation” time and holidays.

Recently, taking to a friend he told me that I can not be working as a 1099 “employee” and what he is doing is illegal to try and save him money and avoid paying me overtime. My question is, should I report this to the IRS and also seek legal help? I feel like he owes me back pay at the very minimum for all the over time. But what angers me the most is that he’s been going behind my back recently and asking my coworker personal questions about my life. I have a part time job from 5-9pm a few times a week and weekends so that I can get my HMO insurance through this second job since my current office manager role has zero benefits. He doesn’t like this and gets upset when I leave right at 4pm at time.

Please help. Any advise would be great. Thank you.

Answer: You are definitely not legally a 1099 employee in the US. Personally, I would start looking for a new job in case this goes poorly when you broach the subject.


Title: My manager has taken my personal property, has thrown stuff and hit me, taken my tips and constantly threatens to write me up when I fail an impossible task.

Question:
I am a 17 year old minor working at a car wash in Florida and my current managers have routinely hit me and co workers when we aren't doing work. One instance I didn't clean a car that well and he threw a half eaten donut he had at my face and called me a "fucking idiot". This was directly infront of several co workers and cameras. Yesterday my manager we'll call Nick punched me and a co worker pretty hard for getting water in the laundry room. I work 12 hour shifts sometimes and I will usually get one break about 3 hours.

On Friday a co worker broke a machine, it took about 15 minutes and a quick trip to Lowe's to fix it. The co worker openly admitted to breaking the machine, on accident. However I was thrown under the bus and my tips for the week were taken.

Everytime a car is not cleaned to their impossible standards I am always told its my last warning. I've been told this several times in the past week and countless times since I have worked there. I personally feel this is harassment.

What legal action can I take?

Answer:
 File a police report about being hit.   Do it today, be longer you wait, the less likely they will be able to get the video.

File a wage complaint about your tips.

Maybe leave your phone/valuables in your car so they can’t take them.

And definitely consider finding a new job.

Also, tell your parents!


Title: [GA] Landlord won't pay us the deposit fee stating they "never received it" from the government.

Question:
My roomates and I rented a townhome in GA and the original holder of the property sold it, or it was foreclosed upon. We were never notified of why or when this happened, but at one point four years ago the property was bought by a new holder.

We paid a deposit to the first landlords, but not the second. At the time of the changeover, the new landlords told us to send our rent payments to them, so we did. We never paid a deposit to the new landlords, but the contract they had us sign states that they were paid a deposit fee.

We're now moving out of the townhome and the new landlords are saying that since we didn't pay them the deposit they don't owe us one. I'm wondering where did our original deposit go then? The contract we signed with the first landlord doesn't state what happens if they just sell the house to some random bank, and from a bank to a new landlord.

So who is at fault here? Would the previous landlord have owed and given the bank the deposit, which was then given to the new landlord and the new landlord is lying to me? Is the first landlord at fault, and they just pocketed everyone's deposits when they sold the house and walked off with it? Does the bank have it and they've simply not given it to the new landlord?

Push comes to shove, the current landlord signed a contract that states that they were paid a deposit and they must return it to us when we vacate minus any charges to wear and tear. I don't want to force them to pay that deposit if they truly don't have the deposit, but someone has pocketed a good chunk of rent money and is keeping quiet about it.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Not a lawyer but seems that if the new landlord signed a new lease with you stating they received a deposit, then it is enforceable and you should take action to collect it.   It is their problem if they failed to collect it from the old landlord or understand what they were agreeing to.
Answer #2: From what I understand the new owner purchased the house, so that deposit should have been transferred in the sale transaction and they should return it to you. I don't know if there's any difference if it was a foreclosure or similar situation. Answer #3: Send a written demand letter that they have to sign for. Give them a reasonable amount of time to return it, 14 days is appropriate. If they fail to do that, file in small claims court and bring proof that they have to repay it.

Many places the LL has 30 days to return the money or send an itemized bill stating what it all or partially was used for. Answer #4: Whether or not they received the deposit from the previous owners is not your problem, it is entirely theirs.


Title: US Military spouse overseas in an abusive relationship... he's never given her any financial help and in fact requires rent from her even though they live "for free" on base. What are her rights?

Question:
This is for my best friend. I've been telling her for years to get out of this relationship but this guy has done a number on her self esteem and what she thinks she's capable of as a person. So they've been living overseas for 3 years ON BASE, which is paid for as a separate allotment through the military, and this guy still requires her to give him $600 a month for "bills". I should mention all utilities are also paid for through a separate allotment through the military. She pays her car insurance, she buys groceries, soaps and sanitary products, all her necessities herself SEPARATE from this $600 her husband requires from her. So just what the hell does this money go to? Any time she asks him he manipulates her and honestly... she needs outside help. But that's not what I'm here for... I need advice on what she's entitled to when she finally does get the courage to leave him (which I think may be soon...)

She has a record of the $600 a month she gives to him, and he also gets paid extra money to care for a dependent in his military checks... so isn't she entitled to some of that money if it can be proven that not only does he not share that money with her, but he's been stealing hers? Legally, what can she get back in a divorce? She doesn't want to "rake him over the coals" so to speak, but he has left her with nothing! She works a minimum wage job so he has kept her effectively penniless and under his control, just like he likes it. Anyway, I know this isn't a psychological help sub, so I'm sorry for the digression... but please, if anyone knows, what is she entitled to in the event of a separation? Or even now?

edit: located in Japan. Guess "overseas" isn't specific enough.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 She can go to family support / family advocacy and tell them what is going on. They can help with everything from helping her get mental health help to helping her leave.

If she is an American? She can get an ERD (Early return of dependents) and come back to the states. She can file for divorce there if she would like. If she's an American? It's a bit of a pain and is easier for her to come back to the states to file.

For the Navy it's called Fleet & Family Support.
For the USAF it's called the Airman & Family Readiness Center. For the USMC (I think they are all on Navy bases there....) it's the Family Service Center. For the Army it's going to be under Army Community Services but if you google Army Family Team Building it will get you to the right people.

There are a number of resources available on base to help her. Please encourage her to reach out to them. She CAN just walk in and say "I don't know what to do" and someone will help her.

They know the system - know who to contact - and can make sure she is safe.

If she is not comfortable going to any of these places? Tell her to go to the Chapel (even if she's not religious) Military chaplains are AMAZING at connecting services for people and are extremely skilled counselors. There is someone on call 24/7 at the chapel.

She can also tell him she has a dr's appointment and go to the base hospital and walk into the chapel there and talk to someone (if he's keeping tabs on her.)

Best of luck to your friend.

Edit - I can't spell w/o coffee.


Title: What is the legality of a bar refusing to give you back your credit card unless you spend a certain amount?

Question: So I went to a bar the other night for a drink ($6) and paid with a card. I asked for it back and was told I couldn't have it back until I spent $10. At no time before trying to pay was I told this, nor is it posted anywhere. I spoke to both the owner and bartenders and all of them refused unless I spent at least $10. This seemed really shady and possibly illegal to basically force me into spending more money than I intended after already handing them payment for what I owed. This happened in Columbus, Ohio by the way.

Answer:
 This might be a case of theft.

Ohio Revised Code 2913.02 (available at: http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2913.02) says that:

"No person, with purpose to deprive the owner of property or services, shall knowingly obtain or exert control over either the property or services in any of the following ways:

...

(2) Beyond the scope of the express or implied consent of the owner or person authorized to give consent;

..."

You gave them consent to possess your card for the sole and limited purpose of paying for the drink.  A refusal to return it until and unless you spent more (which if you refused could conceivably be forever) would appear to exceed the scope of your consent.


Title: I'm not sure if the child is mine, should I prepare for war?

Question:
For reference, I am an early 20s male and she is a 20 year old female.

Around October of 2017, I started hooking up with a girl, our little relationship lasted about a month and obviously we had sex during that time, once unprotected because we were both a little intoxicated and she told me she was on a very effective birth control \(yeah I know where I fucked up\).

A little while after we broke up, she told me she was pregnant, but judging by the time we had sex to the time she told me, I was pretty positive that it wasn't mine. This is where it gets sketchy, a little while after she told me that information, she told me she had gone and gotten an abortion because she already has kids and wouldn't be able to raise this one in a supportive environment nor give it a good life. I assumed that was the end of it, I supported her through the decision, then a few months later she told me she had a growth in her stomach and she was terrified it was a tumor. After a visit to the doctor, they were able to confirm there was a growth, though SHE told me that they said it was only likely a tumor.

Fast forward to now, she just told me that not only is she pregnant, but she is in her third trimester. She also claimed that the doctors had overestimated then underestimated the amount of time that passed since she got pregnant, and that it likely falls right into the timeframe that we had our little drunken night. I asked her about her abortion, she told me that the doctor's didn't do an ultrasound, and thus only removed one child \(apparently she had twins and they didn't see the second\).

NOW, I have a lot of problems with this story, firstly she told me she was likely already pregnant from another guy within weeks of us dating, as I said earlier, it didn't seem possible that she conceived with me.

Second, she told me she got an abortion, then later got an ultrasound to confirm a growth in her stomach. When she found out about the growth, not only did she assure me it wasn't a child, but was acting terrified as if it was actually cancer, so I bought it. Now, how the hell did the doctors not know that it was a child? Can doctors really not tell the difference between a fertilized egg and a tumor?

Thirdly, she is claiming there is nothing to worry about because her sisters mother \(we'll say step\-mom\) is offering to adopt the child and raise for her since she cannot care for it in her current environment. This seems believable to me, as they are very close to one another. BUT, what if that isn't true? At this point, I'm questioning every promise and reassurance she's made to me, and am incredibly anxious that this entire situation is going to end with "My step\-mom can't take the baby so I'm keeping it" or something along those lines.

I am personally in no position financially or mentally to care for a child and neither is she. However, I am still worried that I have just been entrapped in a child\-support situation in which I am going to half to fight for custody of this child. Of course, it's entirely possible that everything she said is true and this is just a really really unfortunate situation with a very lucky solution, but I'm not willing to take risks anymore. It's time to prepare. My family is well equipped to help me care for this child, and will do so if I ask, but I can't ask for their help, we're proud and we don't get ourselves in situations like this.

I work part time in fast food and go to the community college, I have barely $3000 to my name. If this entire thing goes to the courtroom, what do I have to be worried about? What must I prepare for and how do I prepare for it?

I can't reply immediately, I have to go to work for a few hours, but I will return and reply to any comments. Please help me, I have no idea what I'm doing and I'm so anxious.

Answer:
 Stop contacting her.

Abortions don't remove one fetus, and unless she's Queen Mary Tudor, she's unlikely to have mistaken a tumor for a pregnancy, so she's full of shit. Or fetus. Or both.

*IF*she  is pregnant, and *IF* she contacts you, wait until she has a baby and then get a very cheap, easy and painless DNA test. If this is your kid, you have both rights and responsibilities.Answer #2: First of all, you haven't been entrapped.

Secondly, you can get a paternity test.

Third, if the kid is yours, you have to pay child support unless it's adopted.

Answer #3: Step 1 insist on a paternity test.
Step 2 if you are the father, see a family law attorney immediately and follow their advice. If not, breathe a sigh of relief and don't make the same mistake again.Answer #4: NAL, you can always ask for a paternity test when she gives birth. That would be the best way to know if you are the father or not


Title: Female friend of mine (16) was touched and harassed by an adult (25) at church. What can be done?

Question:
My friend had been in a church class when an female adult who sat next to her began asking provoking questions. She asked if she had a boyfriend, if he touches her boobs, and if he kisses her. My friend got out of class because she began to feel uncomfortable and the female adult pursued her outside. The adult came up to her and asked if she would like to be her girlfriend and proceeded to slap my friend’s thigh. I’m not sure if this would be considered sexual harassment and if so could the lady be considered a sex offender? What other legal actions can be taken? Also, according to my friend the lady is autistic.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Any offensive touching is technically a battery, so theoretically she could report the contact to the police. The seriousness of how the police respond is usually proportional to the harm suffered, so if your friend wasn’t directly injured and pretty much shook it off, they may not pursue it too seriously; especially in light of any mitigating factors (like the woman’s incapacity).

A more effective route in addressing it may be seeking out if the woman has a guardian who goes to the church, who can more closely supervise the woman and prevent future occurrences. It’s also worth bringing up to the church leadership too. Answer #2: Call the police


Question:
 can a lawyer prosecute a defendant who is accused of murdering a family member of theirs?
Question:This would be in the state of New York. I know there are conflicts of interest in general with stuff like this, but what is the ruling on if a prosecutor takes a case where the person he's trying to prosecute is accused of murdering/assaulting/etc. someone the prosecutor has blood relations to, or maybe even just knows personally?

Answer:
 I'm a little confused by what you're asking.

A lawyer, who is not a prosecutor, can certainly file a civil wrongful-death suit against someone even if they are related to that victim. It probably wouldn't be the smartest idea since they are emotionally involved. But this wouldn't necessarily be prohibited by the rules of conduct.

If the lawyer is a prosecutor working for the city/county/state/federal gov, then no they themselves would not be allowed to criminally prosecute the person if they are personally connected to the victim. They would need to excuse themselves and let someone else in the office prosecute.


Title: Was I Bait-and-Switched in Palm Beach Gardens, FL?

Question:
Good afternoon, hope all is well with everyone! I'll try to make this short:

Go to an apartment complex to see a unit for my boyfriend and I while he is at work. Am given a "Quote Sheet" for the unit ($1278) by the leasing agent and taken to see said unit. When we get back to the office, he tells me found a better deal on the aforementioned unit and could rent it to my boyfriend and I for $1182. This sealed the deal for me. I then paid the app fee for my bf and I ($150) and filled out the application. The agent then printed a "Move In Statement" with the rent of $1182 for me and stapled it to the Quote Sheet and another paper detailing amenities. I told him I would come in the next morning with bf so he could also apply and provide proof of income.

The next morning my bf fills out the application and the agent calls me that afternoon saying we were approved. I told him bf and I would be in the next day to sign the lease.

Here is the problem. The lease we went to sign detailed the rent at the originally quoted $1278. When I mentioned this to the agent, he seemed taken aback that I said something and began stuttering trying to explain. Before he could say anything, though, two other women who worked there came over and started going over the prorated rent, breaking down the utility charge, etc - basically explaining everything EXCEPT the discrepancy. Then, one of the women says about the Move In Statement, "We usually don't print these out for the customer" and she ripped it from the packet containing the Quote Sheet and amenity sheets (luckily I'd taken a picture of it to show my bf). Basically they had no real answer. I felt uncomfortable at this point and so did my bf so I told them I was having second thoughts about signing the lease and left. The move-in date is February 2nd so I have up until then to sign the lease and plan on going back Monday to speak to a manager, but I am not so sure it would get me anywhere.

Does anyone have any advice as to what I should do? Do I have a case? It feels like he lied about the lower price to get me to sign the lease and raised the price again when he was sure I liked the unit too much to care..

Thank you all for your time!

Answer: You should never sign something if you're uncomfortable while signing it. Trust your gut.


Title: Marriage at 17 with only one parent

Question:
State: Alabama

My girlfriend is 17, and right now we're being pushed toward marriage because she has to get emancipated for personal reasons. We don't plan on divorcing or anything, so I don't want a lecture on how this isn't a good idea. I know the risks. So down to my problem, both her parents are on her birth certificate, but her mother is a convicted felon who has no legal custody, and was also ordered by a court to not make contact with my girlfriend. Her dad is willing to sign on the certificate, but her mother is iffy. If I can't convince her mother, is there anything I can do? Neither of her legal guardians even want to take care of her, including her parents, but for some reason only her dad is willing to sign. Is there anything that we can do?

Answer:
 >If I can't convince her mother, is there anything I can do?

Her mom has no legal custody and has 0 contact so I can't see why she even needs to sign. Does she still have legal rights over her?


Title: Defendant has not been served. What now?

Question:
I filed a small claims against the defendant for an unfinished kitchen on November 1st and he has not been served, the pretrial is on December 6th. And the sheriff has not been able to locate him. I called the sheriff yesterday and I was told that they returned the summons to court and that I would need to go and file them again. I gave them his business and home address.

Do I just go and file them again?
What if they still can't serve him?

I'm in lee County Florida.

Answer:
 No offense to Sheriff's Deputies, but they usually are the worst process servers. They have a list of people they have to go through and that's all they do. They'll knock on a door and if they aren't home, they go to the next person. Private Process servers will do a little research and most importantly, they'll wait around until the person comes home to serve them. Answer #2: 1. Yes
1. Then the defendant isn't sued.  You may want to consider hiring a private process server if it's allowed.


Title: Assault and Battery for breakfast! Do I have a case? (CA)

Question:
Hello everyone! First time posting to reddit. Throwaway of course. A few months ago, I was physically assaulted in my own home, in my own bed, first thing in the morning. Like, literally first thing. No coffee, no morning piss, I opened my eyes and I was being attacked. I am considering taking legal action but am unsure how strong my case is and whether or not it would be worthwhile. I have no legal experience of my own. I am including details that I feel would be relevant from a legal standpoint, but, sadly, am omitting the more interesting details of the incident itself to maintain anonimity. Hoping I don't shit the bed with Reddit's tricky formatting... here goes!

&nbsp;

**The Story (TL;DR below)**

I was dating a girl (Jane) who had just gotten out of a serious relationship. She spent the night at my house one night, and in the morning I hear a knock on the door to my room. I'm ass-naked and still half-asleep, so I start thinking of how to respond assuming it's one of my room mates. Before I can formulate a thought, the door opens and it's this girl's ex-boyfriend. He sees the two of us in bed and immediately rushes in and starts throwing blows. He is in a rage. I have never been attacked before, but my instincts take over and I manage to guard my face against his punches somewhat effectively. He pulls back and demands that I "get up and face him like a man" or something to that effect. I refuse to engage him, he shouts and verbally berates the two of us, rushes me for one more round of blows which I again attempt to defend against, then leaves the property. He didn't mess me up the way he wanted to (no doctor visit or anything), but I was left with a very sore jaw and what I'm sure a medical professional would call psychological trauma.

&nbsp;

Here's the thing. Several of my room mates were in the living room that morning. The front door was open. I later learned from them that the boyfriend had showed up and entered the house *without knocking* and *without permission*. He demanded to know where Jane was. My roommates realized he was coming in hot, but did not recognize his full intention or expect his behavior. They told him they didn't even know Jane was there that night (true), so he insisted they take him around the house to look for her. Two of them do, not really possessing enough information to have put the pieces together and foreseen what would happen. They check every room until mine is the only one left. What happens next I've already described, but the point is that *two of my room mates are eye witnesses to the assault that transpired*. They stood in the doorway and watched him assault me. The other two were present when he entered the house and could hear what happened from the living room. Jane was obviously an eye witness as well.

&nbsp;

As you can guess, I was shaken by this event. Initially, I did not consider legal action because I just wanted to move on but I was constantly thinking about it at work, when I'm trying to fall asleep, shit, even mid-conversation sometimes. My stomach was a pit for months. I know the guy and did not think he would do anything again, but I was still nervous and concerned for my safety when out in public. Once the dust was settled, we agreed to meet up and talk about it. It was a pretty civil exchange actually but at one point he jokingly said he had seen me around town on my bike while driving and thought about turning around and hitting me. We both laughed, though I am sure at the time it was a very real thought. He had also made the same remark in conversation with Jane.

&nbsp;

It's now been several months since that incident. I thought I would be totally over it but I'm not. I've always known that what he did was a crime and that I could prove that he committed this crime, but only recently have I considered actually doing anything. Like I said, all I wanted was to move on but peace and forgiveness just haven't come.

&nbsp;

*TL;DR My girlfriend's ex-boyfriend entered my house one morning unannounced and uninvited, assaulted me with his fists in front of the girl and two direct eye witnesses (two more witnesses in other room). Left me with a bruised jaw and psychological trauma.*

&nbsp;

**The Relevant Details**

Here's a summary of what I think are legally significant points:

* Trespassing/burglary - he entered the property without anyone's consent, arguably with the intention of committing a crime (which makes it burglary?)

* Assault and Battery - He physically attacked me, the result of which caused me pain and suffering as well as mental anguish. Textbook.

* I have MULTIPLE witnesses that can corroborate these facts.

* He jokingly stated that he had thought about seriously injuring me again (hitting me with his car). Jane can attest to him saying this as well.

&nbsp;

**My Concerns**

Here's where you come in /r/legaladvice. I am considering seeking legal consultation and taking further action, but would first like to get an idea of how strong of a case I really have and whether or not it makes sense to do so (i.e., will I just be hurting myself financially taking on the legal fees). I do not have a complete understanding on what I have to gain by doing this, or what he or I stand to lose. I have never gone through this process before. There are some problems I see with the situation and would kindly ask for anyone to chime in and address them:

* What he did was trespassing, right? While he was by no means invited or allowed into the house, does the fact that my roommates ultimately agreed to help him look around negate that somehow?

* I have no proof of the physical damages. I do not have pictures and did not see a doctor.

* I have no proof of the psychological damages. I believe my current condition would technically be considered PTSD, but I have not seen a mental health professional about this yet.

* It has been several months since the actual event. Does this in any way affect my case?

&nbsp;

That's about it. If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading and thanks in advance to anyone who can provide advice on this subject.

Much Love.

Answer:
 Holy overexplanation Batman.

I'm assuming you're asking about a civil case -- one would think with all those words you could have managed to include that.

You have about zero in provable actual damages.  What are you hoping to recover for, exactly?


Title: Am I eligible to call C.P.S. , regarding a destructive sibling?

Question:
To begin with, my younger brother, will often indulge into physical fights at school, in order to cope with his anger. It relieves him to take out his anger on others, which is why the vast majority of students at his school avoid him. He's taller than me, so the fact that he's younger plays no factor, when it comes to physical fights.

He takes out his anger on me and my little sister ( 6 ) , if we anger him in any way. This includes refusing to compete, physically. He's much stronger than me too. ( My anemia makes it difficult for me to exercise, efficiently ) . He's left my sister and I with bruises, cornered us, punched us, kicked us, you name it. I want my sister and I safe again.

It has even come to a point, where he has physically hurt my mom, with no consequence. I'm scared to sleep at night. I go days without eating. ( I have to come back home early, to make food, and take it up to my room, so he won't see me, not giving him the chance to hurt me ) I want to be safe again. What could CPS do? ( I've been informed in the past that they don't take action )

Location : M.D.
Topic:
CPS and Dependency Law

Answer: Yes. Tomorrow, when you go into school, tell the teacher you have to speak to the guidance counselor right away. And then when you are there, tell the counselor you need to make a CPS report.


Title: So, someone help me out, idk what to do, im 15

Question:
I've been suicidal at one point in my life, and I had some terrible depression for 2-4 years in a row. When I was 6 or 7 I got beat with a belt to the point where i was bleeding all over with cuts from the belt (a 20 to 30 minute long whipping). This was for taking a silver coin out of his drawer without permission, then taking it to show and tell at school, i cam back home, he asked who took the coin, my stupid self showed him the coin but said i found it at school. I fucked up there. On my 12th or 13th birthday I got backslapped for whispering that my dad din't like the cake flavor at the table, I cried and didn't feel like eating so I went to bed, my dad followed me and beat me up, doing the stand up, knock down, stand back up thing. I was watching a movie my dad put on with my 2 sisters, and i got too loud or something and my dad came down and said go to bed. I got up, turned the TV off, and left for bed, my dad asked me if I turned the TV off, I said i did, he said why (he was in his room watching something else), I said because u said bedtime, he got a belt, started swinging, and slapped me on the lip. My top lip was swollen badly for days, he had the nerve to laugh when he saw it. One night my dad came home drunk, he started talking to me, he eventually started telling me about all the girls he was smashing and the aids he caught in HS. Asked me if i liked big butts and tiddies. I refused to speak on that matter. This thought followed me for a long while afterwards. Another time he came home drunk I was sleep, it was 1-2 AM. I was in a t shirt and underwear. He came in to tell me to get my socks from out of my mother's room. I went in there and got the socks, left, came back to my room and threw the socks in a hamper. He followed me to my room, I was confused on why, and he looked down (Im 6'2 and chubby) and started picking on how big my legs were. I didn't really care, as he does this all the time, picking at my weight. This is where you should probably turn back if you don't want to hear something disturbing (not rape). He asked where were my nuts. Literally, I was silent, he asked again, louder this time. I pointed to where they are supposed to be. He told me to do 3 steps when he asked me that question: 1. Stomp 3 times like a gorilla, grab my junk and say "right here sir". I was dying inside, like what kind of fucked up shit is that? He made me sit there for 20 minutes and do it until i got it right. I was ready to go back to my bed, before he started cussing me out for no reason at all and punched a hole in the wall, pushed me against the wall, where the force of my back against the wall cracked it, then punched me in my liver. I yelled out in pain instantly, and started crying. I fell to the floor in shock (research liver blows) and caught my breath. I stayed there on the floor and refused to get up. He yelled at me, I refused to look at him, nor get up, my mother came in, my dad told her to stay out of it, she did, like a bitch. Then he left the room, to wake up my SISTERS and told them to look at their pathetic brother crying. Saying "this is who's supposed to be protecting you". After 10 minutes of that shitshow, he left the room, my mom tried to talk to me, about god knows what, I yelled at her to leave me alone, my dad came right back in, picked me up off the floor, yelled in my face, spit flying in my face, and told me to be a man, then let me go. Worst night of my life, this was early 2018 I think, and it haunts me everyday, I can't call the cops cause I have nowhere to go, and no family that I'm in contact with fit to keep me. Shit hurts.

I originally posted this to r/teenagers. i live in Lansing, IL

Answer:
 I am so sorry that this is happening to you.

> call the cops cause I have nowhere to go, and no family that I'm in contact with fit to keep me

Call them. Call CPS. Tell a teacher or guidance counselor. It is not your job to find a safe placement for yourself. It is the job of CPS and they will make sure that you are safe.Answer #2: Please call CPS.

I'm sorry this is happening to you.Answer #3: Please call CPS and / or speak to a mandatory reporter (teacher, counsellor, nurse, doctor etc) who will get the ball rolling.

If he’s aggressive again, call 911.

None of this is your fault and you shouldn’t be subjected to it. I’m sorry. Answer #4: Looking at your posts, this seems to be a reoccurring issue. This man is angry and had a lot of shit.
Grab some of your crap and one day on the way  to school or where ever you are going, go straight to the police station, tell them you do not feel safe, ECT.
If you can try to record what is happening, doesn't have to be video, audio will work.
It is the states issue to find you placement. Eventually you can be emancipated.
Protect yourself!
Your job isn't to be a punching bag for him.
As someone who has been through something similar, get out and get out now. There is a horizon and it will be okay
GET OUT NOW!!! PLEASE. Answer #5: I join the others in telling you to call CPS. This is child abuse, and it's wrong. Get out now.


Title: Violation of Privacy including search and seizure

Question:
I am a college student attending a University in New York State. I was playing Pool/Billiards in my Dorm Buildings Pool Table Room. I was with about 5 other guys and I left for about 10 minutes to get something from my room and use the bathroom. I cam back and they were cleaning everything up and my wallet was missing from the room. The other guys told me that one of the Resident Assistants (RAs). I found the RA and he told me he gave it to the Resident Hall Director (The guy in charge of our dorm building). I went to the RHDs office and he had my wallet on his desk with some of the contents removed (a Novelty ID). The ID was hidden in my wallet behind 1 or two other cards that had my name and some information on them. One of my friends from the room, said the RA asked whose wallet it was and nobody knew so he went through it to find out. It is impossible to have gotten to my ID without seeing other cards with my name on them. My friend said the RA searched the whole thing including going through my money and saying "Why does he have so many damn quarters in here". The RHD said he is filing an incident report and giving the ID to University Police and they will handle the situation from here, and there could be legal action taken.

Did the RA have the right to invade my privacy and go through my entire wallet after knowing it was mine?
Did he have the right to confiscate my ID?

Answer:
 > Did the RA have the right to invade my privacy and go through my entire wallet after knowing it was mine? Did he have the right to confiscate my ID?

Probably. They were trying to figure out who it belonged to and found a fake I.D. in the process. What exactly do you want to do about this? What is your end game here?


Title: Sold a vehicle - check bounced. What are my options [Wisconsin]

Question:
My spouse sold a vehicle to someone on craigslist. The guy came, and for some idiotic reason, my spouse accepted a personal check for $1100.

We deposited the check, and 4 days later, it bounced. My spouse signed over the title, and gave him the keys. The check does have his name, address, and over the course of the conversation, this guy told my spouse where he works.

What can we do?

Answer: You should try and contact him and tell him his check bounced.  Whatever he says confirm it in writing.  If he doesn't pay you, you can sue him in small claims court.


Title: If I don't give hospital staff my name, do I have to pay the bill after being discharged?

Question: If I'm taken to the ER for an emergency, and I never give the doctors or nurses my name, social security number, state ID, etc. and I don't sign any forms, and I legally exempt in Illinois from having to pay the resulting bill since there is no means of verifying my identity?

Answer:
 "Legally exempt" ?   No.

If you refuse to sign an admission form, or provide false information, then you have defrauded the ER of payment for their honest services.

It might be impractical or impossible for them to track you down after your release, and they will eventually add your treatment costs to their charity and indigent treatment budget.

But you have not exempted yourself from your legal obligation to pay for services.Answer #2: You're not legally exempt from paying for services rendered to you.  It'll just take the hospital some time to figure out who you are.

They could also get the police involved for fraud since you're using a fake identify for the purposes of receiving services for free.


Title: [Canada] My girlfriend is a poster on NSFW subreddits, many people ask her to send porn videos of herself. Can my girlfriend and I product a porn video and sell it on our Shopify website?

Question:
They're offering quite a bit of money for these videos and we could use the cash, but don't want to break any laws!
Topic:
Canada

Answer: Well, we'd have to see the video first to judge if it's within community standards.


Title: Ex-Roommate threatening to take me to small claims court over deposit argument

Question:
CALIFORNIA, USA: Four roommates moved into an apartment last year and put down $1625 each for the deposit, or $6500 total. Let's call them A, B, C and X (the bad roommate).

After about 4 months, it became clear that X did not get along with A, B & C. Just different types of people, and honestly, X was kind of a jerk. Death threats, refusal of participating in common room furniture buying, etc.

X moved out. A, B, & C were tasked with finding a new roommate to sublet the room, which had its own time-consuming difficulties, but they were happy because the household could potentially be peaceful once again.

At the end of the yearlong lease, A, B & C moved out to a new, smaller apartment. The old apartment was huge, and the landlord said he would have charged them $1000 to get it cleaned, so they bought $120 worth of cleaning supplies and spent about 40 hours (an entire weekend, day to night) deep cleaning the apartment themselves. Considerable time was spent on repairs to what had been X's room. The landlord came by for the inspection, and said they'd done a good job, and would only knock $100 off the deposit for miscellaneous items.

A, B, and C contacted X and proposed he get $1400 of his $1625 deposit back. Breakdown as follows:
$6400 full deposit divided by 4 people: $1600.
Less: Cleaning supply costs divided by 4 people: -$30.
Less: Time spent cleaning and repairing: -$170 each (vs. the $250 each for the landlord's quote)
=$1400 returned to X.

X did not agree and countered with $1465 instead of $1400. A, B, and C said, "Let's discuss when we actually get the deposit back." X replied and said, "Send me what I asked for, or I will sue A (the original full deposit check-writer) in small claims court."

Questions for the Reddit community:
-Does small claims court negatively affect A's credit / ability to borrow? Google says yes, but perhaps you know better.
-Can't X only sue for $65, or the differential between what he accepted over email? And therefore, doesn't the cost of small claims court outweigh what he would win, if he won?
-Can anybody think of any other low-effort, clever ways to win this dispute?

Answer:
 Was X on a lease jointly with the rest of the roommates, or was he a subtenant renting from one of the roommates on the primary lease?

If he was on the same lease as the rest, then he is entitled to an equal share of his security deposit back. In other words, if the landlord took $100 out of the security deposit, and it is split 4 ways, he should get $1600 back. If you want to hold X responsible for the cleaning the other roommates had to do, you'd need to bill him for that separately and take him to small claims for his share if he doesn't pay it.