Title: Both of my parents want to submit me as dependent in taxes, but I'm not sure if it's even legal. (CA)

Question:
I'm 19 years old and I work part time. I have not lived with my parent's since I was 17. and they do not give me any money on a monthly basis. I live in an apartment owned by my girlfriend's dad, and I work to pay bills and have some extra money for fun. If it matters, I'm starting school in the fall.

I've never done any taxes, so I don't really understand the whole process, however both of them want to claim me as dependent. I've looked into it and I don't think that they have a right to claim as dependent, as I don't rely on them. However they are both pestering me to give them my information, and I am not down to commit IRS fraud.  My mom is claiming that she can claim me until I'm 24. but I think that only qualifies for someone who studies full time, and my dad says that he wants to give me half, but I'm not comfortable with that.
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 You should file your own taxes.  If they've already claimed you, you'll have to file by paper.

If both your parents and file for you, the IRS will alert both of you that your SSN was claimed multiple times.  When you're audited, you'll show the IRS that you supported yourself for the year without your parents' support, and they'll have to remove you as a dependent.Answer #2: Whatever you do don't give them any info, they're hoping to use you so they get a bigger return and you get less. File for yourself and keep it that way, she seems like a scumbag trying to use your inexperience for her own gain.

*from a child of scumbag parents*

Also wanted to say go to h& r block for assistance they're pretty decent.


Title: (NJ) I've been to 3 lawyers who all gave me the feeling that my case wasn't worth their time.

Question:
So here's the gist of the background story. I was part of a start up company about 5 years ago while I was still working another full time job. There were four of us in the company. I initially invested some capital to get things moving and was paid back relatively quickly. Fast forward a year later, I get laid off from my regular job and the one person we designated as the head of the company asks me to re-invest. I hesitantly put up the same amount again and signed a promisory note. A few months later he leaves the state and I never see my money again. I was unemployed for 2 years after getting laid off and the money that I gave to help move the company forward was a significant chunk of my savings (at least to me it was). I've been fighting a financial uphill battle every since.

So as the title says, I've been to three lawyers and most have come across as telling me it wasn't worth it or to just chalk it up as a life lesson. One told me I'd be lucky if I got close to half back (after legal fees). I refuse to believe that.

I'm currently trying to file a special civil part on my own for the maximum amount ($15,000). I'm not going after interest as I just want my initial investment back. I have all bank statements from the joint account filtered with his usage and copies of all written checks. It reads like he was using the account as his own personal bank account. I also now know for a fact that he had gambling issues and a simple google search brings up recent poker games and winnings. I was told if I were to pursue this I should go for misappropriation of funds and fraud.

I don't want to mess this up and want to make sure I do everything through the legal system that I can to get my money back. I know I'm close to the statute of limitations on this and I don't want to let this slip away. More so he doesn't deserve to get out of this and forget about it.

I'd appreciate any and all help/advice, even if it's just making sure I filled out my paperwork correctly. Thank you.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 >So as the title says, I've been to three lawyers and most have come across as telling me it wasn't worth it or to just chalk it up as a life lesson. One told me I'd be lucky if I got close to half back (after legal fees). I refuse to believe that.

If three lawyers have all told you the same thing you should probably believe them.  If three doctors told you to take a certain medicine you'd be crazy to go on WebMD and do something different.

In any case no one here can review your paperwork, which would create an attorney client relationship.


Title: I think I am being harassed what should I do?

Question: I'm  20 and my girlfriend is 29 and my college classmate who I met two days  ago thinks my relationship is weird because of the age gap. I understand  he can have his opinion no biggie. But he then starts to stalk us, like  he follows me around and at night at like 3:00 AM he broke into my  apartment and assaulted my GF telling her to break up with me. Keep in  mind before all this he kept bothering me about the age gap and I kept  telling him I'm fine and to mind his business and leave me alone. But he  said "this is my business" He left and my GF wasn't hurt to bad he just  pushed her and tried to slap her but I got him off of her before things  got to to bad. I told him to leave me alone or I will call the cops and  he said "The cops would back me up and help catch this predator". And  then he left. My girlfriend was really freaked out so I helped her go  back to sleep and we kept the lights on. What should I do? He has my  number because one of my friends gave it him and he won't stop texting  me. I did block him but my friends gave him my other contact  information. What should I do?

Answer:
 Call the cops.  Now.Answer #2: >I called the cops and we got a restraining order but he still won't leave us alone.

You call the cops every single time he initiates an interaction in any way. He is violating the restraining order every time he sends you a text. Courts don't like it when people disregard their restraining orders.Answer #3: This is an incredibly weird made up story.Answer #4: You met someone two days ago and there was time to harassment, restraining order, violation of the order?


Title: Received a "parking notice" from a private company called Parking Revenue Recovery Services (TX)

Question:
I parked at a private parking lot in Downtown Dallas. The kiosk to buy a parking pass was not working so I decided to risk it. Came back a little while later and found a parking notice for $75. After some digging, this company is clearly not on the up and up. There is a plethora of posts about their predatory and legally questionable practices. The only information about me on the ticket is my license plate number; the make, color, and style of my car; and a picture of my license plate. The small print on the ticket is very clear that this is not a government affiliated agency. The ticket states: "After 14 days, the payment will be considered in default and this account assigned to a debt collector."

&#x200B;

So my question is, do I need to even bother paying the $75? Many of the posts I've seen have people claiming that there is no way for this company to actually pursue me, given that all they have is a license plate (not sure how accurate that is, as I really have no knowledge of how that sort of thing works). There were several people who said they never paid and nothing ever happened. I just don't want to pay if this is really just a scam preying on people's fear, and this company doesn't actually have any right to collect money from me or assign my debt to a debt collector.

Answer:
 >The only information about me on the ticket is my license plate number; the make, color, and style of my car; and a picture of my license plate.

You think this isn't enough information to prove you were there?Answer #2: How are they not on the up and up? You didn't pay to park there. You don't have a right to park on private property. You took your chances. Are you really willing to deal with the hassle and damage to your credit over $75?


Title: Is it legal to walk along with guided tour groups on city walking tours and not pay anything?

Question:
I'm an American in Europe right now.  Most major cities here are delightfully walkable and have some variety of paid city walking tours offered by tour agencies or tour guides. I understand we these walking tours in some U.S. cities too, like New York, New Orleans, etc.

Let's say a cheapskate dickhead\-type person decided to show up for one of these tours and says to the tour guide "Oh, I'm not paying you the $15 fee, I'm just going to spend the next 90 minutes walking a few feet behind your group on the public streets and listening to the entire tour that you are loudly giving in public, on the public streets.  I may or may not also ask questions from time to time, you of course don't have to answer them. I'll also be filming the tour with my gopro and may post that on youtube. But I'm not paying."

This behavior would course violate social norms and might even lead to the tour guide or paying patrons hurling verbal abuse or becoming violent towards the cheapskate or calling the police.

My question though, is would this behavior be criminal?  Is it "theft of services"? Is it "stalking/harassment?"   Is it the First Amendment right of the cheapskate to listen to and film the public performance of this guided tour?

Answer: Pretty sure no one has First Amendment rights in Europe.


Title: [x-post] This can't possibly be legal, can it? (UC Berkley)

Question:
http://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/33aujs/bored_entitled_sjw_college_students_at_berkley/

I'm sure calling the police is the correct response, but it seems like that's just giving these idiots the attention they want.  Would the blocked students be within their rights to push through the line to get to class?

Answer: This was asked a little while ago, and I believe the consensus was that pushing through the blockade could be considered assault if anyone was injured.


Title: What would happen if a 15 year old gets caught driving without a permit alone?

Answer:
 Holy shit your post history.

Call tel:1-800-273-8255. Who cares about your learners permit. You need treatment ASAP.

SERIOUSLY bro. It gets better.


Title: Girlfriends ex refuses to abide by custody agreement

Question:
Hello! I live in Georgia and the other person this question regards lives in North Carolina.

My girlfriend has a child with her ex. They have joint custody and in the agreement it states that they are required to meet half way when swapping the child as long as they live within 2 hours of each other.

Since she goes to school where he lives we pick her up Friday evening and then return her Sunday evening.

We live roughly 1hr 45min away from him and he absolutely refuses to meet us half way. He got a dui over 10 years ago and will not get his license reinstated so that he would be able to drive. (he has the financial means to do so but I feel he just refuses to get a license and car to avoid repressibility because he has a sever alcohol problem and being able/expected to drive would hinder his lifestyle) He uses this as an excuse and also refuses to ask his parents or anyone else in order to make the swap. So we either have to make the entire trip to pick her up and take her home or we have to convince someone we know and compensate them with our own funds to pick her up and meet us half way. He has just recently begun giving a measly $20 to the party we have that is willing to meet us halfway but they are getting sick of it too because its not nearly enough to cover all the time, gas, and wear on their vehicle.

I am growing so sick of it because I am ultimately the one who has to drive and pay for gas/wear and tear on my own vehicle to pick her up every weekend. And when we explain how we don't feel this is fair he just completely blows it off with an "oh well sounds like a personal problem guess you won't see her" type of attitude.

What are our options? We just want him to meet us half way but he refuses and this has been going on since 2012. Could we possibly sue him to recover the lost funds from having to cover his half of the travel expenses that we have had to cover? We don't really have the money for a lawyer at this time... So I am hoping this is something as simple as calling the cops and making a complaint that he refuses to comply with a court order?

Thanks so much for your time!

Answer: If he has a severe alcohol problem, does the mother really want to risk putting the child in a vehicle with him? I get that it's bothersome for you, but it sounds like a serious safety risk for the child. If you call the cops, they'll tell you that it's a civil matter. Also, 50/50 custody can mean lots of things. It sounds like he has primary physical custody & maybe they have 50/50 legal custody.


Title: [USA-TN] Being overrun/overworked by bullish employer, not sure what my legal rights are...

Question:
**TL;DR from the get go** - My employer purposefully works his employees 16+ hours a day, with as little as 2-3 hours between shifts, 5-6 days a week. Is this legal for him to do?

*Now the details...*

I am a working person at a large chain of craft stores in Tennessee. I am a legal resident, no physical disabilities, no priors with the law. Just a person in a not great area trying to make ends meet. My boss  exploits this on a daily basis.

He routinely works his part-time and full-time employees 4-6 hours beyond their scheduled timesheet every day. Full time employees are averaging 16+ hours a day, 5-6 days a week. Most nights we are lucky if we have 6 hours between our shifts. Some full time employees go 2-3 hours if they have to let cleaning crews in (which is a regular occurrence).

The regular shift we work is 8-8, however we are physically locked in the store by our employer who will not let anyone leave until what he deems necessary is completed - often times not leaving until 12am-2am. Then we are required to be there at 8am the next morning to do it all again.

If we leave early, we are terminated.
If we complain to corporate, we are terminated.
If we otherwise irritate or vex him, we are terminated... and he holds this over our heads, and threatens us with losing our jobs to keep us there.

So... is this really legal for them to do to us? Can he really work us 6 days a week with 6 hours between shifts, barely able to get sleep?

I don't live in a great area, and it's somewhere jobs are hard to come by. Finding employment is tough, but we have hard working employees, and it's literally killing us slowly and we feel like there's nothing we can do about it.

Any advice would be appreciated and yes, I'm actively looking for another job to get out of that hell hole.

Answer:
 He locks you in the building? As in you could not leave if you tried? Next time call the fire marshal. And the cops.

 Complain to corporate anonymously about your schedules and work environment...I do think he probably can work you in the way you've described, but I'll leave that for someone else.Answer #2: https://www.tn.gov/workforce/section/employees

It seems your state has basically no protections for employees so at first glance, so long as you're being paid for the time worked, your employer isn't doing much wrong.

Answer #3: Every one of the employees needs to complain anonymously at the same time to corporate, or everyone just leaves at the same time, 8 sharp. organize a movement or find another job, I'm also in TN and I highly doubt your employer is locking you all in and hiding the key, he is just saying if you leave you'll be terminated. by all means if he is physically holding you against your will call the police, but at will is at will.


Title: Sent a snap asking for nudes

Question:
So I drunkenly sent a snap asking my old landlord for nudes and she screenshotted it and now I am really regretting it and thinking I could get in trouble. It said “hey ***** send nudes”. With nothing in the background but black. Anyways is this illegal? She screenshot the message and now I am worried. This is the first time I’ve made contact with her. And she was the one who added me on snap for some reason
State is Minnesota

Answer:
 Not illegal, just dumb.Answer #2: Ex landlord? No COI issue.

No demands or blackmail? No legal issue.

Assuming your landlord is over the age of consent when you asked (why wouldn’t she be?) then your just did a dumb thing, not an illegal thing.

Apologise if you want. Say you were wasted, you know it was inappropriate to ask, the end.

Or just let it drop. Asking a legal adult for nudes once isn’t illegal. (Continually asking would probably rise to harassment) Answer #3: First you should include your state when asking this question. But I am, and I am not all knowing, mind you, not aware of any state that has a law against asking another adult for nude pictures. I would, if I were you, delete her and not respond to any communication she sends. If, by some bad luck, the cops decide to stop by, exercising your right to remain silent and have counsel present are your best bets.


Title: Timeshare inheritance

Question: My parents have timeshare. My name was put on the deed when I was like 15. How do I make sure this rhinoceros shit doesn't come to me when they die.

Answer:
 I actually think this is more for /r/legaladvice since is it a valid question.

IANAL, but this happened to me also. My parent gifted all three of us a timeshare. I basically have to try and sell it when she is gone. I asked about putting it back in her name a few years ago and I was told it would cost $150. So far she has kept up the payments, so I haven't done it.


Title: Photos of me being sold without my permission [TN]

Question:
I was recently a part of a theatrical production, and several photographs were taken during the show (not at all unusual, and frequently encouraged).  Come to find out, however, that one of the attendees is selling these pictures through her photography website.  Do I have grounds to request that these pictures not be sold without my permission?

(If it's relevant, the photographer is not associated with the theater company, performance, or any of the actors in any way.)

Thanks for your help!

Answer:
 So you've no interest in becoming a professional actor eh?

>not at all unusual, and frequently encouraged

This isn't how you approach this situation if you want to have control over how the photos are used later on.

You, personally, probably have no legal basis to restrict her from selling the photos.  But you catch more flies with honey anyways.

Just send her an email explaining why you're uncomfortable with your photos being sold/distributed and see if she'd mind not offering for sale ones of you.


Title: [CA] My older brother accidentally purchased thousands of dollars in stocks

Question:
So my brother uses an app on his phone to invest money, Stash if I remember correctly. Anyway, he tried to process a transaction either very late at night or very early in the morning. He was groggy, so the genius misplaced a few decimal points and rather than buy $40.27 worth of stocks, he purchased $4,0277. He’s getting about $100 back in dividends.

The transaction went through and needless to say, his account is deep in the red. Anyway, what kind of legal or tax nightmare is he looking at? Does he just sell it, dispute the transaction, or what?
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Dispute it? On what grounds?  He should contact customer service.Answer #2: There was most certainly a confirmation of purchase screen and just being tired wouldnt be an excuse so i doubt disputing would do anything.

He can either sell it and pay the taxes that come with that or keep it and keep those sweet dividends coming in.


Title: Is it legal to demote employees without warning in California?

Question:
I've been a manager for a small start-up in California for a year. Since it was a very small team with a lot of tasks to get done, I've been spending a lot of time being hands-on(coding). When the boss would say that there is something super urgent to get done and I knew that my team is busy with other things I would get it done myself sacrificing the time that I would have to spend to manage the team.

I've been having quarterly reviews with my employer and every single time he was happy with the progress and my work with the team. Also 3 months ago when it was my 2 years at the company I received another raise and I heard no complaints about my work and only positive things. The other day the owner sat down with me and he said he wants to hire a new manager and demote me to a regular developer. He said the first 6 months of my work as a manager were great but the last 6 months he didn't like. This was the first time when I heard anything negative about my work. He said that I don't have ability to code AND manage at the same time however he said that the new manager would only focus on management. He also mentioned that we would hire more developers (something that I've been asking for months).

Another part of story is that a year ago I hired a young and talented developer however after sometime he became a very hard to manage. He has been going to the owner and telling him that I shouldn't be the manager etc. At the same time the guy has been spending days and nights on rewriting our old software which seems to be super valuable to the owner. Every time I wanted to warn him, the boss would advise to leave him alone because he is doing a lot of work. Now in the light of that conflict, the owner is asking me to become a regular level developer in the same team as the conflict person.

What legal rights do I have in this position? Is it legal to demote employees without giving them a proper warning beforehand?

Answer:
 >Is it legal to demote employees without giving them a proper warning beforehand?

Absent a contract stating otherwise, yes it is legal.


Title: I feel like my job violated my right to free speech and/or privacy.

Question:
This past Friday night, after work, I posted on Facebook something akin to: "Does anybody else feel like they type backwards when they're high?"

Someone screenshot that post and sent it to Management and HR, who then proceeded to discuss terminating me before deciding to just have a stern conversation with me about what's appropriate to post online.

My argument is that they have no proof that I was doing anything illegal and I'm allowed to make a joke on my personal Facebook page. Besides, none of this has anything to do with work.

Their problem with the post, according to them, isn't the content, but that 2 of my employees responded to it. Those 2 employees were also off work and also played along with the joke - because that's all it was.

The more I think about the conversation from yesterday, the angrier I become. And the more questions I have.

Did they take what was sent to them at face value?
Did they check my Facebook page to verify that it wasn't doctored?
If so, is that a practice that they normally do? Or am I being unfairly targeted?

HR mentioned that they "had to go to bat for me" in order for me to keep my job... so who the hell recommended that I be terminated for something that was clearly NOT work related???

I dont know if I have any legal standing since there was no disciplinary action taken. But my anxiety about this is at an all time high and I feel uncomfortable at work now. But who do I talk to about having a hostile work environment when HR is part of the problem?

Sorry for the rant... to apologize, here's a TL;DR:

HR & Management chastised me about a Facebook post that was not work-related and not posted during work hours. Now I feel like I'm being unfairly targeted at work. What can I do?

Answer:
 you wouldn't have any legal standing even if there were disciplinary action taken.  your job can absolutely fire you for stuff you post on facebook.Answer #2: You have the right to post anything you want.

They have a right to fire you because of it.

Everyones rights are protected here. Nothing illegal happened. Answer #3: Nothing. The right to free speech protects you from prosecution for saying things, not persecution. They can fire you for nearly any reason, unless it's for being part of a protected class, or no reason at all. Using drugs isn't a protected class.


Title: [Florida] Nearly every morning I am woken up to the sounds of my neighbor violently beating his dog. I have tried everything. What else can I do? (original x-post /r/dogs)

Question:
I'll try to make this as short, but as detailed, as possible.

I made my first call to Animal Control in November 2013. The attacks occur mainly on Sunday nights at around 1am and again at around 5 am.

I currently live in a very small apartment complex (think 300 sq ft and ~30 apartments ) and my entire back wall is shared with the neighbor's. The sounds of yelping, being punched, body slams against the wall, choking, head banging against the wall, being held under water, unconsciousness are all transferred to my room. It is going on in bursts for 15-20 minutes at a time.

Things I've done: I've called Animal Control several times (November 2013-January 2014) before I took a break and started calling the Police Department solely.

Not only were the attacks becoming more frequent, but they were becoming more violent. He refuses to open his door to any officer, and for some time, they were parked out in front for detail, but had to leave shortly after if no activity was present.

Animal Control suggests I sign an Affidavit, but unless I have video evidence, I don't think I have any influence. Signing the Affidavit does not get them in the door- it only gets the Officer to sit in front of the door and wait for him to come out (potentially).

Landlord has begun to put up 7-day notices saying that he has to remove the dog with a followup inspection to find that he has temporarily removed the dog and they're done. I have a photo that shows the the breed is in violation of the lease. I have audio recordings from inside my own home where you can hear the abuse. I've let them listen to the recording hoping that this will become resolved. Just called (again) today and the neighbor is getting a noise complaint filed from the complex, but that "we have our hands tied here" and state that they cannot legally do anything without seeing the act/animal in person.

I've attempted to contact a Lawyer about my rights (specifically on how to deal with landlord/tenant issues), but no one has called back yet- I continue to leave messages. I've contacted the Animal Control Officer who was assigned to the case, but haven't been called back yet.

I feel as if I have a duty to protect the animal but I still don't feel resolved in going full-throttle with engaging myself legally in this (as in, I don't want to testify should the State press charges). I don't think my evidence would hold up in court more than just bumps and yelps of a trapped dog. I feel victimized and a part of his process every time this happens. I am in a PhD program and haven't been able to work fully in over a month (abuse-onset depression?). I also feel I'm dramaticizing the whole thing due to the response I've had- that I can't just brush this off and carry on normally, only to come home and be subject to more of the same. I'm afraid one day I'll wake up and the dog is dead.

I've attempted to go through the school's legal counseling, but they can't approach the topic as he is a student as well. I can't even talk with them about the landlord issue if it means an eviction of the third-party.

I've looked up animal welfare groups, but they don't deal with these types of issues.

I honestly don't know what else I could do? Does anyone have advice or something I haven't thought of yet or some legal route I'm missing? I can't deal with this until August- when the lease has ended- and I don't think the dog will either.

As you can see, I'm becoming way too involved in this and I just want the whole situation to be over. But until I can get a full night's rest *and the animal is safely out of the neighbor's home*, I feel like I can't let this go.

Answer:
 You are a student and he is a student at the same university?  Well then, OP, you are golden.  In legal terms, that means you have a slam dunk option here.  Email the President of your university and add some VP's onto that email for good measure.  Title your email:  Urgent Student Safety Concern.  Explain in your email that you are concerned that this student is a clear and present danger to others, that he is potentially violent, and that your concerns are based on the fact that he regularly tortures an animal in his own apartment.  Offer to provide them with your tapes confirming this.

Universities do NOT fool around with these types of complaints any more, most especially if they are in writing.  They will do something.  I'm not sure exactly what, but it will be at the top of their list of priorities, and probably a much greater effort and impact than you can imagine.

FYI for the future, beware of the deadly triad.  I'm assuming your PhD is not in psychology, or you would already know this.  Red flag early behavior to predict future serial killers are bedwetting, setting fires, and torturing or killing animals.  Of all three, torturing or killing animals is the very worst.  See a red flag like that and seek cover.  These are very dangerous people.  Send that email out asap.  You might be saving student's lives.Answer #2: It sounds like you want something to happen but you don't want to get too involved.

If that's the case, making calls to animal control and the police are about all you can do.


Title: I was baited

Question: I had a random number text me and ask about hooking up. We continued to text and I asked her age and she told me 27.  We talked more and I sent a picture.  Nothing happened. Several days later I'm texted from another number claiming to be her 'dad' and says she's 14.  Says if I give him $200 he won't go to the authorities. I fully believe it's a scam and I'm obviously being blackmailed, however he says he's going to turn it over to his attorney. I have proof that I asked age beforehand and was told 27.  What are my options?  Can I be prosecuted for this even though I asked age first and was told 27?  Like I said, I believe this is all a scam, but I want to know my rights before going to the police about being blackmailed. This is in the state of Indiana.

Answer:
 There is no girl.

There is no dad.

This is most common scam we see here.  You’re fine.Answer #2: Scam, block and move on.


Title: I have text proof that my friend stole thousands from me, but I'm not sure how to proceed to make sure I get my money back [Washington]

Question:
My friend moved in with me six months ago, but she has been unable to keep up with paying me rent on time. I told her she would have to move out by the end of March. She was struggling to come up with the hundreds she already owed me, so she decided to conjure up a story that we had been robbed.

I had a jar of cash with well over $1,000 that she had taken, along with $240 that she had payed me for rent on top of my desk. I have not told a soul about this jar and she confessed that she found it one day in my room while searching for something. I am 21 years old and working a close to minimum wage job, so this amount devastated my finances. She tried to make her story more convincing by calling the police and filing a false report and description of the supposed robber. She eventually realized her story was falling apart. She confessed to me that she'd been stealing gradually from me for four months now, that she'd been paying me rent with my own money, and that she had grabbed the rest during the "robbery".

I took all factors into consideration and calculated that she owes me approx. $2,500 and I have text proof that she agrees. I told her she needs to pay me back ASAP but she is not seeing the magnitude of the situation and doesn't feel the need to pay me back right away. She immediately spent the large sum of money from the "robbery" on whip-its (recreational N02) so she currently has no money. She has told me she is going to get a full time job and that all of her paychecks are going to me. I do not trust that she will get all the money back to me because she has been blowing all her money on drugs, which is the reason she never payed rent in full. I covered her on the payments and trusted her because this girl has been my best friend for 10 years.

I do not know how to proceed because I desperately need my money back and I do not know if taking legal action will make things easier or harder. I do not care if this girl ends up in jail because she also takes the recreational NO2 while driving, and once ended up passing out and crashing into a mailbox. She is a danger to herself and more importantly, others.
Because this girl was my best friend, this all came out of no where. I never expected her to betray my trust at this level. I'm not exactly sure how to proceed here, if anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated!

Answer: You can sue her. Or you can call the police for what she stole. But you don't want to tell her you will call the police if she doesn't pay you.Answer #2: call the police about her theft and serve her with an eviction notice according to your local laws.  this girl is not your friend. stop treating her like she is.


Title: I am trapped in a lease with my abusive roommates until July. How do I get out?

Question:
Hello Reddit. First time poster here. I need help with a potentially dangerous situation I’m in with seemingly no easy way out. [Springfield, MO]

In the beginning of the school year I moved into a four bedroom apartment with three of my close friends. This was an ideal situation until late October when all three of them decided that they suddenly hate me. Since then I’ve been the victim of their constant emotional torment including them restricting what I have access to in the apartment (like the washing machine because it is theirs. But I am still expected to pay the water bill), they also spam my phone by calling me derogatory names and on one occasion they have changed the front door code without telling me so I was unable to get into my own apartment. I have locked most of my belongings in my bedroom out of fear that they would steal, break, or otherwise tamper with them. They have even been moving my food around in the fridge to make it inconvenient for me to reach.
    I have started recording instances where they verbally harass me. I have on recording them calling me names, yelling at me, and nearly (albeit accidentally) slamming a door on my cat out of their violent outbursts. I fear for the safety of myself and my cat.
    I have talked to my landlord and he is adamant I cannot leave unless all three of my roommates sign me out of my lease agreement, which they have told me they will not do. I have a place already lined up to move into in January and the funds to cover rent until then. There is no clause in my lease agreement that states what portion of rent I am responsible for since the four of us sorted that out by ourselves according to our room sizes. According to the leasing office, if I were to just move out and stop paying rent it would become my roommates responsibilities to cover my share or we would all get evicted. Obviously I do not want that either. My main concern is that I want to move out as soon as possible without still being financially responsible for this place.
    I’m young and I have never had to deal with this before. Some friends suggested that I consult with an attorney. Any advice you all have is appreciated greatly.

Answer: Your landlord has no ability to release you without your roommates consent. Being shitty roommates isn’t illegal, but if they are making actual threats that would be. Your options are to continue paying rent and utilities as agreed or, if there was actual violence, you might be able to break the lease under a [MO law designed to protect domestic violence victims.](https://krcgtv.com/news/local/new-missouri-law-allows-victims-of-domestic-violence-to-break-their-leases)


Title: Ex is royally screwing me and my daughter over.

Question:
Three weeks ago my husband (who im currently sepperated from) committed a hit and run in my car while intoxicated. I got a letter in the mail saying how i eill be facing legal issues because the crime happened in a car that only i am registered to. I need to contact a Sheriff where i live about the matter but i dont even know what i will say or what way to go about this. My husband is unlicenced and uninsured. I had liability coverage on my vehicle at the time and to top this all off his in another state now.
If anyone has some advice on this matter that eould be great. My daughter is a baby and i dont know ehat will happen to her if something happened to me.

Answer:
 Your insurance follows the car, and will likely cover this. Contact them and see what they say.

Without insurance, you'd only be liable on a theory of negligent entrustment. The fact that you lent him your car, knowing he was unlicensed, is a factor working against you. If he has a history of DUIs that you knew about, that works against you more.


Title: Looking for FACTS ONLY, NOT OPINIONS in regards to date rape

Question:
Legally speaking, if a man and a woman are both drunk and have sex, would the man be afforded the same right to say he was not capable of consent?  Also how are rape and sexual assault legally defined? This is generally speaking in the US, I  live in Texas.

edit; this is a hypothetical question that stems from a conversation I had with a gay man that had a similar experience.  This is the story as explained in my comment below:
"I just don't want to start a men's right debate. This is a hypothetical based off of a conversation I had the other night with a gay man I was chatting with. He basically told a story of being at a bar and mingling with a mixed group of women and men. A particular woman took an interest in him and although he stated outright that he was gay, she said something like "well friends can buy each other drinks". He wound up getting pretty drunk and has little memory of the rest of the night. The woman took him out to her car and gave him a blow job. He told me he "felt violated" but it wasn't worth the can of worms. I was just wondering, if he had gone to the police, would this matter be taken seriously?"

Answer: The defendant can try that defense, if he wants.  The chances of success depend heavily on the situation.  Answer #2: Are you sure?  My opinions are very valuable.  I think you're worse off without my opinion.


Title: Child Support

Question: My ex owed me 5k in child support. The state took his federal income tax return to pay off what he owes. I will receive that check and he isn't happy. He wants me to cash it and hand it right over to him. He has threatened me (never through text or email only when he calls) repeatedly. He said he will take me to court and will stop seeing our son if I don't comply. I know it seems like a no brainer, but I wanted to make sure.

Answer:
 Yeah, I don't know why you would comply. The court ordered his tax return seized. The court would hold him in contempt for not paying the child support. Him taking you to court is the equivalent of him walking to a buzz saw.

Declining to see your son is something that he can do, but then you can call him into court and get even more child support out of him. You could also, in that case, have the court order his bank account levied or his wages garnished so that you could literally go to the bank and withdraw what he owes or get a portion of his paycheck sent to you by his employer.

In fact, you probably should haul him into court over any additional unpaid child support not covered by the tax return. No bank is going to get in the way of a lawful court order to take his stuff.Answer #2: Stop answering the phone unless ur kid is with him. Email him, so there's a paper trail and tell him that all communication has to be in written form.
It's that simple, even though I know it's not. But truly. Stop picking up the phone.


Title: [NJ] I would like to look up the identity of an officer who helped me?

Question:
To keep a long story short, I was being harassed and threatened by a man at a store I go to. I called the police, and the officer that responded arrested him. I was shaken up, and forgot to thank him. I went to the precinct and asked who responded to the situation, I also forgot to look at his name tag. They told me they weren't at liberty to divulge his name or identity.

I would really like to look him up. Is there any way I can do this? I get that maybe they don't tell civilians about it in order to protect their identity but I just really want to show my gratitude.

Answer: I'm surprised they didn't tell you when you went to the station.  Ask for a copy of the police report; the officer's name will be on it


Title: (PA) I was at a bar on a Tuesday night enjoying the live band that was playing. A guy slapped me so I’m thinking about pressing charges.

Question:
I was at a bar enjoying the live music and I was in a crowded part of the place. I know people embellish stories to make them look good but I’m telling this exactly how it happened from my perspective. I try to walk through the crowd and I get eye to eye with a random guy who starts staring at me. I ask him “hey man what’s up?” And he tells me “you better just keep on walking.” Im a non confrontational person but also don’t want to offend anyone I meet so I apologize if I did anything/bump into him and he (still staring) tells me to keep walking. I try to ask him in a non aggressive way “hey dude I don’t mean any harm why are you so mad at me?” And he slaps me. I don’t raise my hands an inch and instead repeat my question “hey what did I do?” His friend walks up to me on the side and tells me I better leave or he’ll “kick my ass.” I admit I could have left here but I wanted to stand up for myself and I said again “hey guys why are you so mad I didn’t do anything” and the original guy slaps me again but harder. The bouncers see this and immediately kick the 2 guys out but then also ask me to leave because “I was involved.” They walked me out a side door but the guys were waiting for me outside and I walked straight up to them and asked AGAIN “hey I’m not trying to start shit but why are you guys so pissed at me?” They tell me to walk away and I do and I go home. I’m pissed that I was kicked out but I also am pissed these guys ruined my night and have no real consequences to assaulting me. I’m happy to watch any and all camera views of the whole event and I swear on my life I didn’t even raise my voice let alone a hand against these guys. I just wanted to smoke a cig outside. Do I have any real options here besides letting it go and telling this bar story to friends? Thanks for the advice.
Topic:
Douche

Answer: Nothing you described sounds nonconfrontational. In fact, you are confrontational. If you know who those people are, you're free to file a police report.


Title: Brother not allowed to see his child

Question:
My brother, had a baby with a bipolar girl. Both are 19 years old and live in Michigan. I mention bipolar because she doesn't take her meds and is out of control and unreasonable.

Brother pays court ordered child support and is ordered to have his son Saturdays and has a holiday schedule.

The mom started out dropping baby off several hours late she'd refusing skipping holidays, also demanding money earlier and earlier in the week. Brother became a week ahead on payments and decided to start going through Friends of the Court. There must be a layover before she gets the money now, because it's been about two weeks since she's seen any (the last wad hand delivered).

She is now holding the baby ransom. She threatens my brother and our parents through text. Our mom is considering getting a restraining order. I keep telling them to get a lawyer involved.

The police have been called to her house several times. I know once was for underage drinking.

Brother has filed several compliants about her disallowing holidays and dropping him off late/not at all. So far, they've met twice with a representative of the court, and no lawyers were allowed in those meetings.

Is there anything my brother can do to force her to follow these court orders? Would he be able to get more custody?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 You're right - get a lawyer involved to help enforce the court order or take her back to court. Answer #2: Stop paying the support by cash should be move number 1. Unless the court order specifically states support is to be paid by cash, have your brother start paying by cheque or electronic transfers so he can have a record of how much and when the support payments are made.

If she isn't obeying the court order then he needs to speak to a lawyer to help get the court order enforced, or to take her back to court so he can obtain more favourable terms.Answer #3: Your brother really should be fighting for primary custody of that kid. Growing up with an unstable mother like that is really bad for a child.

Has he considered contacting CPS to report the situation with the mother?


Title: Do Minnesotans have a class action suit brewing against Centerpoint Energy? Centerpoint is trying to pass along expenses from Texas infrastructure damage to Minnesotan customers.

Answer:
 I think if you read carefully and read other articles about natural gas pipelines and how we get our natural gas, you'll find that we're not paying directly for Texas infrastructure damage. The money that center point wants its customers to pay is extra money that they spent in buying gas for those several days. Natural gas prices everywhere spiked because Texas supplies a very large amount of natural gas to other states. Even places that don't directly get much gas from Texas saw major price increases. We're not paying for the infrastructure damage, we're paying because Texas, a major gas source, didn't protect its infrastructure to survive well enough in sustained low temperatures in the first place.

Whether or not center point should eat the costs as opposed to passing it along to its household customers, many of whom are having a difficult time paying bills right now, is a separate question.


Title: CA (Bay Area): Energy bill increased and discovered that Landlord has a several areas outside my unit on my Utilities Meter

Question:
TL;DR - I notified my landlord that an outdoor hallway, his storage room, and his workroom/garage are on my electricity meter in May of 2018, landlord hasn't done anything about it. (Timeline of events at the end)

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LL = Landlord

AM = Apartment Manager

HM = Handyman

SO  = Significant Other

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Burner account because I'm paranoid.

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My apartment complex is made up of several buildings, with my apartment being the fifth and last unit in my building. A previous owner had added my bedroom as a second floor over a storeroom for the next building [as shown in this rough schematic](https://imgur.com/5Cyg7ZT). I have no access to the storeroom nor its attached garage, and the garage is used as a workroom by the AM and his HM.

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I moved into this apartment in 2010, and for a long time the electricity bill for my apartment was around $40 - $60 (and once went as high as $80 the winter after my kid was born).

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Starting March/April of 2017 my electric bill started to increase, [a graph of which you can see here](https://imgur.com/76cpwy0). I didn't think much of it at first since a monthly increase of \~$20 wasn't uncommon. As it kept increasing I paid the bill while making the same rationalization, and just made a note to try and use less electricity.

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In May of 2018 I printed my utility bill to prove residency, and it struck me how much my bill was every month. I went to look at my meter (located behind another apartment [as seen the rough schematic](https://imgur.com/5Cyg7ZT)), and found that there were only five meters. This meant that there was one for each apartment, and *none* for the Store/Work rooms. I also checked the other building and found that there wasn't an extra meter there either. I went and spoke to the AM and let him know my findings and concerns, and he said that he would have the LL stop by and talk to me at the being of June, when the LL stopped by to pick up the rent.

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The LL didn't come by until June 15th during a time when I told the AM that I was at work . The LL spoke to my SO, and she gave him [the graph showing the cost increase](https://imgur.com/76cpwy0) and [a chart](https://imgur.com/H0dEQnU) that I made showing the amount paid over the average. LL says that he will look into installing a new meter.

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While I waited for a timeline from LL I  checked the energy cost by the hour so that I can get an baseline cost to better estimate how much extra this has cost me. I pulled the hours between Midnight and 6:00 AM (since at that time my household is all asleep) and I found that even during those times there is an [increase in energy costs](https://imgur.com/0WnZVAD). I have 2 theories why, and have not been able to confirm or disprove them:

1. HM is living in that garage/workroom
 * He starting working for the AM at the beginning of 2017, but I don't have an exact date or month
 * He has only ever left the door open long enough for me to look in once, and I saw a refrigerator, several swamp coolers, and a futon, but that might just be where he takes breaks during the day.
2. Someone (HM or LL) is growing weed or cryto mining

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June ends and I pay rent for July, and include an updated total for the energy being used over the lifetime average.

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My family and I take a vacation for a week in July, and when we get back I check my meter usage. We have a smart meter, so on my utilities provider's website (PG&E) we can see usage down to the hour. Since we were out of town, I would expect to see some energy usage (due to a fridge and some other low energy draws like a modem) and that the usage would be flat. Instead we found that energy costs [varied throughout the days](https://imgur.com/239EZTz) and that on some days there was a correlation between [the weather and the energy usage](https://imgur.com/dTVJ1cg).

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July ends and I pay rent for August, and included an updated total for the energy being used over the lifetime average, and I included the chart showing the non-linear usage during the time when we were out of town. AM states that LL is working on a solution but AM doesn't a timeline, or any details on what steps have currently been taken, just that LL is 'working on it, be patient.'

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I start turning off our breakers one at a time for an hour to see how it effects our energy bill. It took several days to test them all, since the smart meter sends data back to PG&E two days in arrears, and after several days there was no noticeable effect on our energy bill for that hour. Since I knew that our energy was being used somewhere outside our apartment (because of the usage when we were our of town) my new hypothesis is that either:

1. The workroom has its own breaker box
2. The workroom has no breaker box and goes straight to the meter

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On 8/29/2018 I could see that the light was on in the workroom (the door was closed, but light was peeking around the door). My SO watched the light while I (on the phone with her) shut the main breaker off at the meter, and all lights in the workroom turned off. When I turned the breaker on all the lights turned back on, so there is no doubt that the room is on my meter.

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I contacted PG&E and informed them of everything that is happening,  and they stated that it is a Landlord/Tenant dispute and that there is nothing they can do about it. I reached out to the local tenants rights group, and (after a lot of phone tag) they informed me that they only help ultra-low income people, and that I would be best to take LL to small claims court.

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August ends and I pay rent for September, and included an updated total for the energy being used over the lifetime average, as well as a letter, where I restate everything that I already gave him, remind him that it has been three months since I first brought this to his attention, ask him for the current total owed to me, inform him that [the law requires seperate meters (or some kind of written agreement)](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1940.9.), and asked for him to contact my (by phone or in person) so that we can discuss a timeline for the installation of a new meter .

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I got the book *Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court in California* from the library. In the book they make a point (several times) that the best course of action with a landlord is to attempt to deal with it out of court first, which is all that I wanted. We haven't heard anything directly from LL since June 15^th and haven't heard any real information at all.

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I am getting ready to take him to Small Claims, but I know that even if I win I might have to just keep suing him every couple of months to get the amount for each subsequent bill.

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I'm at my wits end, and before I file for a court date I wanted to see if you fine folks had any advice for getting this taken care of out of court.

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Thanks for reading, and for any advice you may have!

&#x200B;

Timeline:

* Early 2017 (exact date unknown)
   * AM hires on property HM
* May 2017
   * Energy costs for my apartment begin to increase
* May 2018
   * I begin investigating the increase
      * I find that energy is being used even when we are asleep or out of town
   *Inform AM of my findings
* June 2018
   * 6/1/18 - I turn in rent
* June 2018
   * 6/15/18 - LL stops by apartment, says that he will look into installing a new meter
* July 2018
   * 7/1/2018 - I turn in rent with:
      * An updated total for the increased energy cost
      * Proof that we are not the ones using the energy
      * A request for repayment of the increased energy cost
      * A request for a timeline on when a new meter will be installed
* August 2018
   * 8/1/18 - I turn in rent with:
      * An updated total for the increased energy cost
      * A request for repayment of the increased energy cost
      * A request for a timeline on when a new meter will be installed
   * End of Month sometime - I see the AM and ask for an update, he tells me to "be patient," I tell him it's been almost 90 days since we last spoke to LL and we have had no update. AM tells me he'll ask LL again.
   * 8/20/18 - I start turning off our breakers one at a time for an hour to see how it effects our energy bill. After several days there was no effect.
   * 8/29/2018 - After dark I can see that the light is on in the workroom (door is closed, but we can see it through the cracks). SO watches the light while I shut the main breaker off at the meter, and all lights in the workroom shut off. Confirmation that
* September 2018
   * 9/1/2018 - I turn in rent with:
      * An updated total for the increased energy cost
      * A request for repayment of the increased energy cost
      * A request for a timeline on when a new meter will be installed
      * A request to contact me with the week so that we can discuss this issue

Answer: I would call the city department that handles building permits and say you think there is a violation of building codes and if they come out give them a tour showing the lack of a meter for the additional space. I believe that California state codes require a separate meter for each unit. Answer #2: Was the letter you sent Certified? If not, resend it so you have a record that it was delivered and signed for.


Title: $271 fine for putting out my recycling bags on the wrong day, and I believe I was unfairly targeted (French-speaker needed)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Try cross posting to r/montreal. Someone there may be more familiar with the workings of the Garbage Police.Answer #2: You can dispute the ticket. Dispute it or pay it. But don't ignore it. You will end up paying a lot more and it will damage your credit.Answer #3: >I don't speak French, but from what I understand, this is fine for putting my recycling bags outside on the wrong day.

Yup, that's what it says.

>I don't understand how the Montreal police could have identified those recycling bags as mine

If something of yours was in there, that'd give them a pretty good guess.

>my roommates

Sounds like someone was trying to be helpful but failed.

Unfortunately it looks like your best defense is one of them saying "It wasn't him it was me". If none of them is willing to do that then you're on the hook. At trial, you can truthfully testify that it wasn't you who put the bag out but the JP may not believe you.

Answer #4: Yes, sir, Officer Obie, I cannot tell a lie, I put that envelope under that garbage.


Title: "delete this post" advice: criminal obstruction?

Question:
Just today, a USCP officer [got charged](https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/15/capitol-police-officer-charged-january-6-516088) with 2 counts of obstruction for telling Jan 6 rioter (Person 1) to take down pictures and videos from Person 1 inside the Capitol. Now, according to [the indictment](https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000017c-84b6-dddc-a77e-85b76d2b0000) this officer stayed in prolonged contact with Person 1 (multiple weeks), and he gave him inside information on the investigations.

However, purely hypothetically, I'm wondering if this charge could be applied to, let's say, random redditors on the internet. Often times, when someone posts something stupid or downright incriminating on /r/legaladvice or related subs, there's commenters telling OP something like "you should really delete this post" or "it would be best if you delete this". I have my doubts the FBI or a prosecutor would be interested in pursuing this, but could these commenters also be charged with (conspiracy to commit) obstruction? At its core, I think the charge could stick.

Answer: First, the answer to "could they be charged with X?" is ALWAYS yes, DAs attempt to charge people with the dumbest charges all day every day.  Now to the question of if a court would convict someone of obstruction for these kinds of online posts, it's an interesting question and luckily because of divorce courts there is a ton of precedence saying that removing social media posts counts as attempted spoliation and can and has been used to show intent.  So if you are telling people to attempt to destroy evidence, that could definitely be seen as obstruction.  Now I doubt any DA would bother wasting their time charging someone outside of "make an example" cases (like everything surrounding the capital riots) especially since none of your posts are ACTUALLY deleted just hidden from view so once the courts already know the post exists they can still subpoena it regardless of if someone tries to hide it.  I'm sure there are plenty of cases where DAs have seen evidence of people telling their friends to take down pictures of drugs on facebook and I've never heard of anyone getting an obstruction charge over it, though plenty of people have been arrested via evidence they posted on facebook.


Title: Am I going to serve jail time? :(

Question: I’m from Massachusetts and the other night I was at a bar and blacked out... I lost all memory of this but I was told after being kicked out of the bar I attempted to sneak back in. The police officer at the front door did not take this lightly. I was arrested immediately for trespassing and in the process acquired resisting arrest and A&B on a police officer... I also was charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace... honestly this is all new to me I really would prefer to just tell the truth and accept any consequences. I really don’t wanna go to jail though lol. Can anyone give me just some advice here I’m pretty lost.

Answer: Get a lawyer. Don't accept anything without legal counsel.


Title: My Dr. told me they were a confidential informant then after I said I was assaulted they said they had to report it. Is there anyway I can stop the report?

Question:
The assault happened years ago and i was still a minor. I was messed up for awhile but i don't want to talk about it or bring it up. I'm better and have a loving relationship. I don't want that part of my life having any kind of light on it.

The doctor lied to me and now since I was a minor he says he has to call cps (reason for the flair) and file a report with my name saying I was assaulted. I have a very distinct last name, I am the only one with my first and last name in my country. I don't want a report out there with my name on it. My mom is crazy and maybe if she finds out about the report, when I have kids she'll say I'm abusing them and say it's because of my assault or she'll anonymously inform my employer. Or hell, maybe it'll come up in a background check. I don't know!

I know the person will never be "brought to justice" and at this point I've accepted that that person will probably have a good life despite what they did to me. I just want to move on with my life.

Is there anything I can do to make this report not happen or make it impossible to find? All this happened today.
Topic:
CPS and Dependency Law

Answer:
 >My Dr. told me they were a confidential informant

Do you mean "mandatory reporter"? In any case, you cannot prevent someone from making a report to the authorities.

Answer #2: Not a lawyer but... Is the person at fault still involved or around other minors? Typically, that is how I have been taught as a mandatory reporter. Jurisdictions may be different. Regardless if the event occurred when the client was underage and they are now an adult, some issues must be reported if the person at fault is around/caring for other minors still. Answer #3: What state?


Title: OKLAHOMA - Inaccurate land survey results

Question: OKLAHOMA - The empty lot next to mine has been purchased, and their survey results show that I am encroaching on their property. My survey results from the purchase show that I am not encroaching on their property. They are starting to break ground, and have made a bit of a mess in my side yard...MY SIDE YARD...according the survey results from the sale of the home. How do I get them to halt their construction until this can be resolved?

Answer:
 When was your survey done? And do you still have an official copy of it?

If yes, you need to contact the companies or individuals who did each of the conflicting surveys.

If no, contact your local building dept and ask for the most recent survey of the lot. If they don't have it on file, you may have to pay to get a new one done. Answer #2: You may need to get an attorney and seek an injunction halting construction until a court approved survey can be done. When you say "bit of a mess" are you talking any irreparable harm or just something you don't like? Answer #3: You need to send a written letter to construction company TODAY. Tell them your survey company, reference number, and dates. Notify them that you expect the work to be stopped until this discrepancy is resolved to both parties satisfaction. The local codes likely require certain setbacks from the property line. The further they get along the harder it is to fix and the harder they will fight you.Answer #4: I would at least get injunction quickly before they get too far. It would suck if they laid foundation before discovering OP's survey was the right one and they'd have to tear up everything to move their project further away.


Title: Can I download a backup copy of a video game that I already own a physical copy of?

Question:
I have about 20-30 Playstation 1 games that I bought years ago sitting in a storage facility that I pay for, along with my original ps1. I'd really like to play some of them again, but I'd rather not have to spend a whole day to go clear than entire thing out just to reach my gaming box in the back, especially since my tablet can be hooked up to my TV to play them on an emulator, which will allow me access to extra features over and above the original console, such as video up scaling and save states.

Now, I COULD go dig all those games out, plug the discs into my computer, rip them one at a time into disc images myself, move those files over to my tablet, and finally sit down and play them on an emulator. But do I really need to do all of that? It's a huge amount of trouble doing all that work manually,  and I'd greatly prefer to avoid the hassle.

So, here's my question: it's illegal to download copies of games you don't own, and that's fair, but what about copies of games that you already own? Is it illegal to download a copy of a game simply to save yourself a step, or must you do everything yourself manually?

Answer: You didn't pay for that form of the game so no, you cannot illegally download a copy.


Title: Child Support & Unemployment (Florida)

Question:
Question: My fiancé just lost his job. He was paying his ex-wife $400 per month for two children. He filed a modification for child support the day he lost his job. He has been offered a job at approximately minimum wage. At the time of divorce his ex-wife was defaulted to minimum wage because she was unemployed. She now works 26 hours per week (could work more if she wanted to) for approximately $8 per hour.  They split custody 50/50. Split healthcare costs, child care etc 50/50. His expenses have also increased since the divorce because he bought a house.

What can we expect the judge will rule? We just want his child support taken to zero. Is this likely?

Answer:
 Child support at zero is not likely. Try looking at the [Florida Support Calculator](http://floridachildsupportcalculator.com/wp-content/FloridaChildSupportCalculatorZ/FloridaChildSupportCalculatorZ.php) based on the guidelines to get an idea. Note that this is all based on the children he has and how often he has them. His personal expenses are irrelevant.

Here's an extreme example: if he went out and bought a Maserati and couldn't afford child support payments, that's his own fault and the kids would suffer. That's why we don't care about his personal expenses.


Title: I sold a car on craigslist which turned out to have fake plates on it and rolled back miles...

Question:
I sold a car on craigslist which turned out to have fake plates on it and rolled back miles. I had no idea about the plate or the miles. I signed a bill of sale that stated it was sold "as is". I got the car from a seller on craigslist and I never transferred the title to my name.
I sold a car on craigslist which turned out to have fake plates on it and rolled back miles. I had no idea about the plate or the miles. I signed a bill of sale that stated it was sold "as is". I got the car from a seller on craigslist and I never transferred the title to my name.

Bonus round: I also signed signed my name (stupidly) on the original title under the registered owners name (who is not me).

Wtf is going to happen to me?
Bonus round: I also signed signed my name (stupidly) on the original title under the registered owners name (who is not me).

Wtf is going to happen to me?

Answer: Likely you need to refund the guys money and take the car back. You jumped title. The purchaser likely cannot register the car because of all the problems with the sale.


Title: My boss is truly Psychotic HELP me in Maryland!

Question:
Good Afternoon. I work at a company in Maryland. At this company I am a 2nd Shift Manager. I am very polite and respectful to all of my employees and co-workers.

The issue I am having is with my boss (who just so happens to be the operations manager at said location).  She is rude, disrespectful & uses words and actions that simply is completely inappropriate for any work environment. She will call people "Retarded" or "Idiots" "Stupid" "Crack Heads" "Dummies" in a malicious way. On top of this I have been working here for 7 months. As a Shift Manager I am supposed to be responsible for all aspects of operations during my shift. Instead she makes sure that she works 14-16 hour days so she can have as much control as possible. I want to call HR and switch locations as this is a VERY BIG COMPANY. Since starting this job her attitude and way of running the office has been so strong I have been to the doctor to go back on anxiety medication as simply my drive to work brings on the worst anxiety. As an employee of said "Company" would calling HR give me any leeway? I can not work for her any longer but can not afford to quit. I simply am fearful if I call HR she will be notified to change her actions and she will just make my life miserable until she finds someway to fire me &/or I quit due to her malicious attitude.

Can I demand they move me to another location?

Can I refuse to work with her?

What course of action should/can I take to move forward in this company and get away from her @ the same time.

Answer: You can discuss your issues with HR. But you don't have any legal right to demand anything. Many people in the working world have to deal with situations and people that are unpleasant. Plus the fact that you are stating that she is "truly psychotic" and yet describe nothing remotely psychotic means that you are likely being at least partially over-dramatic. If you are experiencing anxiety that is disabling then you can play that card and ask for an accommodation. However before doing so I would make sure that you visit your doctor, and have him or her be prepared to say that you have a disability, that you can perform the essential job functions but that you need an accommodation of a transfer. Keep in mind, once you take this route it is possible to paint yourself in a corner where a doctor says you can only perform the duties with this specific accommodation. If the company takes the position that they cannot accommodate the transfer because it is unreasonable you would be out of a job and then have to sue to have the issue answered. And it could cause problems with unemployment if the company argues you are not entitled to unemployment because you are disabled from any work. So the only real legal avenue is the disability argument but I would not recommend you pursue it without some legal counsel. Otherwise speak to HR but be prepared that they will likely support the supervisor. Good luck.


Title: [California] Landlord relocated me to a hotel but is still charging rent.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Do I have any legal basis to ask for waiver of my rent during my vacancy and reimbursement for my meals?

You can ask for a lower rent payment for the two weeks, but it's not guaranteed. As for food, he isn't required to reimburse you for that.

> If I am placed in an extended stay hotel, would I still be able to at least be reimbursed for my meal expenses if the room doesn't have a kitchen?

Probably not.

You should contact your renter's insurance. Most plans cover hotel cost & food while away from your place. That way, you could relocate to a hotel that you want and get some money for food.


Title: Absolutely livid with FedEx. What can I do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Why would you ship it without being paid? Sounds like an expensive lesson learned.


Title: Wedding related contact question

Question:
June of last year I hired a wedding planning service to take care of a destination wedding in Tennessee  for me. The wedding is a month from now, and I got a call telling me that the venue that was to host my reception has decided to cancel because they want to use the space for a different purpose.
I have a contract with the wedding planning service,  and they have a contract with the venue.

I have had no luck finding a viable venue that is available on the day we need.  So now I have lots of out of town guests coming to a wedding reception without a venue.  This has put me in a terrible situation, and I feel like these companies should be held responsible.
They agreed to return my money,  but that is it.
I did everything right by planning so far ahead,  and returning my money doesn't make me whole again because now I cannot find a last minute venue.
Can they do this?  What can I do?  What rights do I have?

Answer: What does the contract with the venue say about cancellation?  And you have already accepted a refund of money paid to them?


Title: [NYC] I have had no heat for two weeks

Question:
As the title says, I have had no heat in my apartment for two weeks now. It's only my apartment and no other units in the building are affected. I have been in contact with my landlord and they claim to be working on the problem.

Here is a timeline/summary:

Sunday Jan 13th: I returned from a weekend trip to find my heat wasn't working. I sent an email to my landlord and opened a work order on their website 1st thing Monday morning.

Mon Jan 14th- Wed Jan 16th: A repair company cited too much traffic on Monday, that it was "too cold to fix" on Tuesday, and no showed on Wednesday. I was provided with a space heater.

Thurs Jan 17- Fri Jan 18th: A new company was called and reported on Thursday that they were ordering a part for arrival on Friday. I returned from work Friday to find the heat seemingly working, and left for another weekend trip.

Sunday Jan 20th: Returned home to find the heat not working again. Reported the issue right away.

Monday Jan 21st- Thursday Jan 24th: The same repair company came out each day to refill the roof unit with Freon (at least that's what I'm told). Each day I was told my issue was resolved only to find it in the same condition when I got home from work. I can't report further issues until the next day because my landlord does not answer the phones after 5pm.

I stayed home from work Wednesday to see the repairs for myself and confirmed that the heat was working right after repairs, only to stop again after 2 hours. On Thursday I was told they were unable to do any work because of rain. I warned my landlord that I'd be traveling again for the weekend and I expected to be updated as work continued.

Friday Jan 25th- Present: I received one update on Friday that they suspect a Freon leak. How this took almost two weeks to diagnose is beyond me. Since then I have had no updates as apparently my landlord only operates 9-5 M-F. No work has been done this weekend as far as I can tell.

The landlord has been particularly hard to get a hold of. If I was not emailing and calling multiple times a day I'm positive I would have no response at all. They never proactively reach out to me. They've reported multiple times that the issue is resolved when it's not. And I've been told that I "need to relax and let them follow their process of elimination". I know for a fact that every day I have been without heat they are in violation of NYC tenancy codes. I've reported them to the city department of housing and development and hope to have an inspection done any day now. However, Today we're at two weeks and I'm ready to pursue legal options if that's what it takes to get them to prioritize my issue. I understand that this will likely ruin the relationship between myself and my landlord, but I'm at my wit's end. I don't plan on staying past the end of my lease on June 30th.

I just don't know what to do. I feel that they should care a lot more about this issue and I don't understand why it's not being given higher priority. I've already threatened to withhold rent and reported them to 311 twice.

Answer:
 Call 311 and file a complaint. The city will fine the landlord if they don’t correct the situation and inform you of your rights. Answer #2: Landlords in NYC are terrified of lawyers. Send an email explicitly saying they're violating the law, how long and all the evidence you have gathered. Then say, "I think we can resolve this situation amongst ourselves. I don't want to get another party involved in something so simple. I hope you can understand. Have a nice day."

All the NYC landlords I've ever done this to correct everything within a day. They are all doing something illegal and don't want anyone looking into them. Answer #3: Since you have already tried 311, you could try contacting your local council member via email or social media.Answer #4: Also, they may be required to pay to put you up somewhere else until it is fixed if the temperature is so low as to be "unliveable."  Threatening this might give them the incentive they need to take your complaint seriously.  I would check your local laws on that, for sure.


Title: A physician helped me become addicted to meth. Can I report him to a licensing board even though he wasn't treating me?

Question:
I am a recovering meth addict. Although I had already used meth before meeting him, there is a local physician who introduced me to the practice of intravenous use (aka "shooting up," or "slamming"). If you know anything about methamphetamine, you know that injection is the most addictive route of administration and it is dreadfully difficult to overcome.

I was not under his care, but he partially convinced me that it would be safe to do this with him because he is a physician.

Over the years, I have met many other men who have had similar experiences.

Now that I am in recovery, I am conflicted about whether to report him. If I thought I could do something to make sure that he couldn't do this to someone else, I would. don't know where I would begin.

Answer: You can file a complaint against the doctor with the state medical board.


Title: Should I take my former friend to small claims court over $300?

Question:
Throwaway because friends are Redditors. This all happened in Alabama.

A year ago I let a friend and his wife move into my home. The house is owned by my wife and I. Soon after I caught them smoking pot in my backyard. I told them that I will not put up with or allow that on my property.

Fast forward a month ago and this "friend" gets messed up on something and starts destroying my basement. A friend of mine managed to get him outside where he continued to yell, scream, assault my friend and threaten me, my wife and my neighbors. I was completely caught off guard and called the police and EMS. As I'm putting on clothes to go outside and handle the situation, he bursts through my front door, destroying it and the door frame. He ended up assaulting me and my friend before the police and EMS showed up.

His wife went and stayed with her parents that night because it scared her as well. I ended up kicking them out, and haven't spoken a word to him since. I didn't file a police report as they told me there was no reason to unless I was going to seek a warrant, which I'm not because he'll be a father soon. They assured me that all of the records are kept there in case I need them. I have kept contact with his wife, as she needed to come get their belongings, and I banned him from stepping foot on my property.

I have since replaced the door and frame. After parts and labor it's around $300 (I have all receipts.) They also wrecked my basement, from having a dog and leaving moldy food and such down there, it's going to have to be super cleaned. I've tried contacting her, and haven't heard anything since they got their belongings, and she blocked me and my wife on social media. What should we do? Should we seek small claims court or just forget it and move on.

TL;DR - Former friend whom I let live in my home while he got on his feet got messed up on drugs and destroyed my front door. What should I do?

Edit: Added location

Answer: Sometimes it's worth $300 to never have to see someone again.


Title: [CA] Was rear ended my a minor with no license while he was driving his mother's car

Question:
He had no license and was driving a car owned and insured by his mother. He tried to run but I caught him and called the police. They filed a report and I contacted the insurance (AAA) for the car that hit me. They advised that the insured had 30 days to respond to the claim.

Today I called to follow up and was advised that the claim was denied due to it not being a covered incident. They would not give me any more info since it is not my insurance company. My deductible is $1000 and I'd rather not pay it. I have gotten 2 separate quotes for the repair and both were $1100. The car is still ok to drive so its not urgent.

My question is, that since he was a minor and had no license, do I take his mom to small claims? Can I only ask for the $1100, or can include missed wages for having to go to court?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 You take the mother to court as the guardian of her son and as the owner of the car.  You can ask for missing wages but will almost certainly not get them.  Your best bet is to fix the car now so that you have an exact amount of damages.Answer #2: Best guess is it comes down to non-permissive use. The minor took off in the car without permission.

Anyway, call your insurance company. California's collision deductible waiver waives your deductible if you're hit by a negligent uninsured motorist. Your insurance company can then sue the driver/his mother for the damages.


Title: Guessing there's an old default judgement against me; how to resolve it?

Question:
12 years ago; I (and my dog) got badly hurt when I was assaulted.  I ended up with vet bills and medical bills and other bills and I paid some, but not others.

Depression kicked my butt, pretty much - and then feeling like garbage for screwing things up made me more alienated and avoidant.

I've paid off a bunch of debts, but not all - and I honestly don't even know what I owe.  In the last few months, I've run my credit reports, and I thought that'd be a moment of truth, but the two reports I've gotten just show me as having 0 credit,but no accounts in collections

Somewhere around 5 years ago; I got a summons to go to court by a creditor or collections agency (I'm pretty sure it was a creditor, because that's the only kind of trouble I have) I went to the wrong court - and then got sent to the correct court, and then was late and didn't stay to try to get anything done for myself.  So, I know I defaulted on something.

Now, I imagine that some several hundred or thousand something debt is tens of thousands.  I feel like shit but I want to get it taken care of.  How do I do this without creating a worse situation for myself?

Answer:
 Go to that court and ask if there's a default judgment against you. It's possible they entered default (creditor wins) but never entered a default judgment (creditor is entitled to $X,XXX.XX). I suspect this because it's not showing up on your credit report and you apparently haven't been contacted since. They may have forgotten or given up after the entry of default.

MA has a 20-year statute of limitations on enforcing judgments, so you're still at risk, but I do not know MA's procedural rules on the deadline for seeking a default judgment after entry of default.

If there is a debt out there that you owe but cannot pay, negotiation with the creditor is one option, bankruptcy is another.


Title: What's it called when the party with the deeper pocket in a suit causes ridiculous delays to bankrupt the opponent?

Question:
San Diego, CA: I'm going to small claims soon and I have all my documents in line that will prove my case without a doubt. Except I know they will appeal and BS their way out of things because of their lawyers etc.

Edit: Failed to mention, I meant small claims appeals and lawyers.

Answer:
 Lawyers cannot represent people in CA small claims courts. (Is this a claim against a person or a corporation?)

> I have all my documents in line that will prove my case without a doubt

Come back here after it's over and update us on how it went.


Title: [International law] Committing a crime in a country where it's legal

Question:
I'm not really seeking for advice but I always had this question and don't know where to ask, so I'm sorry if this is not the right place.

So let's suppose that I'm an US citizen, I take a trip to Portugal where drug use is decriminalized, use a lot of cocaine and ecstasy, then come back to the US and tell all my friends about all the drugs that I used. Could the US prosecute me, even if they had evidence?

Supposing that I'm the same US citizen, now I take a trip to Kuwait where there's no age of consent laws and I can legally have sex with a child if I'm married to them, so I pay some money to arrange a marriage, legally have sex with an 8 year old child and then come back to the US. Once in the US I tell all my friends about what I did, and again the government have undeniable evidence that I had sex with a child. Could I be prosecuted?

Now, I'm not asking this because I want to do it but I heard about this kind of sexual tourism and wonder which legal devices are there to stop it from happening.

Thank you

Answer:
 Generally yes, jurisdiction resides in the country where an act is performed, so if it's not a crime in that jurisdiction then it isn't a crime. There are exceptions to this, for example if you participate in a conspiracy to commit a crime in one country whilst residing in another (although this usually means terrorism and then the CIA just whacks you with a drone).

However the big exception is actually one of your examples, child sex tourism. Many countries such as the [United States](https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/bureau-initiative-focuses-on-child-sex-tourism-1) and [Australia](https://www.afp.gov.au/what-we-do/crime-types/child-protection/travelling-child-sex-offenders) amoungst others will investigate and prosecute their citizens if they travel abroad to commit sex offenses against children, regardless of the local laws on the matter.


Title: (Oregon) - My husband is in jail for a felony probation violation and has 2 charges of domestic assault. I need help.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Experienced PDs are some of the best criminal lawyers you'll ever find. I have three colleagues on my mental "call if arrested" list, and every one of them is a PD.

The main difference in the quality of service between a PD and a retained lawyer is in the hand-holding services the latter provides. Your husband is a frequent flyer, so he doesn't need that any longer.


Title: [WA] MMJ patient. Took suggestion from a dispensary and ended up sick from hydrogen cyanide.

Question: I’m a medical cannabis patient in the state of Washington where cannabis is legal for recreational use. I took a suggestion from a certain dispensary and ended up getting very sick. Blood and urine tests came back and I was told that I must have ingested something with cyanide. My jaw about hit the floor. I’m thinking it’s something I ate but then I actually thought about it and ended up checking the packaging from the item I bought from the dispensary. There was no pesticide results, and I’m used to seeing those on every package I buy from my normal caregivers. Long story short, I sent what was left of the product to an in state analytics testing facility and sure enough the results came back with a certain fungicide that, when heated, produces hydrogen cyanide. It was way over the parts per million or something allowed. Anyways.. a friend suggested this sub so I was hoping somebody could weigh in?? Much appreciated.

Answer: Speak with an attorney. You may have a case here, as enough of that stuff to get someone sick is absolutely way out of line for a licensed dispensary to have going on.


Title: Travel laws and third world countries

Question:
I had no idea where to ask this, so I decided to take it to the offtopic subreddit.

I'm an Iraqi citizen, recently graduated, who's saving up money to try and go marry my girlfriend who's in Spain (spanish and brazilian citizen).

I'm having my doubts on whether or not it's even possible, legal, or something I can afford to do.

How much paperwork, and how much money would it cost for me to become a Spanish resident and marry my Spanish girlfriend?

Answer:
 You should post over in /r/LegalAdviceEurope.

But broadly, the answer to all your questions is probably "a lot".Answer #2: Immigration is country-specific. In your case, you'd be specifically interested in the rules around immigrating to Spain - Iraq's laws are only relevant if they prevent you from leaving the country, or if Iraq has a treaty with Spain or with the EU that applies to you.

You and your intended should sit down with a Spanish immigration lawyer and talk about your options. It does look like Spain has a process for Spanish nationals to sponsor their spouses for immigration, but how expensive, time-consuming, and complicated it is isn't something we can guess at. Talking to a professional early in the process will help you plan and help you understand the tradeoffs, and may reveal other options.


Title: Who Is Responsible For Suicide Cleanup Costs?

Question:
My brother committed suicide a few days ago. He ended his life in his room, in the place he was renting. This happened in Seattle, WA if it makes a legal difference.

The landlord apparently called a cleanup service to get a quote. The cleanup service just called my mom and informed her that she would have to pay the bill if she wanted him to clean the apartment. It would cost \~$1,000.

Who's responsibility is it to handle the cleaning costs of such an event & can you cite an applicable penal code?

Also, how would security deposit and other common renting fees come into play?

Answer:
 The estate is responsible for the costs. Not your mother. Despite what the LL says.

I’m sorry for your loss.


Title: [NYC]-family law. I am pregnant and my husband and I are worried about his ex regarding child support

Question: My husband pays his ex-wife child support for their kid. It is an amount she wanted but we know it does not equal the 17%. My husband is worried that when the ex finds out I'm pregnant she will file for more support. Is there any way we can prevent this? Am I able to file for support from him and that way if she files she wont get as much? I'm in the dark. Also for those wondering, my husband does not want to pay more bc the ex spends it on herself, he has no problem buying whatever the kid needs. We live in NYC. The ex and kid live in PA. My husband used to live in PA

Answer: No you cannot stop someone from filing to have support reviewed, nor can you stop the court from applying the proper guideline. No you cannot file for support against someone you are married to.


Title: I stole from Wal-Mart and have a pre-trial meeting with the prosecutor today at 1:30pm Central time. Advice for ahow to negotiate would be appreciated.

Question:
--Basic info--

Location: MIssouri; specifically, Boone County
I stole less than a felony amount of groceries from Wal-Mart about a month ago. It was $210 worth which includes some alcohol. I am 20 years old and this is my first offense of any kind. I am a University Student and I am employed. I stole by putting merchandise in shopping bags and putting them in a cart and attempting to roll out with it. I believe this is technically concealment. I did it because I was hungry and didn't have any money after paying off bills for college and a doctor visit.

My questions:

- How can I go about negotiating with the prosecutor in my pre-trial hearing? What things can I ask for? What deals should I take/ not take?

- Is there any way for this to not go on my record?

- Obviously a big problem for me is that I have no money. Is there options that I can discuss with the prosecutor as far as paying off fines and court costs?

- Is getting a Suspended Inquisition of Sentence still viable? Does that keep this off my record?

Thank you in advance for any advice or help.

--Update: Just went to court and got an SIS. The terms are 15 hours community service, probation, and a class. After that it is not a conviction on my record. Thanks for the advice to those who were constructive and helpful!

Answer:
 >I did it because I was hungry

Yes, alcohol is a great cure for hunger

>How can I go about negotiating with the prosecutor in my pre-trial hearing? What things can I ask for? What deals should I take/ not take?

You hire an attorney or get a public defender.  If you don't want to do that, ask for anything you want.  An attorney will know what deals are reasonable or available in that court.  Don't tell the prosecutor you stole alcohol due to hunger.  If you are that hungry you can go to a food pantry, church, etc.

I can't answer the other questions, as I don't practice there.  Some courts will let a person due jail in lieu of fine ($25 - $50/day is pretty standard in my area)


Title: Signed a year lease to rent a room and we've been evicted two months into it. (NYC)

Question:
So I'm renting a room from a guy that's lived in this apartment for years. I signed a year lease with him that we had notarized and it has certain expectations of me as a tenant (paying rent on time, cleaning, etc.). Two months into it I find out he owes the landlord in excess of $8,000, and the only reason I found this out is because the locks have been changed because of failure to pay.

He's promising to pay the landlord whatever he can to get us back in but I need to know if this invalidates the lease agreement I signed with him. I also gave him a $1000 security deposit (which he obviously doesn't have), so I'm curious if I would have to take him to court to get that back?

Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 If the eviction hasn't gone through, then the landlord is not legally allowed to lock you out of the apartment. Try calling the landlord, and explain that you were renting from your roommate, and didn't know about the eviction. The landlord might be nice and let you back in to get your stuff. If he won't, find out if you were legally evicted, and if not, contact the police and explain that you were illegally locked out of your apartment.

As for the money from your roommate, yes, you will probably have to sue him to get it back. Discuss it with him first and insist he pays you back. He probably won't, but you need to take that step first.


Title: [CT] Drinking milk and then paying for it?

Question: Are there any places where drinking milk in the store and then paying for it at the checkout is legal? If so where can I do it?

Answer:
 I am guessing you are trying to find a legal way to do one of those idiotic internet challenges in which you wish to appear as though you’ve taken a chug from milk and put it back.  If this is not what you are trying to achieve, please explain what you hope to accomplish by consuming goods a proprietor has no reason to believe you intend to pay for.

If this is what you hope to achieve, even if you find a legal way to do it, you cause harm to store owners by weakening consumer confidence that their products are safe and inconveniencing the hell out of the rest of us who have to get an employee to unlock a freezer full of ice cream.


Title: I may have a judgment against me. Are my assets in my personal account safe from seizure if my business is an LLC?

Question: This case revolves around worker's comp coverage in NY. The State fund is suing me for 20k for unpaid premiums even though I was covered by another company prior to cancelation with them. What's stopping me from transferring my assets from my business account to my personal account?

Answer:
 A lot of people are totally missing the point here.  The fact that you have a LLC is completely and utterly irrelevant here.  New York law specifically [tells us that company officers / LLC members are personally liable for a failure to secure and pay worker's compensation insurance](http://www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/Employers/noncompliancePenalty.jsp).

To answer your question: First, the transfer (as others mentioned) would be a fraudulent conveyance.  The state could sue you and get a judgment with penalties that's worth significantly more than $20,000.  Second, [the state could charge you with a crime right now](http://www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/Employers/nonCompliancePenalties.jsp).  If you do something stupid, like what you're suggesting, it's possible that the fund could decide to play hard ball and refer the case for consideration by a prosecutor.  That could mean felony charges for you.

This isn't a joke, you need an attorney to stop you from doing something that will render your business insolvent and you in jail.


Title: Insurance claim made against me

Question: There was an insurance claim made against me for $17,000, I am a totally broke college student and I am freaking out.

Answer:
 That is awful.

Maybe if you provide some information and (GASP) a *question* we can try to point you in the right direction.