Title: We had signed up to be a vendor at a big expo in Chicago last July. It was canceled, and we were promised (by multiple people) full reimbursement by September 30th. We have not been reimbursed at all, and were told today that the company cannot reimburse us.

Question:
This will probably be long. I'll try to use paragraphs effectively.

My husband and I own a tiny business making dog clothes in Wisconsin. We do lots of small local shows, where the vendor fee is typically around $50, and we usually walk away with $600-$800. Last summer, we decided to take a chance, and we paid the $450 vendor fee for this huge two-day pet expo in Chicago.

We booked the hotel, bought all the stuff we'd need for the expo, spent weeks working 16+ hours a day to make enough inventory so that we could do really well at the expo, etc.

We were told we could get to the expo center the day before (Friday) to set up, so we did. We drove the two hours down to Schaumburg, only to find the hall full of nuns (some Catholic event was going on), and after standing around with dozens of other confused vendors, we were told we wouldn't be able to set up that day, and that we'd instead have to come back early the next morning to get ready.

So, we drove the two hours back home, and spent the rest of the evening prepping for the next day. At about 9:30 that night, we got a call from the organizer of the expo, informing us that the event was canceled altogether. We were one of the lucky ones; some vendors, we learned later, weren't called at all. The reason we were given for the cancelation was something something insurance something.

The organizers of the expo emailed the vendors a week or two later, with an insurance claim to fill out, which we did. We outlined all of our expenses, and were promised prompt reimbursement of both our business expenses and the $450 vendor fee we'd paid.

Months went by without word from anyone. Finally, after multiple attempts, we received a response from someone, apologizing for the delay, outlining a bunch of bullshit excuses, and then promising full reimbursement by their insurance company by September 30th. She assured us that, if we hadn't received payment from insurance by then, that the expo company would reimburse us themselves.

Meanwhile, the expo company posted some long-winded statement on their website (which has since been removed), detailing some melodramatic internal chaos that was apparently the actual cause of the event being canceled. To sum up their bizarre explanation, some ultra conservative had infiltrated their business and was angry about all the diversity in their employment, so she deleted all their files, and deleted all their backup files, to punish them for hiring POC and LGBTQ+ employees, apparently, in Jesus' name Amen.

So, more months go by. (In my mind right now, I'm imagining one of those calendars, with all the sheets of paper flying off, representing days going by, like old black and white movies.)

Anyway, we got a call today from the owner (?) of the expo company. He was full of bullshit, and that's, I think, a kind way of putting it. In short, the company is unable to reimburse us because they do not have the money to do so. He said their reimbursement money is tied up in insurance, and until they get that, they cannot reimburse the vendors. He refuted the previous statement from their website, the one about the ultra conservative nut being responsible for the cancelation. He also lied multiple times, about multiple different things, and then lied about the lies.

So...what can we do about this? I had actually resigned myself to eating the expenses from this debacle, UNTIL the guy called and spouted condescending bullshit at me for 30 minutes, and then tried to garner my sympathy by telling me how he had to sell his car, and how his dog died, and how people are mad at him, etc. Now I want my money back, with a vengeance...and interest, but that might be a pipe dream.

He discouraged me from seeking legal representation, because they *meant* to have this event, and had paid money to have it, and they can prove that they weren't just trying to steal money from vendors with no intention to hold an actual expo. He said that, because they can prove that, there's nothing I can legally do, because actually THEY are the injured party here, not the vendors.

It's not a ton of money, but I just want my couple thousand dollars back. It feels as though this big expo company is bullying us around because they know we don't have the resources, as a small business, to really dispute anything they do or say. Like, they can dodge our phone calls and emails for months, or they can refuse to reimburse us after telling us they will, or they can outright lie to us about what's going on, and there's nothing we can do about it. So, I want to do something about it, but I'd like to know what I can do.

You made it to the end! Thanks for reading.

I flaired this insurance, but I'm not sure if that's accurate, so if there's a more appropriate flair I should be using, please let me know.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 Dog Law specialist here.

Your options are to sue them for what you paid them in small claims court.

I wish you well; the world needs more dog clothes.


Title: Verizon Fios contractor destroyed lawn and sprinkler system. Do we go to Verizon's insurance? The contractor? Small claims? [NJ]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: if you do not get a response from the contractor who did the work, or from Verizon (both of whom you should be contacting) the next step is the contractor's board for your city/state, and or city inspectors. But, 2 days is not a terribly long time to wait to get a response back, it is ok to call more than once, I would really bang on Verizon.......but, beware, if your sprinkler lines run through the easement, you might not get much if any succor.


Title: My Dad is forcing me to work extra days and hours at work

Question: Im 15 male. My dad is friends with my boss at a Pizza shop, I work 3 days a week at minimum wage, 10 hours a week. My dad is making me go early for the entire day, everyday until school starts, without any pay except for the 3 days and 10 hours that i get paid for. Then he's threatning to make me work during school on the weekends, 10 hours a weekend. This is really exploitative, and i want to do something about it. My boss is a nice guy and my dad says, this is "training" What can I do legally to counter this?

Answer: Training you to accept less than you deserve? No. It's illegal to not pay you for those hours you worked.


Title: [TX] Found pictures of myself on a fetish tumblr site...

Question:
I've never lurked around in r/legaladvice but I'm hope that someone will know how to deal with internet issues..

Basically my friend texted me today saying she had found pictures of me (Female, 24y/o) on a fetish tumblr page.. daddy/daughter and incest porn. Of course I immediately freaked out and go on the site that she sends. There are about 15 pictures of me ages 14-17. The pictures of myself aren't anything inappropriate, they are just of my face. I *think* that they are taken off of facebook but I'm not sure because I don't remember posting some of them on Facebook. I went to my Facebook privacy settings and saw that my profile is set on maximum security to anyone who I'm not friends with, so I don't know how they could have gone through my pictures.
What is disturbing about the posts is that they are altered with speech bubbles saying how much I want to get fucked by my dad/uncle/brother. There are pictures taken with the poster's dick in front of my mouth and cumming on pictures of me. The posts are even tagged with my fucking name ughhhh or "my daughter [my name]". I know its not my actual dad, brother or uncle because I don't recognize the hands, dick, or background (Thank GODDD). There is also one picture of my twin sister's face photoshopped onto someone's naked body but I haven't talked to her about this because I know she would flip shit.

Anyways.. what the hell do I do?! This poster dude is obviously a creep and perv but the pictures of myself that are used aren't like child porn or anything. He is just being extremely lewd with them and I do not want that kind of shit up. The pictures are already getting several reblogs and likes and I don't want this to spread. If anyone can give me any advice, please help out! I don't know whether to go to the cops, Tumblr, or the poster himself but my end goal is for them to be taken down and not to be used anymore.

Thanks in advance guys..

*Edit: By saying I didn't recognize the dick, I meant that I know it isn't anyone I've slept with either. I know the person is not related to me by their hands and skin color. Basically I don't recognize this dude from anywhere in my life but it seems like he knows exactly who I am which creeps me out.

Answer:
 1.  Tumblr reporting for harm to minors/abuse/offensive.

2.  If you took the photos, Tumblr DMCA takedown.

As a side note, I'm fairly sure I wouldn't recognize the dick of any relative in a photo... so that sounded pretty weird.Answer #2: You can try [reporting the post here](https://www.tumblr.com/abuse/minors) (click the "Report harm to minors" link).


Title: Mother has a crazy person living with her for the past few years as a handyman. Looking to evict him. He has no lease and doesn't pay rent. This is in Chicago. What am I up against as far as tenants' rights? Can I kick him out effective immediately?

Answer:
 You cannot kick him out effective immediately.

Does he have a lease?  If so, then you can't kick him out until the lease is up or until you file for eviction for cause.

If he does not have a lease, then you can give him 30 days notice to leave(no reason needed) and if he doesn't, you can then file for eviction.


Title: [Oregon, Hillsboro] HOA enforcing no parking on public streets

Question:
I moved into a new development about a week ago. The HOA I live in has included in their CC&Rs a rule that prohibits street parking for those who own property within the HOA. Recently, they have been going around and placing "Friendly Reminders" that no street parking is allowed. After a couple frinedly reminders, they will begin to fine the homeowner. However, they're simply placing the reminder on the windshield of a car and recording the address of the residence the car is parked in front of, regardless of if the owner parked there or not.

My question is does the HOA have the ability to regulate parking on a public street in the City of Hillsboro, Oregon? If they are, can they assess fines on a homeowner based solely on a car being in front of their house, regardless of if they are the owner of that car or not?

Thanks!

Answer: I think having your friends park in front of the HOA President/Board members houses will get this policy rescinded quick.


Title: [SC] I am renting an apartment to undocumented immigrants on my property

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 There's no requirement for you to verify tenants, nor is it illegal for you to accept their cash. You're not going to jail. Answer #2: You're 100% fine. There were a few select towns in Texas that made it illegal for landlords to rent to undocumented immigrants; the ordinances were ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.

Enjoy your day.Answer #3: OP, please keep in mind that even if you are being paid in cash, you still have to report this as rental income to the IRS when you file your taxes. You won't need to include any of your tenants details, but just keep in mind that this is reportable income regardless of how it is paid.


Title: (Lubbock, Tx) Trying to kick out ex girlfriend, who isn't on the lease.

Question:
I live in an apartment in Lubbock Texas. I made the mistake of letting my girlfriend move in after she was evicted from her house. She was supposed to stay three months tops. She is not on the lease. Three months have passed and we are now broken up. She is a constant burden to my roommate and I. She is now bringing her new boyfriend over, which we are not comfortable with. She said she doesn't have to leave because she has been there over a month. Is this true? Can we kick her out?

I'm sorry about formatting. I'm on mobile.

Answer:
 She's a tenant. Specifically, she's _your_ tenant. You'll have to follow the process for terminating her tenancy, and you'll likely have to take her to court if she still won't leave. She became a tenant the moment the two of you agreed that she could live there.

Give her [30 days' notice before the last day of the month, in writing](http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/PR/htm/PR.91.htm). If you give her notice today, then she should leave no later than October 31st.


Title: My dad has dedicated his life to conservation and environmentalism. He thinks that we should start a class action lawsuit from we the citizens of Planet Earth against Donald Trump for the threat he poses to our planet. How possible is this?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Troll Post

Answer:
 This is the stupidest thing I've read in the last hour. Congratulations.

Oh and no, that's not going to succeed at all. It's a stupid idea.


Title: I really want to vote but I also don't want to commit voter fraud. (Texas)

Question: I really want to vote in the midterm elections but I living situation recently changed but I haven't (and likely won't) update my address by the time midterms hit for unrelated reason. I assume that voting in elections that I technically don't live in the districts for anymore would be illegal, right? But what if I only voted for statewide elections and left the rest of the ballot empty?

Answer: You have until October 9 to register at your new address. It is indeed considered [voter fraud](https://www.versustexas.com/criminal/voter-fraud-in-texas/) to vote in a jurisdiction where you no longer live. Texas does prosecute people for it, so it's best to just update your registration.


Title: A detactive called me and im 16

Question: I posted this on another form https://redd.it/4qw1eo but new things have come forth, I swapped consensual nudes with a girl 2 yeras yourger than me over the phone and I think this is how they got my number, there calling from the same towns police office, its the most logical thing, im wipoing my phone, computer, and facebook of Anything potentialy incriminating, but i need to know, he only knows its me from the town i live in, with my phone numbewr, he doesnt know anything else, the quicker i could get help, the better

Answer: Talk. To your parents. ASAP.


Title: [M25 PA]Sucker punched in a bar last night. Two missing teeth and face/lip injuries. What is my next step and what can I expect from all of this?

Question:
Last night I was in a small local bar. I go there often. Later into the night I began talking to a girl, who was friends with an ex girlfriend of mine. She is there with her boyfriend and I have no interest in this girl romantically. She is explaining to me how she thinks I should resolve my differences with my ex. Regardless, moments after talking to her I vaguely remember a quick exchange of words and her boyfriend sucker punching me in the teeth. I can't remember if I fell or what happened after that. I was told his buddies grabbed him and they quickly left. The bar owner was as helpful as possible. Helped me get my things together and drove me to the nearby police station and gave them a flash drive with video evidence of the sucker punch. The police gave me a complaint form and said contact them Tuesday, with Memorial Day weekend approaching. The boyfriend who threw the punch texted me later in the night apologizing and saying he would help with some of the medical costs.

Now not to sound like a complete dick, but I want to receive the absolute most legal and financial benefit from this as possible. My front bottom two teeth are broken off and I have a gash on my
lip. He is a notoriously jealous person and has sucker punched others for simply talking to his girlfriend. I work in sales and have missing teeth/facial gashes will absolutely have an impact on my work life.

Should I contact an injury lawyer? We are both around 25. I'm assuming he makes a decent living. I have several witnesses, security footage, and texts admitting the act. I appreciate any help!

http://imgur.com/myzY61n

http://imgur.com/QSMDFSh

Answer:
 just follow up with the police. consult a personal injury atty, but it might be too small beans for them. in that case you can sue in small claims for your costs. doubt you'll get more than that (punitive damages) w/o hiring a lawyer. Answer #2: Normally, I would say pursue civilly since he was apologetic and you can recover your costs; however, seeing as this doesn't appear to be atypical behavior for him, maybe what he needs is a prosecution to stop him from doing this again.

Follow up with the police, don't know all the details but if it was to the point you chipped your teeth, they'll (the DA) probably prosecute. If that's the case, ask the DA or victim advocate (whoever you talk to from the DA's office) if you can have them demand restitution as part of any plea agreement or sentence. Saves you the trouble of having to file this yourself civilly if they can get that for you.Answer #3: File a police report, then get your medical bills together. If he didn't pay take the police report, medical bills and the text admitting guilt to small claims court.


Title: Dog died after vet preformed surgery with bad bloodwork.

Question:
I’m not sure if this is the right place to post but I need help. This is about my family dog that past tonight. This morning we took him to the vet for some uncontrollable bleeding in his eye that started suddenly. They said they could remove a mass near his rear end while they have him under even though it wasn’t what we asked for. My dad was the one there at the time and doesn’t know how to say no, so he agreed.

My mother and I picked him up after the surgery and the vet said he was fine but showed us the bloodwork they did before the surgery with revealed an extremely low platelet count which for those who don’t know is the thing in blood that makes clots, and not having them is very serious. Me and my mom knew this was off because when we took another one of our dogs to this vet and something in the bloodwork was off, they contacted us and refused to preform surgery.  His bloodwork is [here](https://imgur.com/gallery/qoX1F8L) The vet assured us that it was okay cause she gave him a vitamin K shot to help the blood clot and sent us with pills of that and antibiotics.

The bloodwork shows 5. It’s supposed to be between 175 and 500. He seemed to be loosing energy through the three hours he was home but we assumed it was the drugs they gave him for surgery. Then he died, covered in blood in the surgical areas and out of his mouth.  The most blood was coming from the rear incision and that entire area is protruding with blood and five times larger than usual, making it very clear what the cause of death was.

Is there any legal action we can take against this vet for doing surgery when it’s clear to me that they shouldn’t have? The surgery and meds cost us over 800 plus 200 more from the initial consult. And before all of this the dog was fine, and the mass on the rear end wasn’t bothering him, and I can’t help but feel they did that second cutting because they wanted more money, otherwise they would have just done a biopsy.

Sorry if this is all over the place it’s been a long night and I’m on mobile. Any help will be greatly appreciated

Answer: You might be able to recover the cost of the surgery. Check with a local attorney.


Title: Louisiana. Ex wants to charge me with theft over my phone.

Question: I bought it over a year ago with him, while we were living together. He has been paying for the line for the last year. He is insisting that he paid for it but I remember paying for it. He says he has the receipt for it, but that's because we were living together and he kept it after he kicked me out of our apartment. He also pulled up a charge on his card that he claims was the payment for the phone, but I saw it and I know that it is just the charge for turning the line on. Neither one of thsee things are proof that he bought the phone. The only thing he's been doing it paying for the phone line. We never agreed that he would get the phone after and it's been in my possession for over a year. Can he really charge me with theft?

Answer:
 He can't charge you with anything. He can file a police report and the police will investigate and turn over what they find to the prosecutor, who will determine whether or not there is enough there to substantiate criminal charges.

Why don't you find proof that you paid for it? You should be able to find it in your card statements if you used a debit or credit card.


Title: Custody battle of younger sister

Question:
My half sister is 6 years old and I am in my 20's. My mom and her ex boyfriend are currently in a custody battle. The ex boyfriend is not fit to be a parent in my opinion. He has been emotionally abusive to all of us. He tells my little sister to be scared of the doctors, that she will get cancer from eating cheese, that she will get parasites from going outside without shoes, that she can't trust anybody and the list goes on and on.

I have been asked to write about my experiences living with this man throughout my teen years by my moms lawyer. I have a million things to say and plenty of examples but I don't know how this should look. Should I focus on specific examples of negative things he has done or should I focus more on an overall negative emotional experience? I don't know what courts are really looking for in custody cases so any advice on how this written piece should look would be so appreciated.

Answer: Ask your moms lawyer. They will be able to tell you what they need.


Title: (NJ) Another tenant entered apartment after cleaning service left door unlocked and is refusing to take all of his things.

Question:
Today my sister is to move into a new apartment, however when they got there it turned out a different tenant had begun to move his things from a different apartment to theirs about a week ago.  It turns out that the cleaning service for the apartment left the door unlocked, and this dirtbag of a person thought it was OK for him to start moving his things from a different apartment in the complex to theirs, (bed, sofa, tv, etc).

He is claiming there is a leak in his apartment and the company didn't fix it in time, so he is afraid of mold growing and his health.  Fortunately the super is working to get his things removed, however he is claiming that he will leave his bed there as "collateral" to make sure the leak in his gets fixed.

Why he didn't just go to a hotel room and withhold the money from his rent or bill the company, I do not know.

My questions are, does he have the right to keep his mattress in their apartment? Can't they just put it outside their apartment because even if he did qualify for squatters rights (does he really? it's only been a week) he has relinquished his possession of the apartment willingly, so they should have no obligation to hold onto his things for him?

Any help is appreciated!

Answer:
 What did the landlord say?

No, he doesn't have the right to take over your sister's apartment on a whim. However, if he moved in before your sister took possession of the apartment, I'd argue that the apartment was not ready or vacant on the start of the lease date and was thus unfit for occupancy. We're not talking about a plate left behind in a cupboard or an unclean sink; we're talking about someone's mattress being left there.

She should mention that to the landlord, because this is the landlord's problem: "My lease says I'm supposed to take possession of the apartment on August 1. Another party has already moved in. If this isn't resolved by 5pm today, I'll consider you in default of the lease and I'll expect a full and prompt refund of my deposit and application fee."Answer #2: This isn't your sister's issue to resolve (although it's clearly causing a problem for her), but the landlord's. She needs to call the landlord a politely/firmly tell the landlord the other tenant's remaining possessions need to be removed and confirm that with the landlord that it will be done ASAP (as in she needs to get a specific day on when this will be done by).Answer #3: The LL has breached the lease by not giving her an apartment to take possession of on the move in date.

She should be be telling the LL to get this sorted. It's not her problem in the slightest, and they owe her an apartment based on the signed lease agreement.


Title: Could bail be set higher if the judge thinks I'm suicidal?

Question: I think this happened to me. While in police custody, the fact that I was currently on xanax was ignored completely causing me to go into psychosis from benzo withdrawal and attempt suicide. Because of this, I believe bail was set much higher. This is unconstitutional because I'm being deprived of equal protection under the US law. I would like to sue the State Department for this deprivation of right to fast trial. Yet however, I do not have the means to do that because of my financial situation.

Answer:
 That's neither an equal protection violation nor a speedy trial violation. It may or may not be unlawful under the excessive bail clause or unlawful under the relevant bail statute (bail, under the eighth amendment, is supposed to be the minimum to ensure someone returns to court, and no more) but your remedy for that would be a bail review hearing at the next higher court, not a lawsuit, let alone against the State Department, which has precisely zero to do with setting bail. Answer #2: A judge would be more inclined to give you a court mandated mental health evaluation instead of a higher bond.

Chances are there are other reasons your bond is high (nature of the crime/criminal history/other factors).

Have you talked to your criminal defense lawyer about this yet?  (which is likely your public defender)
Answer #3: If a defendant is psychotic, I think it's entirely appropriate to take that into account when considering whether the defendant will endanger the public or miss court dates if released. I'm not sure I follow how this implicates your speedy trial rights -- if anything defendants in custody tend to get priority in trial scheduling. Nor am I clear how you think the State Department is involved. At any rate, if your place of confinement lets you post to reddit, the conditions don't sound too onerous to me.


Title: (California) Can I place an expiration date on a Gift Certificate if it isn't "sold"?

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice. We're having a dispute involving Gift Certificates and want to make sure we're in compliance with the law, but our research hasn't turned up anything definitive one way or the other.

I run a resort in northern California. Quite often we get cancellations and charge a small fee, however sometimes we offer the guest the option of taking a Gift Certificate for the full amount instead, so they avoid the cancellation fee and we avoid the credit card transaction costs of a refund.

However, because we don't consider these Gift Certificates to have been directly "sold" to the guest, i.e. they're getting it because they're canceling the room, NOT because they gave us money for it, we usually put a 1 year expiration date on it.

According to Civil Code Section 1749.5(a):

>It is unlawful for any person or entity to sell a gift certificate to a purchaser that contains any of the following: (1) An expiration date, etc

But does this apply to Gift Certificates that aren't "sold" as well? Or are we just equivocating?

Thanks!

Answer: You're equivocating.  You have their money and they have a gift certificate.  Good luck convincing a judge that that *isn't* a sale.  Now, if you handed these out as a result of some non-monetary issue, you could get away with an expiration date.  Like "sorry for the construction noise, here's a voucher for a free night"


Title: Can a licensed lawyer in the USA that's lurking around answer my debt/death question please?

Question:
Will someone knowledgeable in financial matters about what happens to the consumer debts of a single non-dependent individual if they were to die?

What I'm really getting at is, does my family have any responsibility for it/does anyone have any right to go after them for the liability (cc debt and collections) if i were to die?

I think I just repeated myself just using different words.  Please excuse my lack of put-togetherness atm.

Answer:
 Hey not sure if this applies but if you are having suicidal thoughts call someone.

Here is the number for the hotline 8558202765


Title: Nurse forged signature of Doctor on prescriptions for herself.

Question:
Hi everyone. I recently started my first real job in a small local doctor's office(CT, USA) A couple weeks ago, the nurse on staff here asked me to drop off a prescription(for Ritalin) at the nearby pharmacy for her. I was already going right next door to pick up lunches for the office so thought nothing of it and wanted to give a good impression as I had just started working there.

Today I found out that the prescription I brought in had been forged by the Nurse and not written by the doctor. On top of that, she had/has forced the girls in the front desk to verify all questions from the pharmacy regarding her prescriptions. She is also suspected of having stolen Ritalin from one of the girls in the office, been drunk on the job, intentionally treated patients poorly, intentionally given drugs prescribed and designated for certain patients to other patients, etc etc. The list goes on and on; all the awful things you can imagine, she's done. On top of all that I just found out one of the girls who works here is NOT another nurse as everyone, myself and patients included, would believe but instead an old receptionist whom the nurse is treatening/backmailing. This receptionist has handled patient materials, including setting up infusions and helped in procedures she clearly should not be doing.

I don't know what to do with all of this. Where should I report this information? How can I protect myself from the fallout of this? Can I be fired for reporting the nurse?(I'm already looking for new work but can't support myself if I lose this job at the moment) Can I report anonymously and would that reduce the chance the complaint is investigated? Can future employers hold this against me?

I tried to google reporting nurses but only found ways to report actions of nurses against patients. I couldn't find anything about forged prescriptions or forcing the receptionist to do her job etc.

Thank you all for any advice. I'm freaking out and don't know what to do. I'm sorry if this isn't the best spot for this kind of question. Thanks!

*Edit: The Doctor(my boss) is also in a relationship(10+ years), but not married, with the nurse in question and must know at least some of her activities even if he isn't aware of the full scope. I don't believe going to him would end in anything other than my termination.

Answer:
 NOT LEGAL ADVICE: It is very probable that filing the DEA report would result in the doctor losing his medical license.  It is his name and DEA# on the prescription.  Ritalin is a controlled substance in CT, and not only is the Doctor AND the nurse's necks on the line for the forgery, but the pharmacist could also be in trouble if he knew that the prescription was a forgery and filled it anyway.

If I were you, I would brush off your resume since it appears that you are going to be job hunting one way or the other.

[The correct term for this is Drug Diversion.](http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/858971)Answer #2: not legal advice....more so than usual.

i would really think about what you're about to get involved with.  i was on board until i read your edit regarding the doctor having a 10+ year relationship with the nurse in question.  to me, that changes quite a bit.

if i was in your position i would ensure that i could report this anonymously and without suspicion of *any* involvement.  i would fear what a doctor/nurse/their-friends could do to my record/reputation if they really had nothing to lose.

(this next sentence is specifically not legal advice)

im not saying you're not right, im just saying make sure you're covering your ass long term.  sometimes doing the right thing can really screw you.

good luck.


Title: Religious practices on private property

Question:
(USA)  This is completely hypothetical.

Let's pretend a Fatima-type miracle happens on my property.  The Virgin Mary (or whoever) appears on top of a tree stump in the middle of my  cornfield, does a few miracle things, and leaves again.   Of course there are witnesses, heck,  maybe somebody even filmed it and posted it on YouTube.  Maybe there's a big fuss, maybe not.

Now all the furor is dying down, life is trying to get back to normal.  But people want to come onto my property to worship at said tree stump, saying it's a holy place and they want to make it a shrine.  I don't want them to come onto my private property and trample my cornfield.

Do they have a valid argument that I am violating their rights to free worship by denying them access to my property?  Would it hold up in court?

Answer:
 >Do they have a valid argument that I am violating their rights to free worship by denying them access to my property?

No, because you are not the government.Answer #2: No, you own the property and you do not have to let them on.  Freedom of worship does not apply on your own private property.  You're not required to let people pack guns on your property either if you don't want them to.
Post no trespassing signs, have them hauled off for trespassing.


Title: Toronto: my employer switched to using my legal name, after 5 months of using my preferred name. What do :(

Question:
Trans girl here. I have been using my preferred name continuously since about September.

I work through an employment agency that provides staffing services to everyone's favorite transit agency (EFTA). I applied and got hired in August under my preferred name, and have been working under this name since then. The only paperwork I submitted under my legal name was for a security clearance. I told the HR person I used my legal name only on that particular document, and there didn't seem to be an issue. (I would think that if there *were*, I would have been told right there and then.)

My contract was renewed, and apparently EFTA now requires a new background check. After doing the background check, employment agency apparently put my legal name on the contract list they are sending to EFTA, so now I'll be trained under my legal name, I'll be signing in to every shift under my legal name, and I'll be known to my coworkers and my supervisors by my legal name. This is obviously not great for me, and as much as I love EFTA, I will absolutely hate working for them if this goes on.

Is there anything I can do about this? Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Correct people. "It would make me more comfortable if you called me this, please."

I use my coworker's legal name in reports and on paper, and refer to him verbally by his prefered name. Once his name change goes through legally i'll use that, until then I'm not sure what is expected of me. You can ask the company you are contracted with to make the correction, it's the name you go by and it's on your bank accounts.

If people continue to make you uncomfortable, http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/gender-identity-and-gender-expression-brochureAnswer #2: In this US this would not be a legal issue as your employer is required to use your legal name on documents for insurance, W2, clearances, etc. I can't imagine it's a whole lot different in Canada. Answer #3: Introduce yourself to each and every colleague using your preferred name, and correct if necessary, even going so far as to say, 'my friends call me PreferredName', which leaves no room for argument.


Title: [MA] Heroin addict brother had a baby...how can I protect it?

Question:
My brother (29) is a heroin addict and his girlfriend just had  a baby. I know he is currently using, because his behavior is erratic and his old friends have told me he is back to his old ways. He has been physically abusive to girlfriends and family members in the past, but has nothing beyond traffic violations and vandalism on his record. He has never been reported for abuse. He has been to rehab.

I don't know if his girlfriend uses, or if she was drug tested at the hospital after her C-Section, as my brother limits our contact. I don't know if she has a record. They live together in an apartment, where the baby is with them. I am very afraid for his new baby being in the apartment, but I have no direct evidence of abuse or neglect, as my brother has not allowed any family members to the place. His baby is a few weeks old and I worry that the baby is in an unsafe household.

My question is, do I have reason to call CPS if I know he is using drugs in the home? Will that even do any good if I can't prove any outright abuse yet? What steps could I take to protect the baby or have it removed from the home? Also, could this reporting be anonymous (I have been physically abused by him in the past and I am afraid of him retaliating)?

Answer:
 >My question is, do I have reason to call CPS if I know he is using drugs in the home?

Yes. Absolutely.

>Will that even do any good if I can't prove any outright abuse yet?

That will be CPS' job to figure out.

>What steps could I take to protect the baby or have it removed from the home?

You will really need to wait to figure out what happens if CPS visits.

>Also, could this reporting be anonymous (I have been physically abused by him in the past and I am afraid of him retaliating)?

Absolutely. Answer #2: Call CPS when you think a child is in danger. Every time, call. Let CPS investigate.
Answer #3: Not only do you have a reason to call cps, you have a duty to report it.  You can do it anonymously. CPS will sort it out.


Title: Site requesting donations for religious org

Question:
Hi all,

I recently found a site requesting donations for my local religious organization. The problem is that the organization never agreed to allow this and has never received any money or notice from the site. It seems like the site is false representing the organization and we would like them to take our organization down from their listings.

My question is whether or not this site is allowed to do this without the organizations permission.

Answer:
 Of course not.  It's called theft by deception.

Call the site, and have them take it down.  But first take a bunch of screen shots of the site, so you will have proof.

If you have a lawyer handy have them write a not so nice letter about fraud, and ask for an accounting for any funds they received.

And hell, while you're at it, report them to the IRS.


Title: (IN) Is this a scam? or illegal? Electro.PL "PayPal Representative"

Question:
Indiana. *My apologies for formatting, I will do my best and edit as needed.

This situation is one of those "too good to be true" scenarios, so I could really some opinions before I end up in federal prison. Thanks a heap! :)

This started about a week and a half ago when I was emailed from *lady's first&last name*@*very specific real estate firm in US*.com claiming to be an HR manager for Electro.pl (a European retail website) with information of a position for me:

>Our actively growing company announces a  position of a business correspondence reviewer for those who is profound in English to aid in dealing with our foreign agents.
Your job responsibilities will be reviewing our business letters and editing spelling and grammar  inexactness that might occur in the text.
The work consumes approximately 1-2 hours  per day. You may do it on your free time.
Salary for the work done:
Every 1 Kilobyte (1024 symbols) of text content is paid by $5. This message to you is near 1 Kilobyte of size.
In total, it will  help you to make about $2500 per month.
To apply for this job you must meet our requirements:
*Location: priority - USA
*Having an Access to a computer

This was super easy and after about a week's worth of editing and revising these choppy English messages into something more cohesive, they ("they" meaning my "personal consultant" *foreign name* @ gmail.com) reached out to me to say that this position has been temporarily suspended, but would like to offer me a better position because I am an "exemplary employee and have proven yourself to be responsible and reliable" *eyeroll*, am I right? Anyway, here is a description of this sketchy-ass "job":

>The position is in details:
The work takes less than 1 hour per day (2-3 days a week).
The process is in the following:
1. We sell an item at auction and receive the payment from a buyer to your Paypal account.
2. We confirm the delivery of the item by providing the delivery proof such as tracking number and company.
3. Once the money is available, You will withdraw the money from your PayPal account to your bank account to be able to take it for sending to us.
4. We will give you the instructions with contains a calculation, how to send the money to us and how much.
5. In the instructions You will see in details:
 Your 5% commissions, paypal fees, transfer fees, and everything else necessary with it.
  We pay all expenses ourself and You don't have to cover any of expenses.
You have a fixed monthly salary - $1500 USD and a 5% interest from each signle deal.
The interest is paid at once You accept the payment. A salary - once a month.

ACTIVATION PROCESS AND START:
**************************
Requirements:
Full name:
Your phone number: (available any time during the day, with no voice machine)
Your Home address: (P.O.Box is not acceptable)
PayPal e-mail: (same as PayPal login) it should be Verified with limits lifted.
PayPal account creation date (year enough):

I am thinking that this has to be illegal somehow. Either that, or they are able to claim that I robbed them, or able to access my personal bank account at any point. I am 80% sure that this is not real. Please let me know your thoughts and questions, I have more details to the story, but I'm not trying to make this longer than it needs to be.

Also, the "work" that I have done for them equals out to about $160 that *should" enter into my PayPal account on Sept. 14-ish. I had a thought of waiting to see if I get that money before going any further with this company, but I need to know if I am being played or not.

Edit: Cheese & rice. thanks everyone. I guess I knew that this wasn't real, I just needed to know the HOW so I could fully justify not making money for no effort (I mean, I feel stupid even typing that out ツ ) Thanks again!

Answer:
 This is a scam. Anything that is sent to you that involves you withdrawing money from some place and mailing it to someone is a scam. This is basically a bounced check scam but with PayPal.

Also, use your head. No job exists where you can work 3 hours a week for $2500 a week that someone would hire a stranger for. That kind of pay you only give someone after you trust them.


Title: CA- Roommate gave 30 days notice, now refusing to leave.

Question:
I currently live in a house with 5 bedrooms. We had been having problems with this particular roommate (threatening emails, general disrespect for people in the house ect) and had a sit down talk. About a week after said talk he gave his 30 days in writing to us hoping to maintain the peace. We returned his deposit, which now seems like a mistake, all was well. Yesterday he sent an email stating that his life is too busy blah blah blah and he can't move.
He have all ready replaced him and that person has given 30 days.
What is tricky is that the landlord is pretty hands off and lets us do the replacing of roommates, small repairs ect so up to this point he is not involved at all.
I'm guessing there is nothing we can do  as I know eviction law is tricky and can take a lot of time but was wondering if we have any recourse. Thank you.

Answer: Depends on your rental agreement. If roommate is a subletter you have the authority to kick him out. If he's listed as a tenant just like the rest of you, you'll have to get the landlord to do something about it. Absent that, you could bring a suit in small claims court if his actions costed you money.


Title: I was called by a restricted number but no voicemail was left. Do police do this?

Question:
Yea, it could be some other person, however I was involved in a recent altercation that led to me being sent to the Behavioral Science Unit at the hospital. I am worried amd anxious they are looking to question me about the altercation, despite other parties involved not pressing charges ( I talked to them).

I was out when I got the call. It was quick, so they hung up quickly.  If the police came to my house while I was gone, would they call me? Would they ever just give up? Or would they change their mind and come to my house later?

I have high anxiety and I have no extra money to deal with this right now. What are their procedures and rights? What are mine?

Answer:
 > I have high anxiety

Clearly.

It is literally impossible to answer your question.  Someone called and hung up.  It could be anyone on the entire planet with access to a telephone.  That includes, but is not limited to, the police, the FBI, your grandmother's neighbor, a telemarketer, and one of those cats that has thumbs on it's paws.

Answer #2: It could be police, FBI, CIA, ET, KFC, NBA. No one here knows.


Title: I work at a local pizza chain in New Mexico. Anytime a mistake is made (wrong pizza, wrong topping added, spilling something, showing up to work later than a minute) my employer gives the employee the option of paying him $3 or a write up. I've now made 3 mistakes and I'm getting fired.

Question:
A few weeks ago I accidentally made a pizza one size bigger than it should have been and my boss gave me the option to pay him $3 or get written up. I chose the write up because I'm getting paid minimum wage at this place and I'm working part time so $3 is 20 minutes of labor for me. A few weeks ago I showed up to work 8 minutes late for my shift and he gave me the same choice, $3 or a write-up. I chose the write up. I brought it to his attention that was he was doing was illegal and he said "I know, but I'm giving you a chance to keep your job right now I could just fire you if I wanted." He also charges us for the uniforms we get when we first get hired which I know for a fact is illegal in NM. After my 2nd mistake he cut me from 25 hours a week to 4 hours a week and today he just told me he's firing me because I'm unmotivated and stubborn, I think he harbors resentment towards me because I'm his only employee that doesn't pay his "mistake tax." Luckily I'm in a position where I don't need this job that bad so I'll be ok financially for the time being however this is still very frustrating and my coworkers are in a position where they have to put up with my boss' bullying because they can't lose their job. Also, I think its worth noting that this is a franchise and my boss is just an owner of the store, he doesn't own the entire chain and I know the CEO personally. Can I take legal action against my boss?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 The $3 is irrelevant.  You're getting fired for screwing up too much.  That's perfectly legitimate.

Answer #2: Are you colleagues?

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/6h1i3f/nm_my_boss_is_forcing_me_to_bribe_him_to_keep_my/


Title: (Hawaii) Can school officials/security guards open a sealed USPS package while searching a student?

Question: Just like the title says.

Answer: If they're able to search your backpack, they're able to search the box. The box isn't special just because it once went through the postal system. The prohibition against tampering only applies when the mail is in the possession of USPS. Once it's been delivered and taken out of the mailbox, it's just a box with some funny markings on it. Answer #2: When you come on to school grounds, you're usually consenting to be fully searched.


Title: The man who killed my sister never had his name released.

Question: Me and my sister were run over by a dump truck in Quebec in 2005. The truck clipped the curb we were standing on and we were both struck by the turning truck and were run over by the wheels and pulled underneath, while we were under the truck my sister pushed me out as i was just a child and in doing so was crushed by the truck, I stayed conscious the whole time and unfortunately remember every gruesome detail. I broke/fractured over 30 bones in my body and was given brain damage and the doctors kept telling my mother i would not survive for days afterwards. This also gave me sever PTSD related hallucinations, flashbacks and nightmares. I saw the man's face through the windshield and i remember him seeing me as well before we went under. He kept driving and only after a friend of mine ran after the truck and caught up to him at a stop sign a block away did he get the driver to get out of the truck. He played stupid and due to the "no fault insurance" law in Quebec not only was it not investigated but the man was given paid leave, an insurance pay-off and paid therapy. The worst part is the name of the murderer was never released and his identity was covered up. How can i go about finding this mans name so i can have closure by knowing the name of the man who got away with killing my sister, Im not the vengeful type and would do nothing with the info I just want to know the name of the man who took my sister away and tore apart my family.

Answer:
 His name was Mike Williams.

Does that make you feel better? That's a fake name I made up.

 You're hurting in a way most people can't understand. Nothing will make this right. You'll get some information and it won't be enough. You'll still hurt. Then you'll want to take it further. It is still going to hurt.

There are PTSD support groups. Go to them. Talk to people. I've been there, I still have nightmares. There's no information you can get that will make that stop.

Therapy and medication are great. I do that and group therapy. It doesn't make everything go away, but it makes it a lot better.

PM me if you need someone to talk to. I mainly know combat PTSD, if you want to talk to other people, there is [r/ptsd](http://www.reddit.com/r/ptsd/)


Title: [CA] Hotel shower scalded my back and their insurance co wants me to make a recorded statement

Question:
So a few weeks ago I stayed at a hotel in California. I took a shower at normal temperature and it jumped real quick to super hot. It hurt but I didn't think much of it. A few hours it still hurt, and the next morning there were small blisters.

I didn't really feel comfortable staying at the hotel anymore so I booked an airbnb instead for my remaining night. I asked the lobby for a refund (my stay was prepaid) and they said I would need to get a refund through the third party that I booked through. Punishing the third party didn't make sense to me, so I asked them to just refund me there. They told me that they can't do that and I would need to wait to hear from their insurance company. They also asked me to take of my shirt (I'm in the lobby) so that they can take photos, and I declined. I took photos on my own up at the room just in case.

I also asked them to give me some guarantee or assurance that they've fixed the issue and that the other guests are not in danger of being burned. I could only imagine if this was someone's face and not my back. They refused but said they would look into it, and that they had no legal obligation to inform other guests of the issue. I called back later to check in again and they said "we ran the water for 10 minutes and there was no fluctuation." This sounds like they have no idea what went wrong and this could totally happen to someone else. I don't feel great about leaving this unchecked but I have no idea what to do.

Fast forward and the insurance company called me on Friday and left a message saying they wanted me to take a recorded statement. This now feels very uncomfortable. I just wanted a refund, nothing crazy.

Answer: Former hotel manager, when you book through a third party site like that the hotel really cannot refund you. The way the billing is handled, the hotel has not even gotten the payment for the stay yet. The third party site would have to issue the refund. Answer #2: Recorded statements are very common when pursuing an insurance claim. If you don't feel comfortable, you can contact a personal injury attorney. However, with no quantifiable damages, you may not have any luck.


Title: [US/VA] Is it possible to sue for wrongful termination if an employer terminates or stops scheduling as a form of retaliation when an employee is looking for a new job?

Question: It came to light for my manager that I was looking for a new job and rather aggressively started making threats about terminating me or removing all my hours simply because I was looking for a job that paid more than $10/hr / 25hrs/week. While I explained to them that I have not found a job nor have I heard anything back from any applications that I was not intending on quitting on the spot for any new jobs that come my way and I would provide reasonable notice of 2 weeks if and when the opportunity arises. However, this wasn't enough as I was forced to swear I wasn't looking for new jobs or else they'd take away all my hours and force me to quit. If such a thing were to happen, despite my State's work ethics, would it be possible to sue on account of wrongful termination or retaliation from an employer?

Answer: You don’t have a case for wrongful termination, it’s completely permissible to terminate you for job hunting.  But you should apply for unemployment.


Title: Is this retaliation in the workplace? USA

Question: A bunch of teenagers where I used to work are quite overworked, most of them getting overtime every week. They started asking for Friday and Saturday off, and now the GM is scheduling them from five/six days a week down to two days a week until they come and beg for hours or quit. Is this considered retaliation?

Answer: Not illegal retaliation.  They can take the schedule they are given or find another job.


Title: A crowdfunding website but with stock options

Question:
Location: USA

Imagine a kickstart but instead of bullshit perks you buy "stocks" in the success of that person/company.  I can only imagine this is not legal in the US because of some archaic laws but it seems like a great highdea right now.

Is this legal? If not what laws does it break and are there efforts to make it legal?  Would something like Bitcoin be able to circumvent current laws?

edit:  Oculus rift would be the ultimate success story if there was a way to invest in startups from the get go and not have to go through a bunch of barriers.

Answer: Yea, definitely problematic and not because the laws are "archaic."


Title: While my mom was in a drug induced coma while sick my grandparents switched her social security benefits to be deposited into my grandfathers account without her consent. Is this legal?

Question: It is 90% my grandmother but she is a very controlling person, the most controlling person I have ever met. My mom is a very sick individual and cant get out of bed for a days sometimes. She controlls my moms medication, now she wants to controll her money. My grandmother will be so controlling if she decided my mom doesnt need her pain medicine which she definatley does. She will go a whole day without giving it to her sometimes. And now she wants to control her money to where my mom has to ask her if she can use her own money.  How is this legal. How was my grandmother able to get my moms own social security money into there account.

Answer:
 Do your grandparents have power of attorney over your mother's finances?Answer #2: >My grandmother will be so controlling if she decided my mom doesnt need her pain medicine which she definatley does.

Even if your grandmother has guardianship of your mom, this is a big deal. Call APS (adult protective services) and inform them of the situation.

(Assuming you're in the US, since you didn't provide a location like you're supposed to.)


Title: (Georgia) Received a ticket for expired vehicle registration. Now my emissions requirements are contingent on driving 200 miles with expired registration. How can I meet both requirements without making this worse?

Question:
Looking for advice/wisdom on a logistical nightmare. Let me know if there's a better sub for this.

I live in Georgia and just got a ticket for an expired registration (I don't drive more than once a week so I didn't realize it was up for renewal). The officer said my court date is end of May and I must have proof of registration by then or my car will likely be impounded.

So, I immediately go online to the Georgia portal that should allow me to renew and have one sent but it notifies me my last emissions inspection isn't within the last few months so I need an updated one.

Today I went in to get an emissions inspection and literally as I pull into the shop my check engine light comes on. Now they said emissions will automatically fail so they'll have to diagnose the check engine issue first and then once it's fixed I'm required to drive a minimum of 200 miles before an emissions inspection can be done.

This is a problem for a number of reasons:

1) I can't legally drive my car to meet that 200 mile requirement since registration is expired.

2) I only drive about 20 miles a week (I live in a high traffic area and my office doesn't have parking so I take public transit) so even if I did drive it with expired registration it will take me a couple months before I can get emissions inspection to then meet the registration requirement.

3) My court date for my ticket is at the end of May and I don't know if I can get the registration renewed in time based on everything above so my car could get impounded.

So my question is... Is there a simple way to get this all done? Any loopholes I've missed in my own research? Any other advice?

Thanks!

Answer:
 It's not the government's fault your enginge did not pass emissions.

No loopholes. You can either do subvert the law to get it passed (bad idea), drive it around a private track for 200 miles, or contact the court with the issue and see if they'd be amicable to some resolution. Answer #2: Call the DMV.  You should be able to get a temporary registration that allows for testing or repairs.  I don't know if/how Georgia handles it, but it's usually possible to get it done specifically for issues like this.

Alternately, find a private track, have the car towed, and drive it there.


Title: Surfside Tower question

Question: With the tragedy that happened there is still a large amount of the building still standing (for the moment till the blow it up) but could a resident potentially have a lawyer draw up some sort of indemnification paperwork that would allow someone to go back into their apartment and get say a duffel bag or suitcase full of stuff? I doubt a single person could cause the building to be damaged further and I am sure there are plenty of people who would want to grab precious items from their condos but I am just unsure if legally you could potentially do that.

Answer: The concern isn’t that one person going in would cause damage. The concern is that the building is unstable enough that it could collapse and kill that one person while they are in there. There is also a major time concern because tropical storm Elsa will be hitting the area tomorrow and they don’t want the wind from the tropical storm knocking the building over. The building needs to come down tonight. I feel horrible for the people that are about the watch everything they own get destroyed, but there are so many factors at play and possessions can be replaced, people cannot.Answer #2: I was wondering how people claim their stuff.  Say they find some jewelry, how do you prove it is yours?


Title: UK-my disabled dad has been banned from his favourite restaurant, I believe it's descrimination. What can I do?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer: not lawyerly advice - give them a call and find out what exactly is going on?  I'm willing to bet there is more to the story, and while an email is nice, and so is going in person, a simple phone call to the management should suffice.


Title: Is blackmail still illegal if everything involved in it is legal?

Question:
All of these examples are hypotheticals. I just started wondering, and I want to know where the law is on these things. I’m unsure because I can come up with some scenarios where it feels the answer should be obviously “no” - but some terrible enough that they feel like the should be “yes”. Yet they are all equally blackmail.

Obviously blackmail is always a morally wrong. And it’s illegal if it’s threatening to do something illegal (etc, give me money or I’ll burn down your store. Same if you’re blackmailing someone over a crime someone has done, since that is obstructing justice (ex, give me money or else I’ll prove to the police you’re a drug dealer)

But what if the blackmailer is threatening to do something legal, and the information/consequences held against the other person is also completely legal?

So a few scenarios (I’ve heard blackmail described as an if ______ then _______ thing, so I’ll format everything like that. For the sake of the example, assume the threat has been secretly recorded over phone call in a state where that is legal)

1. Person A sees Person B cheating on her husband with another man at the mall. A tells B send her $200 a month or else she will tell B’s husband. “If you don’t pay me every month, then I will tell your husband the truth”.

2. A and B go to a strict religious school. A and B both like the same girl. B starts dating the girl. A finds out a deep secret that in the past B was an alcoholic. The school is strictly religious and if they found out about this B will get expelled. A tells B to break up with the girl or else he will tell the whole school. “If you don’t break up with her, then I will get you expelled”

3. A couple disagree over if they want to raise their kids (a 1 year old and 2 year old). A wants to move to California while B wants to stay in New York. A tell B he will leave her and their kids unless they move. “If we don’t move where I want, then I will move out overnight and leave this whole family behind. You’ll be a single mon on child support.”

4. A bully finds out a kid in school is gay. He says “if you don’t do my homework from now on, then I will tell the whole school you’re gay”

5. A woman finds out her grandma is sick. She needs a kidney. No one is compatible. But by some miracle, her boyfriend turns out to be a perfect match. He tells her he doesn’t want to donate it. She says “if you do not donate your kidney, then I will break up with you and I never want to see you again”.

6. A wife does not want to have sex with her husband. He tells her that “if she doesn’t sleep with him that night, then he wants a divorce”

7. Two best friends are out eating. A asks B for a bite of her food. B says she doesn’t want to share. A says that unless B let’s her try a bite, A will never talk to be again.

Answer: Potentially. The exact definitions of blackmail and extortion vary by state, but it's common for it to include threats like "give me money or I'll expose a secret that would ruin your reputation."


Title: I got a California driver's licence, but I don't have California residence. Is there any potential fallout? Can I use it to drive? Also, I'm registered to vote here. Can I?

Question:
I go to college in California (and live in on-campus housing), but I'm from New York.  Several months ago, I went to the DMV, got a California learner's permit (and registered to vote on the same form.  Recently, I passed a road test and got an actual driver's licence.

I had assumed that going to college here meant I lived here, but some friends told me otherwise (after I showed them my new driver's licence), and after actually checking, as far as I can tell I don't actually have California residency.  Apparently, there are some documents that the DMV should have checked before giving me my learner's permit, but they didn't check them.

So, now I have a California driver's licence and am registered to vote in California, but as far as I can tell shouldn't be able to have/do either.  Is there any potential fallout from this?  Can I use the driver's licence to drive / as an ID?  Can I vote in California elections?

Answer:
 >Can I vote in California elections?

What makes you think that since you are registered to vote in California that you would not be able to vote?

>but some friends told me otherwise (after I showed them my new driver's licence), and after actually checking, as far as I can tell I don't actually have California residency.

You have been afforded opportunities not given to nonresidents.

You are registered to vote in California, that is enough.  You probably also pay in-state tuition.

[Source](http://www.dmv.org/ca-california/apply-license.php)


Title: CO - husband volunteered to mail our ballots in November, and ever since has acted guilty as fuck. The state apparently never received my ballot. My question: If he threw out my ballot, rather than mailing it, has a crime been commited?

Question: I am not after relationship advice. I want to know if he did what I suspect, did he break federal law? I have already decided how I want to handle it on a personal level.

Answer: Can we ask how you want to handle it on a personal level ?


Title: Girlfriend got arrested xan rage Xpost r/drugs

Question:
Me and my girl havent done xans in a minute i just got outta placement so we said fuck it tbh and bought 5 bars. Shes has severe anxiety so they really do help her but her problem is that shes takes all of them.

So anyway we take 1 and a half each and go to walmart quick before they kick in to grab some things. Bad idea. We stayed at walmart from 900pm to midnight. The thing is i forgot xans were so potent if u have no tolerance and we both blacked out at around halfway through pur shopping trip. All i remember is glimpses of walking through walmart. The store closed at 12 i guess and we got kicked out and then the cops talked to us and told us we had to leave idk how i didnt get boooked for dui but anyway we get home and all i remember is falling asleep. I wake up to her fucking screaming

She was like why the fuck did you eat all the xans when i deff didnt. Kinda like patrick on that one episode of spongebob lmao. But yea she punched me in the face but i didnt give a fuck i was so tired so i drove home, (also bad idea im sorry for driving tired i just needed to get out of there.) She lives with her mom at her moms friends house and apparantly after i left she started saying how she was gunna kill herself and she tried jumping out the window and she attacked everyone in the house. So they called the cops to take her to a mental hospital but she straight up said no when the cops came. They tried to arrest her and she fucking clocked the cop like she was drawliinnn im so pissed. Anyway shes only getting resisting arrest and aussault on a police officer. How much jail time is that? She has a bond of 20000. Im scared for her i dont think she could handle herself well in a place like that

Answer:
 Assuming this isn't a troll comment, who cares how long the sentence is? You're both on the path to spend massive amounts of time in prison. You've described two DUI-Ds, illegal possession of a controlled substance, domestic assault, *possibly* criminal trespass, disorderly conduct, the charges that were actually filed, and a manic break that almost triggered a suicide.

A $20,000 bond is significant and suggests that this is not going away. She needs a real lawyer and should expect both that this gets worse and that the charges may be amended to add additional charges.Answer #2: She needs to get a real lawyer. Assault on a peace officer can have serious repercussions. Like felony, many years in prison.


Title: Spilled coffee on a mattress, can they sue me?

Question: So I stayed at a super 8 last night and spilled around a half-cup of coffee on the sheets. It went through the sheets and into the mattress. I cleaned it off with a towel, and now only a very light stain remained. Do they have grounds to sue? I was charged a total of 100 dollars for a 2-night stay, and my debit card has a total of 110. Can they take money from my debit card?  This happened in Ohio.

Answer: Well there's nothing preventing them from suing you, but that doesn't mean they will.  But what's much more likely to happen is you would get a letter from them and then if you didn't pay it would go to collections. Major hotel chains have their own in-house collection departments.


Title: [NC] Accused of Stealing at Work - Complete Accident

Question:
I was recently accused of stealing an item from my work (worth about $10) after purchasing about $500 worth of items. Long story short, I work in a very small business (less than 5 people) so I paid for the items directly to my boss and as I was grabbing my items to take home out of inventory, I thought the $10 item was on my invoice that I had already paid and it wasn't. I took my bags to my car, came back inside to grab my keys and was confronted by my boss. Realizing my error, I immediately apologized and tried to pay for the item but was told to "get out" and that we'd discuss it on Monday. The item was already in my car (boss knew this), so I left without paying. I wanted to return the item inside but didn't want to make matters worse... I'm obviously freaking out because in NC stealing from an employer is a freaking felony. I'd like to keep my job because I actually really like it, but I'm now more concerned about what could happen legally. Any advice before I go back in Monday morning?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Luckily for you, theft has an intentional element to it.

Based on your story and the low value of the item, I don't think the police will be involved.

However, if the police do want to talk to you, politely decline to answer questions about the incident.  If anything further happens, you should seek a lawyer.


Title: My downstairs neighbors are tormenting me because I work from home all night. Mental health has deteriorated. What can be done? Lawyer?

Question:
I live in Arizona. I've lived on the second floor of a apartment building for about 9 months now. About 2 months ago we got new downstairs neighbors.. A family of 4 with two kids below 12 (I'm guessing). THE MOTHER AND FATHER ARE HORRIBLE. I'm self-employed, I work on computers and do graphic/web design as well. I do this all at night though. I've always been a night owl, so when I was able to just work at night and not have to SURVIVE THE DEATH (Arizona summers suck!!!) I jumped at the opportunity.

I suffer from a variety of mental health issues, and yes they are professional opinions, not just me. I have dissociative identity disorder (used to be multiple personality disorder). Mainly I'm just a paranoid/anxious mess in general. With this neighbor... its really wrecked my mind. I go to counseling and see a psychiatrist, take my meds (well some of them hehe :p) and they came and destroyed my progress. The apartment complex is on my side, they've been nothing but nice, but the neighbors have progressed aggressively day by day.

I'm not sure when they moved in but the wife came upstairs one night pissed off about how "loud we are".. I tried to resolve the issue by offering my phone number so she could call or text me anytime we were being too noisy, but she didn’t want it. I asked for some specifics so I could understand what we were doing that was so loud, she literally said “everything” the first two times I asked her this. Then she said she could hear me walking at night, and there was a loud thud one night that woke her up. We own 2 cats, they aren’t loud, but they’re cat’s lol they can be bastards. I smoke cigarettes on the balcony and she will literally come outside and stand there silently like a fucking maniac whenever I go out!

She has progressed into hitting the roof (my floor) yelling extremely rude and untrue things and just being a ass to me personally in general. I have done SO MUCH to make my room less noisy! Multiple rugs covering the room with thick foam pad underneath it, I've made the patio door soundless, I don't wear shoes at all when I'm home, volume at 3/100 past 10. But she still consistently complains to management and me (through the apartment walls of course).

My mental health has nose-dived dramatically, I'll go manic for days, sometimes 4-5 days out of the week, extremely minimal sleep. I'm in physical pain now from being on "edge" so much to the point parts of my body literally stiffen completely up almost. I can't stop thinking about how loud I'm being every second of the day. I've bought so much stuff I never would have if it weren't for these people.

 I have a lawyer, is there anything I could ask him to write up for me or the apartment management? Or have him look into this further? I want them to know in a way, that I have a mental disorder, and I am not trying to be rude to them in any way, I've only tried to help.. I'M NOT LOOKING FOR MONETARY GAIN, JUST MENTAL PEACE, even if it was just a letter written up saying "hey this is hat you've been doing to my client" and so on and so forth... But they obviously don't care about what I''m going through, so maybe a lawyer would help? Any idea's or thought's? Thank you!

Answer:
 I would complain to the complex every time she harasses you. Maybe set up audio recording inside your apartment so they can hear it.Answer #2: Ignore your neighbor and do whatever you want.  If your landlord comes to you then you can change your behavior.

You are not responsible for not irritating her.


Title: I've been fasely accused of rape.

Question: I'm 18 years old and I went to my first party recently. I got really drunk and I hardly remember anything from that night. I don't remember sleeping with anyone. But recently a girl contacted me saying that her friends saw me rape her and that shes going to press charges on me. I live alone and I have a part time job at a cafe. I'm looking at joining the police force. I'm not sure whats going to happen and I don't know what to do.

Answer: Well I suppose you can't *know* it's a false accusations considering the state of your memory that night. Get some treatment for your substance issues (which drinking to the point of blackout indicates you do have, we don't need to argue this point) and refuse to discuss the matter with anyone at all. If the police contact you, don't answer any questions. If you are arrested, remain silent and hire a criminal defense attorney. Answer #2: Consult with a criminal defense attorney and refuse to speak to police.


Title: [Meta] Why do posts keep getting removed by the moderators [usa]

Question:
Over the past couple days I have noticed two major threads just disappear in the middle of discussion.

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3ggpm2/us_ny_urgent_one_of_my_female_students_around_14/

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3g9ie1/urgent_update_my_neighbor_stole_my_dog/

These posts were removed without any comment by the moderators explaining what happened (You can tell the removal was done by moderators due to the visibility of the OP's username in the posts). Is it possible AutoMod is removing these posts accidentally? If so then why are those settings tuned the way that they are? Just looking for an explanation as to why good content and people genuinely seeking advice are having their posts deleted.

[Images for posterity](http://imgur.com/UIS1dXj,05vEH60)

Edit: What a user deleted thread looks like: https://www.reddit.com/r/test/comments/3gi0h0/test_post_for_rlegaladvice/

Edit 2: It happened again over in the dog story's 2nd update.
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3gra25/update_2_my_neighbor_stole_my_dog/cu17kpg
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Posts are removed if they are trolls, or are violating the subreddit rules.  We don't generally post reasons, because the reasons are usually pretty obvious.  We remove a very small percentage of posts overall.

In the case of the dog, the entire thread was filled with advice to ignore the court, hide the dog, steal the dog, et cetera.  We don't give advice to commit crimes, ever.  The thread was too choked with that to clean manually, so we locked and removed it.

In the case of the teacher(in addition to seeming like a troll because it was poorly written), he wrote an additional paragraph and several posts admitting it was a troll.


Title: Doctor purposely screwed me over..

Question: [deleted]

Answer: [I have no idea what other drugs he may have found, or why he could be concerned you're seeking drugs.](https://np.reddit.com/r/Drugs/comments/3rr7w2/here_is_a_list_of_all_of_the_drugs_ive_tried_that/)Answer #2: drug screens for patients who are prescribed heavily controlled medications are fairly common to make sure you're actually taking the medication rather than selling it. a doctor is perfectly free to stop prescribing you pain medication at any time.


Title: [California] My parents loaned a large some of money to my aunt and uncle and they are refusing to pay. Any recourse?

Question:
Throwaway for obvious reasons.

About 10 years ago my parents loaned my aunt and uncle a rather large sum of money so they could start a business.  In the last five years or so, in preparation for retirement, my parents have asked my aunt and uncle to repay the money - either back in one lump sum or in monthly installments.  My aunt and uncle always promise to pay but never deliver - always saying that they will pay back the money once they make their next big business transaction.

Now, we know that they have the money - they live very lavishly.  They both drive very nice cars, take regular vacations, live in a large house in an affluent neighborhood, eat at quality restaurants, and send their granddaughter to a very expensive private school.

The only proof that my parents have that they loaned the money is a check that was written by my aunt and uncle to them as a promise that they would repay the money.  No contract, nothing in writing - just the check.

My parents live in California - what legal recourse do they have for recouping the money?  Could they take legal action with just a check that was written to them? Any and all help/input would be appreciated.

Thank you very much.

Edit:  The check that was given to them has the original amount loaned but no date.  Could this be used as recourse?

Answer:
 It depends on a lot of factors, but yes. They really need a lawyer. At least go for a free consultation to see what their options are.

I'm concerned about the statute of limitations might be in CA for something like this. It might be five years. A lawyer could come up with a strategy to get them to make a partial payment (even if it was just $100), to reset the clock.

Ultimately, are your parents willing to sue over this? Also, if you get the right lawyer, they can craft such a good letter that they may pay you in order to avoid getting sued. Answer #2: Why don't they just cash the check?Answer #3: Statute of limitations for oral contacts in California is 2 years after the contract was broken.

When did they say they were going to pay when the agreement was made?

Did they ever make a payment towards the debt. Even $0.01 will restart the statute of limitations.

They should probably talk to an attorney.


Title: Can you refuse to work for hours you weren’t paid?

Question: Hypothetically, if someone forgot to clock in and out, which is an honest mistake that happens, and an employer violates the FLSA by not paying the employee, can the employee instead of disputing with the labor board/filing a wage claim, just refuse to work the specific number of hours and minutes they weren’t paid?

Answer:
 What?  They have you pay you for hours *actually* worked, not time clock errors.Answer #2: >just refuse to work the specific number of hours and minutes they weren’t paid?

did you mean to add "while being paid"?  Because that would kind of require cooperation of the employerAnswer #3: Refusing to work because of an error the employee they themselves made seems to be an unproductive response, likely to be met with disciplinary action.

It's the employee's responsibility to attempt to fix their error with cooperation from their employer first.Answer #4: This is called a "self-help" solution, and isn't likely to lead to a good outcome, if only because this exact method isn't really covered by any kind of protected right.

Another thing you can do, but shouldn't, is if your employer is illegally not paying you, is steal office supplies for personal use until you're made whole. We have a paper towel dispenser with a clasp lock at work, and the key is missing, and I teach the office staff how to pick the lock with a paper clip to put in more paper towels. "Also," I usually add, "if you're ever working somewhere that sucks, you can steal their paper towels!"


Title: Mother in law passed away while in the case of a mental health facility. We believe that there was negligence on their part but don't know where to start.

Question:
As the title says I'm looking for advice on getting answers and maybe taking legal action in regard to my mother in law's death.

Some background first. My MIL has had mental health issues her whole life, mainly bipolar. She was highly functioning, held a job for 35 years, and never had any major episodes. About a month before my MIL passing, she had a major episode and went missing. After filing a missing person report we found that she had been involuntarily admitted into a mental health facility.

Since being admitted we have had a hard time getting answers about what exactly happened and how she got there. While under the facilties care they changed her medications, but nothing too different from what she was taking. After about 2 weeks she began to complain about her stomach hurting, and we let the staff and doctors know. About 10 days later a family member went to visit and she was pale white, laying on a bench with an almost pregnant sized bloated belly. They had to literally force the staff to take vitals and call an ambulance.

She had a severe bowel blockage that had become infected and eventually lead to sepsis and septic shock. She passed within hours of being admitted into the hospital.

One of the side effects of her new medications was constipation... but the mental health facility never monitored for that, or gave her anything to help more than Tums. No laxatives, just Tums. Even after several times of telling the staff, by different family members, they did next to nothing.

We are trying to get closure and want to know how it got so bad. The facility has been unable to give us very much information. I realize it takes time to investigate but kind of get the feeling that they are trying to cover their butts and keep us in the dark.

Just looking for advice and any direction to help bring some closure to this tragedy.

Answer: Start with looking for an attorney who will handle wrongful death as a result of care facilities. Answer #2: It would not be unheard of for mental health facilities to have extreme negligence or mismanage healthcare.  You should definitely speak to an attorney who specializes in wrongful death in this field.


Title: (TX) Busybody neighbor called in a "burglary in progress" when she saw my sons (14 and 9) sneaking out at night.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > So, reddit, what else do I need to do?

Well, try disciplining your kids, for one.  By your own admission, they're out after curfew, leaving trash in the yard and trying to play pranks on neighbors.  Knock that shit off, and don't get pissy when others get annoyed by that.

Past that, if your son is accused of a specific crime, you can mount a defense, either legally or through the apartment's process.


Title: My sister called the cops on my Dad, but they wouldn't come?

Question:
My parents recently separated and going through the divorce process. I am in college, but my little sister is still at home. She lives with my mom, and my dad moved out. My dad's behavior has been scary and erratic. He has been stalking my sister and mother using their phones, hired a private investigator to follow them, and has been to the house they live in  without permission when they weren't home to take things, install trackers on the cars, and change locks. After being served restraining order paperwork, my dad assaulted the process server and went to jail. The next day, he was released from jail and immediately went to my mom and sister's house. My mom wasn't home, but my sister was. My sister was scared, and called 911, but the police refused to come. Why not? Aren't they required to since a minor feels threatened in the presence of a violent adult? The house is in the name of my mom and dad. The police actually told my mom not to come home in order to prevent escalation. This seems wrong.

My location is California
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 You don't know, and by extension we certainly don't know, what was said during the conversation between your little sister and the police, so we can't say whether or not the police should have come.

You might want to find out exactly what the restraining order says (like reading a copy of it, not like asking your mother or sister to tell you what it says).  If it restricts your father from coming over to the house, or from coming within x of your mother or sister, then the next time it happens your sister could mention that to the police.
your mother should file a police report about the violation of the restraining order and then she could follow up with the court about his violation of the restraining order.


Title: City harassed me into moving, then turns out I didn’t have to...

Question:
Basically, I was living in a building that my father owns. It was zoned as light manufacturing, however, when it was built included in the plans was an entire living area, and there was a grandfathered in clause stating “owner may occupy.”

 The law has since changed obviously but the city and law enforcement nonstop harassed us about nobody being allowed to live there.

They finally demanded in writing that a building inspector be able to inspect the building, so I quickly moved out on extremely short notice.

The day of the inspection, they “found” the original building plans and see now that he had the building setup this way, with the clause.

Obviously I’m not the “owner” but why did they come after us this hard over something so simple? And I’ve already moved out and paid for new apartments and utilities. Are we entitled to anything beyond an apology? And at some point in the future would I be able to legally live there again, being the owners son? - I always figured worst case scenario I said we both live there.

It’s been a nightmare, thanks for reading, if nothing else I got to vent it out.

Answer:
 Why did you move. They didn't order you to move. They ordered an inspection. You moved of your in accord. So you can't really sue. It was your choice

You need a local attorney or the city to tell you if you can move back.


Title: Is video game modding and hacking illegal?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 >I hope that absolutely nobody will take my game and mod or hack it.

If you want to make a game that anyone cares about at all, let this hope die a quiet death. Any game that achieves any level of popularity will have mods. Just live with it, and take it as a compliment that you made something that was worth hours of someone else's time to make a mod for.

Alienating the modding community is a great way to ensure that your game, and possibly your franchise and studio, has no future.


Title: My landlord is replacing the only bedroom window with one that doesn't open. Is he breaking the lease?

Question:
I live in Toronto, ON in a two bedroom apartment with a roommate. My LL recently informed us that, following a city inspection, he must replace the only window in one of the bedrooms with a fireproof window that does not open. This is problematic because it removes the possibility to install an AC unit during the summer,  removes all ventilation to the room and prevents the required 2nd method of egress.

We are unhappy with this development and considering moving out. As far as I can tell from the Ontario Building Code, this room legally cannot be called a bedroom. I understand that the landlord has to meet fire code. But would this window installation break our lease if we originally rented a 2 BR apmt?

Thanks.

Update 16:21: I just received a copy of the notice of violation from the Fire Marshall who inspected the buildling. It was dated May 30, 2016. **My LL knowingly rented the unit to me while aware he was in violation of fire code.**

As /u/FrenchAffair [+1] pointed out, Ontario apartments are rented 'as is' meaning that because I originally signed the lease for a 2BR apartment, the landlord is obligated to maintain a 2 BR apartment. By making the changes to the windows, he is violating the requirements of a bedroom.

I am wondering at this point if it is reasonable to negotiate or request compensation in the form of a prorated rent or subsidized moving expenses in addition to a mutually agreed upon termination of the lease.

Update: Relevant legislation:

* Ontario Building Code - refer to 9.9.10.1 for required methods of egress from bedrooms https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/120332
* Ontario Fire Code - refer to 9.5.3.7.(2)(b) for Fire Escape requirements https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r07213

Answer:
 Before you look at breaking the lease talk to the city yourself and look at the fire code. That sounds weird, and property management folk misinterpret instructions/building code all the time. Answer #2: Is it a picture window or he is just nailing/sealing it closed?

I would talk to him as in the US the window in a bedroom HAS to open, and be a minimum size, as that is the bedrooms egress.

If he will not budge then contact the local permit/zoning office to see what they say. I am sure this will fall under the egress requirements since you are using it as a bedroom.

It could make the place uninhabitable based on local code and would there be not suitable to lease. Answer #3: Update: I just received a copy of the notice of violation from the Fire Marshall who inspected the buildling. It was dated May 30, 2016. **My LL knowingly rented the unit to me while aware he was in violation of fire code.**

As /u/FrenchAffair pointed out, Ontario apartments are rented 'as is' meaning that because I originally signed the lease for a 2BR apartment, the landlord is obligated to maintain a 2 BR apartment. By making the changes to the windows, he is violating the requirements of a bedroom.

I am wondering at this point if it is reasonable to negotiate or request compensation in the form of a prorated rent or subsidized moving expenses in addition to a mutually agreed upon termination of the lease. Answer #4: I know Canada tends to have a lot of rent protection for tenants. Is it at all possible he is trying to do this as a way to get you out and raise the rent?


Title: My employer is counting tips as wages to meet minimum wage and subsequently pays me nothing. [US GA]

Question: Hello, I recently got my first Job. I am and 18 year old male like everybody else on Reddit. This job is a waiter as a local restaurant. My understanding when I took the Job was that I would get $2.13/hour from the restaurant and then keep what ever tips I made for that night (after sharing them). However, I recently got my first pay check and it was for $0. My manager explained to me that this was due to the fact that I made over $7.25/ hour with the tips so the restaurant doesn't have to pay me minimum if tips equal a greater amount. Is it $0 because of taxes? ( I'm going to make less than $2,000 this year). Please advise me on what I should do. Being an adult is hard.

Answer:
 Your $2 per hour is your min wage.  Tips are to make up the remaining pay to get it to 'actual' min wage.  Anything above that is extra, and not to be used to reduce that $2.   Talk to a lawyer, as  your boss is illegally not paying you min wage.

Edit. Unless your pay stub says where all the money went and it is indeed used to pay your taxes.


Title: Responsible or no?

Question:
I run a small detail shop in kansas. A month ago I had a customer drop off their car to get detailed. We detailed inside and out completely and she was happy with our work. During the detail we moved the electric seats all the way up so that we could get in to the back seat and clean it. (2 door coupe) During that time the passenger seat motor decided to crap out and is now stuck in the forward position. We did everything in our ability to free the stuck motor (ASE Certified Mechanics on staff) with no resolution. When the customer picked up the vehicle I told her about the seat being stuck and that I would be happy to help her in getting it fixed here.  And she went about her way.

Fast forward to today. I get a call from the dealership saying this lady would like me to pay for a seat. At first I was kind of confused until I get her on the phone. I explained to her that when i said I could help her I would discount labor and the repair. She is convinced that since it broke in my care that I am completely responsible and should fix it completely out of my own pocket. I told her again that things break due to age and use and it was just its time.

She said shes calling her lawyer to take me to court.

What do you guys think?

Answer:
 No legal advice...but
Regardless if your 100% in the right; she's going to make a stink, tell everyone she meets, blast on social media, explain a crappy version of her side of the situation to make you look like scum.  No one will hear your side of the story and you'll loose customers...
~Fellow small business owner


Title: My insurance company retroactively dropped me so they wouldn't have to cover an accident.

Question:
A couple months back my girlfriend rear ended a person who was slowing down to turn into their house.  The damage wasn't too severe, it damaged the back bumper and the quote they received to fix it was $3,000.

Yesterday I got a letter in the mail stating that my insurance was dropping me because my girlfriend was a driver for Pizza hut.  My insurance wasn't rated for commercial driving and we had signed a insurance contract stating we would only be using this for residential use.

I get that they have a fair point here so it's not like I have a good leg to stand on to turn around and sue them for not covering this accident.  It's worth noting though that this accident did not occur over the course of delivery driving, it was just regular driving around.

My question here is what steps can/should I take to prevent being sued for damaged by the people who were hit.  I've considered when I get the check for my premiums back taking it to them and maybe having them sign a statement saying I paid them this money and they won't persue further action.  Also it's kind of the right thing to do.

What else might should I do?

Answer:
 OP you should really get a consult with a local attorney that specializes in insurance.

The insurance company may have to cover the accident.Answer #2: > My question here is what steps can/should I take to prevent being sued for damaged by the people who were hit.

You could pay them out of pocket.

> I've considered when I get the check for my premiums back

Wait, what? Did you ask for that? DO NOT SIGN OR DEPOSIT THAT CHECK UNTIL YOU CONSULT A LOCAL LAWYER.


Title: Resort employee indirectly caused my pregnant wife to fall down.

Question:
My wife and I are in a resort in Arizona. The two of us were walking on the paved path when an employee on a golf cart came up behind us. The path was narrow and the employee's cart was immediately behind us. We moved off the path to get out of the way and then the rocks gave way and my wife fell. Luckily the baby is OK but my wife's leg was pretty cut up, and was heavily bleeding. Their medical staff was responsive but their managerial response has been somewhat insulting. It was a pretty difficult experience for all of us. It was hard for me to see my wife in pain, and for us fearing the worst.

Now both my wife and I are the kind of people where if our food order is wrong and the waitress comes by and asks how things are going, we'll typically say, "things are great thank you" to be polite. I'm not trying to use this to milk anything, but as I mentioned the resort's response has been underwhelming and my anger has been building. We have been incredibly unsettled since her fall and she is in pain from the leg.

Is this a situation where I need to contact my lawyer? Again I don't like escalation but this just doesn't seem right to me. When I think about how catastrophic this could have been, and the liability involved, I don't think it's right for management to just offer us free dinner and forget about it.  If their paths are built to be narrow, we shouldn't have had to make the decision to get off the path for employee golf carts. Thank you, any advice would be helpful.

Answer:
 What is it that you're trying to seek out of a lawsuit? Are you trying to sue for "what could have happened"? From your story your wife wasn't pushed,assaulted, or violated, she accidentally fell and their medical staff responded appropriately to her medical needs. Are you wanting that employee terminated? Would financial gain make this situation any better?Answer #2: >When I think about how catastrophic this could have been, and the liability involved...

Understand that "could have been" is not how liability works. Someone who is negligent is only liable for the damage they actually cause.

Did your wife need to see a doctor?