Title: Need legal advise on Tenant/Landlord law in FL! HOA wants me to evict my tenants and threaten to fine me (the landlord) if I don't.

Question:
I have a town home in FL (Hillsborough county) that I recently rented out. My tenants are great, they pay on time and keep the property clean. The community the home is in only had a few units sold and the remaining are still owned by the builder. So he is the head of HOA by holding the majority voting shares (the community has about 30 town homes). All the units not sold are now rental units by the builder.
THe builder came by the community and was involved in an argument with my tenants over parking spaces. My tenants parked in front of a vacant unit and the builder had just bought that unit back as a short sale. The vacant unit's driveway has someone parked there every night, ever since it became vacant. It has never been an issue.
The builder sent me a letter a few days later, informing me that I have to evict my tenants bc he (as the HOA) does not want them there. He said there are too many people living in the unit and also they violated the parking rules by parking on grass and other areas. To be fair, these other areas are being used as parking places for years by everyone living there and it has never been an issue. My tenants also have multiple cars and they have friends that come by so it can seem there are more people living there. Per the HOA rules, the unit may be rented only as a single housekeeping unit, with no more than 2 unrelated adults. I have 2 people on the lease.
He also mentioned that our unit has a higher usage of water bc of my tenants and demands that we cover the additional expenses associated with the use of water and sewage. We do not pay for water, as the HOA pays it.
I tried to talk to the builder and he is just a cranky, mean brick wall, he doesn't want to hear any explanations. He is just demanding that I evict these tenants or HOA will start fining me, the owner. He mentioned by tenants threatened him and his car, which my tenants said did not happen. He is calling my tenants racists names. I feel that he is racial profiling my tenants, but we dont have anything recorded. It seems he is just upset about the argument and wants to hold a grudge and "make them pay" for disrespecting him.
I would like to know what are my legal rights and options at this point. I dont want to evict these tenants as i dont really have a reason to.
I have already talked to my tenants about the parking situation and they have since not parked anywhere but the garage and the drive way, so the parking situation is fixed.
What are the legal limits of the HOA? Can they make me evict my tenants?

Answer:
 HOA can't force you to evict, but they can find you per the rules. if you think the rules are not being violated, you can tell the judge that when HOA tries to get a judgment for the balance of the fines and tries to get a lien on your house.

HOA rules control.  but sounds like you are in violation if more than 2 unrelated people are living there, what's on the lease notwithstanding. Answer #2: How many unrelated people *are living there*?  I suspect you know you are in violation of the rules regarding maximum occupancy.


Title: What can I do if I got injured from a product I bought at Wal-Mart?

Question:
This happened in 2015. I used a foot orthotic type thing that caused me to have foot, hand, neck, leg, back, coccyx problems. Severe problems basically.

I've tried contacting Pro foot the company which made it, but they do not respond to my requests to talk to someone higher up. In fact, they are very bad about communicating with people in general.

Do I take this up with Wall-Mart even though it's been about 3 years? Who can I contact?

There's a legal aid number in my city (San Diego) which I just called this morning, but I don't think they deal with cases like mine.

What else is there left to do?

Answer:
 > Do I take this up with Wall-Mart even though it's been about 3 years?

Good lord no.  It's not Walmart's problem and its been far too long.

> Who can I contact?

No one.Answer #2: Very doubtful that Walmart has any liability. If you want to take legal action, it would be against the manufacturer.


Title: Phone seized due to drugs found. What is my best choice to make sure my phone information isn’t searched?

Question: At the end of last year my phone was seized because While I was walking to my mates house at 1am I stopped by my mates to check on him because he had been in a break up. That mate is a drug dealer too and his house happened to be under surveillance. As I left I was pulled over and searched. No drugs were found on me but some were found on the footpath. They were not mine. My phone was confiscated and I still haven’t gotten it back. I was told iPhones take up to 9 months to unlock and it has been near that, and I have court in just over an hour. Should I plead guilty and hope they don’t see any more reason to search my phone, or should I plead not guilty and on the off chance that they already have searched my phone, then they won’t be able to use anything else they found against me? I have lots on that phone that is probably illegal and could get lots of friends in trouble. Please help. Also I am 17.

Answer: You should get a lawyer.


Title: [OH/MI] Curiosity has the best of me. My girlfriend has been separated from her husband for 3 years and is now seeking divorce. Is our living together going to negatively affect the proceedings?

Question:
I'll admit, I'm not actually that concerned about anything. I'm just up early and curious. My girlfriend (25) moved to Ohio, away from her husband in Michigan, in 2012 due to his infidelity during deployment. They've been almost completely out of contact since then, other than through Facebook or an occasional nasty text. I've been living with her for the last year, and we've been talking about making her separation  from her husband legal so that yours truly can consider taking his spot.

For some reason I've got this idea in my head that since she has a serious, live-in boyfriend, it could complicate the legal proceedings. I may have read (or misread) something like that on this subreddit. She's not planning on seeking any money, since their assets have been separate since the split, but I don't know if he feels the same way. I'm ignorant on the actual divorce process, having never been though it myself, so I just want to make sure it's not going to be overly complicated due to our situation. Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 It shouldn't affect the divorce at all.

Clearly there's no child support/custody or alimony concerns here, and it doesn't sound like there's any property to deal with, plus the three year split, this is going to be about as simple as divorces get. Mine was similar and I was able to do the whole thing by mail.

Based on a quick review, she'll have to file in Ohio as she does not live in Michigan. She'll have to fill out [these forms](https://www.ilrg.com/forms/divorce-nc/us/oh) (she is the "petitioner" and he would be the "co-petitioner") and have the first one notarized under her signature; she then takes that first form to the local court, gets it started, and then mails the second form for him to sign and get notarized.


Title: A friend was almost raped. Can a rape case be successful with lack of evidence?

Question:
A friend went out for a date with a guy she met on tinder. They went out to a few bars before ending at the guy’s apartment (which she thought wasn’t part of their plan). There he forcibly groped and kissed her. She told him she was not doing this tonight, but he ignored her. My friend has anxiety problems so after he ignored her she found herself unable to say anything else and couldn’t do much but try to push him away.

Eventually she had a panic attack which made the guy stop.
She’s feeling scared and guilty. I’m trying to comfort her and convince her to go to the cops. The thing is as far as I’m aware there is no physical evidence (like texts). Could she possibly build a case out of this? Is there anything we can do to help a possible case?

Answer:
 It won't hurt to report it to the police.  Unfortunately, if it comes down to "he said, she said", without lack of evidence, the district attorney's office may decline to prosecute.Answer #2: Your friend was sexually assaulted, not raped. Testimony is evidence, but the DA controls who gets prosecuted.Answer #3: Build what kind of case? You can’t accuse someone of rape when they didn’t rape. Your title says “a friend was almost raped” not “a friend was raped”.

He made advances, and while they sound like aggressive advances he did stop.

So again, what kind of case do you want to build?

Edit: corrected typo.


Title: [Oregon] My neighbour's cat allegedly broke its leg after falling down from my apple tree and he wants me to pay for its vet bills.

Question:
Hello!

I have an apple tree on my yard that is about ten feet tall. My neighbour has a cat that really likes my yard. A few days ago, I came home to an angry note on my front door, telling me that the cat broke its leg after falling down my apple tree and that I owe him for, quote, "the fucking massive vet bill". If I don't pay, he has thretended to sue me. I wasn't home when the cat allegedly fell out of my tree.

Do I have the pay the cat's vet bills? And does he have a case? I know if I'm served, I need to take it seriously and I have the money to pay the bills, I'm just curious if I'm liable.

Answer:
 What kind of shit cat falls 10 feet from a tree and breaks a leg?Answer #2: did he watch his cat climb and fall out of your tree without doing anything?

How does he know what happened  in the first place?


Title: Can my 17M Parents move without my consent ?

Question:
They want to move and I should change schools,  leave my friends and my summer job behind.. I don’t want to move because I will be repeating a year of school, and I don’t want to lose my friends. Is there something I can do about it ?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Yes, your parents don't need your consent to do anything at all.  If they are willing to let you stay with a friend or relative to finish this year of school they can do that but they do not have to.Answer #2: They absolutely can, and they can bring you without your consent as well.


Title: [RI] I was asked to sign a 5 year non-compete agreement as an unpaid college intern.

Question:
I recently got an offer to intern at a local accounting firm. Even though it's unpaid, the firm seems to offer some good, hands-on experience working with the general ledger, tax preparation, audits, proof of cash, and accounting software.

I went in today to drop off my BCI check. The accountant was not in the office, so I just talked to the secretary. She gave me a manila folder with the firm's employment application, a NDA, an I9 form, and a non-compete agreement.

I had never seen or heard of a non-compete agreement before. I don't have a copy of the agreement on me, but it said something to the effect that I could not work for any competing firm (any firm that engages in tax preparation, bookkeeping, etc.) for five years after my "employment" at this firm.

Obviously, I'm not really an "employee" at the firm. I'm surprised I even had to fill out an I9 to be honest. I ended up signing the non-compete form (again, I wasn't pressured or anything, I was actually alone in a room when I was filling it all out.) I figured that it was something typical and maybe I was just misunderstanding the document.

I did ask the secretary an unrelated question about where I was supposed to sign on the NDA. She called the accountant and the accountant said she would go over all of that paperwork with me on Monday (five days from now). I suppose it's possible that the secretary assembled the usual documentation given to new employees and that I wasn't meant to actually sign the non-compete clause.

But now I'm a bit concerned about the potential legal ramifications of this agreement. I mean, it doesn't make any sense to offer an internship to college sophomores and juniors, and then expect them to refrain from working in their field of choice for up to four years *after* graduation.

I've also read that a court typically wouldn't enforce a 5 year non-compete agreement, much less in the context of an unpaid college internship.

Still, if it turns out that the accountant does, in fact, expect me to abide by the non-compete agreement, what should I do? Should I resign? Should I just go along with it and pursue my career path howsoever I choose in the future, knowing that a court would be unlikely to enforce that agreement (provided the accountant even knows what I'm doing in the future and decides to file a lawsuit against me)?

Answer:
 Ahahahaha a five year noncompete for an unpaid internship? They're out of their fucking minds.

I can't fathom a state in which this would be enforceable. Rhode Island generally restricts the term to one year, and geographically bounds it-- and there's arguably no consideration here given that you're unpaid.

In your shoes I'd probably sign it, and bank on them not wanting to be laughed out of court when you go work elsewhere.


Title: Beheler Statement

Question:
(California) I'd be grateful for any knowledge on a situation I'm undergoing right now.

I'm being accused of filing a false police report and have my trial date set for later this month. I was coerced into admitting that I made the robbery up -- the Detective repeatedly told me I could leave when I told the truth and at one point on the recording becomes aggressive and slams his hand on the table then tells me to "stop wasting his time and tell the truth." I made the fatal mistake of going along with their story and said I made the whole thing up so I could get out of that room (I was on a time limit, as I had to be at work in the evening) I know I should have refused to talk and demanded a lawyer thus hindsight...

My PD is going to file a motion to suppress my statement on the basis that I was never read my Miranda Rights and that the environment, tone of the officers, and leading questions constituted a custodial interrogation. I was led into a room past the offices in the department, around two corners, and into an "office space" with a desk and a white board. On the recording I can be heard commenting that this is a long walk to their meeting room.

Back to my question -- on the written police report the officer states that he read me Beheler immediately upon us sitting down before he told me that he knew the robbery was faked. That is false -- his first words to me were "I'm going to get right to the point, I've already spoken to the other party member involved, I know this robbery was fake."

How should I proceed? Also, does my motion to suppress my statement because I wasn't read my Miranda have grounds?

Answer:
 A Beheler statement is different from a Miranda warning.

Beheler is used by the police to try and show a person is not in custody. Once a person acknowledges they are there voluntarily and are free to go, any subsequent statement is generally admissible.  You should talk to a local attorney, but I have serious doubts about your being able to suppress your statement.


Title: In North Dakota need some advice

Question: So for over a month now my sewer has been frozen, meaning i can take a short shower and maybe flush the toilet once or twice a day. Certainly no laundry as it backs up into the shower/tub. Ive notified the landlord on 3 occasions and the response has been to wait it out. The first is tommorow, do i have to pay rent? What are the grounds i should move forward with talking to my landlord?

Answer:
 Keep paying rent as directed in your lease.

You have a few options here, because this is a clear breach of the warranty of habitability. First, notify the landlord in writing of the problem and detail that he is in clear breach of his obligations as a landlord.

Then, I would get someone from the local building code enforcement to take a look at this. I'm not familiar with your local building codes but it could be a violation. This may kick the landlord into gear and get it fixed.

The next step would be to get someone to repair it, then deduct the rent. Give the landlord notice you are doing this and keep all relevant payment documentation.

Your final remedy would be to break the lease. The landlord is already in violation of his side of the lease.

The last two options are more on the "going nuclear" side of things. And it puts you at the risk of litigation in court by the landlord. Answer #2: Yes, you should pay rent.  Withholding your rent would be self help that would get you in trouble and violate your lease.

Have you pushed your landlord to take action?  Have you asked him to send a plumber to rectify the issue?  Other than just notifying your landlord of the issue, what other remedies have you taken?


Title: Can i be reprimanded from my school if i file a FOIA and Cease and Desist letter to them?

Question: i go to a private Catholic high school in NSW, Australia. i am under investigation for accusations of sexual assult, which i did not do. i am a huge smart arse so naturally i tried to find any law that would help me but instead i decided to send the school a cease and desist letter for defimation, i got a detention for it.

Answer:
 I don't know much about Australian law, but a quick search shows that in Australia [a FOIA request is for *public government documents*.](https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/rights-and-responsibilities) A private school has no obligation to respond to a FOIA request because they aren't a public or government agency and none of the things that FOIA cover are relevant here.

What, exactly, did you attempt to request via FOIA?

Anyway, it's a private high school so yes, they are *generally* free to give you a detention for whatever they please. Being a smartass and filing a false FOIA and "cease and desist" letter is definitely grounds for getting a detention. Grow up.

>defimation

I'm sure your letter was great and they truly were scared.


Title: (DC/VA) Identity stolen, someone provided my personal info during a traffic stop. Ticket shows the guy's license plate, how to proceed?

Question:
So here are the relevant details:

Earlier this year I received a letter from the DC DMV regarding three moving violations committed earlier that year. This was news to me as I haven't been pulled over since I was a teenager, plus I had never been to the area where this alleged violation occurred. The letters were rife with minor errors: my first name was misspelled, as was the state in which it's registered, but the actual driver's license number is correct, as is my current address.

It appeared my only recourse at the time was to schedule a hearing with Adjudication Services, so I did so. I had a defense mounted for why this wasn't me, but it turns out that simply denying the charges when the arresting officer fails to appear is all that's required to get the ticket dismissed. After rightfully denying the charges, I asked the clerk (?) for a copy of the tickets. The tickets include the perp's *license plate number* (and used a previous address of mine).

**My question is:** how do I proceed with this information? This is not the first time I have been contacted with falsified information. If I file a police report, what would they do? Look up the plates and provide me the contact information? Do I press charges for something like this?

Answer:
 >how do I proceed with this information?

Contact the police, and ask how to file a report for an identity theft case. File said report. Pull your credit reports, look for things that aren't supposed to be there.

>If I file a police report, what would they do?

That depends entirely on too many unknown factors. There's no way for us to tell you that.

>Look up the plates and provide me the contact information?

That won't happen.

>Do I press charges for something like this?

You don't press charges, the DA does.


Title: What should i do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Prepare to be arrested.Answer #2: You assaulted someone. Get a lawyer


Title: Sour breakup and slight chance ex might release my nudes. What should I do if that comes?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You may want to tighten up your FB privacy settings. If he does anything unsavory I'd contact his CO in a heartbeat.Answer #2: The DOD just added a new section to the UCMJ that makes it illegal for service members to share nude pictures of others without their consent. If it happens he would most likely be made an example ofAnswer #3: Is he actually in the Navy or just doing boot at Great Lakes? If he's in boot you could remind him that releasing the pictures could hurt or end his naval career before it starts.

Bonus is Illinois has revenge porn laws too, and this would be a felony I believe.

I would think if the misconduct didn't get him bounced out, the felony would.Answer #4: People are saying that if something goes down to contact his CO. Why not contact the CO with the text messages?Answer #5: Also if your ex is an officer, remember the military has a powerful catch all for officer misbehavior -- conduct unbecoming an officer -- that they take very seriously.Answer #6: In Illinois, non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images is a class 4 felony which comes with a minimum sentence of 1 year and a maximum sentence of 3 years. p. § 11-23.5, Illinois Criminal Code.
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=098-1138


Title: Terminated while on maternity leave. What am I entitled to? (Canada)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If your entire department is being closed, then it's not discrimination, just bad luck. Your accrued vacation should be paid out. Other than that, you're entitled to the severance that they offered, provided that you follow whatever their rules are in return for the severance payment. If you do not follow their rules than you will likely forfeit the severance as well.


Title: [Florida] how hard is it to go forward with medical malpractice in a plastic surgery matter?

Question: Had major complications after plastic surgery (initially health related, which then branched into both aesthetic and health issues). Doctor has no medmal insurance. Going to cost me upward of $15k to fix -- not to mention what I'm paying off for the initial surgery my doc did. Is this an uphill battle I can't win?

Answer:
 Complications do not equate to medmal. All surgery has risk. What did the doctor do incorrectly?

What did the medmal attorney you talk to say?


Title: My jobs wants me to start clocking out before I hand in my keys.

Question:
I work in a retail environment and every day I work I have to come in, collect keys, and go to my area of the store to clock in. We're required to clock in and out using an ipad at our kiosk that is locked up and we can't get to without the keys. Our old system allowed us to clock in/out on our phones at the store entrance. Now they're wanting us to clock out, lock up the ipad, walk to the front of the store and turn in keys. I usually get stopped by guests or something while I'm walking to breaks or to leave for the evening. The walk to the front isn't a short walk, and even if I tell people I'm off the clock, wouldn't turning the keys in be considered part of my job. Is this legal?

Edit: I'm in Tennessee.

Answer:
 Just tell the guests, "Sorry, I'm off the clock." Pocket your name badge.Answer #2: As others have said, tell the customers you're not on the clock and that someone else will help them.  Or change out of your uniform before heading frontwards.

As for the pay thing, you could conceivably raise a stink about the clocking out time, and you could probably win.  However, given that you're talking about a couple minutes of time at best, it's probably not worth the time or hassle.Answer #3: Is someone stopping your removing your uniform to turn in the keys?
Im going to guess you have to go out the front door anyway.


Title: Probation officer on leave?

Question: I was supposed to he terminated from my one year of probation this wensday, I emailed my probation officer last night to see if there was anything I needed to do before getting off. I received an automated response saying he was on leave since the begging of this month and to call a number to see who my new probation officer is, I called the court today and they said to call back the afternoon the day I'm supposed to be terminated to see if I'm off or extended. In my year I've never tested dirty never got another charge missed 1 test but went the next day and did not get violated for it, is there any chance of me getting extended?

Answer: There's really no value in speculating here. You seem to have been given no reason to believe it will be extended. Why dont you wait until you get a hold of them before you start worrying about it.


Title: Multi-state. Fraud wedding 1.5 years ago. Should the D.A. be contacted?

Question:
A wedding in IL 1.5 years ago that had about 60 guests from 4 states attend, never happened.  Only a couple of people know that this was not a legal wedding, the rest of the guests still believe this couple got married.

Travel expenses and gifts, both monetary and items were spent by the guests.

I'm one of the people who knew it wasn't a real wedding, but I accepted the story that they did not get in town in time for a license and would get it taken care of later.  Half a year later I was assured they took care of it.  It's now a year and a half later, and I just found out they lied and are still not legally married, they have already had a child, and they still claim the fake wedding was their wedding date.

At this point, I'm pretty well feeling like they perpetrated a fraud.  I just don't want to be seen as a dick for getting them in legal trouble if this is seen as "no big deal".  It's not like they just made up a story about being married in vegas, if you figure just 30.00 for a gift, 100.00 in travel, and 70.00 in hotel as a low end average per guest they conned people for 12 grand.

Answer:
 The D.A. won't care. No one forced the people to give this couple gifts and go to the wedding. They could possibly bring a suit in civil court but I doubt that would go anywhere. I doubt anyone can prove that they gave those gifts conditioned upon the fact that these two had to be legally married. Answer #2: You sound petty and like a busy body. Just be happy someone invited you to something with the attitude you have. Also, get over what this person did to you that makes you want to report them for the only thing you have on them. Life is too short to spend being bitter.Answer #3: They had a ceremony where a priest (or some analogue) wedded them. They may not be legally married, but they have been married in a religious or spiritual sense. They advertised a wedding and then had a wedding. Period. There is no fraud here, you're just annoyed because they're married differently than you approve of.

If you're concerned about their children's well being, call CPS.Answer #4: It's not fraud (at least, not against you). If anything, it's laziness.Answer #5: in some jurisdictions, if you represent yourself as married, you ARE married under the common-law statutes. (i.e. a divorce decree is necessary for dissolution.)Answer #6: Does the signed paper really matter? And you are still dwelling on this years later? Have you considered a hobby or maybe a therapist? You may die young of stress and anger if you don't learn to relax.


Title: Are my landlords allowed to tell CPS what apartment I am in?

Question:
I split up with my ex-boyfriend in June of last year. He was emotionally and physically abusive. I took our 3 year old son with me and moved into a house in the same city.

He found out where I lived and worked and both he and his mother called CPS on me and made a bunch of false accusations ranging from child abuse to neglect. Of course CPS came in and saw that the accusations made were false but it came with them finding small things to add and us having to deal with them much longer than we would have liked. They made me submit to a drug test every month for three months as well as mental health services because they believed I was "suffering from depression". I completed the mental health part (at my expense and time, having to miss work) and the doctor who saw me said he didn't believe I was depressed. They still pushed me into attending therapy until the case was closed.

I have since moved again, 60 miles away, same state new city, different county. However, someone let me he know that they have gotten my address again. I am expecting more CPS calls soon so I am going to contact an attorney and see what they suggest. However I have one question I was curious about that hopefully someone can answer for me in the meantime.

I live in an apartment unit and most people have to go to the office and speak with them before they go to people's doors. I don't think my ex has the apartment number, just the apartment name and address.

I would rather have an attorney present from the initial first visit and I would prefer we schedule a time to sit down and speak with them -- not for them to just show up.

If CPS or my ex goes to the office and asks for me, can my landlords give them my apartment number? Am I allowed to request that they speak with me first before letting them know which unit I am in?

Answer:
 Yes.

Your landlord has no particular obligation of privacy with respect to your address unless perhaps one is created in there lease.

And can undoubtedly cooperate with CPS safely in any case.


Title: Intern rights

Question: Hello! I am a graduate student in Illinois wondering about my rights in a clinical counseling internship. My site supervisor and my department want to start recording me on video during sessions with clients. They have prepared forms for the clients to sign in accordance with proper procedures. My question is do I have a right to not be recorded? Is there a way for me to fight this?

Answer:
 >My question is do I have a right to not be recorded?

You do. And they have the right to not employ you for not wanting to be recorded.

>Is there a way for me to fight this?

And keep your internship...not likely.


Title: I have 3 speeding tickets in less then 18 months in NY.

Question:
I'm 19 years old, so this is bad. My first ticket was in Feburary 16', it got bumped down to 3 points. My next one was in July 16' in New Jersey so I didn't get the points for that carried over but had a $250 fine, but still effects the speeding violation law in NY. Then my third was about a month ago, and my girlfriends uncle, who was a high ranked cop in neighboring town, says he will come with me saying he is familiar with the area. Even if he does come and gets me no points on this ticket, am I gonna lose my license? Also, If he comes with me, does he get the ticket dropped or just lowered?

http://www.ticketdefenselaw.com/new-york/suspended-license/3-speeding-tickets-in-18-months/
This website didn't have specific enough scenarios for me.

Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: I don't know what her uncle showing up is going to do for you. You need an attorney.


Title: CA Creaking floorboards above. major frustration

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Ideally the landlord would fix the issue but I don't know. Could I force the issue?

"Fix" as in make major repairs to the floors? That won't happen, and we know this because they offered you two different options instead of making the repairs.

Most landlords would tell their tenant in this situation that there is nothing they are obligated to do about the flooring. Your landlord offered to let you move units or break the lease, which is very generous.


Title: Owe over 100,000 in restitution for felony level crime. Allowed to own gun? [az]

Question: Title basically sums it up. The offense happened when I was a minor, and I'm just wondering if it means I can not legally own a fire arm. Any reference to specific laws? Thanks!

Answer:
 Per Federal Law, convicted felons cannot legally own a firearm unless you get the conviction expunged, set aside or vacated.

Regardless of the $100000 restitution thingy.


Title: [OR] Four dogs mauled a child, who is liable?

Question:
This doesn't pertain to my child, but my child's best friend. I don't have a stance on this issue but was just curious.

Our house backs up to the large yard of a neighboring house. This house has 2 Bull Mastiffs, 1 Pitbull and 1 Cain Corso that live outdoors. The yard is fenced in by a 4ft high chain link fence that the dogs have escaped many times. The owner is gone much of the time as he is a truck driver. When he found out they escaped he installed an electric fence along the chain link fence.

One of the times they escaped, a 10yr old girl in the neighborhood 'befriended' them and would often play with them over the fence. One night while the truck driver was away, the girl went into their yard and was mauled by all four dogs. She is lucky to be alive and will require extensive hospitalization, rehabilitation and plastic surgery in the future. She had told her father that the owner had asked her to take care of them while he was gone.

We talked to the owner a few days ago and he showed us multiple text messages to the girl's father and the girl saying that he found the electric fence unplugged (from the outside of the fence) multiple times and to not go in his yard, that the dogs were dangerous and he trained them to protect his house. He told us he did not ask the girl to take care of them as he has someone who takes care of them while he is gone and they are too large and dangerous for him to ask a child to take care of them.

So my question is, who is liable in this situation? It sounds like the dog owner is not liable criminally (nor should he be in my opinion since the dogs were in his yard). Both parties have damages: the girl and her father have and will have hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills and the dog owner has bills from the dogs being quarantined. Could the father sue the dog owner civilly and if so, would he have a case?

All in all, a tragic situation but the owner seemed to try to take measures to keep his dogs in the yard, other than putting up a taller fence.

Edit: This is in Oregon.

Answer: Most likely the dog owner will not be found liable if the girl was trespassing


Title: I just left my job and they send me a letter saying that they overpaid me, do I have to pay? They were real a*holes.

Question:
UK here, hope this is the right place to post this, r/personalfinance referred me here. The company I worked for is a pretty large, roughly 20,000 employees. However, ever since I started working for them I have only had problems with HR. Just a few of them:

- I didn't get paid for 7 months, and when I did get paid I got paid 8 months wages in a lump sum, right at the beginning of the tax year... meaning loads of money taken for tax and had to wait a year to get it back.
- I didn't get my wages paid properly during christmas.

- I didn't get any holiday (didn't even get paid for it).

I left the company in January, I loved my job but my manager and HR was useless, I think they thought that I didn't know anything and brushed me off as I was the youngest person there (20) so I left to focus on my studies.

However, I recently got a letter saying they did an audit and overpaid me by £500, apparently due to the extra holiday hours they paid me. They wanted me to call them to arrange paying it back. I'm can afford paying them, but should I pay? Especially the way I got treated.

From my understanding it's a civil matter, I doubt they will take me to court for £500. I would appreciate some advice on this matter. I don't want it to have an effect on my credit score.

Thank you.

Answer:
 Why don't you talk to [Workplace Relations Commission](https://www.workplacerelations.ie/en/), and see what they advise.

At least in the US there are consequences if an employer doesn't pay you on time.

Also try /r/LegalAdviceUK


Title: Privately sold a car stating it had air con but it turns out it didn't, buyer has been in contact - looking for advice!

Question:
Hi everyone

Just trying to find out where I stand legally, I'm in the UK and here's the story...

Bought an old (ish) muscle car, had it for just over a year, loads of fun, but due to expecting a baby and starting a business I've had to sell it. Advertised it online, had someone inquire about it and a few phone calls later they say they'll buy it. Problem is I'm in the UK and they're in Malta, so they got a car courier company come down to look at it, pay for it (cash), and load it on to their car transporter and take it to the port to ship it to Malta.

All was well until a few weeks later when they phoned me informing me that there wasn't any air con. They specifically asked me if it had air con, and to the best of my knowledge, it did. It had the air con button clearly labelled in the car so I presumed it had it, turns out a previous owner had left the button but removed the AC hardware.

So I'm not sure where I stand legally, I wrote out a receipt saying sold as seen, and I genuinely believed it had it.

If the buyer was just round the corner I'd just take the car back, but he's in Malta, and the car was damaged by the courier putting it on the transporter, and I don't fancy paying for it to be brought back to the uk damaged.

I'm going to offer a bit of the cash back, but do I have to? And what if the buyer isn't happy with this and wants the whole lot back?

Thanks in advance guys

Answer: I'd post this in /r/LegalAdviceUK for starters. Vehicle laws are pretty varied from country to country so its hard to give any reliable advise


Title: What is to stop me from taking out a loan with some Native American payday lender (such as Western Sky) and then never paying it back?

Question:
Let's say I borrow money from some payday lender that is based on a Native American reservation, such as Western Sky or West River Cash. How can they force me to pay back the loan? It seems like the fact that they are a Native American business would mean that I and all of my property would be outside of their legal influence, and as such they wouldn't really have any power to force me to repay the loan.

*Disclaimer: I have no interest in taking out a loan with a payday lender. I simply saw a commercial for one of the Native American loan places and it got me curious about what laws might be involved here.*

Answer: same way if you take a loan from a foreign company they can sue you in our courts. also, why would you pressume their courts won't apply to you? Answer #2: The same thing that prevents you from being a deadbeat on any other kind of loan, lawsuits and your credit score.


Title: Paid for sandwich at Subway (California), asked cashier if I could use restroom and she said “we don’t have a public restroom”.

Question:
What’s the law on this? Pretty sure one of the worker’s just removed the bathroom sign and replaced it with “Employees Only”. I didn’t get upset or anything, I just really had to use the restroom and ran across the street. But I would really like to know the exact law so that this doesn’t happen again.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: It depends on the building, but in California it is possible for food serving establishments to legally not provide restrooms for customers.  They have to have them for employees though.


Title: I am wanting to adopt my fiancé’s son. Do I need a lawyer or is this a trip to the court for paperwork?

Question:
So a little background, my fiancé and I won’t be getting married until next year (due to time/money issues). We have been together since her son was 1 year old (he is now 6). I have raised him since I got in the picture as my son. My fiancé and I own a house and I have a good job that pays well enough and she has a job that gives us a little extra money to play with.

My fiancé has full custody. The custody hearing was a quick open and shut case because he moved back in with his parents who showed up to the hearing so high they fell asleep talking to the social worker.

The biological father has not had nor tried to make any contact since he left my fiancé 5 years ago. He only has supervised visitation which he has never used in the last five years. He is now married to a woman who has a kid of her own.

He had said a few years ago that he would sign over rights if she asked but we are unsure this is true because she had taken him to court to get full custody and he had fought to get custody. We believe this was to keep him from looking bad. So we are cautious of asking him to sign over rights, if he is going to fight us again to try to save face or if his fairly new wife makes him to keep him from looking like a deadbeat.

Should we get a lawyer or is there a system in place that we can go through without a lawyer or should we risk asking him to sign over rights and hope for the best?

Note: I tried to keep to the facts on the post above. My opinion is the biological father is a piece of crap who doesn’t care about anything besides getting high, selling drugs, and playing video games. I’m glad he doesn’t want anything to do with his child because all he would do is mess up this happy and caring little boy.

Answer:
 Do you need an attorney: 100%. You are removing a parent from the child. Courts don't take that lightly on any situation

You cannot adopt until after you are married


Title: Reasons not to go through with a "class action" lawsuit on the video games industry

Question:
This isn't the US, it's in Singapore and I need some help.

My parents are grouping together with some friends (some of whom are lawyers) and people they met up with to try and do a "class action" lawsuit against the video games industry as a whole for making their children addicted, therefore ruining their futures and causing them to lose money.

I don't think this is a good idea, not least because the video game industry is fucking huge and it'll probably fail, but also because my parents seem crazy committed to this and seem willing to spend ridiculous amounts of cash on this.

The argument not to do so got pretty bad in the house, with my younger brother running out of the house already and blocking my contact (pretty sure he'll be back), and any points I raised were dismissed offhand because I'm "already addicted and influenced, and don't have as much life experience as they do". (which is funny, because I haven't played video games for about a year?)

Background: my parents are quite technophobic and really hate any form of new technology. They haven't ever played video games, have done no actual research and only know what they do from secondhand news.

Please give some input from other people in the world that I can show them means their lawsuit is going to be a waste of time and money?
Topic:
Non-US

Answer: Guaranteed fail.


Title: My mother is stealing my checks and depositing them into her account. Bank says there is nothing they can do and it's perfectly legal for her to do this.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 Fraudulently endorsing checks is a crime. So is intercepting your mail, under most circumstances. If the checks were intended for you, personally, then your mother is stealing from you, and you can file a police report, as well as talking to your postmaster about the mail theft.

However, it's probably worth speaking to an estate litigation attorney before you pull the trigger on that. From [your comment](/r/legaladvice/comments/67e49w/my_mother_is_stealing_my_checks_and_depositing/dgpqekr/), it sounds like you've got some fairly serious concerns about the administration of the trust; it's your responsibility, as a beneficiary, to enforce your rights, and you really need a lawyer for that. If your mother ends up in prison for check fraud but still in control of your trust, you could end up with a much larger problem.Answer #2: PS I have emailed my mother and asked for an accounting of the trust. As trustee she is legally obligated to answer all questions from beneficiaries about the trust. My cousins email her too and ask questions, but she ignores us. We know she is stealing from all of us, but she also has far more money than us so we feel suing her would be pointless since she also covers her tracks well and since there is apparently zero oversight into trustees of estates. She has access to all the bank accounts and passwords. She bought off the executor of the estate and when I tried to call him he just said to go ask her my questions. He mysteriously moved to Florida and changed his number after my cousins and I inquired about the situation.


Title: Cannabis cafe barista classified as independent contractor; employers keep tips. Legal? (North Carolina)

Question:
Hello. I work as a barista at a small, family-owned cannabis cafe/dispensary in North Carolina. Basically, there's a massage parlor in the back, a retail space with various CBD products, and the cafe, which serves CBD coffee, smoothies, etc. I was told I would be working mostly in the cafe, but I currently split my time between there and the retail section. I have nothing to do with the massages.

I work 20-25 hours a week. I get paid $9. When I was hired, they told me they "don't do taxes" on my pay and I'd have to do my own. I took this to mean that I am a classified as an independent contractor instead of an employee, but when I asked my manager she said she didn't know. The only other employees are two massage therapists, my manager, the owner, and the CFO. The massage therapists get tipped out on a per-massage basis. While everyone jumps in on register as needed, I'm the primary cashier for the business on days when I work.

We have a tip jar and a card tip option. I've been asking since my first day if we get tipped out, but no straight answer. The manager says she needs to discuss it with the CFO, the CFO tells me "we'll figure it out," and nothing occurs. Tonight I got about $15 in cash tips alone and just had to leave it in the jar. We get a solid amount of card tips, too.

Is this legal? Does anything about my status as an independent contractor or the fact that this is a cannabis business make a difference? Thank you for reading.

Answer:
 They are not paying you properly. Contractors are contractors, not employees. Contact the department of labor and make a report.Answer #2: You shouldn't be an independent contractor at all.Answer #3: They are paying you illegally and you will have to pay 15% extra tax next year. And keeping tips is illegal as well. You can file a [wage claim](https://www.labor.nc.gov/workplace-rights/employee-rights-regarding-time-worked-and-wages-earned/how-file-wage-complaint) with your state and file an SS-8 with the IRS to get it straightened out (and get access the benefits of being an employee).

But to get one thing straight, marijuana is illegal in NC. This is is all low-THC, hemp-derived CBD?


Title: Grandfather passed away, extended family threatening our immediate family.

Question:
Hello, Reddit...please excuse any errors...I am still trying to process everything. Located in Canada.

I was informed earlier this morning that my grandfather had passed away a while back. My grandfather lived a year longer than doctors thought he would, and I am grateful for the time I got to have with him. After hearing the news, I made a commitment to spend more time with him, which infuriated some of my extended families. My grandfather made a point to never tell anyone he was sick, as he never wanted to be a burden to them. I found out last year after he had already been suffering for a while. My grandfather all made it a point to tell me that I would never have to worry about anything, as he was planning on leaving everything to me to ensure that he 'passed the torch' and that I was taken care of. The extended family that I am not close to what-so-ever hates my immediate family and has threatened us on several occasions to never visit him again or they would have us arrested as a couple of the extended family members because of his power of attorney for decisions regarding his health and finances.

After months of being threatened by them, from them having me arrested for beating me up to saying to me over the phone that they would hire someone to kill me, and my immediate family if we ever tried to see my grandfather again to being told that they were going to sue us for everything we have (and receive upon his passing) as we "don't deserve anything". One of the few extended family members that actually care about us reached out and offered her condolences to which I just learned that he passed away some time ago.

To my knowledge, the will has not been changed in years so I likely am still listed on it, but with the extended family primarily controlling my grandfather's estate and decisions before passing, I have no idea if it's been changed within the last 3 years.

Reddit, I have never been in such a situation, and I have no idea where to even start...I have not been contacted by his lawyer yet, as he recently passed away but I have not yet found out exactly when. His passing was indeed confirmed by another relative. Can anyone provide me with beginning steps on where on Earth to go from here?

Thank you so much for any advice that you are able to provide, I appreciate it. Again, I apologize if I am missing any details or have not worded some things properly.

Answer:
 You should consult an estate attorney and tell them your story. If you are owed anything from the will you may need legal help to obtain it. Answer #2: Contact the executor, and contact the probate court to get a copy of the will.

You will likely need an attorney, but you want as MUCH information as you can get at this point.  Don't be overly pushy, but don't take "no" for an answer.  You are probably entitled to the information.

Don't do anything without deadlines (tactful ones at first), but don't let people do anything without definite answers and dates.


Title: My sister has an undiagnosed mental health problem and is lying to her therapist

Question:
Looking for some help on this one - I am from Maryland and moved to New York. My sister, 29, still lives in Maryland. She has struggled with depression for a few years and was in therapy. This past January, she suddenly stopped eating out of the blue. She was losing weight. In May, she told my dad she wasn't going to eat Monday through Friday and was feeling suicidal. My dad called her therapist who then called my sister. My sister connected the dots and realized my dad called and exploded on him. Not sure on the details of the conversation. It was obvious the therapist knew nothing of her issues and she was lying in her sessions. At her next therapy session, her therapist gave her an ultimatum - either agree to do an outpatient agreement or go to the ER and she agreed to the outpatient agreement.

The outpatient treatment ended in August and by then she had added a ton of food to her diet including: chicken, eggs, and peanut butter. With chicken, she would only eat it if she saw the expiration date on the package and knew when it was purchased. This diet lasted for a month and towards the end of September, she regressed to only eating bread and peanut butter. My mom confronted her one day about only eating bread and peanut butter and my sister screamed, "because I can control it", and seemed upset about revealing that.

She also watches TV all day and doesn't move much. She has problems sleeping and changes mood on a dime. I think she has bipolar disorder but since I'm not a doctor, I cannot say, but clearly there is something more than just depression. Since she is an adult, legally, is there a way my parents can force her to go to therapy with them so she cannot lie and get the right diagnoses and get the help she needs?

Update while typing this, my mom texted me saying she asked my sister if she ate today and she got super defensive and screamed at her for asking because she "doesn't want to talk about it". This is becoming regular

Thank you

Answer:
 >Since she is an adult, legally, is there a way my parents can force her to go to therapy with them so she cannot lie and get the right diagnoses and get the help she needs?

No.

I'm sorry, but there's really not. If she is actively suicidal, you can phone the police and attempt to get her put on a psychiatric hold, but that doesn't really help you in your situation.


Title: How to prove that a "parent" is no longer in your life for financial reasons. CT

Question:
I'm recently independent my mom just passed away, and am enrolled in my last semester.  Due tot he grief I've probably put this on longer than I should have, but since the death was unexpected I didn't have a chance to take the parent plus loans that I was allocated by my FAFSA.  Financial aid was able to give me just enough money to cover tuition but nothing for living expenses and I've been borrowing money from siblings and my boyfriend to survive (I currently live with him, but haven't contributed to rent).

The problem is that my mom's husband, the one I was born from, is still alive.  They have been legally divorced for years now and he hasn't paid child support or been in my life since.  Now Financial aid is saying that in order to qualify for loans I have to prove that he's not in my life, but didn't go into detail on how I could do that.

Also, can my boyfriend claim me as dependent on his taxes?  Will that screw up my financial aid?  And what happens if this person tries to claim me as dependent on his taxes?  He claims he's changed again, is it worth even bothering to ask him for money?  I'm worried that this will create a "hold" on me that I'd like to avoid as much as possible.

Answer:
 Your boyfriend can claim you as a dependent if you make less than $4050 and if your father is ineligible. Because you did not live with your father and he did not provide support for you, he is ineligible.

However, being a dependent or not does not affect FAFSA on its own. What you need is called a [dependency override](http://www.finaid.org/educators/pj/dependencyoverrides.phtml), based on the fact that you father has abandoned you (not communicated with you or supported you for over a year). Look at that page for what you need to do.


Title: Accused of Hacking computer grading system, have a past but didn’t do it.

Question:
This one is a little weird, but I really need some advice.

*Obligatory sorry for bad format on mobile*

BACKGROUND: A few months back I got in trouble for hacking an outside organization which had a class for computers in my school. They let me off with a warning, so I swore off hacking.

Today: I get called into the assistant principals office, and am interrogated for an event where someone(who I know but will not dox) made a keylogger and got some teachers’ passwords. He started using them, and got caught. He then called me out, to shift blame. My only crime was I was aware, and didn’t report it. He has pawned me off as an integral part. Assuming I can’t clear my name, and they do purse legal action(they have threatened it). What am I up against and what are my options

I am under 18 and in the great state of Oklahoma btw.

Answer:
 You need to get your parents involved immediately.    They should consult a defense attorney.  ASAP

You have a hacking past, a person who fingered you, and school officials questioning you.  There is no clearing your name here.  They think you did it, and trying to pump info to build a case or get a confession. They may involve the authorities, which may result in charges under the computer fraud and abuse act.  Not saying that will happen, but, you are well past detention and into expulsion territory.


Title: 5 months pregnant and both my fiance and I won't qualify for maternity leave until 2019. Is there anything else we can do?

Question:
I've worked for 2 hotels in the last 4 years.  I will refer to them as Hotel A and Hotel B.  Hotel A I started working at in December of 2014.  It went through new ownership in 2015.  I left in May 2017 to go to Hotel B.  Then came back to Hotel A in January 2018 as an nonsalaried AGM.  In April 2017, a new hotel owner took over Hotel A.

So I discussed with HR about maternity leave.  They said that they offer paid maternity leave after a year of working for the company.  Same thing with paid vacation.  The only thing they could do for me is "hold" my position for 8 (possibly 12 if I fight for it) weeks while I take unpaid time off.

My fiance is a salaried AGM for a Japanese restaurant.  He was an MIT for about 6 or 7 months and was promoted to a salaried AGM a few months ago.  He asked his HR department about paternity leave and they told him he doesn't get paternity leave at all.  And he doesn't even start accumulating hours for paid vacation until March or April 2019 (a year after being promoted to AGM).

We live in Texas, and since I've been with the new company for less an a year, I don't qualify for FMLA and as far as I know, it doesn't extend to my fiance...

Our baby will be here in November.  Is there anything we can legally do or qualify for regarding maternity and paternity leave?

Otherwise with the cost of daycare and the odd hours we work - I don't get home until 8 or 9pm and he doesn't get home until 1 or 2am, one of us (most likely me) will have to quit their job or work part time in the morning, or work from home.

Answer: Unfortunately you have no options.  You cannot be terminated for being pregnant, but past that you have no protections as there is no requirement for paid leave for child birth at the federal level and Texas does not have such a requirement.  As you note you are not even eligible for unpaid FMLA so they can terminate you for not showing up for a single shift after the kid is born.  Sounds like they might be willing to work with you a bit, but that’s about all you are going to get, you have no legal right to keep the job or to get paid leave.


Title: [MI] Neighbor is Fixing their home and their home and added on to it closer to the property line

Question:
TL;DR Neighbor added more to their house than the building permit said and it is only 5 feet from my property line (zoning says 8 ft. min.) and added to their deck right up to the property line.  What can be done about this?

MY neighbor has been working on their house for almost a year and a half, thats another story, but they put 2 small additions onto their house.  I saw their building permit and it stated that they were doing a remodel with a 144 square foot addition. the first concern i have is that they have added on more than 144 sq.ft. But the main concern i have is one of the additions they put on the side of the house is only 5ft max from the property line.  I looked up our zoning for my property and my neighbors and the requirement from the property line is 8ft.

Also they added a step type thing to the side of the new deck that i believe is right up to the property line if not over by a couple inches.  Just wondering what can be done about this.

Lastly, they have torn up the grass on the property we own across the street from parking there everyday for a year and a half.  what rights do i have to make them fix that when they are done?

Answer:
 You can call the zoning people for your area and report the zoning violation to them.

If they have damaged your property, and they don't fix it, you can approach them about making a claim to their insurance, or you can sue them.Answer #2: Call the building inspector, tell them what's going on, and make it clear that you will not support any variances.

If the inspector does not show up and red tag the job within a few days, contact the head of the building department, the chair of the zoning board, or whoever is up the inspector's chain of command.


Title: [Va] Posting for a friend. She found a usb with child porn in her soon to be exs belongings.

Question:
She wanted to immediately turn it into police, I have heard that they may end up taking all electronics in the investigation. I convinced her to wait a little but she really wants it out of her house today, and for him to be reported.

 How can she protect herself, and if they do take all electronics would that include her daughters little vtech tablet that connects to the Internet?

I told her consulting with a lawyer is probably best before going to police, what type of lawyer should she look for if that is the case?

 There are also multiple other usb drives  in his belongings, but she does not want to look at what they contain and would want those taken as well.

Another much smaller issue, he lied on the marriage license when asked if he had been married before. He had been married, and said he hadn't. I know it's a long shot, but is there any way that invalidates their marriage?

I really appreciate any help or advice given.

VA

Edit: I was mistaken with it being a usb drive. It was an external hardrive.

Answer:
 The easiest way to protect herself would be to get an attorney. I wouldn't want to risk any complications that arises from finding CP without one. Answer #2: Not a lawyer, but I have a question.

Would there be any chain of custody issues here? If she put the USB drive in the computer and viewed the pictures, the very act of viewing them changed the meta data attached to the photos (off the top of my head, the "last viewed" time/date entry, probably more.) As far as I know, this is why computer forensic investigations involve using a "read only" device that blocks writing to the drive while they make a copy of it.

Assuming nothing else is found, would this evidence be admissible in court? (Nevermind that it is already fishy because it was found by his ex, presumably after a break up/divorce.)Answer #3: Hypothetical question: what are the options a lawyer might consider to resolve this?  If you can't/shouldn't bring it to the police what else could even be done?


Title: Both American born, married 25+ years 3 kids together. she leaves moves to Kuwait, sends me Kuwait court papers saying we have annulment, am I still married?

Question: so both American born, and married in U.S. together for 25+ years, 3 kids together, while I was in Iraq she hops on a plane moves to Kuwait without telling anyone. youngest was 16 when she abandoned them. couple years go by I get some kind of Arabic paper work in a dhl envelope from her. the paper work appears to be Kuwait court saying we have an annulment thru a Kuwait court. she has sense remarried to another man not an American (alarm bells using her for citizenship) I guess the question is am I still married to her? and if so is she committing polygamy? if so who do I call to tell them the guy shes married to now should not get citizenship? ughhhh just so many questions

Answer:
 Here's a link to a State Department summary on foreign divorces for US citizens.

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/abroad/events-and-records/divorce/divorce-legal-issues.html

You're going to have to check with an attorney in your state to see if your state is going to recognize the divorce in terms of residency requirements etc.Answer #2: Considering she converted to Islam; is there a chance the document you got is an Islamic divorce?

She may have made up a situation to an Imam and asked for a religious divorce from you. Answer #3: Customs and immigration is definitely not going to consider a past marriage where there is now alienation and where legal steps have been taken in whatever country to mean polygamy is happening now. You are welcome to submit a report saying you suspect this is a fraudulent marriage. In the current political climate, if the people involved are Muslim, and because immigration approval can be very subjective by the officer, you may succeed in scuttling or slowing down their application by casting aspersions on the character of the people involved. But why?


Title: A friend agreed to pay for my flight using his credit card in exchange for cash. Later I cancelled the flight, airline agreed to reimburse via same credit card. Now airline claims that they have processed the claim, but friend claims that the money was never credited to their card.

Question: Am I entitled to sue friend for amount (allegedly) credited to them? (As in, are they legally obligated to pay me back whether or not the money was transferred back to their credit card successfully?) I have no way of knowing whether there was an error in the airline/credit card transaction or whether friend is lying and has received reimbursement.

Answer: You coukd ask to see their credit card statement. You could sue them in small claims if they were reimbursed.Answer #2: Once the airline processes it it could take up to a week to show up in their account.


Title: Paternity repercussions

Question:
Sorry for repost, bot deleted original. My brother Jim thinks he may have fathered a child. They had sex, she left next day to return to old boyfriend. 4 years later he finds out she has a kid, 4 years old, that looks a lot like him. He thinks he's the father. Old boyfriend (now husband) has raised the child as his own (name on birth certificate, too). He's had his doubts about his paternity, but never tested the kid, and has since fathered another kid with same girl. Jim (my brother) also has primary custody of a 9 year old son from a different girl who he's no longer married to. Jim thinks he needs to get the 4 year old girl tested to prove/disprove his paternity. He thinks if he does, he won't be responsible for past child support and that he'll just sign his parental rights over and be absolved of any responsibility for future child support. I say leave well enough alone.
Brother is in West Virginia, biological mother and her husband who believes he may be the father of the child are in Virginia.
Our questions:
If he's the father, can she get back child support? What about future child support?

Answer: The kid has a father. If your brother isn’t interested in taking on the responsibilities of fatherhood for this child, there is zero reason to risk destroying the kid’s relationship with the man who has stepped up to raise her.


Title: Dog stolen out of fenced in backyard - By mother. Recourse?

Question:
So, 1 year ago to date almost. Our 5 week old lab went missing from our back yard. We thought it was the utility department that left the gate open. Fast forward a year and we found out my mother who is a board member of the local humane society decided she didn't want our young family to have a dog and had someone from the Humane Society steal the dog from the backyard when we were at work and shipped it to New Hampshire.
The local humane society has records of the adoption, but can't confirm he was stolen.
Any recourse I can take? I don't want to take a dog from a family that has been raising him for a full year, but I do want some form of retribution. At least get my mother removed from her post.. I know that sounds vindictive and I know it is. But I'm kinda pissed.Figured I could asklegal before going to an actual attorney. See what you guys say.

EDIT* Going to contact a lawyer and subpoena the adoption records and take them to the board independently with the affidavit. See if I can get this done without going the court/police route.

Answer:
 Find someone who was involved with the theft, or knew of it in some detail, and get an affidavit.

Probably nothing more than small claims court for the price of the dog, as the dog is technically property under the eyes of the law.

I don't know how you would go about getting her removed from her position. Answer #2: Do you actually mean 5 months rather than 5 weeks?

Edit: and I ask this because a puppy should **never** be taken from its mother at 5 weeks. So if you did I have to say I'm not sure you are fit to be an owner. And if you left a 5 week old puppy unwatched in a back yard, ditto. And perhaps your mother picked up on that.Answer #3: Get a lawyer ASAP. if your mom gets wind your poking around and that you know about the dogs adoption and paperworkk etc, she may try to destroy that file. If she is on the Humane societies board she has access to the files more than likely. Answer #4: Was the dog microchipped?
Answer #5: You and your wife will find some solace with /r/justnomil


Title: Can a former president be impeached outside his presidential term? If not, how would that be prosecuted?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Think of impeachment as a board trying to remove a CEO from office. The process is completely independent of any criminal procedure, and does not require any crime to take place. It was intended to be used as a tool for Congress to use as a way of removing a president that was obviously unfit for office whether it be due to mental instability, inappropriate behavior in office, or any number of reasons.

With that said, to directly answer your question, once he steps down from office (either voluntarily or his term ending) an impeachment process would be impossible as well as unnecessary.

If a president committed an actual crime, that would get prosecuted in the state or federal criminal courts like any other citizen.


Title: [Iowa] Neighbor claims that part of their yard is actually our yard. Can we "lose" this part of the yard if they are correct?

Question:
We moved into a new house about 6 months ago, with a fairly new fence around the backyard.  On the fence that borders our neighbors yard, there is a tree on their side of the fence.  Our neighbor mentioned in passing that it is actually our tree and the fence is in too far into our yard.  So if this is correct, they have a bigger yard than they should and we have a smaller.

I'm curious though, if what they say is true, can it ever officially become their property?  And since we don't know for sure if it is true, who is responsible for the tree at this moment?

Answer:
 Its called [adverse possession](http://statelaws.findlaw.com/iowa-law/iowa-adverse-possession-laws.html).

Get a survey of your property and, if necessary, move the fence to the property line.


Title: My gf ex-employer is stalking her on her new job. This is wrong! Please help

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 How many times has the former boss tried to call? Is there a possibility that he has a legitimate reason?

This is probably not anything like stalking.


Title: [WA] Does a tenant with a documented emotional support animal need to disclose it on an application?

Question:
Hi,

My partner and I have a documented ESA and have been looking for our housing in our area for quite a while. Although it doesn't "technically" matter, she is a legitimately needed ESA and is specifically tasked with helping my partner regarding stress, panic attacks, and PTSD. During the application process we were still waiting on the physical ESA letter to arrive, which took some time.

After several applications being turned down (Although we can't prove it's because of our ESA, we are stellar tenants with a stellar history and it feels unusual. We are also living in an area with an EXTREMELY tight rental market). We found a house with a month-to-month lease that we finally decided to apply to. We chose to leave the animal off of the application because our understanding was that we do not need to disclose her since she is not a pet.

Our ESA letter did not arrive until after we had signed our lease, and we did not feel comfortable disclosing our situation without having the letter in hand. We informed our landlord via request for reasonable accommodation as soon as our letter arrived, after we had signed the lease.

Since our first month in the new place overlaps with the last month in our old place, we have kept our ESA at the old house until we got acknowledgement & permission from the landlord.

Our landlord has accused of us being fraudulent on our application and our lease, and is threatening to non-renew our month to month lease if we "behave fraudulently again." I have explained our reasoning and clarified our understanding of the law, and they have come back with a simple "We know the law, you were fraudulent, you need to be honest next time."

So in short I have two questions:

Are we legally required to disclose an ESA on an application or before a lease is signed?
To clarify, the wording on the application referred to "animals," whereas the lease only makes mentions of "pets."

And additionally, if our landlord *does* decide to non-renew our lease, is this legal?

Thanks!

Answer:
 Yes you are required to disclose any animals in the home. you are correct in that an esa is not a pet, but it is an animal and you are required to disclose it. I see that you submitted a reasonable accommodation request and the paperwork from your medical provider, that should be enough for the management company. They will probably verify it with the doctor.

 They legally can send you a non-renewal notice, not because of the esa itself, but because you lied on your application, however that is unlikely. They probably don't care, as long as it doesn't look like they're allowing people to have pets for free.Answer #2: If it is a private landlord who owns the house and that individual has 3 or less single family homes for rent, they do not have to comply with the FHA and do not have to allow the ESA.


Title: [CA] Currently being stalked by a psychopath ex, need to get her in front of a judge for a restraining order, her father in law is a cop need help.

Question:
Three years ago I dated a female for 6 months, she started becoming incredibly obsessive she would travel to my job and sleep there for hours, she would lie about not having money to crash at my place, even lied to my mother explaining she was abused so she could crash after we broke up.

After I broke up with her, she started following me. She waited outside my apartment for over 12 hours, after I asked her to leave me alone. She came to my job as well.

Years later she has not stopped. She is now at the point where is slandering me. She showed up to my sisters baby shower, my mothers birthday party, my birthday etc. Anywhere I publicly said I would be online (I stopped saying where I was online 2 years ago)

She has created far over far 30 facebook accounts, to message me. She has now started catfishing people using my face. She contacts mass people explaining I forced myself onto her, I beat her, I raped children, I had sex with her mother while she watched, I held a gun to her head forced her to strip/had sex with her on cam, I forced her to have sex with dogs... Etc

She is sending this to people pretending to be me. Few guys with kids explained they were going to kick my ass for being a pedo, which I'm not.

I have called the police, and they have done nothing. I tried to give her closure and it just made her crazier. She has contacted every female I have ever dated since her, and explained I raped and abused her and to leave while they still can.

I'm at a point where I don't feel safe. Coworks are giving me weird looks. She has begun sending people I know videos of her stipping explaining I'm holding a gun to her head and making her do it.

Restraining orders are impossible to obtain unless she pretty much tries to kill me. What can I do to get her into court? I just want to talk to her in front of a judge.

Answer:
 >Restraining orders are impossible to obtain unless she pretty much tries to kill me.

That isn't true.  One of the grounds for a domestic violence restraining order is behavior such as stalking.

More information here:
http://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-domesticviolence.htm

You would have a better chance at presenting your case correctly if you hire a lawyer.Answer #2: How long has this been going on? Get a lawyer already. She's taken it upon herself to try to ruin your life, and she's showing up to your job. Get a lawyer to help with a restraining order. Notify HR you have a stalker and let them toss her for trespassing if she shows up at your work.

Report any questionable behaviour like showing up unwelcome to parties, etc., to the police to show a pattern of harassment.


Title: Been off the grid for 8 years...how do I get back on? [NV]

Question: I live in NV and have been off the grid for 8 years.  No ID, no bank account, nothing in my name.  I've been living with friends and then my girlfriend and just getting by with a little bit of cash I can make from poker and a lot of generosity.  I've had enough and want to get back on the grid but I've put it off for so long that I don't know what steps to take.  I know for a fact that I owe a ton in back taxes from the couple of years before I went off the grid (that was the motivating factor for me unplugging...dumb, I know) so that's my main concern but other than that I don't think I've broken any laws.  Is there a specific type of lawyer best suited to deal with this sort of situation?  Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Answer:
 You don't need a lawyer to "get back on the grid."

You can get a copy of your birth certificate and a passport, and then use those as ID to get other things you need.Answer #2: You want a tax attorney or at least a tax accountant to help you with back taxes.  What did you do with your ID's?  You can get a copy of your birth certificate and use that to get whatever other ID's you need.


Title: FL- I think my company is committing fraud.

Question:
I deal with vendors at my job, and our vendors all have customer satisfaction guarantees. If something's wrong with the product, return it for a full refund.

One of my responsibilities is to submit these claims, but often on our reports I'm told to change the reason codes from non satisfaction related reasons (customer never received product from us, etc) to something akin to "customer did not like".

This reeks of unethical to me, but is it unlawful? I don't really know what to do. Any advice is appreciated.

P.S. I've used this throwaway account for anonymity. Please don't ask which company this is. I don't want to get fired in the midst of all this.

Answer: If this is strictly an internal reporting matter I don't see any fraud here. Who do you think is being defrauded?  For internal reporting purposes you could say a customer returned a product because it sprung legs and got in a fight with the dog. Nobody outside your company is going to care.


Title: Hospital provided unsterile instruments to my doctor for outpatient procedure

Question:
Very recently I was admitted to a local hospital in Houston, TX for a routine outpatient procedure. When I was in the recovery room, I heard a commotion outside the curtain then my doctor kind of charged into the area. He told me that he had just been informed the instruments he was given to preform the procedure hadn't been sterilized. Apparently the commotion was the hospital staff trying to stop him from telling me about it.

I'm not really sure what this means for me at this point or what I might have been exposed to. From what I understand, the instruments were cleaned but not sterilized and I honestly don't understand how much risk is involved with that distinction. I have a follow-up with the doctor next week and was told that some hospital administrators want to meet with me at that time to explain what happened. I'm trying to decide if I need to take a lawyer or some kind of advocate with me to that meeting but haven't made up my mind yet. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Answer:
 I just wanted to give your doctor props for standing up to the administration and fire admitting the mistake to you. Good for him! He's a good one! Tell him you appreciate it. Answer #2: If they ask you to sign anything, I would take it to a medical malpractice lawyer first. They may, for instance, try to get you to settle the matter in exchange for free screenings, but that would leave you holding the bag if you actually *do* get sick because of their mistake.Answer #3: Essentially, as people have noted  - you're in that weird limbo where you need legal help, but have no damages. What a medical malpractice lawyer can help you do is negotiate a settlement for medical monitoring that extends your timeline past the normal statute of limitations of 2 years in Texas.Answer #4: Well, a medical malpractice lawyer would be the person to speak to.

They often give free consultations. Answer #5: Lawyer.   You may not have problems immediately, but you do want to make sure you retain your rights going forward.

Ask about MRSA.Answer #6: This [in depth comment on cleaning, disinfection, sterilization,
and depyrogenation](https://np.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/5640rc/eli5_if_bacteria_die_from_for_example_boiled/d8g5638/) by u/TheTimeNotTheMiles may help you understand the various levels of risk and why your doctor was concerned.Answer #7: Hello. The statute of limitations in medical malpractice in Texas is 2 years. Texas's laws only allow you to recover if there is damage. You also have to duty to mitigate damages. Your best bet is to record everything/write it down and seek the opinion of a malpractice lawyer. Do not sign anything given to you by the hospital. Go to your primary care physician, talk about what screening tests he would recommend in this situation.


Title: CA: Sister in long term relationship and wants to leave it, but boyfriend, who pays for everything, is threatening to sue her if she does.

Question: My sister is in a 5 year relationship with a man who pays for everything. Things have not been going well for the past year and half. She tried bringing up the subject of them splitting up and he threatened to sue her. She has a job and is self sufficient, he just paid for everything because he had the means to. Would he have any grounds to sue her if she returned the things he had bought her?

Answer: No legal claim against her unless they had a written agreement or her name was also on the lease.  Gifts are just that, there is no need to return them either.  An engagement ring is a different story


Title: Pennsylvania- Must a cop cite site a method of speed calculation for a ticket that cites speeding as the infraction?

Question:
The other day I was pulled over for 82 in a 70 when I was not speeding. I was going 70 in a 70. Cop pulled me over and claimed he used radar. I asked if he had some type of recording or log and he refused to answer. He went back to his car and wrote a ticket that wasn't speeding (Regulation of Traffic on PA Turnpike), but his justification in his remarks was my speed. This is problematic because he didn't list any method of calculating speed. No radar, pacing, aircraft, laser, or whatever box was checked. Also, problematic for me are the facts that the court is over two hours from my home and that he told me he would upgrade the ticket to speeding if I plead not guilty. He was mistaken on a few other things- I wasn't cruising in the left lane like he replied and there was not a car in front of me which he denied. However, I'm mostly concerned with whether or not he can charge me for speeding without any evidence listed.

**edit**
I contacted the court thrice today but they would not return my call so I am here for advice

Answer: A citation is a charging document.  It's not required to include evidence.  If you want to know how he calculated your speed, you can ask him at trial.


Title: Advice after fraudulent charges to my checking account (GA, USA)

Question:
This past Friday was payday. Friday night I checked my account to make sure my paycheck was deposited and I found 2 fraudulent charges that same day, totaling more than my paycheck but not overdrafting. I contacted my bank that night, cancelled my card associated with that account (which I still have, I did not lose my card), and they are currently working on the claim. The bank employee that I spoke to recommended that I call one of the places the fraudulent charge took place at to see if there was anything they could do while the charges were pending.

It turns out one of the places was a furniture store. The employee that I spoke to happened to also be the manager and the person behind the register at the time of purchase. The scammer had a physical card *with my card number and expiration date*, but the name and CVV code were different. His ID matched the name on the card, which the manager stated was "nowhere near" what my name is. The card is a debit, but the scammer ran it as credit and signed for it.

Is there anything else I can do while sorting this crap out? My new card is being mailed to me, I've been using my credit card with a chip to get by for the time being, but all of my funds are tied up until this is taken care of. The bank states this process can take up to 10 business days, but they were not able to take action until the charges posted (no longer pending), which of course didn't occur until Tuesday morning. I kinda want vindication, but am really just looking to get this taken care of. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: not sure why this being downvoted, I'm merely asking for advice??

EDIT 2: [the plot thickens](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/6l728j/update_advice_on_fraudulent_charges_to_my/)

Thanks to everyone for the replies, all of your advice has been incredibly helpful!
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 >I kinda want vindication

Report it to the police.  We investigate this kind of stuff all the time and a different name on a fake card is a good lead to follow up on.  Not to mention any security footage from the store.

Though, after you get made whole by your bank, then your bank is technically the victim because they are the ones out of money.  So after you file the police report, give your report number to your bank so their fraud department can touch bases with the police detective who gets assigned the case.


Title: Paid deposit on a rental home, and house is no longer in the condition we viewed it in. Can we get our deposit back?

Question:
We're in Nevada.

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I made a deposit on a rental home.  The deposit receipt says that "Cancellation prior to move-in is subject to forfeit of deposit".  We were okay with this, since this is common and typically property management companies are decent enough at getting the house in order before a tenant moves in.

We are now one week from our slated move in date, and will not sign the lease without seeing the property in move-in condition since there is an "AS-IS" clause in the lease.  This was not disclosed to us prior to our deposit being made.

Roughly a week and a half ago, we drove by the property just to get a better feel for the neighborhood and saw that a rear window had been broken out, and the blinds had also been broken.  We immediately reported this to the property management company.  They finally replaced the window some time around this past Wednesday.  However, they (poorly, they got caulk on the window and didn't bother to clean it off) replaced what had been a double pane window with a single pane window.  It is a fairly large window in the main living area facing west, and we live in a desert where temperatures often exceed 105 degrees for three to four months out of the year.  This is a big deal to us.

Since the house is no longer in the condition it was in when we made the deposit, we feel that we are entitled to get our deposit back.  They are the ones at fault, and their cheap and shoddy repairs are the reason we are not moving in.  It has nothing to do with us not wanting the house *as we viewed it*.

Do we have a leg to stand on here?

Answer:
 You can turn down the apartment, they'll keep the deposit, and then you'll have to sue them in small claims court to get it back under the premise that it is not the same.

I will say, though, you're going to have a *really* hard time proving your case.  Honestly, I don't think a judge is going to find a single window being different as enough to back out of your contract.


Title: Over $100,000 stolen from grandparents checking account by housekeeper. What happens now?

Question:
My grandparents are old and over the past 4 months or so have had over $100,000 stolen from them by their housekeeper mainly by checks. They've contacted the bank but I have no idea how to proceed or anything about the situation. Any advice or information is welcomed.
[GA]

Answer:
 Police. Call the police.Answer #2: For this amount of money, you want a civil attorney (you may want to sue in civil court to recover what was stolen).   You can only hope that the housekeeper spent the money on assets that you can recover (like they bought a house or a car or a boat).  If they used it to buy drugs and to party and travel, and they pissed it away on this and that, then it's likely gone.  You may never come close to getting even a small amount of it back...Answer #3: Unfortunately you need to be prepared for very little of the money to be recovered.Answer #4: Call DCF / CPS / Adult protective services (or the police may possibly alert them). This is elder abuse / financial abuse and will do a thorough investigation independently of the police.

Their number is:  Call us toll-free: 1-866-55AGING (1-866-552-4464) - Press “3”

http://aging.dhs.georgia.gov/adult-protective-services

If the housekeeper / caregiver had any sort of professional nursing license or certification, these people will report it to the state board of nursing and yank their license, so they can't hurt anyone else.


Title: [TX] Falsified shoplifting charge -- looking to avoid legal process by working with corporate management

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Should I reach out to the corporate offices of the retailer and clue them in on the situation?

Are you hoping they'll give their LP manager an award or something?

>She is a teacher for special needs children and was forced to miss class today due to being booked into jail. The PR narrative will not play out well for this national chain of stores frequented by moms and teachers.

"And in other news tonight, a local teacher was arrested for shoplifting from *store x* yesterday. Are your kids safe with their teachers? More at 11."

>Further, there is likely evidence confirming her innocence (if they have cameras in store, or simply examining the merchandise she "stole" and noticing it is not in "brand new" condition, etc).

Sure there is, Tex.

>Should I try to collect evidence before reaching out to the corporate office?

Are you her attorney?

>Is there any way I can make things worse by contacting their corporate offices?

Yes. Are you her attorney?

>Should I speak to a lawyer prior to contacting corporate?

You need to butt out entirely.


Title: Sugar daddy wants to send me money, is he legit?

Question:
So, I (21/F) made an account on a "sugar daddy" dating site the other day just for fun. I got a message from a man who seemed interested in me, and we started talking. He seems like a very sweet guy, and I genuinely enjoyed the conversation we had. He told me he owns his own construction company, and is also a marine engineer. On Monday, he messaged me saying he wanted to send me $4000 after hearing about my financial problems. (I know, all of this sounds too good to be true so far, but bear with me.) I declined his offer, but he insisted. He never said he wanted me to do anything for the money, he only said he wanted to give it to me for my student loans.

He wants to send it to me through Western Union, Moneygram, or a prepaid card. He sent me [this email](http://imgur.com/p8SUPgY). I am confused about the $400 deposit.

I don't know if this is an obvious scam or not or if there is anything legally wrong with it. I do want to get to know this guy, and if the money actually is real, I am still planning on getting to know him and actually meeting him and everything. Anyway, thanks in advance r/legaladvice!

I am in California. He is from Los Angeles, but is currently in South America.

Answer: This is 100% a scam.


Title: MY employer is paying me a salary that I didn't agree to?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You should first file a wage complaint with the VA Department of Labor.

http://www.doli.virginia.gov/laborlaw/laborlaw_forms_p1.htmlAnswer #2: From what you're describing, and help me out with any missed details:

You're currently (and for the past two weeks) getting paid your agreed to (in writing by contract) full time salary while working full time hours, and your issue is that you **verbally** agreed at some point to be paid part-time hours for it?

Doesn't sound like you have much to stand on. I mean, it sounds like it sucks but they are paying you by what you agreed to in writing. If you demand to be paid more either demand a new contract now or leave.


Title: My intellectual property was used without permission, but slightly modified.

Question:
For several years, I have published a website, [Krazydad](http://krazydad.com/), of puzzles and mazes.  Today, while grocery shopping, I found a close facsimile of one of my published mazes on the back of a box of Kraft  SpongeBob Macaroni & Cheese. [Here's a comparison of the two designs](http://i.imgur.com/PtdB6OK.png).

The original maze comes from [Book 1 of my intermediate mazes](http://krazydad.com/mazes/index.php?fmt=IM).

It seems pretty clear to me that my maze (on the right) was the source for the image on the left.  It looks like they turned it 90 degrees, and altered the path in a few spots to make it more difficult.

My first question is: It seems quite clear to me that my design was used to create this maze. Do the modifications made by Kraft give them any legal protection?  Could they make a convincing case that they stumbled upon a very similar design by accident?

My second question is, is it worth my time to pursue this? Kraft is a very big company, and I am just a small time website operator.  Is the potential settlement worth my (and my attorney's) time and effort?

EDIT: I live in Los Angeles.

Answer:
 My first question is if you have registered the copyright for the maze. A lot of the remedies for copyright require registration and are sometimes based on the date or registration. If the answer is no, register it as soon as possible. It can be done on the web at the [US Copyright Office](http://www.copyright.gov). with registration, you can get statutory damages, which are where the money is at in a copyright claim.

There modification should not cause you a problem in showing similarity or hurt your case. your design is unique enough that the similarities obviously come from copying. You have had your designs on the internet and are the first thing to pop up on google when I typed 'mazes' into the search bar. That access to your material is further damning.

Is it worth it? maybe. Statutory damages are usually based on the amount of works infringed, not on the amount of times they are infringed. They infringed one of your works, though they did it a bunch. This would lead to statutory damages of up to $30,000 in most cases. It can be as much as $150,000 if it was willful. There is a pretty good argument that it was. You have copyright notices on your website and on the page with the maze. There is no way for them to get your maze without seeing them.

I would talk to a copyright lawyer and pursue a claim.Answer #2: 1.  Register the copyright in that maze.  It's easy:  http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-register.html

2.  Figure out what you want as compensation.

3.  Have a lawyer contact Kraft asking for compensation.


Title: American Express stole my money

Question: I've had a Bluebird card for three years or so and everything was fine. I got it so my bank account information wasn't online and after awhile I started keeping a balance on it when I was saving up for something big ( new graphics card ). I had avoided any fees and was almost to the amount I needed. Thant's when things went south. Somehow ( I think a gas station pump in Valentine, NE ) my card information was compromised. I caught it relatively early and notified American Express. There were four charges for a total of $250. when I contacted them. They were nice and pleasant , canceled the card and told me they would email a form to give all the details and take care of it. In the next two days six more charges appeared. I filled out the form and sent it back in with all the charges listed. Over the next two days all the charges that came in after I called them were reversed and credited back ( $400. ). The following day I get an email saying my dispute was denied and the original $250 would not be reimbursed. I get another email a few seconds later saying my account was suspended and could no longer be accessed. I called and spent almost 4 hours with costumer service. The largest charge was JC Penney.com, they said JC Penny confirmed my personal information so all the charges were valid. They refused to tell me what info was confirmed and will not give me any of the documentation used to determine there judgement. They refuse to review the decision until I provide proof that what they found is wrong, but they wont tell me what they found. JC Penney cant give me any details without the email or zip code they used for the order ( I checked just in case and its not mine ) but they did look up the order and it had a different first name ( gender swap and ethnic version of my name ). I filed a police report but they said because the charges were not in my city there wasn't much they could do except take the report. Is there anything else I can do or am I just out the $250? I can afford to lose it but the whole reason for the account was to protect me and it didn't.

Answer: American Express didn't steal your money, someone else did.


Title: (WA/OR) Cop neighbor regularly looks at me like he wants to hurt me.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >What do I do?

What you might consider doing is talk to a professional therapist about your paranoia. Someone giving you a weird look twice in one year isn't harassment. Maybe he's just having a bad day or he naturally has an intense look but your reactions to what is most likely not malicious in any way are rather extreme.