Title: Got hurt at work from a heavy machine hitting me. Lots of witnesses

Question:
I work for a landscaping company. Long story short I was bending down to put some chains on a tree basket to haul it out of the dirt, when one of my co workers backed up in a skid steer and struck me.

The skid steer has no beeper for backing up. 5 people watched this happen including my boss, which of whom shouted and got the attention of the man driving it so I wouldn’t get run over. He tapped me and I wasn’t hurt at first. But now I’m developing some back pain a week later.

What can I do?

Answer: File a workers comp claim and go to a doctor


Title: My brother(14m) is scuicidal and my parents aren’t doing anything

Question:
MI So a few weeks ago I(18m) caught my brother trying to hang himself in our basement. When I found him he cried and begged me not to tell our parents who don’t believe in mental illness and think that people who try to commit scuicide are vying for attention and are going to hell. I agreed to not tell our parents in exchange that I keep an eye on him and he’ll tell me if he feels depressed or scuicidal.
   Fast forward to last night I was out eating with some friends and my parents found him trying to cut himself. They got really angry and started yelling at him saying that he was going to hell and that they’ll disown him and that he’s no longer there son. When I got home he was crying so much and my parents were yelling at him that I took him to a friends house while my parents cooled down. After spending the night my parents text me that they will withdraw all my money out of my account unless I take my brother home in 24 hours. This morning my friend told my brother about the text and after trying to knock himself out by smashing his head against the counter he tried to go back home. Now I have to do something or my parents will take the money I earned and my brother might try to kill himself again. At this point I’m not worried about the money for me but I need to support my brother while my parents aren’t, so I need money. My questions are now
1. What are my rights for obtaining custody of my brother ?
2. What should I do to help him?
3. Can my parents legally take my own money?

Answer:
 If your brother is suicidal take him to a hospital. Doctors are mandatory reporters. You can also call CPS us any abuse if happening. If CPS decides to remove him from the home you can tell them that you're willing to act as a placement for him.Answer #2: Take your brother to the ER, not to his doctor.  If you have a car do it now or call an Uber or Lyft.

Michigan has a 24/7 abuse reporting hotline.  You can call them now.  **855-444-3911** Answer #3: At 18, you can withdraw that money and move it to your own account. You should redirect your paycheck to your new account as well.
Answer #4: Brother goes into an emergency department at a children's hospital.  Seriously, if you don't want your brother to be dead, or be neurologically devastated from a failed hanging attempt, or something equally as horrible, take him in.  He will be seen by psychiatrists, and they will determine the best way to move forward in treating him and keeping him safe.  If you love your brother, do this.

Your money goes into a different account, preferably at a different bank, and you never tell your parents about this account or what bank it is in.Answer #5: You should immediately move your money to a bank account your parents don’t have access to. Then contact CPS. They will likely hospitalize your brother. This will buy you some time to work with them on some sort of custody or other living arrangements.


Title: [NY] Bought a home, sewer wasn't connected, roof was shot, inspector missed everything but have signed documentation showing seller was 100% aware at time disclosure was signed.

Question:
The title pretty much sums it up. We bought a home that was flipped(first mistake) and hired an inspector who came on three recommendations but missed the sewer not being connected to the house resulting in sewage being dumped into the crawlspace and never checked the attic. The roof was 60% covered in mold and had substantial water damage.

We get a disclosure from them stating "No known material defects" with the roof or plumbing.

Fast forward 3 months and we discover it all within the space of a week.

$17,000~ later we contact the contractor who renovated the place and had a mechanics lien on the property during the sale. He gleefully sent us the document the seller signed acknowledging the mold, roof problems, and sewer issues. It has their name on it and was signed/dated six months prior to the disclosure being signed.

Is this worth pursuing and if it is worth pursuing how do we go about that intelligently? We've been taken once already and have proven we don't know what we're doing, we don't want to dig a deeper hole for ourselves if we can help it.

Thank you, it's been a hell of a ride so far.

Answer:
 You need to take three steps:

1) Get an estimate of the cost to repair the premises.

2) Ask the seller for an amount equal to that estimate.

3) Hire an attorney when they inevitably refuse--the kind of person who goes through a renovation, is made aware of these issues, and then lies to their prospective purchaser about something so basic as a sewer hookup is not likely to be apologetic or willing to reimburse you without a serious fight.

This is 100% worth hiring an attorney over.  Answer #2: You would need a lawyer, but I would say it's worth looking into. You're over the small claims limit in the state (at a minimum) so that makes it a bit more complicated, but you're out a substantial chunk of money due to either gross incompetence or worse.


Title: My dog’s ear was cut by the groomer and we had to have it amputated.

Question:
This happened a couple months ago.

I took her to a certain nationally-known pet store (US) to be groomed like I’ve done since she was a puppy (she’s almost 6). Everything seemed fine when I picked her up, although she seemed a little extra happy to see me. The groomer didn’t mention anything out of the ordinary. We did notice that it looked like they hadn’t really finished cutting her hair.

A week later my mom was combing my dog and when she attempted to brush her ears (she’s a small breed with longish hair) my dog snapped at her. She tried to get a closer look at her ear and finally saw what looked like clumpy blood. I took her to the vet right away. The vet needed an assistant to hold my dog down so she could wash her ear to investigate the area. They told me it was necrotic (the ear tip was dead) and it would need to be amputated. The vet also told me that she normally doesn’t say this but that I should go back to the groomer and see if they’ll pay for the surgery.

The next day my mom went back to the pet store and spoke with the assistant manager who was very apologetic. He told her to bring them a letter from the vet saying what happened and he’ll send it to the corporate office.

My dog’s surgery was successful, however when she was brought in to the operating room, her ear tip fell off before they even did the surgery. It had to be cauterized.

After the surgery I brought the papers (receipt from the original groom, ER invoice, the surgeon’s notes, and surgery invoice) to the store. The assistant manager said that he spoke to the groomer who said she didn’t even cut the hair on her ears because I “always tell them to keep them long.” While this is true, I do tell them to keep the ears long, but not to not cut them at all. We can always tell that my dog’s ears are freshly trimmed when we pick her up.

Anyway he took the papers and said he would be in touch. A month later (this weekend) I finally received a check in the mail (for the EXACT amount, down to the penny) of the ER visit and surgery. Also in the envelope was a crooked photocopy of a photocopy of a generic letter that begins with “Enclosed you will find reimbursement from [pet store].” This letter really makes me angry. They’re calling my dog’s ear amputation “reimbursement?!” To me, they’re clearly not taking responsibility for what has happened. My dog has healed physically but she’s not the same.

Could/should I pursue legal action against the company? When I told a few people about what happened they told me right away to sue them. Honestly, at first it didn’t really cross my mind, but after getting this letter it’s like they’re just going to write off what happened. I have not cashed the check.

(Sorry this is a bit long)

Answer:
 The letter said reimbursement because that's exactly what they are doing,  reimbursing you for the expenses you incurred. I don't know what more  you want from themAnswer #2: >Could/should I pursue legal action against the company?

For what? They made you financially whole.


Title: Airbags Didn't Deploy During Wreck

Question:
Let me start by saying I have had this car for MAYBE a year now, I bought it last December in 2018 from a dealership. It's a 2007 Ford Focus Hatchback.

Today I was driving home on the interstate and when I merged onto the exit ramp my car began to hydroplane. I had just pulled my car out of fifth gear and was starting to press my brakes when my car starts to hydroplane. Immediately the back right end of my car starts to try and come forward - spinning me counter-clock wise. As I am hydroplaning I keep my tires turned to the right to prevent my car from flipping or spinning completely out of control.

 Next thing I know my car is heading straight toward the concrete railing on the left side of the ramp. I brace for impact, ready for the airbags to deploy as my passenger side fender connects with the barrier, spinning me further counter-clock wise. That causes my car to keep spinning and my passenger side rear bumper to also connect and completing my 360 spin. After my rear bumper connects I slide all the way from the left side concrete wall to the right side of the ramp. Essentially I bounced like a pinball off the barriers.

After calling the police and allowing my nerves to calm down I realize my airbags never deployed. My assumption before my wreck today was that airbags would deploy in a wreck with speeds between 40 and 50 mph. But not one airbag had been deployed. I am looking for any advice as to how to approach this. I need to know if taking legal action with the dealership would be worth my time and money in this situation.

I am obviously very happy that I am okay and walked away from the wreck with nothing but a few bruises. I will always be grateful for that. I still want this issue addressed that I was sold a car with

 a. faulty airbags

 b. no airbags

Either way I would appreciate advice as to how to go forward with the dealership in regards to my car.

Answer: The airbags probably didn't deploy because they weren't necessary.


Title: Can a 17 year old date a 21 year old? (Connecticut)

Question:
I am a 16 year old girl and I have feelings for a 20 year old guy. I turn 17 in November and he turns 21 in October. I’m close with his older sister because I worked with her at my first job, and that is how I know him. (She is 26) I really like him, and we talk as friends fairly often. He is not looking for a relationship right now, and has not said anything to me to make me think he is even interested. I just want to know if I was to date him in the future if he could get into trouble.

More details -

He’s a really sweet guy and is fairly reserved. People seem to assume I am older than I am because I act pretty mature I guess. I don’t like people my age, and I don’t have many friends my age. I hate dealing with high school drama, and I don’t talk to many people because of it. I don’t party, smoke, do any type of drugs or drink. Neither does he accept I know he casually will drink at events once in a while. I however plan to stay straight edge.

We both have a good amount of stuff in common. We both love music and want to go into it as our careers. (So does his sister) We both don’t have great self esteem, so we really try to pick each other up and help each other in that sense.

I’m pretty sure neither of us have really been in a relationship either. I have never been in a relationship and have never had sex. I am not looking to have a sexual relationship with him either, and I know he would respect that if we did date.

I know his sister thinks my crush on him is really  cute, and does support my feelings for him. She’s a really close friend for me since we worked together and she is actually very protective of me as well.

TL;DR
I am a 16 year old girl turning 17. I want to know if I can date a 20 year old turning 21 without any legal problems. I am not planning on having a sexual relationship with him.

Answer: The age of consent in Connecticut is 16. But if your parents aren't cool with it, then he's not to be around you. Do not exchange nude pictures with him and do not drink with him.


Title: I'm being blackmailed over naked pictures.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Contact the police. They'll nail him to the wall. Make sure to save *ALL* contacts from him with his blackmail, screenshot everything. Do not tell him you're going to the police.


Title: Evicted and told I have to leave by 6PM tonight.

Question:
Since laws vary state-by-state, it's worth mentioning that I live in Alaska (Fairbanks).

Times have been extremely tough lately and I was forced to take an extended period of time off from work (back at work now), which left funds non-existent. During this time, I was unable to pay the full amount of my rent which left me with an eviction notice. Yesterday morning was the hearing, which I was unable to make it to despite making an effort to appear. Of course, that lead to the default judgment in favor of the landlord. At this point, there's nothing that I can do to stop this from taking place. However, I have nowhere to go, have two dogs, nowhere to store my possessions, and no money to solve either of these issues. I never received a writ of restitution, and I did not get any paperwork from either the landlord or the court, yet I am being told that I have to leave by 6PM tonight (four hours from now). Without any paperwork, I don't know what the actual judge set the date for, and my landlord has been known in the past to throw arbitrary dates that he decides at will at me. I'm not trying to be difficult and wait until the very last second to where I have to be removed forcibly by the sheriff, but with it being Alaska, it's cold during the day and much colder at night (below freezing), being homeless is a bit of a terrifying thought.

Is there anything that I can do to postpone the inevitable? My belongings are still in the house, and I have to work in 2 hours, so I really don't even have time to attempt to find somewhere else to go for myself and my dogs, or store my stuff. I can't take my dogs to work with me, I have no one that can watch them, and I obviously can't leave them at the house anymore.

Thanks

----

**EDIT:** I spoke with the landlord, who refused to give me any sort of paperwork on the subject. I then called the courthouse who told me that the official date is not today, but rather tomorrow night at 6PM. Makes sense why the landlord wouldn't give me any paperwork now... This at least gives me a few more hours to figure something else out. Thanks everyone.

Answer:
 > Is there anything that I can do to postpone the inevitable?

Not anymore.  You didn't pay your rent, you were notified of the problem, and you skipped court.  You had multiple opportunities to fix this, and didn't.

You can try to contact the court, to find out whether the order is legitimate.  In most cases, the sheriff will serve and compel the eviction himself.  Answer #2: Since you can't provide a place to live for yourself, let alone dogs, Google returns several results for animal rescues and shelters in Fairbanks--contact one of them about finding a home for your dogs.

The Fairbanks rescue mission might be able to put you in touch with resources for the homeless. You don't really need legal advice now, but advice from someone who can tell you how to restore your life and what assistance resources are available to you, and that's probably mostly not this sub.Answer #3: Why on earth didn't you go to court?! You could have asked for a couple more months.Answer #4: You can get a copy of the order from the court.  You should know the date you need to vacate by as the sheriff isn't going to give you a grace period.  It's unfortunate you didn't attend the hearing -- you might have struck some sort of deal at court, but now it's too late.


Title: I was pulled over driving my father's company vehicle. Insurance question?

Question:
My vehicle was in the shop and my dad was out of town. He drives a company vehicle (a basic F150) and does not own a person vehicle. I was pulled over on my way to school, however received only a warning for the speed.

The insurance paper physically in the truck was about a week expired (although the vehicle was still insured, the new paper was still in my dad's office as he was out of town), so I received a citation for failure to maintain financial responsibility - although it was explained to me that this would be tossed out so long as the vehicle was in fact insured and the paper showing it could be produced.

The problem comes that it was my father's work vehicle and I am not listed as a driver. I am on my father's insurance on my own vehicle, but not a listed driver for his work vehicle - and I am not even employed by his company.

This is in Texas and I have a court date approaching. Anything I can do?

Answer:
 Have your father go to his boss and say that he noticed the insurance paperwork in the truck was expired, and say he needs a new insurance card.

Take that new card to court.  Problem solved.


Title: How do I go about selling merchandise with college football team logos on it?

Question:
I make and sell beer totes. Recently someone suggested that I make sports totes and sell them at tailgating events. I don't guess they NEED to have a team logo on them, but at the very least I would need them to be the teams colors.

Any advice is very much appreciated!

Jackson TN
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: Get a licensing agreement from each school that you want to be on your stuff.  [This]( http://www.clc.com/) is a good place to start.Answer #2: I don't know about all schools, but the college I went to allowed people who sell less than $x/year dollars use their logo for a small fee, I think it was only a few dollars per item sold. They would provide the hologram sticker saying it was officially licensed. I would call the university and ask, probably their Athletic Marketing Department would be a good place to start.


Title: i want my name off of current apartment with my bf

Question:
I want to move away from my boyfriend who became alcoholic and violent. Both of our names are on the lease and I want to move out. I read leasing agreement, but it doesn't say anything about early termination of lease from one person. So i called the leasing office and they said the only way for me to move out is for both of us to move out. Is this worth fighting for? i've never heard this or experienced this where it doesn't state in leasing paper but leasing office people are verbally saying I can't do it. Also, would it be possible to sign a leasing agreement in another apartment while I'm "living" in my currently apartment? i really want to move out...
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You're always free to move out and get a new lease. The issue is just having you taken off the current one.

Is there an issue of domestic violence here? What state are you in?


Title: If you're driving (in a city) and see a small wildfire burning close to the road, should you call 911?

Question:
I'm in California.

This happened to me last night. I was driving late at night, coming home from a road trip, already put 200 miles down and still had 40 more to go. I was driving through a city and saw a small wildfire burning close to the road.

I didn't call 911 for 3 reasons. First, I was high. Second, I didn't know the city and couldn't articulate the exact position of the fire. Third, I was tired and didn't want to deal with it.

Anyway, if you are driving and see a small wildfire burning uncontrolled, should you call 911?

Answer: Yes, that'd be a good idea. You know what'd also be a good idea? Not driving while high, cause that's illegal.


Title: $800 stolen from us and guy is trying to ghost us- but we have his name and proof of what he did

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Small claims would be your next step, assuming that the games do not arrive.

But you have no way of knowing if anything provided was real. Answer #2: You don't know that this was really his FB/Instagram and not a faked one. Most scammers don't reveal their identity to the people they are stealing from.Answer #3: Yeah, good luck with Venmo. They have some of the absolute worst fraud protection, if that money was sent, 99% it's gone from that route.

You can file a police report in his town & you can send him a demand letter that if he does not return the money within X days you'll be suing him. Answer #4: >He immediately called our bank and cancelled his debit card to try and stop the transaction from going through.

First of all, Venmo sucks if you want to dispute anything through them.

Second, always use a CREDIT card and not a DEBIT card (if you want me to list the reasons for this I will).

Third, you don't respond to this sort of thing by closing your credit/debit card, but rather by contesting the charge with your card issuer as either fraud (if you didn't authorize the charge) or because the goods or services were never delivered to you.

Fourth, you COULD sue the person, but it's doubtful that you know who they really are or where they really live, and although you COULD probably find those things, it's not going to be worth it for you (if you want me to list the reasons for this I will).


Title: Squatter.

Question:
Hello, I am having an issue where I am stuck paying for my apartment and living with a squatter basically.

I am in an apartment where my name is the only on the lease, and my roommate is listed as an occupant ONLY, and is not responsible for paying rent legally. I wasn't aware she wasn't legally obligated to pay...I was under the impression she was legally obligated to pay as well.

I got fed up with her disgusting habits, my apt is disgusting now and she's damaged several of my things....so I asked her to move out and gave her 2 months to find a place. She gave the apt complex her notice, and then revoked it apparently.

I also found out she didn't pay her half of rent for this last month that was supposed to be her "last month". I called to inquire about how much next months rent would be, because I had a feeling she lied about paying, and I was right.

Now, they are telling me I am legally obligated to pay for that apt as long as she lives there...even if I give my notice...if I say I no longer want to live here and cancel my lease that isn't really even a lease...it's month to month...that if she's still living in the apartment I am still financially responsible for it. How is this legal?

I live in MA.... please help. How am I responsible for another person when they aren't related to me in any way and why am I stuck paying for an apt if I want to give my notice if she just squats there?!

Answer:
 > I am in an apartment where my name is the only on the lease, and my roommate is listed as an occupant ONLY, and is not responsible for paying rent legally.

That's not a squatter.  A squatter is someone living there without the owner's permission.  They have the owner's **and** yours.

> Now, they are telling me I am legally obligated to pay for that apt as long as she lives there

That's generally correct.  That's because you can't terminate your tenancy without surrendering the place - which you can't do because **your** sub-lessor is there.

> How am I responsible for another person

Because you agreed to it in that lease you signed.

If she won't leave, evict her through normal processes.Answer #2: Why would you ever agree to such an arrangement? Anyway, you can give them written notice to vacate (usually 30 days) then go to court to evict them if they don't leave.


Title: If I pass out in a Tesla's back seat under autopilot, can I defend myself "the driver abandoned me there"?

Question: Imagine I got drunk, set my Tesla to autopilot and I sit in the backseat. If I got caught, can I defend myself by: I was sleeping in my backseat because I was drunk, forgot to lock my car so a random dude pulled out this sick prank to me?

Answer:
 What you are describing here would be lying to the police. No, lying about your crimes doesn't suddenly makes them legal.

Lying, in some circumstances, might allow you to get away with a crime. In your case? I seriously doubt it, on account of that lie being incredibly dumb. The police officer would raise an eyebrow at you, possibly laugh, then put you under arrest.


Title: Help me avoid retaking a class!

Question: At my University I was taking a precalculus course and all was going well and I was maintaining a B average in the class. My professor unfortunately goes on medical leave for the last roughly 5 weeks of class and we receive a substitute teacher. After she takes over my grade plummets to a D+. Is there any recommended method for approaching this problem and hopefully avoiding retaking the course?

Answer: Talk to the dean of the math department. That is your next step. There is no legal remedy. It is a school issue.


Title: Personal Information Leaked Publicly Online

Question:
So... My issue is a bit of an oddball. My mother is an American citizen, my brother (underaged) and I are permanent residents. My father is not affiliated with the US in any manner and lives overseas. He is bipolar and, when he is in his manic phase (as he is at the moment), he does extremely erratic stuff. Today he posted a picture of my brother's Permanent Resident card (green card) on Facebook, and he made it a public post... It was a picture of the front page of the document showing my brother's name, alien registration number, birthday, everything... By the time I was notified of the post and I managed to get enough friends to report it so it can be taken down, it had already been up for 3 hours. As I said, the post was public and on top of that, my father has some 4,999 random Facebook friends...

I am extremely concerned that such sensitive information was exposed online for so long and that my brother can be subject to identity theft. I would be extremely appreciative of any guidance or advice as to what I can do to mitigate the situation, as I am at a complete loss at the moment...

Answer: I don't think you can do anything legally (as in suing your dad) because he is not in the USA, nor does he live there. I'm awfully sorry, but honestly, anyone who's seen it has seen it and now has the information. The best you could do is stop it from happening again. Is it possible to remove any copies of your (and your siblings) personal information from your dad's possession? Also be wary of anything suspicious going on with your brothers personally information, as in try to prevent identity theft. I'm not sure if this helps, yours is such a weird situation. Wishing you both the best of luck!


Title: Lending company failed to honour payment

Question:
So last year I was doing some furniture shopping. Took out a loan from a third party lender affiliated with the furniture company.
The policy was if I paid off the full amount on or before the expiration date (September 15) I would not incur any interest charge, otherwise the full interest charge would apply.
So anyway, two weeks ago I made the full payment using online banking on the expiration date September 15, which fell on Saturday, and was not posted on my bank statement until next Monday   September 17. (I do have proof that I initiated the payment as I have text notifications on cell phone).
I checked with the third party lender , and was told the full interest charge applied. I don’t agree with that. Now I am awaiting a call back from their account manager, hoping they will reverse it.
In the meantime, how could I prepare myself in case they refuse to reverse the charge? What are the options?
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer: You are in the wrong. Bank transfers usually take a couple of days, especially if you did it on a week-end. If the money was not received by them before the expiration date, you are on the hook for the interests in full.


Title: In NYS, mother is threatening to have me institionalized/committed; please read

Answer:
 Your mother cannot "have you" committed.  Only a mental health professional or the police can do that.  She could, I suppose, call the police or a psychiatrist and claim you're acting out in a dangerous way.  But they'd usually want to see that for themselves before taking any action.  If, somehow, you were held, there's a 72 hour window of evaluation.  After which point they have to either let you go, or get a court order to keep you for observation.  Which they can't get if you're not actually suicidal or dangerous.

That being said, you've obviously dealt with some serious issues.  Whatever decision you're considering about this surgery, I'd strongly suggest talking it over with your own mental health professional before you move forward.  Surgery, even cosmetic surgery, is not something to take lightly.


Title: Is my friend missing?

Question:
Please let me know if there is a better subreddit to post this in.

My friend (19F) has been MIA for a week now. She is a single child, has no boyfriend, no job, and isn’t currently going to school. She’s usually very active on social media, but hasn’t posted anything lately. I have her location, and I’ve been checking consistently, but she hasn’t moved from her home. At first, I thought I was overreacting. And then, a friend texted me asking about her. The only thing that I can think is a good explanation for this is that she’s currently depressed because her parents might be going through a divorce. I tried calling and texting and there has been no response. Any advice or thoughts about what I can do to make sure she’s okay?

Answer: Physically go to her location and check on her.


Title: My mom was forced by the hospital to stay in the psych ward against her will.

Question:
This past saturday, my mom sent me some concerning texts, the kind that you don't want to see come from a loved one who's going through a rough time. I calmed her down and everything was fine, but about 2 hours later, well after I got the situation under control, the police showed up at our house because they recieved "an anonymous tip" that someone in the residence was going to hurt themself. The police were accompanied by an ambulance, and though they said she didn't appear as though she would hurt herself or others, they recommended taking her to the hospital to talk to a psychiatrist. She went with them voluntarily and I was told that I could pick her up tomorrow at the hospital.

The next day I get a call from the doctor in charge of her at the hospital, and she asks me some questions about what happened, then i receive a follow up call from the same doctor saying that they likely won't be able to release her on that day. So I go down to the hospital to visit my mom in the observation unit, and she tells me about how they forced her to sign papers saying they could hold her for 2-3 days, and if she refused they would ship her to an asylum in another city. That alone raised some serious red flags, but it get's worse. I later found out that she'd been forced to stay in that observation room, a small maybe 5'x5' cubicle with just a chair, for over 12 hours before finally recieving a room. During those 12 hours she was subjected to ridicule from the nurses in charge of her, as well as having her privacy violated as they searched through her purse and belongings without her consent. She was also denied being able to call her lawyer.

Fortunately after 2 days they released her to me, after her doctor, (different than the one who called me originally), determined she did not pose a threat to herself or others. For clarity, we live in Georgia, and my mother does not have any sort of mental disorder, she's just under a lot of stress, and this whole hospital ordeal certainly didn't help with that. Do we have a case against the hospital?

Tl;Dr My mother was forced to check herself into a psych ward by the hospital, as well as having her privacy and personal rights violated.

Answer: It sounds like they thought she was a serious danger to herself. If they had released her and she had killed herself would you have preferred that outcome?  Do you have any first hand knowledge of what was really going on that prompted the police to intervene or just what she told you?


Title: Somewhat embarrassing but...I got a copyright infringement notice for the ol pornhub account

Question: So. I basically paid for some porn a long while back, uploaded it to share with the "community." And today I got an email from a legal firm in NV that has all of my personal information and has asked I cease/desist etc but is also asking for a $3K settlement for legal fees. The website of the firm and Google search leads me to believe this isn't a hoax. I don't exactly have $3K laying around. Folks thoughts?

Answer:
 Remove the video.  Wait to see if you're served and then deal with it then. Answer #2: Let's assume the copyright to the video is registered. If successfully sued, you will owe statutory damages, your defense fees, and your opponent's defense fees.

You probably want your own attorney to help navigate this. But your options are to pay, negotiate, or roll the dice by ignoring it.


Title: [WI] Friend arrested for prostitution, first time offense.

Question:
(Oshkosh) What can she do to not go to jail?

She had a shitty life growing up (molested by father for years, boyfriend got her hooked onto heroine before selling her to a pimp, was prostituting for four years before she could get help).

She's been clean for a few years and turned to prostitution because her insurance is about to expire and she doesn't make much at her shitty job.

She was arrested and let go (I presume on bond). Since it's the first time she's been caught, what could she do to minimize her risk of going to jail?

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 She can get a lawyer and follow his or her advice.

None of her shitty history will make much of a difference in court, unfortunately.  She needs to seek help for her addiction, and focus on getting herself straightened out.


Title: Can I own a gun if I have a disability?

Question:
I’ve been to a Psychiatrist and got diagnosed with mild depression and normal autism.I want to find new hobbies besides staying inside all day.I want to buy my own gun so I can go with my uncle to the shooting range.I am a 19 year old male and live in Texas.
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer: Just a suggestion. Guns can be expensive. Many ranges rent them. It might be a good option in the short term to make sure you enjoy it.


Title: Helping an mexican immigrant who locked his keys in his car turned into an abusive drug search by police.

Question:
I was helping an illegal mexican immigrant get his keys from his car at a Safeway(Vons in some areas of California) parking lot. I decided I should help him as a good citizen. I decided to help him with the coat hanger technique since the window had a slight opening. I saw a man in his car on his phone with a smile and tell him that I was helping him get in his car because he locked his keys. He just backs off and zooms away.

The police came very quick and handcuffed me and asked for ID and paperwork and all that. But somehow a police officer just ask out of nowhere, can I inspect the backpack in the passenger seat of the car? I said yes, and it turned into a full drug investigation and he turned the backpack upside down, spewing the contents out. The bags in the trunk also was turned upside down with all the contents spewed out. I had epsom salts for bathing and he was shaking the bag saying "I found your meth" and then saying it's not. After everything was said and done, the immigrant showed his papers and then the police left.

What could I have done to better my situation and what are my rights?

Answer:
 your rights are that you can say no or refuse to answer when the police approach you.

but the cops are allowed to investigate people standing around parking locks jimmying open cars.Answer #2: The officer can ask to search your bag at any time.  You are free to accept, or decline.  If you decline, he may have other cause and may search anyhow.

Answer #3: So what are you asking?

What your rights are? Your rights are what is in the bill of rights I'm not sure what you're asking.

A police officer can stop, frisk, question and search you if he has suspicion that you are committing a crime.

Two dudes violently breaking into a car with a coat hanger looks like you're boosting the car.

Next time offer to call a tow service or AAA. They have door picks inside their trucks. Don't go up to a random stranger and help him break through the door.


Title: [Iowa] Am I allowed to carry a pocket knife to school?

Question:
I have to walk in the dark at 6:20am for my bus and I don't live in the safest neighborhood. I was wondering if I could carry some type of pocket knife on me for protection since I have had some close experiences wih people almost kidnapping and jumping me.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 No not legal, schools there are weapon free zones.

a pocket knife is a really bad weapon. you have more chance of blade collapse onto to your fingers than using it as a effective weapon.

try walking in groups.


Title: [NY] Receipt was sneakily changed to show I underpaid and now they are suing. What can I do?

Question:
I'm a small business owner of a restaurant. A few days ago, I received produce as usual from this company we've been working with for years. I paid him in full and went back to work. Usually I look at the invoice, but this time I was extremely backed up with orders so I quickly went back to work. The guy was there for a minute longer and then left. Turns out, he had written on the receipt that I had not paid in full.

Now he's suing me for the full amount and more. I'm also obligated to pay their lawyer fees according to the fine print at the bottom of the invoice.

My question is, what can I do to fight this? I never signed the receipt. The receipt only shows his claim that he received only $X and his signature.

As a small business owner who works 7 days a week with no break, this is the last thing I can take. Any advice would be appreciated as I can't lose my hard earned money over this injustice.

Answer:
 IANAL but would expect the IRS to be very grateful to someone who tips them off that such a business would be in their interest to audit.  If you can show you paid the full amount that might be enough to get them sniffing.Answer #2: >Now he's suing me for the full amount and more.

Has a law suit actually been filed against you, or are they just telling you that they will sue you if you don't pay them what they claim that you owe them?  It seems surprising that they didn't ask you to settle up before filing a lawsuit against you (or that they did and that you provided all the other details but not that one).  In addition, maybe it's normal in the restaurant business, but it seems sketchy from both sides of the equation to pay for every day business supplies with cash.Answer #3: >I received produce as usual from this company we've been working with for years.

try and call them, do they seriously think that after years of business you suddenly try to scam them? this sounds like something that might be dealt with with some communication.

was the delivery guy new?

also change up your payment system to something that leaves a paper trail.


Title: [Ohio recording law] My dashcam recorded video of the techs at my dealership messing with my car, am I legally okay to post the video publicly?

Question:
From a quick google, I know that Ohio is a "one party consent state", so I would be alright to post the video of my car in their shop on say, their facebook page or here on reddit right? Dumb question I know, but I also know these things can get out of hand quickly

Edit: I'm getting a lot of contradictory advice so I'll play it safe and keep the videos private for now until I show the location manager what happened. Thanks for the advice
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 If it is an audio recording, you don't have consent from any of the parties.

Videos should be fine.  What is your end game?Answer #2: As a related question, what would be the legality of OP going to the dealership and saying something like "I'll post this video if you don't make things right for me"?  Would that count as blackmail, and how illegal would it be?


Title: My girlfriend is a survivor of child sexual abuse from childhood to adulthood (last incidence was in 2011). She has recently come out to her family about it and the dad was kicked out of his house by the mother. What actions can they take against her father? What should we be aware of?

Question:
EDIT: forgot location. We are in South Florida.

She is currently filing a restraining order as she is afraid of her father becoming aggressive towards her because her family threw them out.

Is there anything we should be prepared for?

She also doesn't have the means to pay a lawyer out of pocket. What resources are out there to help her out?

Thank you in advance!

Answer:
 She can contact the police and report the crime.

She can get therapy/counseling/help for her trauma.

Neither of those things require a lawyer.

Does he have significant assets seperate from mom? If not, then suing might not make sense anyway.


Title: (Colorado) can debt collectors take vacant land from me for my husband's debt?

Question:
He got the debt a few years back, all emergency medical. We own land outright  together that we bought before we got married. If I use a quit claim deed to take his name off the property can the debt collectors who we've gotten notice and calls from ever put a lien on it? We don't plan on ever paying this debt. Thank you so much for your help!

I may also be important that we live in California now.

Answer: If you transfer property in order to avoid the debt a court can decide that either the transfer is invalid or that you took the transfer subject to the charge.


Title: [FL] Consignment store sold an expensive, custom saddle that was owned by me - but in possession of someone else.

Question:
I'll try to make this as least confusing as possible. I own (owned?) a custom made Borne Dressage saddle - starting price on them is ~$3200, however mine was custom made and cost around $4000. It was specifically made and fitted to my horse, Eaton. The saddle was made in 2013 and has less than a few dozen rides in it (I mention this because of deprecation). My horse Eaton was care leased out in late 2013 , meaning the leasor takes all financial/medical responsibility of the horse but does not own it, and I sent him with a bridle, his Borne custom saddle, and 2 thick blankets.

The leasor has been spotty with contact, but we had a verbal agreement that unless there was an issue I didn't need to hear from her. Well within the past week she has suddenly decided she needs to get him off her property, which is fine. But in the arrangement of transport and figuring out logistics she told me she sold his Borne Dressage saddle a few months ago because she felt it didn't fit him.

No where in our contract did it state that she had the right to sell my property, I had just leased the tack along with the horse, which is common. And to add insult to injury she claims the consignment shop made $1950 from the saddle, and they still need to take their commission (which is ~20%)....so half of the value of the saddle.

I do no know legally what I can do, I would like my custom made saddle back. The consignment shop had no right to sell it because the leasor had no right to put it up for sale. I would prefer not to have to press charges unless I have to, but I'm unsure of where to go from here.

Answer: You're incorrect. The consignment shop had a right to sell it because they had reason to believe the person who consigned it to them was the lawful owner. You can sue the person who gave it to them for the value of the saddle, but it's unlikely that you will get it back at this point, the money is all you can really hope for.


Title: Extra rent for baby?

Question:
My friend asked me for advice and I don't even know where to start. She recently bought a condo in Toronto. She and her husband live out of town with their baby. Her husband is Canadian military and frequently deploys. In the future, he will be in the condo on weekends but for now he is overseas.

My friend is renting out her condo to a single mom with two children. The mom has 50/50 access time with the children, a toddler and a baby. My friend was aware of the toddler but did not know about the baby.

My friend has no intention of charging this want extra for having a baby. However, the condo manager is insisting that each additional person outside the lease means an extra $50 condo fees.

This means that he wants the single mother to pay $50 extra in fees for the 'undisclosed' infant. Further, when my friend occupies the space, he wants her to pay an additional $50 in condo fees for her husband, who visits for about 8 days a month, except when he is on exercise or deployed.

Frankly, I am hoping this is illegal. I don't want to give my friend bad advice so I am hoping that someone here is familiar with Ontario housing law. An article I found online said that it was not legal but that landlords often argue it. If his actions are not legally sound, she is hoping to sound authoritative enough over email that he will drop the issue.

Answer:
 Your friend should consult her condo's incorporation docs and by-laws to see what the condo owners have agreed to pay in fees.

If there are fees, your friend will likely have to eat them because you cannot raise the rent on someone that has a lease and there are limits to the amount of rent increases that can be made each year. In order to increase above the guidelines, she would have to apply to the LTB and that may be rejected since your friend could have included the fees at the time of the lease in the price of the rent but did not.


Title: My father is very sick and is in a huge debt. Debt collectors came and asked me to pay his debt by selling my brother's assets.

Question:
My father is a victim of numerous scams in the past decade. We (his family) knew nothing about it and his huge debt. He is sick now and has lost most of his memories. A year ago I found out he was in US$ 400,000 debt. Last month, all of it was paid using the money my parent got from selling all of my parents' assets to my older brother and his friends. My parents no longer have any asset in reality, but legally some of the assets are still under my mother's name.

Last week, some debt collectors from a company came to me and my mother. They told us that my father has US$ 200,000 debt in a bank ($80,000 + $120,000 interest) using someone's asset as the guarantee/mortgage (we'll call that someone as Mr.X here).

I decided to hire a lawyer to do the negotiation with the bank, and according to the lawyer we'll only need to pay around $80,000 to the bank (the exact number hasn't been approved and the agreement hasn't been signed, and we're told to wait for a week).

However, today I found out that the company (the one who hired the debt collectors, not the bank) is working together with Mr.X and some of the local government officials.
They met me and said they already paid $140,000 to the bank (without our consent, but they really paid the money to the bank), so they asked us to pay the rest of the debt ($60,000) to the bank and $140,000 to the company. They even said they will force us to sell my parents' assets (which are actually no longer theirs, but my brother's) to pay the debt.

I don't know what to do, I contacted my lawyer and he said we don't have to pay the company, but I'm still really afraid because the company seem to have a lot of power because they work together with Mr.X and the local government. My lawyer is currently out of town for a few days and I don't know if he's able to handle it when he's back because it seems our case is very complex and difficult.

I don't have any valuable asset, I'm still in my 20s, and I still have to pay my own debt ("student loan"). My brother is in better condition but he has his own family and has already spent a ton of money to pay my father's previous debt. I don't want the assets he bought from my parents sold to pay my father's current debt, because it means my brother will lose around $500,000 and he still needs to pay his own debt. That's insane, I don't want my brother to surfer from this hell. Please give me some advices.

Answer:
 One would assume that if this goes to court, the ruling would be in favor of the bank as your parents had debit but sold off all their remain assets to your brother to avoid loosing anymore.Answer #2: IANAL
How did your mother sell your parents' assets to your brother and still keep them in her name?

Your lawyer has given you advice not to pay the company. Don't take their calls, don't negotiate with them, don't offer to make partial payments, don't give them any information. If they phone don't answer. If they send you mail, hold onto it until your lawyer is back.

If you have concerns about whether your lawyer is able to handle it, ask them whether this particular area of law is an area they practice and whether they have time to handle the matter. Ask them to give you reasonable expectations for timelines of when you can expect to know if other action will be taken against your parents and if that is the case, how long it will take them to respond to the matter. If you're not satisfied with that discussion you can consider contacting a different lawyer.


Title: Cops watching my house??

Question: To get started, I used to be a paranoid stoner. I'm 18 living with my wife and newborn in a basement apartment under a tattoo shop, and I know my neighbors pretty well. One of my neighbors got evicted not too long ago, though that's not an important detail. I don't smoke marijuana anymore, as I've had an encounter with CPS and the last thing I want is to lose my child over something so trivial. That was about two weeks ago. Recently, I've been getting to bed early in the morning and having a cigarette at around 0100. I went out for my cigarette this morning and across the street there is a parking lot for a church, and I tend to look around for suspicious activity absentmindedly now (old habits I suppose), and I noticed a patrol vehicle rolling slowly through the parking lot. I'm positive he noticed me, as I throw on the outside light whenever I go out for a cigarette. Well I finished my cigarette after having a staring contest with this patrol vehicle after he parked facing our building, then proceeded back into my apartment. I went back outside at 0145 to smoke another cigarette, and I noticed a second patrol car parked parallel to the first, watching our building. I've noticed patrol cars watching our building off and on for a while now, though I brushed it off, because who knows? They might have been responding to a call for one of our neighbors. I'm starting to question that logic.  I have nothing to hide, though due to encounters I've had with our local police force and my friends who have also had bad experiences with them, I'm relatively paranoid. My best friend recently had his father killed by a police officer without probable cause, though I won't name names as I don't like to invite conflict. What should I do in this situation? Should I expect a confrontation in the near future? Am I just being paranoid? Anything helps, thanks.

Answer:
 > Am I just being paranoid?

Yes.Answer #2: Life advice: it was good that you gave up marijuana for the sake of your kid.  If you really wanna do something awesome for them to be in their life for decades to come, consider giving up the cigarettes too.  Not gonna harp on it, just a suggestion.


Title: US-Immigration

Question:
I'm an American and I met and married a Canadian citizen several years ago. We married in Canada and she moved to the states under a fiance visa. She obtained a 2 year green card initially and after a few years she applied for and was granted a permanent green card.

This is when she disclosed to me that she never loved me and used me to obtain US residence and revealed her new boyfriend to me. I filed for divorce of course, and it was finalized in 2015. Since then I've been financially strapped and an emotional wreck; very depressed. I've found it hard to trust anyone and I'm completely out of the dating game.

My very best friend, who helped me through all of this, is encouraging me to report her to ICE and have her deported. I question whether this is possible since she has her permanent green card. I also have no proof of what she said. Her statements were oral, there was no recording and it would be my word against hers. I am willing to take an oath and testify in court, if required. I imagine this happens often and I'm afraid it'll be seen as just a 'spiteful ex' type of case and ignored.

I guess I'm seeking closure on my terms rather than hers. She lied to me and caused me a lot of pain and I resent that she's been able to get away with this. Is this worth pursuing?

Answer: If she has her permanent green card she won't be deported. She can apply for citizenship now without you.


Title: (PA) child shows signs of psychological abuse & other parent won’t consent to therapy

Question:
While married to my Ex, we attended Family therapy along with our child. Ex spouse then saw the same therapist briefly alone. Divorce came and went. Child’s pediatrician recommended play therapy due to behaviors exhibited by our child and her reluctancy to want to spend custodial time with her other parent. ( Relevant to the subject - child saw her other parent physically abuse me) The child therapist recommend is the same therapist we saw as Family. No conflict of interest as the other parent became non compliant and was discharged from therapy. I met with her without the child for a screening in which she advised me based upon the observations in Family therapy last year, the child was showing signs of psychological abuse and feels strongly that play therapy would be helpful. She would like to complete an official eval ASAP.

We have shared legal custody. The other parent refuses to consent stating that the child just needs more custodial time with him and that the doctor is an idiot.

I want to do what is in the best interest of the child and that is to have her evaluated and if need be, enrolled in play therapy. The other parent is threatening to file contempt if I begin the process. Besides a modification of custody to allow me to do such, do I have any other avenues? $6K is the going rate for modifications and I’m already $10K out on other legal fees so this would not be an option from a financial standpoint.

*There are very few therapists around here who will see a child under the age of 5 which is the age bracket  our child falls into. Other parent “doesn’t care who the therapist are” so another practitioner wouldn’t matter.

Answer:
 Does your custody order specifically require both parents' consent? Typically, the consent of one parent is sufficient.

Can you get an appointment with the lawyer who handled your existing custody order? That person may be able to advise you on how the local judges would react assuming the other parent does file for contempt. Judges are going to look to the best interests of the child. A doctor/therapist/professional saying the kid needs therapy, versus a parent with a history of abuse objecting, tends not to be an equal fight.


Title: Ordered an item, the company canceled my order, but merchandise was delivered? Is it free or must I return it?

Question: I ordered a computer from a large online retailer. I received notification from them that it shipped and got a UPS racking code. After a week of the tracking code not working, I called UPS and they said that the item was never delivered to them to be shipped. I relayed this info to customer support of the selling company and they canceled the order and created a replacement order. Without any notification, the order that was canceled was delivered a week later. A few days after that the replacement computer was delivered. I accepted both packages because I did not know if I would be charged twice and wanted to have the merchandise to return if necessary. I was only charged for the replacement. Am I legally obligated to bring up the mistake to the selling company? Do I have a right to keep the canceled order as a gift as unsolicited mail? In Montana if that makes any difference.

Answer:
 No you don't. They might never realise their mistake, but it is their property. Morally, you should alert them to the fact you received two products.

If you'd mistakenly paid twice for 1 computer would you expect the 2nd payment back or assume the company has the right to keep it?Answer #2: Yes it is not unsolicited.


Title: (FL) GF was let go from her server position and employer denied her tips for the night. Is this legal?

Question:
Like the title says. At a bar/restaurant in southern FL. After the shift was over, the hot headed manager said that she wasn't going to be receiving her tips tonight, and it will be mailed to her. She says made over $300 in tips, but the manager refused to event count the exact amount and that "we'll figure it out later" She's afraid that they're going to short her, as there's no way to know how much she made. She refused to leave without being paid but both the chef and manager made her so uncomfortable and in tears she just left.

Is that legal for the employer to withhold tips?

Answer: No that's not legal. Sine Florida doesn't have a Dept of labor she will need to contact the us Dept of labor.


Title: My friend bought a car and got ripped off

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >My dad is a lawyer but I wanted to ask you guys first.

Of course. Listen to a bunch of internet lawyers, a number of them who don't have degrees in a legal study, over your lawyer father.

Brilliant.


Title: Father In Law is suing me & my fiancé for borrowed money for closing costs on home we purchased

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 He will successfully sue you because you owe him that money. You don't get to back out of a contract because you don't feel like paying.

Your name not being on the mortgage opens up a whole other host of issues--he may be able to take you to court and force you to sell the house.  Are you making the mortgage payments?Answer #2: He cannot force you to refinance and if you are currently unemployed the bank won't allow that anyways.

You do owe him the money so he will get a judgment against you for that if he sues. At that point he could likely register the judgment against your assets. In some cases this may allow for forced seizure and sale but I think in most areas your primary residence is exempt from seizure. He could also go after your cars or whatever other assets you have.


Title: [US-FL] Students harass teacher by taking unsolicited photos

Question:
One of my teachers, let's call them Teacher A, is in an unpleasant predicament.

The kids in Teacher A's classes take pictures of them and make memes without Teacher A's consent.

This has gotten out of control to the point where kids made a fan page of Teacher A on Instagram and do things like take videos of their butt.

Many of Teacher A's students are obsessing over my teacher.

It has reached the point where during my school's talent show a bit ago, the host mentioned how all of their students are obsessed with them. I did not see the talent show, but apparently, this caused my teacher to leave out of frustration.

All in all, Teacher A is extremely frustrated over this. Is there anything they can do to stop their students from taking unwarranted photos?

They are also worried that this could threaten their job; the teacher is relatively new.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: What's stopping Teacher A from handing out copious amounts of detention and other academic discipline? That's the normal way of enforcing order in the classroom, and disrespecting teachers is a good way to spend a lot of time writing essays after class, generally. Is this a question of school policy?Answer #2: This is kind of what detention/suspension/etc. is made for.


Title: (PA) My landlord gave me a set amount of time to do some yard work or she would hire someone and I would be charged. This morning, still within that set amount of time, I woke up to discover she had gone ahead and done it anyway. Can she still charge me?

Question:
So, essentially, I'm 20, live paycheck to paycheck, and rent an apartment in the city. One of the requirements in my lease is that I maintain the yard. And I do, for the most part. Sometimes things come up and I'm unable to. Because I don't own any of this equipment myself, I rely on my dad and my stepdad to provide the equipment and help me out with the labor. They don't mind.

&nbsp;

I've just recently gotten back from housesitting for my dad. He was gone two weeks and change, only once during that time did I stop by the apartment (about halfway through the trip). Nothing was amiss. When I got back for good, I noticed the shrubs were overgrown. This was last Friday. I cleaned the apartment because the following day it was due to be shown (I'm moving out on the 31st). On Sunday (I initially thought it was Saturday, but it was Sunday) I got a phone call from her at noon telling me I had three days to take care of the shrubbery that overgrew or she would pay to have it done and I would be charged to have it done professionally.

&nbsp;

Okay. She pulled this with the grass last week too. It was done within the day.

&nbsp;

Monday my dad comes over with the equipment. Except it's pouring rain. It's an electric hedgetrimmer. He puts the stuff in my apartment with the intent on doing it when the weather breaks. Today (Tuesday) I wake up to a phone call from my dad.

&nbsp;

"Did you trim the hedges?"

&nbsp;

"No."

&nbsp;

"Well, they're done."

&nbsp;

Before he had gotten here this morning, she sent someone out to do them. I called her, pissed, and she stated that "They should have neen done two weeks ago!" (not really) "It's in my lease" "I'm irresponsible and shouldn't have to rely on my parents for these things" (out of line (and when I asled her if she expected me to purchase $500 worth of yard work equipment once I moved in, she said she just expected me to "Figure it out" (I did, I got help from my parents))) and that "The three day window had expired" (it hadn't).

&nbsp;

She sent me no written notice. I have the time stamp from the phone call on Sunday (and the lack of phone calls on Saturday) to prove that I was within the three days she gave me. I also have a recording of the phone call (my phone automatically records all calls) but that's no good considering PA is a two party consent state. The professional she hired literally got there an hour or so before my dad (that's not important I'm just miffed). Can she charge me for this? I'm worried now she'll nitpick the hell out of the apartment and refuse my security deposit back.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 What does your written lease agreement say about maintaining the yard? It’s literally the only thing that really matters here.

That said, if one of the conditions of the lease is to maintain the yard, you are absolutely obliged to do so. Staying at your parents place for two weeks, or not owning tools aren’t an excuse for ignoring your obligations. You took on this contract willingly. If you had doubts about your ability to perform your duties, (lack of time or tools) you should have considered that before signing and moving in.

You’re an adult. If you’re going to be away for an extended period, you need to arrange to have the yard maintained in your absence. If that’s too difficult, I suggest you speak to your landlord about releasing you from the lease early.

In all honesty, she’s probably kicking herself for renting to you as well. She shouldn’t need to babysit her adult tenants when it comes to mowing the lawn or keeping hedges under control.


Title: [VA] Have I been tricked into incriminating myself?

Question: I am 22 and still living with my father (a state trooper). Monday morning he demanded to search my vehicle (registerd to my name but insured on his policy) he found my bowl and less than a half ounce of marijuana (grosslystupid of my I know) I was then interviewed by his fellow troopers. I was not read my rights and was told that if I didn't cooperate my father could be fired. I was told I was under investigation and have been waiting since. I know I'm beyond stupid... I feel like I'm waiting on my execution day and I handed them the ax. Please help, any advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 Police can lie to you.

It's quite possible your dad smelled of weed one day and had to demonstrate that his son is smoking pot to keep his job. It's also possible that he's just done with you smoking pot in his house and got his friends to help scare you straight.Answer #2: Probably. Or maybe he is just trying to scare you.Answer #3: You need a criminal defense lawyer.

And you need to move out (if you still live at home) and to start paying your own bills- that's not a great spot for you to be in.Answer #4: > I was not read my rights and was told that if I didn't cooperate my father could be fired.

I suspect this wasn't even a lie - possession of illegal drugs would, I assume, be a firing offense for a LEO on the first infraction, even absent a conviction, and it's not *strictly* unreasonable for them to need to establish your guilt before they could establish his innocence.Answer #5: > was told that if I didn't cooperate my father could be fired

I find that unlikely considering he's the one who initiated all this in the first place.Answer #6: No court date? They just scaring you


Title: Driveway without Curb Cut [NJ] (ms paint included!)

Question: Just had an angry man come out of his house to yell at me for "parking in front of his driveway."  However... his driveway is wider than the curb cut, and I was not parked in front of the curb cut.  Can I not park in front of any paved area?  I learned to drive in Illinois and I think this would be legal there. My back bumper was at least 3 feet from the start of the cut.  Ms paint for your time: [Drawing here.](https://imgur.com/a/FSn5Ou5)  I forgot to put in the rest of his house... to the left of the driveway and side entrance is the attached house, with a front door that has a paved path out to the street (no curb cut and I was not blocking there either).  There is a sidewalk along the whole block.

Answer:
 The curb is not a driveway, it's the curb. He can pave his entire lot (like many businesses do) but the driveway is the only part that is cut into the curb. NJ law does not give any distance you must park away from a driveway either.

[39:4-138(d) - Places where parking prohibited](https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2009/title-39/39-4/39-4-138)

*39:4-138.  Except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a traffic or police officer or traffic sign or signal, no operator of a vehicle shall stand or park the vehicle in any of the following places:*

*d. In front of a public or private driveway;*

----------------------

In other words, he can go pound sand.
Answer #2: Are there curb-cuts on the rest of the block?    IMNAL, but in my experience, the curb-cut wins.  If the landowner got the proper permits to extend his driveway, he would have also been required to get the curb cut by the town.   Since that didn't happen, I would assume his extended driveway is illegal.   Answer #3: NAL, but NJDOT.

so long as you're not parked in front of the curb cut you're fine.


Title: My employer hired a recent grad instead of promoting me, to fulfill a "diversity" quota. Is this legally discrimination?

Question:
I have 10 years experience in my job, 5 with this employer, and they opted for a recent grad who is a Muslim in order to help with "diversity." It's also worth mentioning the candidate is less-than-qualified. It's a very controversial decision within the organization. Yes, I'm a white male. This is in Oregon.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 Nope. Employer is just fine. Answer #2: Perhaps this person is more personable and less intimidating, and the college feels that they will be a better fit for the position.

Arguing with the person who makes decisions about your employment is usually not the way to get a promotion.Answer #3: How do you know this person is a muslim? Do you mean that they are Arabic, I have never heard of religious diversity quotas being a thing


Title: [WA] Found hidden treasure in our new house. Do we have to give it back to the seller?

Question:
My wife and I bought a new house and moved in a few weeks ago. We bought it from the grandson of the previous owner who was selling it as he inherited it in the estate. He was kind of a jerk during the closing process and we are just glad it's over and we no longer have to deal with him. It's a bit of a fixer-upper and we've been repainting inside. This weekend, I pulled off a coaxial faceplate and I found hidden within a ziploc bag with a few thousand in 100s folded up inside. I freaked out. We started looking in similar locations all over the house, and over the last couple of days have found lots of other bags in other locations - under the kitchen counter, behind a panel inside a medicine cabinet, under a loose step board in the garage, and several other places. We've found a lot so far, but I would prefer not to say how much, unless it matters legally. During the search, we also found a couple of guns, boxes of ammunition, a bunch of survivalist packaged food, and a backpack filled with clothes and first aid gear. We are still looking for more stuff.

Since we now own the house, do we have any obligation to inform the former owner of this? We had to clear out a lot of the old crap from the house and that was part of the problems with the closing and delays from the seller. The purchase was amended to include everything in the house because the grandson didn't want to clean out a bunch of the old crap. Obviously he didn't know about his grandfather's predilection for hiding money and guns or he wouldn't have added that clause in the purchase. I doubt he would have left this stuff here if he was aware of it. I don't want to tell him, but my wife has a bigger heart than I do and wants to tell him and let him decide. Lawyers of Reddit, what are we legally obligated to do here?

Answer:
 ANd now is when you buy a metal detector and go through the yard too.

If he was a survivalist, there's a good chance he hid a few caches in the yard.

Look for oddly placed PVC pipes in the ground when there are no reason to have pipes there. Expect to find small guns/shot shotguns in there, together with money.

And DON'T tell the grandson anything - better yet, delete this post. Next thing you know, you have a burglary and everything disappears.

Put that money in a safe deposit box right now.

NALAnswer #2: If the cash was made through drug sales or other illegal activity, would the OP break any laws by spending it?  Would the police be able to seize any property bought with the cash?

(OP, don't ask the police about this, as they might end up seizing the cash, and then you'd have to prove that it *wasn't* drug money to get it back)


Title: Boss caught me stealing money, says he's fine with it. Is there any way to make sure he's not going to get me in trouble legally?

Question:
Location: New York City.

First of all, I fucked up and I wouldn't do stuff like this in my life again. I used to steal money with my manager when we close the store (write it off as discount and keep the money). It was my first job and i was kind of pressured into doing it with him. Then he got fired, not for stealing but for coming in late and other unethical stuff(selling his own stuff at work). I took over as the new manager and i stopped stealing money. But one day when i was closing, the register came out like $30 short. I had to put in $30 from my pocket to make it even. The next day I stole $20 trying to make it even.

Couple days later boss talked to me. He said he saw me taking the $20 and said that he knows we've been taking money all along. He said he didn't let the old manager go because he was selling his own stuff, it's because he was stealing money. But he doesn't want to turn him to the police and ruin his future so he would rather just let him go. He thinks I'm a good guy and he can trust me. And he wants to give me a chance to run the store, just don't let him see me steal again. He said he understands that I'm young and still learning.

I told him i won't do it again and I'll keep the store running successfully. But i really paranoid that he could just turn me to the police any day if he feels like it. Is there a way to officially settle this with him on paper or to make sure he can't just turn me in? I feel like i shouldn't just trust his words.

Answer: You can't.  Your boss is a moron because he's trusting a thief.  He should have had you arrested and fired you the second he caught you.  That he didn't is beyond me.  If he wakes up and has enough of you stealing money, he could report you to the police.Answer #2: Not really, no. You can't contract someone not to report a crime. Just don't steal again, don't give him a reason to change his mind and you should be fine. Answer #3: No there is not


Title: Help selling brother’s truck. He’s currently in jail.

Question: So I have someone who wants to buy the truck, but the owner’s in jail for 5-10 years. I have the title, but it’s still in his name. What can I do to sell it?

Answer: So to be clear, you're intending to sell this truck for him so that he can benefit from the proceeds, and not simply steal his property, yes?


Title: Need help with subpoena form.

Question:
Basically, without all the talk about our current situation, I really need help filling out subpoena form.
I am not able to understand which information does form require on which lines.
I'm asking here since We can't quite afford the attorney and we were unable to get free attorney services.
Here is Subpoena form - http://www.flcourts.org/core/fileparse.php/533/urlt/931ab.pdf

Help is really appreciated.
Thank you.

Answer:
 Well, for one, you should write your name where it says "printed name."

Can you be more specific with the help you need?


Title: (Canada) Dropped off custom men's wedding ring for resizing at major jewelry chain, was given a completely different ring at pick up.

Question:
My husband dropped his wedding ring off to be resized a half size larger at a jeweler in our local mall.  When he left the ring there, the sales associate drafted up a request form that specifically states that the ring is being sent for resize only. She said it would be ready before the 23rd.

Yesterday my husband received a call from the store that his ring was ready, so we went to pick it up.  The lady pulled the ring from a bag in the drawer and handed it to my husband to try on.  It was a totally new ring - polished, shiny, and looked like it was just from off their shelf.  Just a typical gold men's ring.  We were both shocked and the associate was also confused.  This was the same lady who took the ring from my husband, and she said she felt relief that she only asked that the size be changed, not the entire ring.  I guess that takes the blame off of her. She also said that maybe the goldsmith thought it was an old ring and thought he would be doing us a favor by polishing it to a brand new ring. I was horrified.  She said to call the manager today and discuss.

The manager we called today was unapologetic and said she would try getting the goldsmith to repair it, but she said since it was custom will be difficult.

I originally ordered the ring from etsy in 2010 and had it custom made to my liking.  When my husband dropped the ring off, the lady took a photo, but since the texture was very subtle, it barely shows up.  However, you can see that the photo and the ring we were given are entirely different.  It honestly looks like they just picked a mold, melted his ring and poured it into a new mold.

What can we do?  Thanks for any advice, it's greatly appreciated.

Answer: I work for a chain jewelry store so let me see if I can help you. First off, on a ring with a design that goes all the way around, it can be difficult to size the ring without affecting the finish. The jewelry consultant who took in the repair should have told you this, but since the difference is only half a size, she might not have thought it would be a problem. Polishing after sizing is standard; she should have mentioned on the ticket if instead the jeweler needed to redo the hammer and satin finish (and quoted you additional cost as needed). The good news is that hammer finish and satin finish are really easy to redo. Ask to speak to the manager and have them send it back and comp the cost of fixing it. If they refuse,  call the corporate line and I guarantee you will get the simple fix you need.Answer #2: I'm asking only for my own morbid curiosity, but do you have before/after pics so that we can see the differences?


Title: Is leaving money at the cash register considered shoplifting? [x-post from /legal]

Question:
I am currently in a business law class and my assignment was to determine if leaving money at the cash register was considered shoplifting. I stated yes, having worked for retailers before. My instructor stated no, and flat out gave me a 0.

The scenario provided is as follows: You walk into the store. The clerk, is in the back of the store. She waives and you return her waive with a smile and get your items.
The price of the paper and coffee is $3 (exactly). You place the money on the counter and walk out of the store. During the entire time, you and the clerk do not exchange any words. The clerk remains at the back of the store stocking shelves.
When the clerk comes to the front of the store. She sees the money, but picks up the phone and calls the police. She claims that you shoplifted.

Is the store clerk right?
I argued that the clerk didn't know what you took and as such you have screwed up the store inventory and become liable for any other missing items in the inventory.
My instructor demands sources and legal support which I cannot turn up.

Answer:
 There are two basic elements to a theft crime

(1) The intent to steal

(2) The taking of the property

Both must be met for you to have "stolen" something.

In the scenario provided by your professor, element (2) is present as the individual did take property from the store.

However, element (1) is not present. Due to the fact that the person in the scenario left sufficient money to pay for the products it would be very difficult to craft an explanation whereby the person paid for a product and also intended to steal it. That's why you got a zero.


Title: [MD] Retroactive application of law??

Question:
Looking to understand something about law and when it's applied retroactively.

Friend was given probation for a minor traffic offense two years ago. She violated this probation recently but it was after the law for that particular offense was changed. The change no longer permits jail time for committing this offense. The judge ordered a bench warrant and denied bail making her sit to a VOP hearing. The new charge has come and gone where she was given 20 days but wouldn't give time credited due to her sitting for the VOP and not the charge. I want to argue that her probation should've been dropped in October 2017 as that's when the law changed thus the bench warrant and arrest was illegal as this was not permissible by the current law. Consequently the time served so far should go towards the new charge and she should be released.

Is that reasonable? Does anyone know ANYTHING about the retroactive application of punishments? I found in some old case law where it's mandated to be retroactively applied when "punishment is not constitutionally permissible" but I am second guessing myself since it was permitted originally. This is from the 70s but I can find no direct case law arguing against it.

edit: I continued to dig through case law for my State and found what I was looking for:

"Thus, under current Maryland law, the question of whether a new constitutional or statutory decision in the criminal law area should be applied prospectively or retroactively arises only when the decision declares a new principle of law, as distinguished from applying settled principles to new facts. If it does not declare a new principle, it is fully retroactive and applies to all cases. [*Denisyuk,* 422 Md. at 478-79, 30 A.3d 914](https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=11343395291182472825&q=wiggins+state+retroactive&hl=en&as_sdt=4,21). A new constitutional or statutory ruling, in the criminal law context, ordinarily applies to the facts in the case announcing the change and those cases pending on direct review in which the issue was preserved. A **new constitutional or statutory decision will also be fully retroactive, i.e., apply to convictions which were final, when the change affected the integrity of the fact finding process or the change involved the ability to try a defendant or impose punishment**"

Answer: The law (and penalties) at the time the offense was committed is what counts unless the new law specifically includes a retroactive provision.


Title: (Oregon) Is it worth getting a lawyer?

Question: So I recently made a very poor decision with some friends and after purchasing beer at a local cafe with fake id's we decided to leave with full beers. An employee followed us home and called the police. When the situation ended we all were cited for Misrepresentation of Age by a minor, Petty Theft, and MIP's. The officers said we were lucky and they were all just fines and nothing criminal, but I'm curious if we have any angle to lessen the severity of the situation, or if hiring a lawyer for this case would be worthwhile. Thanks for reading and I appreciate any feedback!

Answer: It is (nearly) certain that you will obtain a better outcome with a lawyer than without one.


Title: Can I have both an ESA and a PSD?

Question:
Hi! I'm in the process of moving (Southeast U.S.) in the near future. I suffer from many mental issues, and suffer from physical disabilities as well. I have severe night terrors, panic attacks, and compulsions. I currently own a cat I've owned for roughly 4 years. Since adopting her, she has motivated to leave my bed and comforted me through rough patches. I'd like to request her to be identified as an Emotional Support Animal. Of course, owning a cat has its limitations considering my situation. She is stubborn and untrained. This is why I have considered asking my doctor about the possibility of adopting a Psychiatric Service Dog that I can train myself. Would this be legal? Would they both be able to live with me? Can I have the best of both worlds? I know some of you might be wondering why I don't just leave the cat and adopt a service dog, but I have grown extremely emotionally attached to my cat and I cannot imagine my life without her, but I need additional help she cannot provide. Any answers are appreciated. (o:
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer: Yes, you can have both. You just need to have your doctor prescribe the ESA and the service animal must be perform to complete a task related to a disability (not just emotional support).


Title: (Maryland) Is my boyfriend able to kick me out of our house or break the lease?

Question:
We're five months into a twelve-month lease (I have lived here for four and a half months). My boyfriend is the one who pays the rent, but shortly after I moved in he told me he sent a copy of my ID to the landlord and had me added to the lease, although I have never seen the lease. My boyfriend no longer wants to live with me, and wants me out as soon as possible. When I said I could be gone within a month, he told me that is too long. Rent is paid on the first of the month, but he says he is willing to pay to break the lease so he can walk away. I don't understand what would happen in that event—whether I would be obliged to leave immediately, or if there is a period of time before that takes effect.

Please help me understand my legal rights, if any. How much notice does he have to give me to leave? If he pays to break the lease, does that mean I'd have to leave immediately? Do I need to see the lease in order to get answers to those questions?

Answer:
 I would first check with the landlord to ensure you are actually on the lease. Most places would not add you without your signature. (Since he took your id, check your credit.)

If you are NOT on the actual lease, he is breaking that lease and you are possibly considered a tenant at will. Have you ever had any contact with the actual landlord? That would be my personal step one.Answer #2: Regardless of the lease status and rent payment, you are still, by law, a tenant. First, you need to find whether you are actually on the lease. If so, you will need to speak with them about ending tenancy according to the lease. If not, you would be considered a sublet under your boyfriend. He is required to give you a 30 day notice, in writing, in order for you to be evicted. You can choose to end tenancy with him whenever you please within that 30 day period.Answer #3: I'd start asking the landlord for the lease.
And I'd give the landlord a call anyway, you can ask the landlord whether or not you can simply pay him a month rent and stay in the appartment while you're looking for a new place if your boyfriend breaks the lease. People like money.

I'm slightly curious what set of circumstances led to him trying to kick you out so suddenly, but him not being your ex-boyfriend though.


Title: My mom's boyfriend beat the shit out of her on Sunday night.

Question:
Hi everyone,

My mom was watching TV with her boyfriend on Sunday and they were doing shots. It ended with him body slamming her to the ground, throwing a pint glass at her and connecting, and pummeling her. He also destroyed her very expensive purse, bent her iPhone and smashed it, and pissed on everything he had.

(EDIT: I live in a different state than my mom)

She has already pressed charges. Today I found out he didn't get arrested. Dude's a sweet talker. She's filing a restraining order tomorrow afternoon.

He's always been abusive verbally and I knew that. My mom told me this is the third time he's physically abused her, and the worse.

Is there anything you guys can tell me that you may know about domestic abuse law? I want to make sure this guy gets everything he deserves punishment wise.

My mom is doing fine. She had a doc appt yesterday and is staying with family. She's notified the local PD to let them know of the situation.

Thanks!

Answer:
 > Dude's a sweet talker.

If he did what you said, he didn't *sweet talk* his way out of it. There's info you don't know... or it wasn't so one-sided.

> Is there anything you guys can tell me that you may know about domestic abuse law?

There's no case law or statutes we can give you that will change anything. It's illegal to beat the shit out of your girlfriend, period.


Title: [CAN] Is this sexual assault?

Question: This happened a couple weeks ago. I'm a guy. I met this other guy off a dating app and we hit it off. We met up at his place after a night out. Right before he put it in I asked to put some lube on him. He told me he can do it and that is when I noticed the condom was broken. I'm pretty certain he broke it on purpose as he was playing with the condom when I was going down on him earlier. He replaced the condom with a new one. I put the lube on and I checked that it wasn't broken. I turned back around into the doggy position and inserted him myself. I made sure the condom wasn't broken. I checked a couple times during and after and nothing was wrong. Is this something I should file a report with the police on? I understand I consented to the act after he put a new one on. But, he could be doing this to other people so I'm just wondering if this is considered sexual assault.

Answer: So you noticed the condom was broken and he replaced it before he had sex with you?


Title: Could this private facebook message be illegal?

Question:
I am in Ontario, Canada.

Can I have someone arrested for calling me a beta and pathetic piece of shit in a private and anonymous facebook message if they have deleted their account.

They also said I am delusional and am a cry baby who thinks all white people are racist.

They didn't use racial slurs but used the harsh language above.

They only sent one message and deleted their account.

Answer:
 Wow, dude. Way to prove them right.Answer #2: Is this a troll post?

No. You cannot have someone arrested for calling you names.


Title: [VA] Builder told us our road was state-maintained, but the state can't plow it when it snows? Not sure what my options are.

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice!

I live in the subdivision in this article http://www.fluvannareview.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6329%3Aroads&catid=81 We built our house a couple years ago and each winter we've had issues with getting the roads plowed when it snows. The state owned plows aren't allowed to go on the road, we end up having to call the builder to send out plows. The builder complains that it's not their responsibility every time but usually they end up sending someone after we complain for several days in a row. It seems our road is not under state maintenance and it's unclear who is responsible for finishing the work on the road to get it state-maintained.

The subdivision has a weird history; as far as I can tell one builder owned the land, built the roads and 1 house and then went bankrupt, then a second builder came along and got the rights. When that happened, somehow the road became the property of the county. There is a bond set aside for finishing work on the road, but I'm not sure how to go about getting the county to act on this and hire someone to finish work on the road, and do whatever paperwork is necessary to get the road registered to be on state maintenance. Even if the county does start working, if the bond doesn't have enough money in it, it may become the homeowners' responsibility to pay the remaining cost.

The builder who sold us the lot/house told us explicitly that the road was state maintained. My realtor was there and can confirm it was said, but we don't have anything in writing. The neighborhood doesn't have a homeowner's association yet so no one has taken any action.

What are my options for getting the county to move forward? If we end up having to pay for the road work, could the builder be held liable for that? If so what can I do about it?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: We had a similar issue where I live.  We ended up having to get someone with relatives in the neighborhood elected as county commissioner.  They "convinced" the builder to upgrade the roads to county standards then the county took them over.


Title: Friend’s car got towed from her own apartment building

Question:
My friend lives at an apartment close to a university(if that’s relevant), and her car was towed a few days ago. When she asked the complex what had happened, they said that they had changed the sticker requirements to park at her building, and that there were posters put up that described the changes. But she received no notice through mail or otherwise that indicated this change was happening. Are they allowed to do this? Simply set up posters that announce the change without formally notifying the renters, and then resort to towing? Thanks in advance.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 > Simply set up posters that announce the change without formally notifying the renters,

Putting up posters **is** formally notifying the renters.  They don't have to individually come to each person to explain matters to them.  That's unreasonable.

Their ability to change the rules is based upon the leases signed and the apartment complex's individual rules, but the posting of public, visible signs is a common and accepted method of notification.


Title: Is it illegal for a company to recind an offer of employment siting a requirement not listed in offer?

Question:
I was contacted a few weeks ago by a former co-worker who now works at a new employer in the same industry as his former/now my former employer. He asked me about interest in jumping ship from the general contractor I was currently working at and coming to work with him at the company.

This informal call lead to a formal phone conversation with a division manager at the new employer and subsequent resume submission and face to face onsite interview. I was told in the interview that the job was mine and that they just needed  to draft my offer. A week later said offer arrives as promised and I signed and returned.

I get a call two days later from the division manager saying that my driving record was questionable and that the company insurance was not a fan of putting me on their policy (very large construction company). I stated that I planned to get some points removed and that I could expedite the process to which I was told ok let us know what comes of that.

I just received an email from the HR department at the new company saying they were recinding my offer based on not being eligible to drive a company vehicle.

My question to everyone is: “ can the employer recind my offer based on not meeting a requirement/screening that was not communicated to me at any point during the recruitment process or written in my offer of employment offer?”

I gave my two week notice to my current job the day I received and sent in my acceptance to the new job so I’m in a pickle and don’t want to ruffle any feathers a the new company as I really do want to work for them but at the same time I feel like I have some rights that if expressed properly could help resolve the situation peacefully.

Any and all advice is grrrrrreatly appreciated!

Edit 1: Position is in Southern California
Topic:
Background Checks and Expungements

Answer: You don't specify your location, but barring a signed contract, they can recind at any time for any (non-illegally discriminating) reason.Answer #2: Having things removed from your driving record doesn't make you a safer driver.  The employer is already aware of your record, so even if things are removed, they still know you're not a safe driver.  Construction is one of the fields that is VERY concerned with safety, and apparently the job entails driving a company vehicle.  It makes logical sense for them to rescind the offer, since you're too big of a risk for them.  Are you sure the offer didn't say anything about passing a background check?


Title: [IL] My husband and I went away for two weeks and we were robbed. Our landlord came in a few days after it was robbed to take pictures, and didn't tell us anything was amiss. Is there any recourse for this?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > but I'm fairly sure the answer is "sorry that your landlord sucks, but you're SOL".

Correct.


Title: [Alabama] I was told about a parent-encouraged statutory rape and my spouse is a mandatory reporter. What role does spousal privilege play?

Question:
My spouse and I were told what happened by a family member of the underage party. The underaged's parent bought protection, knowingly and willingly left the two alone, and basically encouraged them to have sex. The of-aged was not willingly involved, although I know statutory rape law would not see it that way. Ages are ~14 and 18.

My spouse is a mandatory reporter but  knows nothing except the name of the under-aged and who told us; however, I know what would be needed to know but have not disclosed.

Can my spouse be in trouble for not reporting even though they are unaware of school district, names, etc? Could I be in trouble? What role does spousal privilege play?

I am open to questions for clarification.

Answer:
 >The of-aged was not willingly involved

Are you saying that the minor rape the person who was of age?  Otherwise, I don't see how they were not "willingly involved."

You have no obligation to tell your spouse anything.  Your spouse's reporting obligation is something s/he certainly knows.  So, if there is enough data for reporting s/he must report.  Otherwise, s/he does not need to do so.

This has nothing to do with spousal privilege by the way (which is the right not to testify against your spouse.)Answer #2: >The underaged's parent bought protection, knowingly and willingly left the two alone,

Nothing technically wrong with either of these.  Parents leave teens home alone all the time, and providing a reliable source of protection for your kids is just good policy anyways.

>and basically encouraged them to have sex.

This would be a bitch to prove, and even if you could the charges she would face are minimal.  Maybe contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

>The of-aged was not willingly involved,

This doesn't matter.  In the eyes of the law, he'll be seen as just as responsible as if he had initiated everything.  The way we prosecute statutory rape in this country is pretty messed up.

Frankly, and I know this isn't going to be a popular opinion, I think you should drop it.  If your wife already has the info she needs to report, then it's out of your hands.  If thats not enough however, and you do pursue it, you're going to expose the 18yo to possible hard time while the mother will likely get a slap on the wrist if anything.  Based on your post, I don't get the sense that you want that.


Title: [TX] My dogs(2 labs) killed 4 geese off our property. Do I need to report anything?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You should leave them alone:

http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/rehab/protected/

But I won't tell if you won't.

(Canada geese are well-known for being fairly mean, they'll peck you good if you let them.  https://i.imgur.com/Kg9aCaL.jpg )
Answer #2: Geese are federally protected.  Please watch your dogs more closely.