Title: Jury duty problems. What can I do?

Question:
(Hope this is the right spot to post)
**Before anything; I've been on jury duty twice before, and Im not trying to weasel my way out of it**

Earlier this month I got a jury summons. No big problem. Did the online questionnaire thing and forgot about it. Today, The night before my service begins, I log onto the ejuror website to find the the location has been changed from the usual courthouse, to one that is 2 hours away in a city I've never been too in my life (They dont post information until the night beforehand). On top of that, the only 2 highways into and out of this city are under HEAVY construction. I mean the 15mph 1 lane for 50 miles kind of heavy, and some stretches are just flat out closed up.

The fastest non-highway route turns that 2 hours into 4 hours. Most likely more because of the extra traffic.

I've called an tried to explain the situation, but got the "its not our problem, but you still have to show up" response. I would have to leave 5 hours from this posting (10:30PM est) If I want to get there on time....

EDIT: To appease the bot, My location is lower Michigan, near Ohio.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Sounds like you got federal court duty instead of your local town / county; I was driving 55 miles each way every day for a week because of that last year.

The best thing to do is show up (I know ours mentioned that they'd pay for a hotel room for the duration if you had a long drive).  The next best thing is probably to leave with enough time to make it there normally, apologize a lot when you're late, and hope you don't upset the judge too much.Answer #2: Show up at first. During selection you'll be asked if there is any reason you feel you could not fulfill your duties. Tell them how it's a 4-5 hour drive to get there, and another 4-5 hours back home, and that this would put significant stress on your finances and life. Perhaps they will excuse you.


Title: [NJ] I (19 f) just moved out of my mother's home after years of emotional abuse. She is now threatening my friends, accusing me of stealing, endangering my job, etc. Not sure what I can do.

Question:
Like the title says, I am from a single parent household and my mother has made my life awful since I left. It has only been three weeks so far. She calls both of my jobs and my sister store from a restricted number and asks for me /hangs up multiple times a day. I have already been reprimanded once at my secondary job and if it contunes I fear I may lose it. I need the income, as I am supporting myself and attempting to put myself through a private college.

She has been harassing my friends from school who live out of state. I do not know how she has obtained their numbers but she insults them and says things like "(My name) says go f*** yourself", jeopardizing my friendships.

She is claiming I need to pay her for health insurance and my phone bill that I asked her to remove me from. She is also saying I must return or pay for any clothes and other such items she bought for me while I was a minor. Am I liable for these things?

She has threatened My boyfriend and his family. She accused me of stealing expensive items from the house when I left. She is refusing to give me my birth certificate and social security card. She is stalking me and causing me extreme paranoia.

I honestly have no idea what I can do. Am I able to get a restraining order? Is it legal for my job to fire me over this situation, which is out of my control?

Apologies for formatting. I am new to posting and posting from mobile.

Answer:
 For the most part, crazy isn't against the law. Go to your county's vital records office and ask how to get a replacement birth certificate, then go get a copy of your SSN. If your mother shows up on your property or at your door, tell her to leave, and call the cops if she doesn't comply immediately. If she's following you in public or if her threats appear sincere, call the police, and ask how to start the restraining order process.

Call your phone company and tell them about the hangup calls from a restricted number, and ask how to block it.

In an at-will state like New Jersey, it's legal for your job to fire you because your mother's nuts, unless your job is covered by a union agreement or a binding contract that controls termination. If your mother tells material lies about you (and nothing you've said obviously rises to that level, although the accusations of theft could do it) and _that_ gets you fired, in principle, you could sue her for defamation, but consider this: a lawsuit keeps her in your life for at least the duration of the suit, and possibly longer. Do you want that? Do you want to _spend money_, in the form of lawyer's bills and filing fees, making that happen?

It's legal to not be your friend because your mother's nuts, too, unfortunately. Your better friends will tell her to go away, hopefully, but that's about all you can do.


Title: [AZ] Splitting up children for custody and how much does the court listen to a child's wishes?

Question:
My brother has had sole custody and legal decision making for his two kids for 3 years.  Their mother was arrested for drug distribution, plead guilty, and only allowed supervised visits once a month starting 8 months ago.  She's now taking him back to court to try and get 50/50 custody.  We know that's more than likely not going to happen but she wanted to have the kids interviewed to try and see what they wanted to do.  My brother found out that his oldest daughter (16) said she wanted to live with her mother during the week and come back to him on the weekends.  His younger daughter (14) said she wanted to stay with him during the week and only visit her mother on the weekends.

I guess the question is would the court take their wishes into consideration and allow for this?  I've seen kids split up per their wishes before but I don't think I've ever heard about a court order for it.  Also,what would a split like that mean for child support?  Right now he's getting support from her, though she owes about six months worth of unpaid support.

Answer: They do take it into consideration. How much weight they give it is up to the judge. The biggest factor is "best interest" of the children. Not what any one party wants.


Title: Forgot to cancel a trial, got billed an entire year.

Question:
Good evening,

i  started a Usenext Trial and didnt really use it, forgot to immediadly  cancel the trialsubscription so they transformed it into a subscription  for a year. Do i really have to pay it (i contacted the support the day  after the trial ended) and told them that i forgot about it but that i  didnt use the serveice and that i dont really plan to do so, they told  me that after their terms im obliged to pay) or can i just ignore their  mails saying that they send a recovery agency after me.

Dont  get me wrong, i do understand that i failed a bit there but paying an  entire year for a product i dont play to use seems a bit weird.

thats it, thanks.

Edit:  they didnt charge my card, when they tried to do so i had no money on  my visa. They did send me multiple mails (3) since then, saying that  they couldnt chare me and that i have to pay, with the last mil, that i  received today, saying that it will be the last warning and then they  will send a recovery agancy after me.
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer: You will most likely have to pay it, please use this as a lesson in the future


Title: [WI] I create work under a pseudonym, and have been invited to speak about it in another country. Questions about keeping my identity private.

Question:
The basics of the situation are: for the past 6ish years, I'm an artist who has been creating work under a pseudonym. I'm based in Wisconsin, and have been invited to the UK to speak about my work. My trip would be paid for by the person inviting me (that is: my plane ticket(s), hotel room, etc.)

My question is: since my real name will need to be on the plane ticket, which will be purchased by someone else other than myself, is there realistically any way to keep my real name private? As in, can I have the person buying the ticket for me sign some kind of legally-binding agreement, stating that they will not share my real identity to others?

Thank you in advance.

Answer: Can they reimburse you for the cost?  No attorney's fees that way (sorry, guys!).


Title: [Texas] I have prostate cancer, and my time is coming to an end. Can I will my city a time capsule that can legally only be opened after a set number of years?

Question: My estate is taken care of mostly, and I would like to leave something for my city. The items appreciate over time and will be worth a bit in 50 or so years.

Answer:
 You may OFFER that to the city, but you cannot bind the city to accept your terms.

Like with any other inheritance, the city may choose to decline your bequest.Answer #2: Cool idea! Maybe a local museum, library, or school would be a good alternative, if the city itself won't work?Answer #3: You can, but they do not have to abide by your wishes.

If you want to gift something to your city, make a gift to your city.  If you want to make an investment on behalf of your city that will mature that they can then cash in, then do that.  Do not give them a 'time capsule' that says 'do not open til X date for a big surprise!'.  They will trash it and then everyone is unhappy. Answer #4: You could set up a trust which would provide the contents of your capsule to the city at a certain point in the future. This will cost money. You should talk to a lawyer about it.Answer #5: So sorry to hear that. I hope the rest of your days are as much as you want and can make them to be.

It’s nice that you can physically leave something behind in addition to the memories people will have of you.

Would you mind giving us insight as to why you’d be leaving something to your city?


Title: I went to a (mostly) underage drinking party tonight with over 80 people. Somebody broke my side windows and spoiler off my car. Is there anything I can do?

Question:
I'm 20 years old, there was a big party at someone's house and a bunch of people went (Maybe 90 at peak hour). I'd say I didn't know about 1/3 of the guys.

Somebody who I didn't know asked me to move my car (I was blocking him in, there were about 30 cars in this guy's backyard) when I noticed that my windows and spoiler were broken off. The spoiler is in tact, it looks like they somehow just yanked it off. You can't just snap is back on. The windows are shattered. I was also drinking, but I only had a couple beers very early in the night and waited around 3-4 hours before I drove home.

I know of at least one other person who also has their windows broken off their car.

I told practically everyone there about it, and of course, nobody fessed up to it or knew who did it, although multiple people said they saw the damage after it had been done. Mostly all the guys I asked about it were my friends from highschool, but it seems like at least 1/4 of the guys at one point were people from around town that nobody was really friends with, so the assumption is that it was one of them. Nobody knows what car I drive, even my friends from home, since I just got this car before the last school year started, so I don't think it was directed at me intentionally.

What am I supposed to do? The car is under my name as well as my parents, and they don't know about it yet. Although in about 6 hours they probably will... What should I do to reduce damage costs? (I have insurance but still, I doubt this will be free).

People in askreddit told me to file a police report, but what am I supposed to say? I was at an underage party at one of my good friends' house, and he is almost as mad as I am. I don't want to get him in huge trouble and risk getting me in more trouble because of the drinking aspect.

Answer:
 Then don't mention the drinking FFS.... If you witness a traffic accident on the Interstate, you don't start by telling the cops "Well, Officer, I was smoking weed while going nearly 100 in a 65 and I saw blah blah blah...."

Just file the damn report and forward it to your insurance company.


Title: [USA] I sent a jacket into a clothing company after it ripped. It was an expensive item and came with a "lifetime warranty." They cannot repair the item and I am now being told that they won't send it back. How is this not theft?

Question: Basically what the title says. I sent in the jacket under warranty, they determined that they couldn't fix the jacket, so instead they're giving me fifty percent off of a new order. They aren't replacing it. When I asked them to send it back to me, they told me that they were not going to send it back and that they would either dispose of it or donate it. How is this legal? It's just a jacket. Not a lifesaving device that I could injure myself with...

Answer:
 Possibly relevant links:

New York Times - The Haggler:

* [Seeking Vital Signs in a Lifetime Warranty](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/08/your-money/seeking-vital-signs-in-a-lifetime-warranty.html)
* [Please Hold, for a Week or So](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/your-money/please-hold-for-a-week-or-so.html)

This is just a hunch, but I wouldn't be surprised if they've already tossed your jacket.

You might try leaning on them to provide an equivalent replacement, rather than a coupon, although IANAL, and I don't know that they're legally obliged to.


Title: Attempting to utilize a unique clause in company policy to adjust terms of employment to be more favorable towards medical marijuana use.

Question:
**Edit** Thank you for your input. Clearly I did not think through the potential consequences of these actions and I will not be following through. This account will now be deleted.

Hello /r/legaladvice! I am using a throwaway for confidential reasons.

I work in what is essentially an entry level position doing data entry at a large company. While reviewing corporate policies during downtime I found an interesting segment,

"I understand that all employees of [COMPANY] are employed on an indefinite basis and are subject to termination at any time, with or without prior notice, discipline, or warning, for any or no reason. I understand that no person other than the President of [COMPANY] has authority to offer employment for any specified period or to make any different agreement. No such agreement by the President will be enforceable unless it is in writing, pertains specifically to me, and is signed by the President. Without limiting the above, I further understand that I am required to abide by all rules and regulations of [COMPANY]. I also agree to enter into a confidentiality, intellectual property assignment, and unfair competition agreement if employed by [COMPANY]."

This seems to suggest that the terms of hiring are quite rigid, except with a document signed by the President himself. I am a card holding medical marijuana user in the state of Michigan, however, due to the current terms of my employment I have been abstaining from use out of the fear of random drug testing.

I would like to create a document to email the the President of the company asking to alter the terms of my contract that would exempt me from drug tests pertaining to marijuana. I have no problem if this documents validity is conditional on my confidentiality, I care only that the fear of firing for using prescribed medication goes away. I understand that this is a long shot and may not work at all.

My questions are:

Is this remotely feasible?

What language should I use in the document to articulate my point?

Could there be repercussions for reaching out to the President?

General advice?

Answer:
 You don't have an employment contract. You're an at will employee. You could be fired for asking.

You also don't have a prescription as you can't get a prescription for something that's federally illegal. Answer #2: ~~The president would never sign that in a million years.~~

Ok, that's a bit extreme. I find it highly unlikely that any President of a company would sign a document of that nature.


Title: Jury duty: what do I have to say about my past brush with the law?

Question:
Ten years ago I was arrested and I got a lawyer and I took a plea. As I understand it I have technically never been convicted and my record is sealed. I kept my nose clean, changed jobs, changed states, basically new life.

Now I'm in Colorado and got summoned for jury duty. I want to keep the past in the past but the summons in the mail asks if I have been in court before and I bet at actual jury duty there will be more questions. What do I have to say as an answer? I mean my record us sealed so it's ridiculous that I would have to basically unseal it by spilling details. What can I do?

Answer:
 You can always ask to answer any questions in private.

And the odds of them wanting details are low.Answer #2: What do you say? You answer whatever question they ask honestly. Perjury is pretty serious.

So what are they likely to ask? Most court proceedings aren't Perry Mason type murder cases, they're stuff like someone hurt his back at work or in a car crash. In civil cases you will not likely be asked about criminal history unless it's somehow relevant.

I was on three cases:

Civil, Car crash: No Questions

Civil, Shoplifting detention, we were asked if we had ever been caught shoplifting

Criminal, Assault, were asked if we had been arrested and what we thought about police

In both of the latter we were told that we could answer questions in chambers.


Title: [TN] When a red and yellow light are blinking at the same time, which takes precedence?

Question:
While I was driving, I came across an intersection in which the lights were blinking, as they frequently do around here in the morning. I understand that yellow blinking lights mean yield, and blinking red lights mean treat that as a stop sign. However, one light had one yellow light and one red light blinking at the same time, for the same road (see the picture below). Other lights on the same road were blinking yellow, while the perpendicular light I was at was blinking red. So would I treat that light, if I were to come across it again, as a blinking red or a blinking yellow?

https://imgur.com/gallery/nYYQV

Answer:
 When in doubt. Stop

Also, could that red light have been for the turn lane?


Title: DUI

Question: (MN) I got a DUI in October 2015. And I'm now going to violations court for not completing Driving With care Level 2 (MN) I got a DUI in October 2015. And I'm now going to violations court for not completing Driving With care Level 2. What should I expect to happen or what do I say in court. I'm representing myself

Answer: So you can't even manage to attend a few classes and you think you've got what it takes to represent yourself?


Title: [KS] First time poss. Of marijuana and poss. Of drug para. (Pipe) any advice would be appreciated!

Question:
Last night me and 4 other buddy's were caught and arrested for about 2 grams of marijuana and also a piece. We are all about 19 and we got released from jail last night on O/R which is just them having faith I will appear for court in about 10 days on the scheduled day. All 5 of us received the same charges which were "Poss. Of marijuana; poss. Of drug paraphernalia."

I was just wondering if anyone can give me advice on how to handle this? I've had no priors or anything on my record until now, so would anyone know what to expect?

I already plan on staying of drugs and alcohol after this wake up call and I know i won't have any issues stopping.

TL;DR: first time poss and poss of drug paraphernalia. I'm not sure what's going to happen next and how I should approach this.

Answer: You need an attorney. Drug charges effect the rest of your life.


Title: I lied about my grandmother cosigning my student loan. How can I help her? (US)

Question:
My grandmother and I had a falling out a few years back. I still have access to her email, SSN, DoB, and all of her personal information. So when I needed a cosigner for my student loan I just filled in her information without her knowledge. I didn't think too much of the consequences at the time. I figured she could just pay off the balance if I defaulted.

I have since had a change of heart. I've been in default for a few months now, and they're threatening to take away the house that she's lived in for 50 years. She lives in Ohio. Is there anything I could do that could help her? What are the legal consequences for my actions? For her?

Answer:
 You committed fraud. You can (and should) be arrested. Your criminal prosecution should help her with her creditors.

If you're truly having a change of heart, own up to what you did, get a lawyer, and face the consequences.


Title: Parking lot dilemma

Question:
I live in an area where marijuana is legal, and all the marijuana shops must purchase a license through our city. There is a handful of them and each pays upwards of 2k+ for a license. The biggest contributor has a facility across the highway and owns the house next to mine. Recently, that contributor has opted to turn the house into a parking lot because they lost their parking at the facility because another company expanded and owns the land. I’ve contacted the city because a lot of those individuals toss trash into my yard and come and go at odd hours of the day and night. Plus, we are talking about anywhere from 5 to 10 cars, and those employees also have to play chicken to get across the highway. In addition, I have a dog who likes to eat things and there are tons of marijuana wrappers and baggies. I do my best to keep an eye on him, but you never know.

I have contacted the city and they won’t do anything about it. Instead, they just tell me to call the police if I see anyone smoking weed in my front yard or tossing trash over the fence. The funds that the city receives goes to the community grant program as well as payment to board members. For a city that is less than 2 square miles, each board member receives $300 a month to attend 2 meetings. Each board member also takes advantage of the grants and ironically wins the Christmas light competition every year (funny side note). Therefore they don't really have an incentive to get rid of the parking lot next door. Is there anything else I can do? The long term plan is to continue to update my house and sell in a year or two, but I fear that value will drop considerably if there continues to be a parking lot and lots of traffic. The area is also zoned as a residential area.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Answer: Get cameras to watch your yard and catch who is throwing trash around. Then call the police to report it each time. Be the squeaky wheel.


Title: Can I get my learners permit or drivers license if I am of age without my parents consent?

Question: I’m fuming right anger right now, and don’t know what to do. My parents said I am not allowed to get my drivers license or permit until I complete my Eagle Scout (boy scouts) and I’m not even fucking close to completing it before I’m 17. I have a passion for cars, and have had one for as long as I can remember. This has left me broken and in an extremely horrible state. I need to know, can I get my drivers license or learners permit when I am of age without my parents consent? Please help me.

Answer: But you aren’t of age yet. When you are 18 absolutely.


Title: Exit Gates

Question:
My apartment complex is gated and requires a clicker to enter which I like.  Last week, they sent out an email that a clicker will now be required to exit the property as well. You have always just been able to pull up to the gate in the past and it will automatically open when you are leaving (which I assume is the case at most communities). These gates malfunction on occasion as do the clickers. Just last week as I was trying to enter, the gate wouldn't open and a maintenance guy who was standing there had to manually open it. The same thing happened a couple of weeks before.

If the gate/clicker malfunctions when trying to enter the property, it has never been an issue. I could always just park and walk in. But can they really lock down the exit gates so they do not automatically open when you are trying to leave?

Answer:
 Give the fire marshal a quick shout and ask if there are any building code issues, but if there are fire exits that open from the inside (even if they trigger an alarm in the process) then you're probably fine.

If there are no fire exits and the only egress from the property is through these gates, then things get more interesting.


Title: Dog got out and was shot in someone's yard. Is there anything I can do?

Question:
My dog got out of my yard while I was gone. She went into someone's yard and got shot. In my state it is legal to shoot a dog if it looks aggressive. My dog (pitbull) didn't hurt anyone and has never been aggressive. Do I have any basis for pressing charges for a wrongful killing?

There are more details in the police report that don't add up but I don't think I can post the details on here.

Answer: You answered your own question. If it’s legal in your state to shoot a loose dog on your property, you have no basis to sue. Answer #2: Did the person who shot it claim it was aggressive? You don't know your dog has never been aggressive. You just know you've never seen it. Dogs can act very differently when they are alone and in a unfamiliar place.


Title: Motorcycle Accident with Semi-Truck

Question:
The Accident occurred on a 4-lane 1-way street. I was in 2nd lane of street and so was the Semi-truck. I switched lanes to the 1st lane. The Semi-truck decides to turn left onto a parking lot from the 2nd lane. This resulted in me swerving to avoid colliding with the truck (would have been a T-BONE) and I ran into a tree. Motorcycle's front end is completely damaged and I luckily jumped off my bike before hitting the tree and managed to only have minimal injuries. (Road rash and bruised leg).  Do I have a case or am I the one at fault?

A visual of the situation. Salem, OR.
http://imgur.com/LJ302HJ

Edit: Semi-Truck had no trailer.

Answer:
 THANK YOU FOR THE MS PAINT DRAWING!!   This will please the community.

Also, fault will be determined by your insurance company.   Call them and tell them what happened.  Good luck.


Title: I bought a home earlier this year in February, and now the surveyor is saying they haven't been paid. (Montana)

Question:
Hello all, The title pretty much says it all. I was contacted by the mortgage lender today asking me to help her memory if we had requested a survey when we bought our house. I don't remember ever talking about a survey, and I went through all my emails and documents and I don't see where we signed anything requesting a survey, or signed anything with the surveying companies name on it.

The survey report does show up in a Title commitment update so the Surveyor did do the work, but did the title company order it? it doesn't say. We brought a cashiers check for the exact amount we were told to for closing everyone signed everything and we haven't heard about any issues until today.

What is my liability to the surveyor's invoice? could he take me to court or put a lien on my house if there is nothing signed by me requesting the survey?

If they produce a contract signed by me I'll pay it no problem, but I think this feels like responsibility falls on the title company.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 Ask the surveyor to show you the purchase order or correspondence leading to him being hired to complete the Survey.  The surveyor needs to be paid by the person who hired him.  Start here.

You could also check the purchase agreement for the house to see if it states which party is responsible to pay for the survey.


Title: Ohio: I was sent to a hospital and kept on the psychiatric unit for 5 days essentially against my will to leave.

Question:
I informed my job while I was there. When I called to let them know I was out of the hospital and can return Sunday, they told me “We’ll see if we can let you back on board”

Are they allowed to fire me for being sent to the hospital for an emergency and then put into the psych unit?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Too vague to answer.

Did you qualify for FMLA? Is the hospitalization due to an issue that will impact your ability to do your job?


Title: [NYC] FEMA's Been Dinging My Paycheck

Question:
Hello all:

In 2012, Superstorm/Hurricane Sandy flooded my first-floor apartment in Brooklyn, effectively destroying all my possessions and displacing me out of the unit. (The whole building was without electricity, and the first floor had to be completely gut-renovated; a year or so later, my landlord decided to have her Alzheimer's-stricken sister move into my old apartment, and I agreed that that was for the best.)

During the first couple of weeks after the storm, I, like many of my neighbors, was contacted by FEMA. An inspector toured my ravaged apartment, and later I received a $5,000 "grant" for housing expenses. During the next year I stayed in various roommate situations throughout New York City, eventually settling in another borough.

Last year, because of my own irresponsibility, I ended up having several garnishments fixed to my paychecks. All were for past taxes (or so I thought). Thankfully, I am all paid up now, and actually out of debt! The last garnishment was just paid off last month, and looking at the Notice of Termination of Wage Garnishment Order that HR provided me, I saw that it wasn't for taxes but for the FEMA "grant," which somehow ballooned to $7,400.

I called FEMA, and the rep said that I owed the money back because FEMA sent several letters to my uninhabitable apartment that I no longer lived in for information (for a copy of my lease, which would not have been possible due to the water destroying all my paperwork). Naturally, I didn't receive this letter.

Now, my question is this: Is there a way to appeal the FEMA decision and recoup the money that I assumed was mine to spend on housing and food while I was without an apartment? I did not respond to the FEMA letters, of course,because I was no longer living at the address where they were sent. I did, however, spend the money on housing and food, which it was intended to help with. And also: The money has already been paid back to FEMA. This, I imagine, complicates the issue.

If you need more information, please ask.

Thank you for your advice.

Answer:
 I'm in the same boat, mine is from Katrina. Basically what I've found out is, you can't do shit. They offered a period of waiver for it, but many, including myself never new we were required to pay anything back. I got a letter from them about the debt in 2013, less than a month later I got a letter saying they won the garnishment against me. My $2000 assistance ballooned to over $6000. I haven't seen a tax return in about 4 years and they've been taking about $400 a month from me. I just paid mine off last month.

You can try calling the Treasury Department at  888-826-3127. I am on the phone with them now and they have an option about disputing. Be prepared for a long wait though.


Title: [MA/Federal] Gifts for members of Congress

Question: So if I were to send my members of congress a gift basket of some fine coffee for staying up late tonight and helping to kill the abomination of a skinny repeal, are there any disclosures or needs for receipts or such I should be aware of?

Answer:
 It is highly unlikely that your senators will use any food products sent by a random member of the public, ESPECIALLY Senator Warren, who is a target of quite a bit of hate.

If you want to thank them, vote in every election.Answer #2: Not from your end unless you're a lobbyist or something.

One thing to note is that it's best to keep the value of an individual gift under $50.


Title: Is it illegal for 7 people to live in a 2 bedroom townhouse (Pierce Township, Ohio)

Question:
I'm on the board of a small HOA consisting of a few townhouse style buildings, each building holding 5-6 units.  Some of the units are owner-occupied, some are rented.

The unit in question is a rental with three floors - the top floor is two bedrooms and two bathrooms, the middle floor is a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room, and the basement has a bathroom, a utility room, and a den with a kitchenette (this was not originally intended to be a bedroom but has been serving as an attached efficiency apartment for years), about 1000 square feet total.  The issue is that there are currently 3 adults and 4 kids living in the place. The neighbors want the HOA board to enforce a maximum occupancy of 4 people.  The landlord would not cooperate in the past, but is currently very ill and his properties are being managed by a lawyer acting as his guardian.  The HOA does not have a maximum occupancy stated in our bylaws.

Our questions are: 1) is there an existing maximum occupancy law that we could get the township or another government body to enforce?  We've looked for a law at the township level, but didn't find anything.
2) if there isn't an existing maximum occupancy law, could we change our bylaws and insert a maximum occupancy restriction and then enforce it against the landlord and the current tenants?  Also, would the HOA be able to prevent a renewal of the lease, or would "enforcement" just mean that we could attempt to levy fines against the landlord?  Changing the bylaws is a messy can of worms that will take time and be expensive, so we're leery of this route.

3) Even if we can't get something enforced, we'll try writing a letter to the lawyer guardian to ask her to not renew the lease for this family and find a smaller group of tenants.  Any advice for pursuing this avenue?

TLDR: HOA board has received complaints about 7 people (3 adults, 4 children) living in a rented 2 bedroom unit in Ohio.  Landlord is unhelpful.  Our ideal solution is to get a government body to force the landlord's hand, but if that isn't possible, what can the HOA do about it?

Answer: Why not call somebody at your city hall and find out?


Title: Accidentally Trespassed into some person's apartment. How screwed am I?

Question:
Right, so it's pretty much as the title entails. I'm intoxicated at the moment, and 10-20 minutes ago, I accidentally entered someone's apartment, thinking it was someone else's apartment, unknowingly, and we left after accessing their living room and one of their bedrooms, which looked identical to my  friend's, and leaving immediately, I'm scared shitless at the moment. I didn't mean to do it. I thought my friend's room was 201, but it was actually 203, two rooms over.

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How screwed am I? I don't want to ruin my life over this.

Answer:
 Do they know you were there?
I doubt you are screwed, you didn’t steal or anything, did you?


Title: Is there ANY WAY to sue Youtube for censorship of comments or ANY other actions? This is seriously getting out of hand on that site!

Question:
This is so frustrating and it just keeps happening time and time again and it can happen on videos I would have never thought the comments would be a problem.   The major issue is that when a comment is submitted it can just be deleted and disappear.  No record in comment history or anywhere on the site.  There's also no explanation given nor even any notice that the comment is going to be deleted.  Sometimes the comment will show up on the page and if the page is reloaded/refreshed it's gone.  Sometimes the comment will be submitted and it doesn't show up anywhere at all - it's just gone.  I've had this happen with edits as well, I'll edit a comment, submit the new version and the comment disappears.

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When I'm talking about comments, I'm not talking about stupid comments that are just "fluff", but extensive analysis of the video and the topic, sharing supporting or alternative view points of what was in the video, discussing conflicting statements in the video or flaws in the argument/topical discussion and then explaining it and referring to supporting source material.  None of the posts are attacks or intending to cause people to get upset or cause harm, but sometimes people disagree with others and explaining alternative view points is healthy - especially when correcting mistakes in video's which may ACTUALLY cause harm.  To edit these types of comments is just ridiculous and it seems like there are algorithms that are doing this.

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I very often type the comment in a text editor and then paste it into Youtube so if the comment is censored I at least have what I wrote and don't have to re-write it.  The problem is that I can't always do this or I forget.  It's a major PITA to do this every time and I'll forget b/c it had been awhile since the last comment disappearing immediately upon posting.

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I just had a comment disappear which I spent 10-15+ mins writing and I can't say for sure why it was deleted but the only POSSIBLE cause is b/c the comment had both the words IQ and blacks in the same comment - which was discussed in the video and it wasn't negative in any way (in the comment or video).

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I would guess that I've had well over 200-300 comments disappear over the last couple years.  Sometimes the comment will be visible on my browser but not on any other browser.  I can have 2 browsers loaded and it will show in the browser in which I'm logged into Youtube and on the other browser it's not there.

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Youtube also has the "sort by" feature where you can list top rated comments or the newest comments. Youtube will often burry the very top comments if they don't like them.  I've seen comments with 30K+ thumbs up that are buried a in the middle of 50,000 comments making it IMPOSSIBLE to find - while on the same video a comment that has the opposite view that has 2-3K thumbs' up will be ranked at the top of the "top comments" filter.

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Finally there are so many comments that are just blocked somehow. The video owner might even approve the comment but it will never show up on the page.  It will show up on the commentor's comment history page but it will never be seen by anyone except themselves or the owner of the channel and this is extremely frustrating b/c neither has any idea why they might not be getting replies to this comment when they both agree and find it very important.  There's nothing to be done, Youtube has never responded to any inquests about these issues.

What is strange though, is that I've seen some VERY disturbing and disgusting comments on video's and I can't believe they were allowed on the site and have no idea how they didn't get them censored - but in the vast majority of these comments they all seem to have the same viewpoints so there seems to be some very disturbing comments allowed by Youtube that even though they are MUCH MORE controversial and damaging than other comments, they are still permitted.

Answer: Nope. The first amendment only applies to the government censoring speech. YouTube is a private company that you decide to use. You have to follow their rules.Answer #2: No, there is no viable pathway to sue YouTube for deleting comments.


Title: Landlord wants his personal utilities in our name?

Question:
My family and I are looking at renting a place through a friend of a friend.  This potential landlord wants his name on our utility bill and our name on his personal home's utility bill - what's going on here?  If something shady is going on, would we be somehow liable?

This would be in Colorado.

Answer: Don't do this.  He will use the fact that he is on your account to run up your costs or even turn off your power if you don't meet his demands later down the road. Add this to him not paying his bill and you being on the hook for payment since you are on the account.Answer #2: Extra shady. Decline and run away from this rental because if it is starting this shady it will only get worse.


Title: Mail carrier is not delivering packages and possibly lying

Question:
A guest came over to my house and brought their small puppy over. Apparently as they were leaving, the dog went up to the mail carrier and supposedly bit him. A witness said he didn't see the dog bite. The carrier skipped our house and I assumed he was upset over the dog charging.

The mail carrier has been avoiding delivering our mail for up to a month. All of my packages are now getting hit with delays "bad weather" or "animal interference"

I have two dogs living here for the last 7 years and haven't had any issues with the mail carrier. My dogs are seniors with medical issues and aren't allowed in the front anyways. Our yard doesn't even have a fence.

I had to go talk to a superviser and apparently the mail carrier has been marking down multiple offenses. Obviously got told to either rent a PO box or put up curbside box in our small neighborhood. The supervisor then claimed we would get our mail the next day instead. We were supposed to get a paper explaining our options but that didn't happen. I opened up a case with USPS because we only got mail once from a different carrier.

We have seen the same one avoiding our house. It's really frustrating because the dog wasn't even ours. Still all of my packages are getting marked as an animal interference and the offenses keep piling up.

They seem to be siding with the mail carrier that there has been multiple animal incidents. USPS told me I should be getting a paper today about the two options but I honestly don't believe the guy will even deliver that. I have no idea how to even proof there hasn't been multiple incidents.

A curbside box in our small neighborhood would be open to theft. I don't think the carrier would give us packages through that anyway.

I can't drive to pick up the mail. The only available person in this house is wheelchair bound so I'm desperately trying to get this fixed. It's really inconvenient since we do the majority of our shopping online.

California, US

Answer: Maybe get a video surveillance system and set it up to show he is not coming and that nothing is preventing him from delivering your mail. I can see how he would be upset if the dog did go up and bite him. But if nothing has happened since and they are acting like it is, it might be best to get some evidence. Answer #2: USPS takes dog bites very seriously.  houses can be black listed after a dog bite and carriers aren't supposed to go to the door.  Answer #3: Contact the Member of Congress that represents your area. Their district office will have a case worker that handles USPS issues and they will be able to contact USPS on your behalf as well. Answer #4: Video evidence is really the way to go here, you could try to confront the mail person yourself but that probably will only cause more trouble. It's important not to let this sit, as if you don't have access to important documents like bills this will extremely effect you within a month. You could also go over the supervisors head, which is usually effective. They run a business after all and if a higher up hears a story like this they usually come down pretty hard on the perpetrators. Its weird that all of the advice I have for you isn't really legal advice but it would be difficult and costly to bring this to court.


Title: Said hi to Arnold Schwarzenegger, now being chased by debt collectors.

Question: So I was bumming around Venice Beach, CA for a month, selling some art on the boardwalk and I thought I'd check out "the mecca", the original Gold's Gym, where Arnold himself trained in his heyday. Ran into him as he was leaving, riding a beach cruiser. After that I wanted to sign up for a bit. They told me the cheapest way was to sign up for 12 months. They tell me I can't cancel, but if I don't have any money in my account I won't be charged. I have a spending money debit card with what I figure is two months on it so I figure what the hell. I sign a contract. They run my card. It doesn't go through, I'm too broke. I say goodbye, leaving a little embarrassed. But that wasn't the end of the story!!! Fast forward 2 months later, when I have money on my account, they've been charging it! I cancel my debit card and argue with them over the the 200 odd dollars they've charged. " you signed a contract". Now, they've got debt collectors chasing me for the full years worth! What do I do? (NJ)

Answer: Seems like you need to build a time machine, go back a few months, and decide to try NOT attempting fraud.  Answer #2: Spend the next ten months getting ripped. Answer #3: You owe them 12 months. Just make sure you only pay the 12 months you agreed to, because this gym is known in this subreddit for trying to pretend 12 month contracts are 24 month contracts.Answer #4: Did you sign the contract? If so, you owe per the terms of the contractAnswer #5: You signed a contract. You owe the money. No magical words will make this go away. The way out is to pay you legally owed debt.Answer #6: You agreed to pay for something, and they are expecting you to pay for it. What do you do? You pay for it like you agreed.Answer #7: It seems that you (erroneously?) believed that the contract was canceled when the payment didn't go through. This isn't the case.


Title: [CA] Landlord has been entering my room w/o permission and snooping through my personal belongings/information. Is this illegal, and what measures can I take?

Question:
I live in the same home as my landlord, and more than once I've found my stuff (including documents with sensitive personal information) shifted around, and one time, downright missing. Most recently, he let it slip that he thinks the way my new lamp is positioned on my desk looks funny.

It's in a corner of my room you can't see unless you walk in to that specific corner. And him knowing it was recent suggests to me he comes in on a regular basis. What makes me mad is he's gone out of his way to reassure me my room is my private space, he never goes in or disturbs it unless there's an emergency.

So is this illegal, and what can I do about it? (other than move out; I'm only staying here because this is the only affordable place I could get) I'm thinking about setting up a camera in my room. Is this ok, and if I caught him on camera, would I have any recourse?

Answer:
 I can tell you with absolute certainty that this is illegal. Install security cameras in your home and set them to upload directly to a cloud server so nobody breaking into your home can erase the footage.

If he enters without permission again take the footage to the police and have him arrested for trespassing.

You are paying for the rights to use that unit. Regardless of whether the landlord owns the building or not, if you're paying for the right to live there he has to treat it as your property.

Edit: To add to this if he tries to evict you for having him arrested it could be considered a form of retaliation which is also against the law. Although that may depend on where you live.

**DO NOT** call the police on him unless you have proof he has been entering your home. It's more trouble than it's worth and it's never a good idea to show your hand before you're ready to play your cards.


Title: (Vermont): Next year my son will be going to school where he has to wear a uniform. We found out that the uniform is not the same for everyone and feel like this is discrimination

Question:
Hello /r/legaladvice. My wife and I are hoping to get some help with this. We fear that the unfair uniform policy could lead to discrimination against our son. Next year he will be attending school where he has to wear a uniform. The uniform requires:

gray dress slacks, a collared shirt (short or long sleeved) with the school logo on the upper left chest pocket, plain white tshirt or undershirt, gray socks and flat non-heeled or platform shoes (no boots or sandals) that are fully black with no other colors on the shoe or sole. A blazer or cardigan sweater with the school logo is optional. Hair, facial hair and highlights must be blonde, black, brown and natural colored reds, and not unaturally dyed or colored. No hats or headcoverings may be worn **(children with medical conditions causing hair loss or light/sun sensitivity wear a solid, single colored hat or headcovering so long as it has no logos and is one of the schools colors). Absolutely no jewelry (earrings, piercings, necklaces, braclets, watches, rings etc.) may be worn. Exceptions will be made for one (1) item of medical alert jewelry for students required to wear one due to a medical need or condition**

In cases of inclement weather students will not be penalized for dressing for the weather, however items such as jackets, boots and hats must be removed upon the arrival at school and placed inside the student's locker. Students not in compliance with the uniform policy will be asked to remove the offending item(s) and change into proper attire. If this is not done they will be sent home to change. No exceptions.

...

The issue we have is with the bolded part of the uniform dress code. Is it not discrimination to allow some students to wear a hat or a piece of jewelry but not others? We are concerned that my son and other students who can't wear these items per the code are being discriminated against. Any guidance for us would be appreciated. We otherwise like the school and the tuition is reasonable and we want to keep him enrolled there as opposed to going somewhere else.

Answer: The school is going to regret admitting your son, I guarantee itAnswer #2: They are making reasonable accommodations for kids that medically need them...Answer #3: Exceptions to the dress code based on disability or medical need are not discrimination. Answer #4: public or private school?Answer #5: I'm pretty sure people without life-threatening conditions that require them to wear jewelry so emergency health care can be tailored to them are not a protected class.Answer #6: Easy solution, if you don't like the schools rules, put your snowflake into a public school.  You stupid fucks knew the rules, or should have, before signing the contract.


Title: Car titled in Ohio (where I live), buying in NC, expired tags. How do I get it home?

Question:
Edit: Buying from a trusted private seller.

Obviously I get insurance, and have a notarized title (and bill of sale? Is that needed?) on hand, but I'll have to go to the Ohio bmv to get the tags, right? So how do I get the car home from North Carolina? I can't afford to have it trailered that far.

Answer: You can usually get temporary tags from a DMV to cover you as soon as it's purchased. Just contact your DMVand ask. It should be a lot simpler to go to the source than ask us here.


Title: After the cops tell you your rights can "no comment" be held against you?

Question: Like when they say "anything you say can and will be held against you"

Answer:
 Can your silence be held against you?

Not ...really.

It's very common. The jury may jump to the conclusion on their own that you are hiding something but you can't fix that.


Title: Helping a friend end her life

Question:
I have a friend who's severely disabled; she can't do anything without assistance.  She isn't expected to live more than a few months due to complications, and she's in substantial pain, so she is interested in assisted suicide.  Her parents won't listen, even though she's over 18, and she's still dependent on them.  They haven't even told her she's terminal.

She has a plan for it, just turn the morphine all the way up, but she can't do it herself because of her disability, so she asked me to.  I know it's legal, since we live in Oregon, but I'm not sure if I should.  Help?

Answer:
 Uh... you want to ask an attorney this question. The Death With Dignity act means your friend can end her own life, but if you push the button for her, there's a great chance you're facing murder charges. Answer #2: > I know it's legal

It is NOT legal for you to do this, and beyond the fact that you will be committing murder, you are likely not prepared for the emotional fallout of this that, even if you were to get away with it (unlikely) could haunt you for the rest of your life.

Compassion is a virtue, but if you want to help your friend, do not kill her. Do not participate in such plans. Drive her to see doctors, get her counseling, etc. Good luck.


Title: Is my boss allowed to watch me work and not do anything? (SC)

Question: I got a job for the summer and my manager says I don't work fast enough. Sometimes he will stand there and watch me. He doesn't work himself he just watches me. Is this harassment or something? If I call the police can I file harassment charges or can they make him stop? I live in South Carolina

Answer:
 What a special special snowflake you are Answer #2: No. Work faster. And advice for the future, don't call the police on your boss for being your boss. You'll likely get fired and you won't get a good reference from them. Answer #3: No, no, and no.

You should probably find a new job if it bothers you that much.


Title: (WA State) Vet tech stole our cat that was supposed to be put to sleep.

Question:
Writing this on behalf of my parents, I live in a different city, so some details might be vague.

So - we had this 10 year old cat who has been morbidly obese all his life. That has caused him more and more problems as leg injuries make him unable to walk, which caused him to be unable to use the litterbox, which resulted in a severe bladder and kidney infection.

With all of these things in combination, my parents made the decision to put the cat to sleep. We've been trying and failing to get the cat to lose weight for years and had no luck doing that in a way that did not involve starving our two other cats and our dog or completely isolating the animals from each other (which caused separation anxiety between the fat cat and his brother).

So - this decision was made by a recommendation from our vet, paid for, and then my dad left the cat with the vet, not wanting to watch him die.

Except we found out a few days later (from a friend who works at the clinic) one of the vet techs had decided to take our cat home, give him medical care on her own, and plans to eventually put him back up for adoption.

On the one hand, the cat is getting expensive treatment and specialized care that we couldn't afford or even do with our busy schedules, and it's great that he's alive...on the other hand, a specific treatment was paid for, we dealt with the emotional implications and trauma of losing a longtime companion, and the clinic essentially took our money and went behind our backs with this decision we felt was best for an animal in pain.

Was it legal for the animal hospital to do this? Should we...do something?

I'm happy that the cat is alive but this still feels pretty wrong. My parents have started bringing our other animals to a different animal hospital because of this.

Answer:
 Well...

I suppose you should get a refund for the procedure at the very least. I wouldn't insist on specific performance, however. Answer #2: That's how I got my cat! However, of course we asked the client first and did not charge for a euthanasia. Your parents should get a refund for the procedure and they should speak to the vet, because his staff should absolutely ask before doing something like that. Its awesome your parents cat got a second chance!


Title: AL-Is it legal to leave my kids in the car while I run a quick errand?

Question: The children in question are 14 and 3. Now I would never leave my 3 year old by herself but I see no problem leaving both in the car.  My ex is threatening to cause trouble because I will leave the kids to run in to pay for gas.  He also has a problem with me leaving my oldest to babysit but that is a problem for another day.

Answer:
 A 14 year old can care for a 3 year old for 10 minutes while you pay for gas.

Answer #2: [FreeRangeKids has a good resource list.](http://www.freerangekids.com/laws/) According to that list, Alabama has no laws setting an age to be left alone.

[This link](http://blog.laborlawtalk.com/2006/11/10/alabama-babysitting-laws/) may have more info, but it comes up bad gateway for me right now.

I'm a father of 7. Our oldest was 12 when we started leaving her alone by herself, and 13 when she started watching some of her younger siblings. Maybe offer a Red Cross babysitting class as a peace offering. It's good basic skills training no matter what.Answer #3: I'd make sure to set the parking brake and always take your keys with you. Other than that, a 14-year-old can handle being left alone in a car for ten minutes and look out for the little sister.


Title: Is it illegal to take someone’s emotional support animal to the shelter?

Question:
I live in a 3 bedroom apartment in VA, USA. I technically live alone. My used to be roommates both moved out but are continuing to pay their rent for their bedrooms. One roommate has left her cat. The cat has extremely poor health. Some type of eye infection, ear infection, bad breath and teeth missing. The ex roommate will stop by every few days to fill the food bowl but it’s only for a few minutes then leaves again. The cat cries 24/7, to the point neighbors have threatened to make a noise complaint. It’s not even my cat!

I just want to know what legal steps can be taken to have the cat removed and put into a better home with someone who will actually take care of it.

Answer:
 There is no "registry" for emotional support animalsAnswer #2: Contact animal control and explain the situation.Answer #3: Abandoning an animal is illegal I know that .   Answer #4: IANAL but I have several rescue cats. Do a quick search to see if there are any cat rescues in your local area, and call and explain the situation. They may be better able to give kitty the care he needs, and he will have a much higher chance of being treated and adopted out to a new home than he would at the county shelter. Your former roommate would also likely take, "I surrended Mr. Fluffkins to the cat rescue," better than, "yeah I took him to the shelter."

Good luck!


Title: Property of a laptop.

Question:
My mother bought me a laptop with her money for Christmas and i’ve used it ever since. I’ve paid for the insurance on it, have been responsible for repairs, and have been the only one with an account on the computer. She recently divorced from my father and has left the house but she’s demanding I loan her money or she’ll confiscate the laptop. The laptop was given to me when I was 18 so do i have legal ownership, and if i do how do i protect myself if she does end up taking it?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Gifts are gifts. She cannot retroactively claim the item as her property after giving it to you.Answer #2: No. The laptop is your property, it was a gift. Even if you were a minor, you are generally entitled to your own property.


Title: [TX] Forcing primary custodial parent to pay child support

Question:
Texas: I have primary custody of my child.  Ex-wife  is one year behind on child support payments. She had a baby about a year and a half a go and is apparently going to school and working part time.  She is in a serious relationship with a man who seems to have a solid income and supports her. She wants to adjust her future and past due child support because she claims her income does not warrant the amount. I make considerably more money than she does and am financially secure. About 2 years ago she was considerably behind in payments (despite owning and driving various new cars) and the court had to enforce her paying (it was not pleasant for her).

I feel she is dodging her financial obligation to her child and plan to pursue the payments in court. My questions:

1. Is there a possibility the court will decide I am sufficiently capable of supporting my child, erasing her child support obligation entirely?
1. Is there a chance the court will go as far as requiring me to pay child support to her even though I retain custody? Have you ever seen a case in which the primary custodian pays child support to the other parent? If so, can you point me in the direction of finding this information?

 tl;dr Primary custodian makes more money than ex, will the court force PC to pay child support to other parent?

Answer:
 >1.Is there a possibility the court will decide I am sufficiently capable of supporting my child, erasing her child support obligation entirely?

Not likely. Parents are obligated to support their children.

>2.Is there a chance the court will go as far as requiring me to pay child support to her even though I retain custody? Have you ever seen a case in which the primary custodian pays child support to the other parent? If so, can you point me in the direction of finding this information?

In TX, the custodial parent's income is not a factor. Where I live, it, and the overnights each parent has, is a factor, and custodial parents who have very high incomes compared to the noncustodial parent sometimes owe a small amount of support to the noncustodial parent.

You should contact an attorney to see if it's possible to have her income imputed at full time minimum wage, at the very least.

You can enter her income [here](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/cs/calculator/index.php) to get an idea of what she would owe.

Even working 20 hours a week at minimum wage, and having had another child (which is a factor in TX, but not all states) she should be contributing at least $112 or so towards your mutual child's expenses, according to how child support is figured in Texas.

What is her current court ordered obligation for child support?


Title: Child support redetermination

Question:
I currently reside in Clinton County, MI.
Our custody agreement and child support is based out of Shiawassee County, MI.

I (m26) currently share joint legal/physical custody with my ex (f25) over our two children aged 4 and 6. We currently go every other week - Monday to Monday.

Child support was based off of previously when I took the kids during the day and she took them at night and I had them all day both Saturday and Sunday. I also have a new job making considerably more. I'm still paying the same amount in child support (400) a month. I'm currently also paying for daycare that we both utilize and she is not paying for that. This is leaving me with little to nothing at the end of the month.

So what I'd like to know, what can I do to better my chances of having my child support greatly reduced, or end up not having to pay anything anymore?

I'm not sure if I left any important details out, please feel free to let me know if so.

Answer: Why do you think child support would be greatly reduced?  If anything, it will increase.


Title: Help post

Question: [removed]

Answer: No one here is going to be able to help you with the laws in Qatar. This subreddit is for the United States and Canada.


Title: I tapped a ladies bumper going no more than 5 mph and she's trying to make a claim against me for $60,000

Question: We were at a light when it turned yellow she slammed on her brakes. We were going up an incline and I tapped her bumper putting a small crack in her bumper and slightly bending mine. When we got out to trade information she was fine, said she was fine and we traded information and went about our day. So today I get a call saying she's trying to get $40000 in medical and triple the damage for her car. Please help me.

Answer: Forward everything you have from her to your insurance company.  This is why you have insurance.


Title: My house got flooded with cops and they found 2 huge bags of weed in a bathroom and a good amount of coke under my friends bed. The kicker its all not ours and my two housemates are getting charged and I might be for the weed. (Wisconsin)

Question: They want me to help them pin the guy who dropped the shit in my house. And if I don't help get a bust with him they said they are going to charge me also with intent on the huge bags of weed. I just got out of question and freaking the fuck out. The reason they busted in the house cause the two actually drug thugs were leaving the place and thought they were car shopping so when the cops told them to freeze they booked it into our house. Help me

Answer:
 You need to immediately stop talking to the police without your attorney present.  Hire an attorney now, even if it means borrowing money and selling your stuff.  If you cannot borrow money and have nothing to sell, then shut up and wait to see if you are charged or arrested.  After being charged or arrested you can then ask for a public defender.  Do NOT participate in any "drug bust" schemes with the police unless that is what your attorney has advised you to do (unlikely and would only happen if your attorney made some binding agreement with the prosecutor on immunity for you).

Do not take legal advice from the police whose job it is to gather evidence of crimes and make arrests.  And especially do not hang out with known drug dealers.  Answer #2: Your narrative is a bit difficult to understand.  Your home was searched by the police, right?  With a warrant, or no?  They apparently found a large amount of drugs hidden within.  But you claim that it doesn't belong to anyone living there, but instead to someone else?  Who?  Who are these drug thugs?  How do they fit in?

Also, the short answer here is "get a lawyer, like today" but we can't offer any further until you make some sense.


Title: I lease an apartment in Oregon.

Question:
I lease an apartment in Oregon. The complex has very strict rules about what you’re allowed to have on your patios among some others. I like it because it keeps the place from looking like a ghetto. Recently they sent out notices saying nobody is allowed o raise their blinds. They want everything looking uniform from the outside. Needless to say people are pissed. My cat likes to lay on the window sill and look outside. There’s nothing in the lease that says your blinds have to stay completely lowered. Can they control our blinds that are adjustable and inside the apartment we pay rent for? This seems over the top and petty.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: If it's not on the lease and if their is no clause stating that they can add rules at anytime (which might be unenforceable), you don't have to comply. If they were really petty about it they could decide not to renew your lease at the end of the term, depending on your exact location.


Title: Pumping (breastmilk) at work (TN, USA)

Question:
I have been back to work for 6 months. I have been pumping 3 times in an 8 hour shift. My job is an on call technical position.

Yesterday my Leader and Associate Relations pulled me into a room and told me that there have been concerns about me not answering calls and my work effort. I do not have Leadership on my shift so they insisted i switch shifts for a month of observation. I told them the only time I don't answer calls is while I am pumping. The work effort comment was associated with when I escalate the problems to another dept, then go pump. They claim that pumping isn't an issue, but to me it seems like it is the reason I can't answer some calls.

I guess what I am asking is, what do I need to do to protect myself and my job?

Answer:
 It doesn't sound as though you and your employer have made a plan with respect to how your need to pump is accommodated.

You should sit down with your employer and mutually agree as to the times you will stop to pump, what actions you will take with respect to work in progress at those times, and any other details that need to be addressed.  Answer #2: As mother who worked full time and pumped as well, I had a similar issue.  I started to track my pumping breaks on a spreadsheet.  It started from the time I left my desk to the time I got back so when there was a question about why a call was forwarded to my backup, I could show I was on break and not just ignoring the phone.  If you need to prove that these calls are happening during your pump breaks, document them maybe even send an email each day to let someone know you're away from the phones and when you get back.  Answer #3: Honest legal question:

Is the employer legally required to accommodate this?

Obviously, they are probably assholes if they don't, but are they *required* to, by law?


Title: Minor son cracked up a car, careless driving ticket?

Question:
In Pennsylvania. Very long and I apologize. TLDR at bottom.

Hi all -

My son was in a single vehicle accident a few days ago. He’s fine (first off and most important!). Car is totaled... but he’s alive and not seriously injured. It was my dads car, manual, that my father had left up here. It’s an 1980-something corvette.  Not worth much with the high mileage on it. But I’m sure a 17 year old driving a corvette is not usual.

Anyway.

He was coming home from school on a narrow, windy road. He isn’t entirely sure what happened, but he thinks he overcorrected on a turn. He crashed into a tree. There was a trash can at the end of the driveway - he thinks it may have been somewhat in the road and he went to avoid it and ended up overcorrecting and ended up taking out the trash can and then ran head first into the tree. But he’s not sure. He said it happened so fast he’s just not sure what happened.

He estimated his speed at about 20-25mph. Speed limit on the road is 25 or 35, I can’t remember exactly. I have no doubt that’s what he was doing because he was able to walk away from the accident with minor bruising and scrapes. If he was really moving, they would have had to cut him out of the car.

First cop on scene was not pleasant. Second was very nice. I actually arrived prior to paramedics and police. So no one had checked my son out. First thing police #1 asked was why my son was cutting school and then asked me if I knew he was cutting. I said he wasn’t because he has early leave. He didn’t believe me or my son so went to call the school resource officer after speaking with son about the accident.

Son appeared to be in a bit of shock and told the officer he really didn’t know how it happened. I think the car worked against him bc the officer clearly didn’t believe anything he was saying from cutting class to crashing.

Anyway he confirmed with school resource officer son didn’t cut class. Advised son would be getting a careless driving ticket in the mail.

Not sure about the fine but it’s 3 points on his license and my insurance is going to go through the roof.  Son didn’t clearly articulate anything to the officer about the possibility of a trash can on the road until he told me later it may have played a factor (after he calmed down and was able to go through it in his mind that night).

From reviewing the statue, he’s probably getting charged with (a) which is: any person who drives a vehicle in careless disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of careless driving.

He wasn’t speeding. He wasn’t overtaking another vehicle. He wasn’t screwing around and texting or anything like that (he’s new to manual). I think he was being as cautious as possible, being it’s his grandfathers vehicle and he idolizes his grandfather.  I think he overcorrected the turn for some reason and the crash happened.

So questions: should we be talking to the police now to see if it’s been filed? Should we just wait until he gets the citation in the mail and plead not guilty?

Is it worth it to plead not guilty? The statue is pretty open to interpretation. If we plead not guilty do I hire a lawyer? I don’t know if the cost of a lawyer would be less than the cost of the increase to be insurance. If I don’t hire a lawyer, how do I approach this?

TL;DR: minor son in sports car has accident. Not speeding. Not goofing off. Police charging with careless driving. What does he do when he gets the citation? Plead not guilty or let it go and pay the fine and take the points on his license?

Answer: NAL but I think it would be difficult to argue he wasn't driving carelessly to a judge when he has a single car accident in a road with such a low posted speed limit.  I know you want to avoid the insurance hit, and a local lawyer might know something i don't obviously, but he might have to suck it uo, pay his fine and wait for the points to fall off.


Title: I can't sufficiently prove I exist. Help!

Question:
Here's the situation: I lost my ID, which I have never done before. Upon going to replace it, I realize that the only other form of identification I have is a social security card. I do not have my birth certificate, nor do I have any family. I don't even know which city I was born in. Nothing I have searched on the internet has been helpful, nor has the DMV in my state. I don't know what to do. I need to have an ID and I'm feeling desperate. How do I fix this?

Edit: More info: the driver's license I lost was issued in Michigan and won't expire until 2017. I currently live in Sacramento, California.

Answer:
 You need to get your birth certificate, which you can do with your social security card. It can be had from the Office of Vital Statistics (the equivalent in California).

I've been in your situation. You *need* your birth certificate.Answer #2: [Michigan license replacement](http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-48296-88432--F,00.html) does not require a birth certificate. It does require that you know or obtain your driver's license number. If you explain the situation wen you call the state's office, in most cases they can verify your information and provide you a method in which you can obtain your ID.

Same goes with Florida for birth certificate. They will take driver’s license, military ID, passport, or a work ID for the photo ID requirement. In some cases, they might even take a school ID if you are in college and have that. Best method to get this done is to call and talk to a live person about it.Answer #3: As someone born in FL, living in MI, who lost my license once and didn't have my SS card or birth certificate I think I can help! You can go online to Michigans Secretary of State website and order a new ID. Because it's not expired you do not have to go in there to get it. However they will only mail it to the address they have on file for you.

You can order your birth certificate from Floridas Vital Statistics website. You can even rush order it and have it in a few days. This can be mailed wherever you want. I had mine shipped to my work.

There are also other forms of ID that can help establish who you are. School IDs, school transcripts, diplomas, lease in your name at current address, utility bill, and a few others.


Title: [Florida] A Dog broke off leash and attacked my dog. The person was not the owner and lives out of state.

Question:
I'll end up contacting a lawyer, but any help counts.

Back story:

I was walking my dog around the neighborhood when another walker on the opposite side of the road had his dog get loose from a makeshift leash. It crossed the road and bit my dog three good times before I was able to hold it back. The injuries looked pretty bad so my wife took it to the vet while I got information from the man. It wasn't wearing a real collar and the leash was a plastic clip. The dog got loose from the leash two additional times after the attack. I had the incident reported to Animal Services and the vet wrote a detailed description of the damage and explanation of the bill.

Turns out he is the father of the dog's owner and lives in California. The owner lives in my neighborhood. I spoke to the owners the day after the incident since I was refused any contact information. The owners are refusing to pay the vet bill because they deem it to be too expensive ($400). They outright said they would rather go to court for it. They claim to know a vet and this is too much from their experience.  The cost is not outrageous to me since it was deep puncture wounds across my small dog's back and shoulder.

Questions:

- Who is liable in this situation: the owner or the walker? The walker who was present at the incident lives out of state. If he is liable, how would this affect the court proceeding?

- Do the owners have any weight on what counts as an acceptable vet bill or where my dog is allowed to go for care? The owners never saw my dog, the attack, or any conversations I had with the father who walked the dog. I couldn't get any information from the father for hours. There were no phone numbers, names, or tags. I had to take action and see a vet.

- Is there any requirement for what counts as a leash? The walker did not have a proper leash, collar, or tags for the dog.

- After contacting Animal Services, do I need to contact the police for a separate report? I haven't done that yet, but will at least try to find out if it's needed.

- The incident happened two days ago. How long do I have to file a report or take any actions?

- How likely am I to win in court? I purchased the dog for well over the vet price so if it came to it I'd assume it would be covered.

- I did not take any pictures of the damage, but did take pictures after the surgery. Is there other kinds of information I may have missed?

This is the first time I've had to deal with any legal issues. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 1) Both are liable - name both defendants as it increases your odds of recovery if either is insolvent and cannot pay.

2) Small claims courts can be pretty liberal about what they permit people to introduce as evidence, however, a judge will order them to pay your bill unless it is excessive, and as a dog owner, $400 for a vet bill for treating injuries hardly seems excessive, considering an office visit and vaccine can run $150-$200. I don't think you will have an issue with this.

3) there is no statutory definition of a leash, however, a court will find that they were negligent if whatever they were using was an unreasonable restraint, and it sounds like it was. This won't really matter though, the key is their overall negligence in turning their dog loose.

4) yes, get a police report asap. You don't "need to" for small claims court, but it will provide valuable evidence.

5) Edit - you have four years (daaaamn that's a long SOL Florida), but get on it asap.

6) dog purchase price is not relevant, it sounds like you have a solid small claims court case.


Title: Got a DUI for being asleep in the front seat of a car with the key in the ignition and my door open. Court date in 12hrs. California

Question:
I have my court date in 10hrs and I would like to have something to say in my defense. My lawyer has not been helpful. I just feel like me getting a dui for being found asleep in my car with the door open and keys in the ignition(for ac) while the car was parked is unjust because I wasn't even driving and they are pretty much "assuming" I was going to drive. The door was open.

Edit/update: I was not aware that I had already posted in this subreddit already. I was posting from mobile so I got a little confused. Sorry about that. But thank you everyone for the time to make your comments as most of them have been helpful.

I am posting on behalf of a friend of mine who doesn't have reddit and it was easier to just type everything in first person. He had an over the phone hearing today and spoke with his lawyer. The results of the blood test were a .2 bac and some marijuanas was in his system. The lawyer pretty much was saying that he will have to do 9months of AA and his license will be suspended for four months. My friend felt that he was doomed and was going to end up with a DUI. I was a little disappointed in the lawyer for not having more to say about his case. We both felt like the lawyer was just skimming over his case, not putting in the effort equal to the amount he paid.
A little while after the hearing the lawyer called him back saying he may have found a way to make a case for an unlawful arrest as the police did not see him driving the car. Let's see what he does in preparation for the Nov 11 court date.

Answer:
 You asked this before, got follow up questions, ignored them, and reposted the same question.

You have a lawyer. If you are not satisfied with his or her performance, fire him or her and get a new lawyer.  You can ask for time to do this at court this morning.

It makes literally no difference at all how you feel about this.  If your behavior fits he criteria for a DUI in your state, then the case can proceed.  Lots of states use the criterium of "physical control" or "operation" of the vehicle- it doesn't have to be in motion.

I don't know the specific law in California, but I'm guessing that's how they do it there.  I say that because you have a lawyer, and if actually driving the car was required he would have gleefully told you that you have a great case and you would not be here.Answer #2: For all intents and purposes your story sounds as though an officer found you passed out drunk as you were attempting to operate a motor vehicle despite your claims you 'only wanted to have the a/c on'. Answer #3: Why was your door open with the AC on?

Why were you drunk sitting in your car with the AC on with your door open?

Did you pass out in your car?

I don't know about Californian law but for DUI's does the engine need to be on? Or if you're in the driver seat you are considered driving (engine off?). Can doors be open?


Title: My job at a japanese fast food shop, has a tip jar, but us employees are not allowed to recieve any tips and its for the owners. I read a similar post and was wondering if I should be concerned.

Question: I live in GA so I'm not sure if there are laws that allow this. There have been a couple of times where people ask us if the tips are for us and I quietly say they're not because honestly they're not. I have had a few people slip me a dollar or two but I felt wary about taking it.

Answer:
 Tips belong to the employee who they are given. If the jar says tips they must go to the employees and cannot be kept by the business or its owners.

You can be told not to accept tips and can be fired for doing so.Answer #2: >  I'm not sure if there are laws that allow this

There are laws that forbid this.

Some states handle these issues themselves. Georgia punts these issues to the USDOL. You can contact them [here](https://www.dol.gov/whd/howtofilecomplaint.htm).Answer #3: I live in FL and I am NAL.

I was in an identical situation while working at a French bakery. Collected evidence, photos, text massages from the owners saying that we didn’t get the tips, etc. I sent everything over to the Department of Labor for them to investigate.

Long story short, the DOL did not do anything, but sent me a letter explaining that I was within my rights to pursue the matter with my own legal representation.

My understanding of it was since it was such a small shop and it only affected 6 people or so, it wasn’t a high priority despite being illegal.

You can try filing it with the DOL, but based on the size of your place of business, you May have similar results.Answer #4: So your boss could be counting out the tips and evenly distributing to all employees on their paychecks and you’ve just never taken the time to ask before posting this? That’s kind of an important piece of info lol


Title: Is it legal for a bar in Minnesota to make you work for tips only?

Question:
Been working at one of the local bars downtown for a little over a month, and the only pay I've received has been from tips. The unfortunate part is, I've filled out no employment paperwork whatsoever, I don't have my own way to clock in (I use one of the owners' log-ins), and unless the cameras work I basically have no proof that I work there except for patrons that would be able to confirm it.

Please help?

Answer: Minnesota does not have a tip credit. Your employer must pay you at least the minimum wage *on top of* any tips you earn.


Title: [North Carolina] I got hit in a parking lot and I basically did everything wrong.

Question:
It was the end of a long day, I had skipped my lunch break so I could leave early to have dinner with my dad who was in town.  I was...so close to the main road.

Then I get t-boned.  I saw the car just out of my peripheral as I was crossing a parking lot "intersection."  It was one of those deals where I was like: "Oh wow, they aren't stopping."  and I just braced myself. Here is a [satellite view](http://i.imgur.com/Y8tv1Fu.png).  I'm the blue line.  The tan line is the woman.

No one was really hurt.  Their car seemed okay, my car *looked* like it just had cosmetic damage but a few minutes later, I realized that the tire was super wonky and I couldn't drive straight anymore.  It's around this point that I made just about every mistake you could possibly make.  There are tons of excuses (I was starving, already late to meet my dad for dinner, the adrenaline, I'd never been in an accident before, the person in the other car was a sobbing pregnant woman...my mind was in a thousand places) but I made mistakes.

The woman that hit me was borrowing the car from a friend and there was no insurance in the glove-box...no registration papers at all, actually.  Which, at least in NC, is crazy illegal.  But, like I mentioned, it was a crying pregnant woman and I have a gullible, tender heart so I was just like: "Alright, alright.  Lets exchange what information we do have."

I gave her a copy of my insurance card.  She gave me her name and her number.

Mistakes I made:

1) I did not call the police.  It was one of those things where I thought it was just cosmetic damage and no one was hurt, so I didn't think it was necessary.  But it probably was.
2) I did not get...*any* information about their car. No License plate, VIN number, make/model.  Just the color (faded brown/gold).  I feel like an idiot for this.
3) I took pictures of the damage on my car ([pic1](http://i.imgur.com/CrMAWNs.jpg), [pic2](http://i.imgur.com/r8rIrZm.jpg)) but no pictures of their car.
4) Then, I just let her go.  I realized after calling my dad and saying that I was going to be late to dinner that I realized that I really couldn't drive my car safely anymore.

I have been able to text and call the woman that hit me.  She is responding to me and is "waiting" for their friend to get back with insurance information.  At this point, I'm pretty sure the car is uninsured...which is fine, because my insurance covers uninsured motorists - but to use that, I need to get the VIN number off their car so my insurance can confirm it.  I haven't heard back from the woman since I asked about the VIN number.

How SOL am I in this?  I have the phone number and I know where she works (same place as me, just different departments.  HR might be able to track her down for me?).  It's been more than a day now - should I still file a police report after the fact?  If she doesn't voluntarily give me that information, do I have any recourse at all?  I'm not interested in nailing her to the wall for hitting me, I just want the one piece of information from that car so my insurance will fix this, because that's literally what I pay them to do.

Kind of a secondary question, back to the map of the [accident](http://i.imgur.com/Y8tv1Fu.png).  There are no stop signs in that parking lot, but with how the lot is laid out, I'm on a 'road' part so I'm allowed to just keep going straight, right? I don't need to stop at every little 'wing' of parking lots, do I?

Answer: CYA. File a police report. Track her down through HR. Take all possible steps to mitigate your damages.Answer #2: Contact your insurance company. This is why you have insurance Your insurance company has ways of finding out if another policy may coverage the damage or VINs. In the meantime they will pay to fix your car in accordance with your policy.


Title: Friend requesting I help one of his employees get his drivers license.

Question:
My friend has an employee working for him that is trying to get his drivers license. This employee is an immigrant who has lived in the US for 10+ years (not sure of citizen/legal status) and has to this point not had a drivers license. He came to my friend saying that if he were able to have a power/utility bill in his name for a residence in Wisconsin (where I live) that he could use this to get a Wisconsin drivers license despite him currently living/working in North Carolina. My friend came to me asking if I could put my utility bill into his employees name for a month and then cancel/put it back in my name once I received a bill in the mail addressed to the employee.

This sounded pretty sketchy to me and I'm concerned about the questions or red flags that would be raised if my power bill changed owners for a month. Has anyone heard of anything like this or if it is even possible to get a license with only a utility/power bill in your name?

Answer: Well. That's a terrible idea. Your friend is either malicious or a moron, I have no idea which.


Title: I let a website expire and someone bought it. Do they have a legal right to keep my original articles, pictures, logo, etc. on the site still?

Question: Per the bot, I'm in California. To clarify, this wasn't a business or company, just a local blog.

Answer: If the domain expired, and they purchased it, they get to use the new domain, not your content. The server where your content is located should have updated their info so that domain does not point towards your files anymore. That's the first place I would contact.


Title: Cops searched without a search warrant

Question: I have kind of a stupid question, but I'm just wondering the legal end of things. If anybody if familiar with Michigan law. Here's the scenario: Not that it matters as far as the law is concerned, but I am diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. I live with my stepfather, and today I had a bit of an "episode". We got into a verbal argument, and I had stuck a knife into a previoius hole in my wall. This shit happens all the time. We get into an argument, next thing I know the cops are coming to my door. I hid in my attic, all the while hallucinating due to psychosis. Anywho, is it legal that the cops searched through my dresser without a search warrant, or are they legally allowed to do so? I mean the way I look at it is like this. Did they come here for me, or were they on the lookout for a criminal knife? Regardless if my stepdad owns the house, he still does not have the power to search through my belongings. The cops kicked my bedroom door in, breaking it off the hinges, tore my bedroom apart. My wallet is missing, and the knife is gone. This knife was given to me by my grandfather before he passed away a few years back, and I really want it back. Or did they snatch up the criminal they were looking for? It was either me, or the knife they wanted. Last time this happened, I was admitted to the hospital, which I know is why they were on the hunt for me. How they did not find me hiding in my house is beyond me. All they had to do was peek their head into the attic section in my garage, and shine their light. They almost found me, but they did not climb up the ladder that I had set up. That should have been a dead giveaway, but apparently not. I'm pissed even more than I was before. Pretty sure I'm gonna be homeless soon, but I still want my knife regardless. Should I call them up demanding my property be returned, or what can I do about this? Also, my wallet has like $400 inside, which the cops took as well. It has my license along with my credit cards and all that good shit. Advice? Knowledge? Also, no negativity please, and yes I'm aware that according to society, I've been labeled crazy. I don't care about that. I want my wallet, and I want my knife. Is it legal to do this without a search warrant? I mean regardless, they have to obtain a search warrant. Only thing they can do with my stepdads consent, is look through closets and shit like that. They cannot look through your shit without an actual search warrant which is obtained through either the county magistrate or district judge. Or mental health judge if they had previously petitioned her to have me involuntarilly admitted once again. I was freaked out which is why I hid. I was downstairs when I heard them kick my bedroom door in. Then the psychosis kicked in. I don't find myself to be a danger to myself, I never threatened anybody with the knife, so I'm not sure what the hell just happened. I just now crawled out of my hiding spot,7 hours later and I'm still shaken by this. Last time this happened, they had a bunch of guns pointed in my face, even though I'm unarmed. Safeties do fail. By guns, I mean AR-15's , tactical shot guns, and more cops with stun shields and flak jackets. The whole nine yards. As if I were being raided by the U.S. Marshall. Should I even waste my time with this, is it worth it? But I do feel my things should be returned, but that's just my opinion, seeing as how no laws were broken. Also, if it matters I am un-medicated currently. Other than medicinal cannabis, which I do have my medicinal marijuana license, so they can't legally do shit about the piles of weed sitting in my dresser, which they did not touch. Dude, they were here for fucking ever man. Like 45 minutes tearing my house apart attempting to locate me. But there I was in my attic listening to every sound that was created, minus the voices and other sounds already present in my head. This shit is a fuckin trip man. This is something you'd see on tv on a serial killer documentary. But since I'm starting to ramble, as I normally do, I'll cut this short but would appreciate any knowledge anybody might be able to offer me. Lawyers especially are welcomed as I will pursue this if I find out they were not within the law.

Answer:
 First, I am not a doctor, but if it is normal for you to have these kinds of episodes, I would speak to a doctor about some more options. This is a threat to both yourself and people around you.

Second, you were in a verbal altercation and then stabbed the wall? The can clearly be seen as a threat. If you were having an episode, this would be a threat to both you and your stepfather. I would 100% recommend you give up trying to get your knife and wallet. Your stepfather can give them permission to search your room if it's his house. If someone is having an episode and is armed, and then suddenly disappears, the first thought is "Oh, (s)he could be out somewhere and could hurt someone". They didn't violate any laws here.


Title: [CA] Need advice for new job. Accountant and boss giving me conflicting advice

Question:
I'm starting a new job in California. I'll be moving from NJ.  I'm a doctor and the new job is a 1099 independent contractor job in a hospital.  The company that is hiring me to work in the hospital has asked to incorporate myself.  As in setting up myself as a business/self-employed.  My accountant says there is no benefit from me.
Here is my accountants response: "They are treating you as an independent contractor, yet they are providing your malpractice.  I suspect they will control your schedule too. (which really makes you an employee)

Their motivation is to save the extra costs for California employees.  Are you moving out there?  A 2-year contract takes you out of the “Traveling Doc” status, so your expenses will be limited.  I see no added benefit for you to be a business entity.  They are recommending that to avoid “employee status”."

Here is the "boss's" response:  "I highly recommend forming a professional S Corp for the purpose of signing medical contracts, such as the one with {company's name} to limit liability and protect your personal assets such as (house, cars) from litigation. We can talk about it in person when you join though. Its not a big deal."

I've worked as an independent contractor before without any problems.  I've never had any malpractice claims against me as of yet. They will not give me insurance or retirement but will provide malpractice insurance.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 They are probably using this to avoid treating you as an employee.

It is unlikely that you are going to have any real protection from liability by incorporating if the main area you face liability is the personal services you provide.

If you are leasing office space from them and running a business with other employees that may make more sense.Answer #2: Do not take corporate structure advice from someone who is not your lawyer. Assuming even if you wanted to go with forming your own business entity, its worth talking to a small business attorney to choose the right form and to know what formalities need to be followed for it to be real.


Title: I [24 M] was sexually harassed at work by a co worker [29 M] and I'm worried nothing will change even after I reported the incident.

Question:
Ok to start off I work in a factory 2 days a week to keep up on school expenses. The person in question is a full time employe. In this incident he lifted up my shirt and pointed at my privates (my pants were on) and said something to the effect of "grande". Then as I went to cross the line he slapped me on the butt. After this I went straight to HR. He had said things in the past, stuff about my sister, stuff to one lady on the line something about her being his girlfriend a how she had a nice ass but he crossed the line. I really wanted to say something about him talking to that lady but I've worked here for a few months and he and those people have for 15 - 20 years so I didn't know the whole situation.

Now in my report I was concerned about how they received me. They ask me several times if I asked him to stop, I said no but in the past it was only banter but this was physical contact so it crossed the line. I didn't want to start a confrontation so I went straight too HR. They also said things like in the future ask him to stop then if he does it again come to HR. People have used the word victim blaming in the past and it definitely seemed like that's what was going on.

Now I'm just curious as to what I can do to get some sort of justice if they do not terminate this employee. Is their a worker rights group i can go to who help with these incidents? Any and all help is very appreciated.

Answer:
 > he slapped me on the butt

Sounds like sexual assault to me. If HR won't do anything, call the police. You'd be surprised how quickly they will change their tune. Answer #2: I might be missing it but can you give us your location? (state).  I want to double check a criminal statute before I give advice.Answer #3: > They also said things like in the future ask him to stop then if he does it again come to HR.

So, they're going to pay you the pay rate for managers or HR? Because that's their job.

> Is their a worker rights group i can go to who help with these incidents?

Yes, there are unions. You can search <industry> <state> union for one near you.


Title: Collection Agencies call for “Willie” but I am not him. Get at least 20 calls a day, asked repeatedly to get taken off the call list, so is this harassment? Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 Yes this is illegal. **You need to get the name and pysical address of the debt collection agency** and file a police report against them for harassment.

Also, you can submit a complaint with the CFPB online or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372)