Title: My brother’s house was raided by the DEA without a warrant.

Question:
We’re in Texas. Several months ago the DEA cornered my sister in law in her driveway as she was leaving to pick up their youngest child from school and wouldn’t let her leave or go back in the house. They demanded entry into the home to search but didn’t provide a warrant. When she asked for a warrant they told her they would deport her and take the kids away if she made them go back for a warrant.

(I should add the most important part, there was nothing in their house, and there was no reason for them to be there. They claimed they received a tip, and they had been monitoring their house, which they were because undercover cops had been seen close to their house by multiple people and neighbors. My sis in law runs a housekeeping business so there’s constantly women coming in and out to pick up supplies)

So my sister in law called my brother freaking out because they threatened to take her kids and deport her while she was awaiting her residency, which was already in the process. My brother gave them permission to search his home. They flipped the house upside down looking for whatever and only found a bong in the garage that was cashed out. So not even ANY amount of pot. I’m not sure what they were looking for, and they never told my brother anything. DEA, city police, and the county sheriff showed up to search. They quickly left after they found nothing and my brother never heard anything from them directly.

I’m writing this post to ask for legal advice because I just went by their NEW house (we live in a huge metroplex, they moved literally across the entire city) to drop off a check (to pay for my house keeping) and I noticed an unmarked car a few houses away that followed me after I left and I think they’re probably being watched again.

What, if anything, can be done? My brother is an idiot, and following that illegal search I suggested he get a lawyer and he said “I have nothing to hide” which is true and I understand but I don’t think being harassed by the DEA over a “tip” when they found nothing was ok.

Answer:
 If what you say in this post is true, it wasn't an illegal search.

>My brother gave them permission to search his home.

It's a dick move, but it's not an illegal search.

They can apply a lot of psychological pressure, but "No." is a complete sentence when the police are asking if they can search.

They should definitely get a lawyer on retainer.  If the DEA comes back and tries to pressure them into another search, they should call that lawyer.  Even just stating that they're going to call their lawyer might be enough to get them to back off.  Heck, give them the lawyers business card "In case you have any other requests."

The lawyer could help them decide if and how they should file a complaint.  And it goes without saying that they should be extra vigilant to make sure they're squeaky clean at all times while this is going on.  If they're particularly paranoid, it might be worth it put up some discrete cameras in case someone decides to get a little creative with their evidence procurement procedures.  (make sure they automatically save their recordings to a remote location)Answer #2: You cannot prevent the DEA, or any other law enforcement agency, from investigating your brother.

If they ask to search again, your brother is free to say no.  If they say they're searching anyways, he should not interfere and should fight the matter later.Answer #3: It wasn't an illegal search; your brother consented.

I don't know what other advice to give. He can talk to a lawyer. Eventually, if the police are watching, they will get bored and move on.


Title: TX what's the process? the cops called a relation to come for an interview. he has no record but said no. they came to his house and arrested him and put him in jail until he can appear in court. they found out he had 6 plants in his storage locker and had been watching him. how?

Question: what are the steps and can help contest his arrest? they didn't even interview him. when they came and arrested him he was in his pajamas. they asked him if he had or knew a lawyer and when he said no they said they knew about the plants and they have put him in jail and say he will be there until his court appearance. he was only allowed one phone call and no one has even interviewed him.

Answer:
 How what?

Your relative should hire a lawyer.Answer #2: the 'interview' was trying to trick him into confessing. he did the right thing and refused, so the cops chose to use the PC they had from their investigation and arrest him.  he should continue to keep his mouth shut and should hire an experienced local attorney.


Title: Dad just died, need help with what to do next

Question:
We're in Michigan.

It's just me and my brother trying to figure out what to do next. Our dad died yesterday and this is the first time we've had to deal with the paperwork behind everything. When our mom died 8 years ago we were barely in our 20's and our dad took care of everything so it didn't really prepare us with what to do.

The situation right now is my dad had a girlfriend who was living with him for a while. Her behavior has been suspicious and we feel that she has added herself into the life insurance policy while my dad was ill the past few months.

My brother and I know we're beneficiaries on our dad's life insurance, but his girlfriend is withholding all of the information that we need to be able to fill out all of this paperwork we need. She will not physically let us in our dad's house to take out the fire proof case that contains all important documents, including ours, such as our ssn cards and birth certificates. They are not married and we are his next of kin.

What are our options going forward with everything? We can't get the documents that we need to get things on the road, but she has access to all of everyone involved private records and is just looking to control the entire situation to benefit herself the most.

This is a lot to deal with and I'm sorry if my post doesn't even make sense since the last couple of days have been pretty shitty. I just was hoping anyone's had any sort of similar experience and could point a couple grieving siblings in a general direction.

Answer: I am sorry for your loss. The best thing you can do since she is in the picture is get an estate lawyer. They will be able to help you.


Title: Allowing an Unlicensed driver to drive NJ?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Uh, okay? What's your legal question?


Title: I bought a cat and the breeder won't send me the papers or shot records-in Texas.

Question:
I know this is a lot of information and some may not be relevant so please bear with me!

I bought a purebred cat that was supposed to come with TICA papers and shot records but the lady did not have them when I picked up the cat.

I paid through PayPal with a credit card for this exact reason- I did not know if I could trust her because I had never met her before.

It turns out that she is a known (and convicted of animal abuse) pet flipper and scammer and has a reputation for selling sick animals. There is no doubt that this cat is purebred, but I don't even think it's the one she sent me pictures of and that I agreed to purchase (upon further inspection). When I purchased him she had bathed him because "he stepped in poop in the litter box" so I could not inspect his skin thoroughly. He is sickly, underweight and has patchy hair, worms, and apparently no shots or vet care.

The main issue: She is ignoring all attempts at communication and all I am trying to get it the registration papers and records. Obviously they don't exist. I would never have paid this much for an unregistered cat and I would like my money back. The seller obviously misrepresented what she had to offer [edit: and it’s going to cost more than I paid for him just to get him healthy]. Is it advisable for me to try to get a chargeback against her?

I will also be filing a police report because she is not supposed to be selling animals anymore due to the severity of her animal abuse record/prosecution. Is there anything else I should do?

I will likely report her to the classified board that I found her ad on online as well because they seem to care about this type of thing.

TL;DR I bought a cat and was scammed/lied to. Chargeback possible. What do?

Answer:
 If you can call animal control in her area as well, do it. It sounds like she's neglecting and abusing other kitties. Some areas have separate cops and animal control.Answer #2: I would definitely try for a chargeback if I were you.

FYI - You can sue for treble damages under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices act, plus your attorney fees.  The threat may be enough to get her to cough up a refund and let you keep or rehome the poor cat.

Answer #3: NAL, but pretty sure the courts will make you give the cat back to said animal abuser to give you back your money.

Hope that somebody has their head together, and keeps the animal from the seller.
Good Luck.


Title: [OR] Squatters left behind animals in the house, don't appear to be coming back. Are we allowed to find them new homes?

Question:
There are way more details to this situation but I'll try to cut it down to the necessary facts: my sister was renting a house from my mom in a town about 45 minutes away from where we live. Sister stopped paying rent, is using drugs, has a bunch of other people and animals living there that are not supposed to be there, the house and yard are disgusting, and my mom had to evict her. A 90-day eviction was issued, but my sister wasn’t out by 90 days and my mom gave her a 2-week extension. After that, sister still wasn’t out so my mom filed for a 24-hour eviction. Sister didn’t show up to the court hearing so my mom automatically won, and my mom went out to the house Friday to tell my sister about the eviction and check on the state of the house. Upon arrival, my mom discovered that my sister’s boyfriend had beaten her up and taken off, and the other druggies in the house were yelling at and threatening both my sister and my mom. Police were called, one person was arrested and the rest dispersed. My sister is in a motel and nobody knows where her scumbag boyfriend is.

Now for the issue of the animals: the people she let live there for free have lived in the house for more than 2 weeks and apparently due to squatter’s rights they have a right to be there, but since Thursday they have not come back. I don’t think they know about their squatter’s rights (thank god) but the police obviously do. My mom went to check on the house today to discover that they have abandoned several animals (I don’t know what kind or exactly how many) in the house with no food, water, or heat. My question is: since these animals have been abandoned, can we take them out of the house in order to get them care or find them homes? I don’t think these people are coming back, but since they have rights to be there do we have to wait a certain amount of time before doing anything with these animals? Do we call animal control?

Answer: Ask the animal shelter to pick them up.


Title: A friend may get kicked out soon.

Question:
I have a friend who may get kicked out of her house soon, as we are a couple years away from college, and her parents refuse to support her. If my friend continues to live at her parents' house by the time she is eighteen, and I send her something (legal) through the mail, although to her parents' address but addressed to the friend, would it be illegal for her parents to look through/withhold/take the contents of the package, because she is not under their legal guard, although living in their home?

EDIT: I am in Nevada, United States.

Answer: Say what?


Title: Ive been trying over 10 years with the government to get my documents fixed.

Question:
Really funny but really aggrevating.

My fucking birth certificate says Im a female, unfortunately or fortunately am not.

Ive paid hundreds of dollars trying to fix this only to have them say its resolved but its not.

So I just got back from social security and asked if they could do anything which was referred to as a no.

How in the hell do I fix this?

Location: VA

Answer:
 >My fucking birth certificate says Im a female, unfortunately or fortunately am not.

Like the hardware version or the software version?


Title: Calls from Private Investigators

Question:
Short story: I witnessed a fatal hit and run a few years ago and now the case is going to trial.  I have private investigators calling me wanting to ask me questions. They have left names, but how to tell if they are legit.  I suppose in my questions are: (1) How do I tell if someone is legitimate? (2) \[Should I/Do I have to\] answer their questions, or can I continue to ignore them. (3) Is there anyone I should notify that I am being called by these people?

Thanks in advance.

Answer: Your only legal obligation is a court subpoena to testify as a witness in the case. Choosing to speak with PI's will only potentially hurt your credibility when your do testify. Feel free to ignore, speak with a lawyer to be certain though, they will give you the best advice.


Title: Employer prohibited me from discussing my salary woth my coworkers

Question:
Hello! I work at a smoothie shop in Florida. I recently asked for a demotion from manager to key holder because Im taking a lot of classes at my university and i need the extra time. When renegotiating my salary with my General Manager I mentioned that another keyholder in my store makes 12/hr as opposed to the 11 he was offering me.

Immediately after he went on a small tirade saying that i and the other employees are not allowed to discuss our salries with eachother. He said that if he found anyone doing so; he would fire them.

Tldr: boss threatened to fire me if I discussed my salary with my coworkers

Answer:
 You can file a complaint with the NLRB if he fires you. Assuming that the employer is covered by the NLRA, which it most likely is.Answer #2: Most employers encourage you not to discuss it.  If you're not in a union or potentially union workplace, it really isn't bad advice (if you make more than your coworkers it will often sour relations with you).

As mentioned elsewhere, it is illegal to forbid you from doing so and firing you because of it is actionable under the NLRA, which is ensures that people can discuss their wages so they can decide whether they want to try to unionize.   A boss who did what he threatened to do would have significant problems under the NLRA.


Title: [MI] I think my employer may be trying to take away my chance at unemployment.

Question:
I work in a restaurant and have been there for 3 years. A month ago the restaurant was sold to a new owner. The new owner informed me that because he just bought the place, all employees are subject to a 90 day probationary period as if we were brand new hires.  He's also requesting we fill out new tax paperwork, and the previous owner is claiming that I shouldn't have to fill out new paperwork, and that the new owner is trying something shady.

Can anyone help me make sense of this? Are we considered new hires or is my new employer trying to scam us,? Will filling out the tax paperwork have any effect on that?
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: If you have a new employer (because your previous employer was acquired), then filling out a new W2 would make sense. Is that all the paperwork they're having you fill out? Read it. Tax paperwork is normally pretty clear about what it regards.


Title: First-Time DUI Advice?

Question:
[CO] My wife (23), went out and had a few drinks the other night and got pulled over a mile from our house because she didn't have her lights on. We live in Denver with lots of streets lights, so this is pretty common for her to do sober as well, whoops!

The officer had her do a breathalyzer and she blew a .19 BAC, and was taken to detox for about 14 hours. She is 105 lbs, and said she'd had 5 drinks between 9:30-12:30pm when she left the bar, so the BAC makes sense.

They gave her a 7-day permit to fight the charge, and I am out of town, so she was able to pick the car up. Does that mean she's allowed to drive for 7 days?

She and I both have squeaky clean records, so I don't know much of anything about how to handle a DUI. I know it's a huge pain in the ass, and she knows she fucked up. What I don't know is how to handle the legal matters--what should we fight versus not fight, is a hella expensive lawyer worth it, etc?

I've looked up the process online, so I know sort of what we're in for, but want to make sure to put my energy in the most valuable places.

What advice do you have for a first-time DUI charge with a BAC of .19?

FOLLOW-UP EDIT:
Thanks for all the advice! Got a great lawyer, and should be in as good hand as possible.

For anyone who sees this thread later looking for information in Denver:

- Get an attorney. Way too much work to do by yourself. A great attorney will cost you about ~$3000 flat-fee. Quotes I got were as low as $2300 and as high as $5500.

- Request a hearing with the DMV. A million reasons why it's a good idea (chance to cross-examine officers, more opportunities for police to mess up case, officers might not show, costs nothing, get to drive for about 2 months before the DMV hearing, and zero downsides.

- If you blow over .15, you'll have to a interlock device in your car for two years (unless you win DMV hearing), and after 30 days of having license revoked, you can get this device and be able to drive. So really, there's no reason you should be not driving for more than 30 days.

Message me if you have any questions!

Answer:
 She needs an attorney, DUIs are expensive in Colorado usually averaging $5k-$10k when factoring in fines, legal fees, alcohol classes and the like.

As long as she didn't refuse the breathalyzer her license should still be valid up until if/when she's convicted and other factors.

In my limited knowledge of Colorado DUIs they usually are willing to plea down the first one to a DWI which isn't quite as severe. Assuming there aren't ant aggravating circumstances.

Look up DUI attorneys, they usually do them for a flat rate of something in the neighborhood of $1500. And it will be worth every penny compared to trying to go it alone.


Title: Ex-employer send me Patent Assignment form. Does this mean I will no longer be on the patent?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You are still listed as the inventor.  The patent assignment form doesn't change that  -- it just changes ownership of the patent itself.  In all likelihood, you agreed to execute this form in some agreement you signed when you worked with them.  This is very common.


Title: Neighbor's dog poisoned. Am I liable?

Question:
My neighbor has little obnoxious yapping dogs which occasionally get through their fence and into my yard. We have set traps with rat poison, and some for gophers, voles, etc. Recently, their dog got into or yard and ate some rat poison, making him sick on his deathbed. The neighbors mentioned the vet tested the dog's feces and found trace of the poison.

I haven't admitted guilt, but have mentioned to the neighbor in the past about poisoning critters. If the neighbor pushes me for liability (assuming he could even prove it), could I be liable for his dog getting on my property and being poisoned to death, or for the mutt's medical bills?

EDIT: US, Nevada is the location

EDIT#2. Thanks for the comments. Appears I should go with non-poison option in the future, strongly encourage and warn the neighbor when setting traps, ask/warn him to take better care of his yard enclosure, avoid calling people hippies, and get a cat. In any case, I'm not sure the neighbor has reasonable evidence to prove the poison came from me, so I'll just play this by ear.

Answer:
 Is it legal in your jurisdiction to place poisonous traps outdoors? Would a reasonable person who knows the neighbour's dog is likely to be in his yard have laid a poisonous trap?

Depending on where you are, you could be civilly and/or criminally liable for negligence, in addition to any fish & wildlife offenses you may have committed.


Title: Snapchat FBI Notification?

Question:
I woke up this morning to a snapchat from an account I know was on my list but that I don’t remember ever interacting with. I opened it and it was a black screen with snapchat text that basically said “This account belongs to a minor. The FBI has been notified. You are now part of an FBI investigation.”

I am freaking out, I don’t remember who this is, I don’t know how old they are, I don’t know what I’ve done. Is this a real notification? I have no clue what to do right now and I am terrified. I don’t have anything to hide, but fuck, what?

Answer:
 If the FBI was was investigating you, you wouldn’t be notified through Snapchat.Answer #2: The FBI does not now and never will notify you that you're under investigation via a screen in snapchat.Answer #3: I don’t think the FBI communicates via Snapchat so it is probably a hoax.Answer #4: That's definitely a scam.Answer #5: Let me guess, you sent D pics?

This is fake.Answer #6: Someone’s parent probably confiscated their phone and sent a message to everyone. If there’s nothing else in your chat log then there’s nothing in theirs.

But if you’re that weirded out, maybe reflect on which of your personal behaviors would attract the interest of the FBI, and stop doing them. That would help.


Title: My father-in-law is under investigation for multiple statutory charges. What can my wife and I do? ( That we already haven't done)

Question:
Sorry, on mobile.

So, my brother in law came forward about his father molesting him( I don't know details) as a child, which then made my wife come forward to some touching and rubbing. She also admitted to him sleeping with a bunch of her friends as teenagers. I have two daughters, the oldest one is 9, and she clams up when asked about it and straight up refuses to go to his house anymore. Both her and my 4 year old spent a lot of the summer at his house for multiple nights. They both are high functioning autistic, and I worry that he may have fondleled them, or at least my oldest.
He is under investigation but the detective will not answer or return our calls. He at first asked my wife for testimony and her friends named he slept with. He also mentioned that our girls would probably be interviewed by a forensic investigator trained to talk to children with autism. This was over a month ago. He told us at first not to alert my father in law in case he flees. However, he is very imposing and possessive. He would at first show up to our house( but only when I was at work) and bang on the doors and windows and practically force my wife to let him in, even after I hung a sign on the door stating we wanted absolutely no company, family included. I used the excuse on the sign my wife and I were working on marriage issues and didn't want to be bothered. It didn't stop him.
So, we move out of our own home and stay with my mother in law( they are divorced because he was abusive and slept with her 14 year old sister and impregnated her when he was in his early 20s). She has a no trespassing issued on him here, so he won't come by.
 But then if he sees us in town he will stop us literally by cutting us off in the road and forcing is to talk. If he sees our vehicle at McDonald's he will stop and tey to bully us to do what he wants. He won't confront me to my face or if I'm with my wife but he will try to bully my wife into letting the girls come over to his house. Of course we don't let them go.
As I said, he is under investigation and has been for a while, and at first the detective was communicating with us but absent answered or returned our calls in weeks. We've filed a protective order, but have heated nothing back yet. They said 14 days and it's been longer than that.
We are scared to go into public, we won't let ourngiels visit out her family in fear that he might show up. Sorry this is so long but we are at a lost. We can't afford an attorney and we just feel like nobody is helping. Any advice would be appreciated friends.

Sorry for any typos.

Answer:
 Call the police on him every time he trespasses.  Call 911 if he cuts you off on the road and forces a confrontation.

Contact a child psychologist to speak to your children about their potential sexual abuse.   It is unfortunate, but you're not equipped to help them in that regard, especially if they're autistic and process emotions in a non-standard way.  If the psychologist believes there was abuse, you can put her in touch with the police to contribute to the ongoing investigation.

The investigator will not speak to you about an ongoing investigation, especially if you're an active part of your father-in-law's life (regardless of the fact you don't want to be).


Title: Ex's wife harasses me, what can I do?

Question: I am just outside of Syracuse NY. My ex's wife is obsessed with me. I divorced in 2011 and in late 2014 she began calling and texting to no avail. I have no idea why this woman contacts me and the police are of no help. What happened to aggravated harassment? Her calls serve no purpose other than to harass. I have recordings of answering the phone as well as voicemails since she will fill my mailbox in a half hour. Plenty of evidence and no one to look at it. I met with an attorney who told me the police have to act on it, the calls are ridiculous. He even called the DA's office for me. Nothing came of it.

Answer: Go back to the attorney and ask them to help you with a civil lawsuit.  Otherwise console yourself that your life is just that much better than this poor sad little woman's life.


Title: (NC) USPS lost uninsured package shipped from (VA) Who is liable?

Question:
I am a member of a large Facebook based trading group.  I purchased an item for $240 PayPal (I paid friends and family, have done this many times before with no issue, this is a tight knit group and it is easy to vet people in it) plus I sent him $60 in goods for a $350 valued item.  The package has been lost by USPS in Charlotte after being shipped via USPS in Virginia.  The package received a scan at my local office confirming it got to Charlotte, but never was scanned as deliverered.  Its last update is "package status not updated".  It has now been 30 days since the package was sent, with no sign of it anywhere. I have spent several hours on the phone with USPS over the course of this month and they have confirmed that they have no idea where this package is. I have requested a refund from the seller, but he says that I will just have to take the loss because he did not insure the package when he sent it because "(I) didn't tell (him) to".  The moderator of the forum has heard my complaint and ruled that a full refund is in order, but the seller says that he isn't at fault and won't comply.  What legal standing do I have in this situation? Who is liable? What should be my next steps?  Can anybody cite specific law or precedent I could show to him to convince him to give me back my money?  Thank you for your time.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 In general an attempt is not enough, the seller is responsible to see that the merchandise makes it to the buyer and the buyer is responsible to see that the money makes it to the seller.

If the situation were reversed (goods received by buyer and buyer attempted to pay seller but the money got "lost") the seller would have a claim. And out of curiosity, what sort of merchandise was this? Something that might easily "disappear"?


Title: [TX] Can payroll take money from my pay if they "accidentally overpaid" me?

Question: I get paid extra for being bilingual at my job. Apparently for a couple of months they where paying me double for that and then emailed me about getting that money back. Now they are cutting it out of my pay. Is this legal?

Answer: Yes.


Title: Please help me. I was sold a dying animal and seller is refusing to send me a full refund!!!

Question:
I know this is a lot to read but I really need help so thank u in advance!!!! I am trying to make sure all info is given and am still very upset and crying so it might just pour out!!!

September 5th was my 23rd birthday and I've been searching and researching and saving up for a baby bull snake. Finally I had everything ready and posted an add in a Facebook group that stated "ISO a young well started female bull snake TOTAL budget is 150$ shipping included please private message me." A woman contacted me and told me she had one she would charge me 50$ plus shipping and 5$ in gas and I had to pay the PayPal fees... I paid her a total of 120$ on Tuesday and the snake arrived this last wednesday. She was packaged with no heat at all and she stated I would need to feed her in aweek and let her adjust. I got paid Thursday and went to pet smart and spent around 480$ on this animal. New tank, lights, temp gun, food, trickling waterfall, hides, plants, lamp timer, the works. I kept her at the perfect temperature and checked on her often. Yesterday I checked on her before work, got her fresh water made sure she was ok. She was still hiding in her log but she was alive. I assumed she was hiding so much because that's what snakes do when adjusting to a new place!!!  I got home from work and she was dead. I took her to a vet but because I had spent my whole check on her I couldn't afford a necropsy. He told me he could tell she was really dehydrated. I provided fresh water she just didn't come out of hiding, however the vet told me a snake does not die of dehydration in 3 days... That she was likely sent to me ill and said her husbandry was exactly what it should be. He said this wasn't my fault. I went home and messaged the lady I got her from and explained the situation and what the vet said, she said she would return the 50$ but refused to send me anything else. I paid 120$ for a healthy snake, she sent me one that died 2 days later.... Am I entitled to be repaid the entire amount????  I understand the rest was for shipping but I paid for said shipping on the premise this was a healthy animal I was receiving...  I'm now broke, broken hearted, and staring at the empty tank where my new pet and only birthday present used to be. I told her I wanted the full amount returned because I would have to have enough to pay shipping on a replacement snake and with just the 50$ I couldnt replace what I paid for. Me and my husband are angry and want our money back!!!

Other than hiring a lawyer what are my options here??? What can I say to her to let her know I mean business....  She sells on that page and reached out to me!!!! She says if she paid me back the whole amount she's at a loss for the shipping but I'm at a loss for the pet I was promised and the pet I was led to believe I was purchasing and paying to be shipped to me. She says she's not required to pay me back the extra amount I sent. Just the price of the dying animal I ended up with....  Is this true???? Am I stuck receiving this measly 50$ and staring at an empty tank where she used to be???  This has completely ruined my birthday and that was all my money!!! I'm now stuck without a pet, without my money, and without any way to replace the sick and dying animal I was sold....  Thank you for your help... Idk if it makes a difference but I live in Mississippi and I believe she lives in Pennsylvania.

I paid with my card and she demanded I pay through PayPal friends and family so I would have to pay the service fees... Please help me! My husband and I are crushed as we only ever have few chances to spent money like that on ourselves, our birthday and Christmas. I live in a small town called Pendorf and the exotic vet said I'd need 400$ for him to fill out the paperwork and perform the necropsy... I just don't have it. I don't have anything I spent it all on a sickly animal that I had for a little under 72 hours....

Thanks in advance and sorry for the wall of text!!!

Answer: Never use friends and family with someone you don't know. You give up all rights to dispute. You can sue her in small claims court. That's about it.


Title: 4th of July Barbecue Gone Wrong

Question:
Pretty simple, but curious if anyone knows how the liability works. Friend brought over a recent rescued dog and his behavior had been well enough to warrant that.

Fast forward 3 hours and the dog took a lunge at another guest and it wound up with an ambulance and lacerations to the mouth and beneath the eye. 100+ stitches later and everyone is understandably upset.

Dog owner has filed a homeowners claim, wondering if I need to as well, and what liability I have as the property owner where the bite occurred.

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Massachusetts resident if that helps.

Answer: See if you have "MedPay" listed on your policy as one of your coverages (typically it's either $1,000 or $5,000).  If you do, that portion pays out for medical costs of any incident on your property *regardless* whether you were negligent, so it's probably what the bitee would be after.


Title: Materials left in emergency exit staircase blocking entrance/exit from building

Question: Last night the fire alarms went off in the apartment building which I am currently living at.  We took the emergency stair case to exit the building, and as we reached the bottom of the stair well, we were unable to exit immediately.  There was construction materials blocking the door, which we had to move in order to get through the door and outside.  This ended up not being an emergency but rather, a faulty fire alarm, however, this is rather concerning as if there had been an actual fire, we would have been at risk of being hurt.  I am wondering what, if anything can be done about this situation, besides emailing the landlord.  They are infamous for ignoring their emails.  This occurred in Ontario, Canada.

Answer: Report a fire code violation to the fire marshal. That should light a fire under your landlord.


Title: [Florida] Got a red light camera ticket, I thought they were ilegal under FL Supreme Court. Do I ignore it?

Question: So I got a ticket for running a red light a couple of weeks ago. Red light cameras have been ruled unlawful in October '14. How come I got a ticket? Do I have to pay it?

Answer:
 Only red light cameras operated by private companies seem to be banned from sending tickets. If the ticket was sent by the police you need to pay.

That being said, there also seems to be refunds pending on payments made for tickets previously due to another suit. I would pay the ticket and take a refund if it comes back over not paying and facing penalties if it was a good ticket.


Title: Neighbor's tree is downed in our [tenant's] yard- what do I do? [Virginia]

Question:
The company I work for owns some rental townhouses; I just got word from a contractor that a fairly large tree, whose trunk was on a neighbor's property, has fallen into one of the townhouses' yard. I have not been out to examine it myself- I plan to later today.

What do I do about this, as a practical matter? My current plan is to go out, take some photos, and try to talk to the neighbors whose tree it was. I intent to- as tactfully as possible- remind them that this is substantially their responsibility, and that this is almost certainly covered by their homeowners' insurance. And if they need a contractor, I know a guy (the same one who called it in to me) who'd be willing to come cut it up at very reasonable rates. God willing, it'll be a friendly chat.

I know trees are a fiddly area of the law, but this situation seems pretty straightforward. I guess what I'm asking /r/legaladvice is, how am I going to fuck this up, and how can I avoid doing that?

Answer:
 In general, unless the owner of the tree knew that it was dead, sick, safety hazard they are not responsible for damages when it falls on to a neighbors property.  Virginia might be different, so do a little Google search for Virginia tree /property laws.  I will update this if I find something difinitive.  Ianal

Edit:  Icouldn't find the statute, but this looks like a you problem unless there was negligence in regards to the tree.  You could always ask that the neighbor share the cost of removal or your deductible, but they don't have an obligation to do so.


Title: (WI) Legal rights of a disabled adult child in parents home

Question: I know they wont have a legal obligation to care for me. But, do I have squatters rights? I have been living here for more than a year since my last failed attempt at moving out.

Answer: You have tenants rights and would required proper notice to vacate and then a legal eviction in order to be removed if you refused to leave


Title: Married a foreigner. Not going well and worried about immigration proceedings which have already begun.

Question:
Married a foreigner in the state of Michigan about a year ago.  Things have been pretty challenging and I'm starting to think I made a mistake.  This girl can be very nice and charming, but if she gets angry, which seems to happen pretty regularly, it can get bad.  Threats about police, threats about lawsuits, alimony, badmouthing me to neighbors, etc.  So...we began immigration proceedings about 5 months ago, submitted the necessary paperwork.  In a few weeks it's time for our interview, after which she will have conditional permanent residency and I will be her sponsor, a status I am stuck with until she either becomes a citizen, leaves the country or dies basically.

My concern is my potential liability in tying myself more tightly to someone who already scares me.  I have some sympathy for her because I know this is really important to her and she gets pretty paranoid but some of her behavior is really over the top for me.  I am concerned if we get divorced in the future she could use my sponsor status to either sue me for support, or she could claim benefits which the government could sue me for.  Basically I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place, if I bail now, before the interview, she will be pretty pissed and could try and make my life hell in divorce court.  If I wait until she gets residency I am her sponsor indefinitely and could face some liability at some point far in the future.

I have discussed these concerns with her and she has made some effort at allaying them.  She typed up, and signed, some documents stating she will reimburse me for any costs I face in the future related to my sponsorship (fees, fines, any reimbursement I might pay the government, etc.).  She also typed up a document stating she will not take any legal action against me for anything that has occurred up to the present (not that anything has really occurred, but she has made threats about police before).

Based on my research these documents could be helpful but are no silver bullet if something happens in the future.  My research also shows me that cases of the government actually going after a sponsor are rare, but it can happen.  She comes from a wealthy family and has some money outside of the country so I'm probably ok, but who knows what could happen in ten or fifteen years.

My question is basically how much risk I face by becoming someones sponsor, and is it reasonable to sponsor someone even if it's just as a favor to help them out?  I read lots of stories of people becoming sponsors for family members, or even marrying someone to get them legal status and it seems like it's not really *that* dangerous, but is it?  I also have read stuff from lawyers that says you should never ever do something like that.  If I have doubts about this person am I better off bailing out and dealing with whatever fallout may come my way?

Answer:
 You really, really, really need to talk to an immigration attorney. One that you and your wife have not previously met with. Answer #2: Why don't you simply call USCIS and withdraw your petition? There is no immigrant petition without a petitioner.

And remember. It's not your spouse's right to have a visa. It's your right to petition for one.


Title: Sold a car not registered in my name

Question: Yes, I know it sounds very stupid. A year ago I bought a car for my mom thinking she would need it. She did not and I had no choice but to to sell it. I never registered it in my name and I honestly did not know that it was illegal to do so. Now a year later the person I sold it to wants a refund. I do not have the money. I am in a tight financial situation so should I not respond or try to work out a deal with him? Thank you in advance!

Answer: What grounds does the current owner believe they have to demand a refund?


Title: [UPDATE][US - WA] Girlfriend's working conditions are extremely weird

Question:
[Original](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4bwbvj/us_wa_girlfriends_working_conditions_are)

So 2 months later, I have decided to post a small update. I avoided posting anything because no legal action was taken and we didn't talk to anyone official about the issues she ran into, but I suppose an update is an update.

My girlfriend only got 5-7 hours per week scheduled despite being hired "full time". She still did not fill out any paperwork despite asking about it. She realized last month that he has been paying her for nearly double the hours that she normally works. She has not asked about this, nor does she intend to because the manager hired 2 new people and she decided that the job was too risky to deal with. The stress of the job combined with these shady business practices made her mind up and she decided to quit.

She feels like a weight has been lifted off of her shoulders and is looking for more work. She is worried that she will not receive her last paycheck, but I told her that if her boss does we'll be headed straight for the WA DOL to straighten this guy out.

Thanks for the advice to those who posted on the original thread. It helped her keep a level head about all of this!

Answer:
 If she was overpaid, worrying about her last paycheck could be a moot point, because she will have to repay the overpaid wages. Just because the business makes a mistake on her paycheck doesn't mean she's entitled to those funds.

However the business must provide documentation showing those over payments before deducting it from her paycheck.

It sounds to me that the biggest violation is having employees not being up to date on food handlers permits. Contact your local food safety department for that along with any other related concerns:

http://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Food/LocalFoodSafetyContacts


Title: Kicked off of Uber driving platform (Seattle, WA)

Question:
Let me start out by saying that I am transgender and I have legally changed my name. I don't quite pass yet. I signed up and started to drive for uber about 2 months ago. Last week my account was suspended indefinitely because a few passengers complained that the name and photo on my account was not the one driving the car. I tried explaining to uber that I'm trans and that I was driving the car. I tried asking uber if they can send a bigger photo to the passengers that complained to verify that I was not driving the car. Uber replied reiterating that my account is suspended indefinitely. Is there anything legally that I can do to get unbanned from driving for uber?

*EDIT: Uber stated that the customers complained that the photo on my account did not match me. Which I think it did match me. I started transitioning and updated my name months before ever signing up to drive for uber.

Answer:
 > Is there anything legally that I can do to get unbanned from driving for uber?

That's between you and Uber. It's not a legal issue.


Title: (FL) I backed into a dumpster that was below the height of my trunk and I couldn't see it. What can I do?

Question: EDIT: I came here to get some legal advice and everyone talks shit to me. Just goes to show you everyone is a douche on the Internet.

Answer:
 Avoid it next time. Unless someone negligently left it in a spot it would not ordinarily be there is no liability to the owners of the dumpster. Answer #2: Have you notified the owner  of dumpster to inform them of the damage you did to there property.

It might be cheaper to pay for the damage to the dumpster than getting your insurance involved. Answer #3: Be more aware of your surroundings. Look around your vehicle before moving it.  What if this 3-foot object was instead a 3-foot child? Would you still try to shift the blame?

I'd suggest backing in whenever you park, but it appears backing up is not your forte.


Title: If a curfew is in place in my city and i am on my own property but outside, am i breaking said curfew?

Question:
I had an argument with a group of cops telling me to get inside while i was on my front porch/steps.

And have seen videos of cops shooting at people with less-than-lethal rounds and yelling "go in your home" and whole no charge or arrest came with my argument-i was wondering whether or not those people or others would have some sort of case or complaint at least against the cops that fired/gave the order to.

Answer: You're not breaking curfew, but they'll shoot you anyway.


Title: Previous employer is refusing state orders to pay out unpaid PTO/sick time. What does one do in this situation?

Question:
This is in Arizona.  My previous employer shut down unexpectedly in 2017.  I had a lot of PTO banked, which the company refused to pay out when they laid me off, so I filed a claim with the Industrial Commission to attempt to get it paid out.

After the Industrial Commission conducted and concluded their investigation, they ruled that I am indeed owed a sum of money.  I've received two official notices about this so far; in both of them, there is a line item that states "The employer was provided with the findings of the department and stated they decline to offer any compensation to the claimant."

Okay...what the hell do I do with that?  There is no information in the letter about what I would need to do to pursue that money.  When I call the Industrial Commission, they do not offer any "advice" about what I should do.

Is it time for me to consult a lawyer?  What kind of lawyer would be most appropriate?  I've never needed to retain a lawyer's services.  It's not an insignificant amount of money, and we could really use even just a portion of it.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 > previous employer shut down unexpectedly in 2017

They shut down as in the whole company went bankrupt, or did they just close a branch/store/office?

If the entire company is bankrupt, then your money may be gone. You can't get blood from a stone. If they are still in bankruptcy proceedings, you will need to be added as a creditor.


Title: (CA) Gave landlord an 30 days notice instead of 60. Landlord told me I have to give 60 days notice and now is harassing me because he wants me to stay.

Question:
I have been living at this place for 5 years. But landlord have been sexual harassing every girls that come around. I'm getting so tired of it! I have tried to talk to him and all that. Nothing seems to work! Plus he is disgusting as hell! I am tired of cleaning up after him then having him make mess and blame it on me every time.

So I have decided to move out and start to look for places. The problem is, most place want someone to move in immediately. So I have to turn in application and wait to hear from them then if I get the place, I'd have to move in ASAP or at least pay for it.

So I decide to give him the payment a few days ago and told him I'm moving out in 30 days. He totally lost it and told me I can't do that because I have to give him 60 days notice.

Ever since then he have been harassing me endlessly. Sending me a lot of angry messages, begging, whining, and trying to force me to stay.

I am so tired of this crap! I don't want to live here any more! This is exactly why I gave 30 days notice instead of 60! Plus there is no writing agreement or anything like that, so I don't know if he can prove I need to give him an 60 days notice or what he can do.

What can I do here? I'm totally losing my mind with him calling me two or three times a day, sending messages 3-5 times a day, etc...!

Answer: Why does he think you need to give 60 days notice? Generally speaking, you're only obligated to give the same amount of notice as there are days between rent payment, so if you pay rent monthly you need to give one month's notice.


Title: [New Hampshire] Fiance works third shit 7pm to 7am. Job is trying to force her to do one 6am - 6pm shift per week. Is this legal?

Question: She currently works 12 hour shifts 3 days a week. They asked her if she could pick up a 4th shift each week for a few months. She said yes. Then they put her on the schedule for her 4th shift from 6am to 6pm. She already struggles with hardly getting any sleep at all, this is going to be impossible for her. Can a employer force you to work vastly different shifts like this?

Answer:
 Sure they can.

I know people who work shift work that rotate to a new shift every week.


Title: Expedia ruin's English families holiday to San Francisco and leave them in the dark with no money.

Question:
Hello Reddit,

I know of someone in a small town i used to live in, and recently an article had appeared on my news feed  http://leviathanaltpress.com/2015/08/18/the-lawrenson-family-expedia-and-a-tale-of-corporate-extortion/ .  Now if i am not mistaken to summarize this  they left to go to heathrow airport in a taxi with the journey estimated to take around 30 minutes. However they got stuck on the motorway for hours due to there being a fatal accident on the m25 .  When they realized it was apparent they would be close to missing there flight they called Expedia for advice which they replied with ''call us if you miss your flight as there is nothing they can do at this moment in time.'' Luckily traffic started moving again and they were on there way, and as if by luck they arrived at heathrow ready to board there flight with just the right amount of time !  But no ! Life is not allowed to be easy and they were met with disappointment as they were told their party size and lateness in arrival was to far gone for them too board.   After this they call Expedia again since they now qualified for the ''nothing we can do until you miss your flight'' call back, which luckily they had a positive response of, ''we can book you onto the next flight. However you will have to repay your full fares aswell as a £150 per head fine'', which would be a total of just over £9000 !!!!  ''There was nothing left for the Lawrenson family to do other than return home and weigh up their options. After calling the airline and being refused help due to the booking being made through Expedia the family decided that they could take the hit for the outbound flight, rebook it through another airline (to the tune of two maxed out credit cards) and still make their holiday. They called Expedia to let them know the plan and were told in no uncertain terms that if they were to book with anyone other than them that their connecting and return flights would also be cancelled without a refund.''  So now they are stuck at home in rainy Britain, with less than what they left with and certainly not returning with smiles on there faces and yet again a large corporation has taken a well respected and hard working families money and left without a trace.   What can my friend and his family do about getting there money refunded ? I would like to see them get there flight money back.

If you got too the end of this, thank-you for your time and your responses will be much appreciated.

B

Answer:
 Buy trip insurance next time.Answer #2: Why is it Expedia's fault these people missed their flight? If they didn't buy travel insurance they are most likely SOL.  For all international travel, you should be at check-in 3 hours ahead of time.  It sucks but there are many people who slept in for their flights and had to pay for new tickets.

ETA: it is also a good idea to get a battery operated alarm clock for travel, just in case the power goes out.  Any excuse can be used due to missing a flight.  The travel companies are not obligated to refund or re-issue new tickets for missed flights.  In my parts, even travel insurance companies need a doctor's note stating a missed flight/refund is only for medical emergencies or death in the family.


Title: proposing new bot for /r/legaladvice

Question:
It seems like every few days someone's listing a bunch of criminal charges and ending with "oh but it's my first time will i go to jail?!"

Can there be a bot that auto-replies to this with information like "we don't know, but you should probably get a lawyer. PS: you don't get a freebie first felony."

Or not. I can just keep rolling my eyes. But yeah. :/

Answer: IMHO, we already have too many automated replies. People become conditioned to just ignore them and it kinda defeats the purpose.


Title: If I hit a deer on accident can I keep it?

Answer:
 I thought you meant as a pet?

But keeping the meat makes more sense, I see. I'll see myself out.Answer #2: I believe you are *supposed* to report it to your local Parks and Wildlife department if it's not deer season, or if it is and you don't have tags. Local laws may vary though and you didn't say where you are so it's best guess.


Title: Family sold restaurant to family member, now they're suing MA

Question:
My family recently sold our restaurant to a family member. After 9 months we received a letter today stating this family member is trying to sue us because the board of health had them upgrade the restaurant to code and now they are seeking compensation for any upgrades they have made. for 30 plus years we were grandfathered in and when they took over the corporation our assumption was always that they too were grandfathered in since the corp never changed, just the owner. They are trying to slander us making it seem like we purposely knew all this would happen. Not only did we try to do a nice thing to help someone who has never worked in her life, this is the big thank you.

Obviously we are upset over this. Does this family member have any ground to stand on? Is their lack of due diligences on them?

Answer:
 First, I assume this was a sloppy "we don't need lawyers because we're just selling to a family member" type transaction. A lot of this deal is hinging on the verbiage and structure of the sale agreement.  Was it a sale of a corporate entity or just the assets?  Were warranties included, disclaimed, etc?

>when they took over the corporation our assumption was always that they too were grandfathered in since the corp never changed, just the owner.

This is not a good way to sell a business.  Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups in legal practice and selling a corporate entity creates a lot of liability on both sides.

This is where you need to hire an attorney because you rolled the dice on cheaping out and lost. No one is going to be able to suggest whether your plaintiff has any ground to stand on and the due diligence question hinges on representations that were made. I suspect that they're going to pound all sorts of oral / written statements you made that were outside of the contract (if there was one), and you'll need to defend that.


Title: This is about weed. I don't want it to ruin my life

Question: I was recently pulled over for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. I had weed in my car and it was strong stuff. I had it in a ziploc bag in an altoid container in another ziploc bag in my glove box and the cop could still smell it. The cop told me that because he could smell the weed that gave him the right to search my car whether I gave him permission or not. So I told him I infact did have weed and that it was in the glove box. Another cop pulled up and had me step out of the car while the other cop searched my vehicle. After they obtained the weed and thoroughly searched my car the first cop said that I would get a summons in the mail for the weed possesion. I had maybe a quarter ounce. I told him that I had a job and I wanted to go back to school. He told me that hopefully the judge will mark the charge down to a misdemeanor so I don't lose my job, because I will get fired if they find something on my record. What can I do to make sure I don't lose my job and am able to go back to school? I am 20 years old and this is in PA

Answer:
 The police will complete their report and send it to the prosecutor's office, and the prosecutor will decide whether to charge you with a felony, a misdemeanor, or to drop the case entirely. You have no influence over that decision. If charges are filed you will get a summons to appear in court.

Is the address on your driver's license correct? It will put you in a bad situation if the summons gets sent to a previous address and you miss it. If you fail to appear in court they will issue a warrant for your arrest.

If you get a summons to appear in court speak with a lawyer about the case. And don't just hire any random lawyer, do some research and find someone who gets good reviews in your area.

Based on how you describe the case this sounds more like a misdemeanor than a felony, possibility even a misdemeanor which doesn't show up on your record if you're a first time offender. But every case is different, which is why you need a lawyer who knows how to navigate the system in order to get you the most favorable result.


Title: Having son with BF but want to move out...any easy way?

Question:
Hello,

I have a son with my boyfriend, but I want to leave him and move to another state. However, he doesn't let me do it and I just cannot stay here anymore.

We are not married and throughout our relationship, I have gone through a lot of bad things and mistreatment, mostly because of my son. My boyfriend pays only 15-20% of the rent, he barely pays bills and he misses his work and calls of many times...simply because he is too lazy to work. He's had a history of drug use, although he has never got caught with it. I have suffered a lot due to his addiction, he has spent a lot of money and he has never helped me. Even when we are to have sex, it feels like rape...and he forces me to do it.

So to sum it all up, he uses drugs and is quite abusive (not physically, but mentally), yet I have no proof or anything. I don't want my son to be around him since he doesn't really take care of him and has a bad influence. What should I do?

Answer:
 You are welcome to leave anytime. If you take the child out if the state he can easily get a court order to return the child to his state as that state has jurisdiction over custody since the child has lived there for the last 6 months.

You picked this person to be the father of your child. He will have contact. He will get visitation. How that look depends on a lot of things. Hire an attorney where you currently live. Answer #2: If you are being raped or otherwise abused contact a women's shelter in your area for assistance.


Title: [USA] Does gay marriage have to be challenged in all the states with constitutional amendments?

Question:
If a state has a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, does a gay couple have to bring a lawsuit against the state, and then a judge rule that the state's amendment is not allowed because of the supreme court's ruling?

Or can a state just send out a new form with non-gendered language?

Answer:
 No.

If something is federally unconstitutional, then it doesn't matter what state laws or constitutions say.


Title: Doctor got a test done via LabCorp when we specifically checked with insurance and told the doctor that it is not covered by insurance

Question:
Hello,
Location : Nevada
We have a scenario here where I have been stuck with a bill for $1100 for LabCorp for a test that was done.
Scenario
1. Wife was 10 weeks pregnant
2. Doctor asked if we wanted to get the InformaSeq Genetic test done.
3. We tell her - pls. tell her what this test is - She gave us the Lab Corp test sheet with the InformaSeq test marked.
4. We call insurance - they say - this is a genetic test to find issues with fetus - not usually required - hence not covered
5. We tell the same to doctor - that test is not covered by Insurance - and we don't want the test done.
6. Then she asks about another test - AFP-Tetra - non genetic - to find issues with fetus  - again gives us a LabCorp sheet with test marked
7. We again call insurance - they say - Yes - AFP Tetra is covered.
8. Next we go to Doctor's office for bloodwork - and hand over the LabCorp sheet with AFP-Tetra marked (that was provided to use in step6 ) and specimen sent to LabCorp by doctor
9. Now, on next visit, we see results at Dr. Office - and we notice that InformaSeq - that was not covered by Insurance was done
10. Next Insurance rejects it and  Labcorp sends us a bill for $1100.

Is there any valid case against the Dr's Office ?

Answer:
 Was the lab integrated with the doctor's office, or is it a separate business? And do you still have a copy of the bloodwork order?

If you had paperwork that specifically ordered AFP-Tetra and not InformaSeq, then I think you have a valid complaint against the doctor's office. But I would start with them first to find out why they ordered the test.


Title: Using someone else's breathalyzer

Question:
I have a friend who live in Dallas and was recently asked to blow into someone else's breathalyzer. Her friend faces going to jail for two recent DUIs and was trying to guilt her into doing it, he is not allowed to drink alcohol at all. She did not, but she feels bad for not helping her friend. I advised her against it (for many reasons) but one was bevause I knew there was no way this could be legal. There's also a camera, as I understand, to make sure it's him that's blowing (she was supposed to put a towel over her face...)
I've been over with her plenty of times why she morally shouldn't feel too bad about not helping this repeat offender out, but if I had some hard legal 'stuffs' about why this could have been a bad situation, I'd love to try and help her feel better that way too. Google is giving me no love with "using someone's breathalyzer for them punishment", so I hope someone here might get me further.
Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 The only reason I'm aware of to blow into someone else's breathalyzer is to enable them to drive while drunk.  You don't post where you're located, but your friend could face criminal charges for some form of "aiding and abetting" the crime, if not for the crime itself.  They could also face serious civil liability for helping a known DUI driver drive drunk again.

I mean, seriously, how does your friend think it's a good idea to let a multiple DUI moron drive more?  Answer #2: When you say breathalyser I assume you mean an ignition interlock device?

You might get more google results for your state using that term.


Title: Please Help. Geico Messed Up and Now They are Threatening to Sue Me

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You're why you should never trust strangers. What kind of moral standards do you hold yourself to? Of course you owe them the money. They fixed your car. They will make your life very miserable if you play dumb or delay.


Title: Hotel downgrading our room without telling us

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Can we legally request a refund?

Why do you think you'd be entitled to do that? You are in the room you believe you should have been given.Answer #2: Spend some time at r/talesfromthefrontdesk . They hate booking websites because they mislead the customer and the hotel has very little control. Take up the discrepancy with the booking site/

Regarding the mosquitoes:  Did you leave doors/windows open? I doubt the mosquitoes are breeding under the bed, so it's not the hotel's fault. Most warm places have mosquitoes, if you don't like it I hear Iceland is nice this time of year...


Title: My sublandlord won't give a copy of the master lease.

Question: I live in Alberta,  Canada. I have signed a month to month lease.  I also have to notify the sublandlord 1 month before moving out. My move in date is set on August 20. And I have already paid rent for that last week of August,  as well as the security deposit. When I asked for the copy of the master lease, he said he doesn't have one on hand,  and will email it to me later. He didn't, and when I ask him about it,  he keeps avoiding the topic. Would this allow me to break the lease agreement and get my money back? Because I don't think the landlord knows about him subleasing.

Answer: I don't think you're legally entitled to a copy of his lease with his landlord, as it doesn't apply to your tenancy.  His lease may allow for subletting.  I also don't believe this is a legitimate reason for breaking the lease before you move in and getting your money back.  But you could still give your 30 day notice when you move in and move out in 30 days.


Title: [NJ] My landlord is not fixing my scalding shower after 3 months of asking.

Question:
I have submitted so many maintenance requests, called, emailed, and visited the office. The shower randomly loses cold water and the hot water is about 127 degrees (maybe more, lcd on my thermometer broke as temp was rising). I'm injured and can't jump out of the shower when this happens, so it sometimes leaves red burns. This has been going on since we moved in over 3 months ago. They keep sending their own handyman and have not called a plumber. I took a picture of a burn on my hand and sent it to them on Monday along with a breakdown of the temperatures the water is at (97 during shower until a shot of hot water at 127+). Of course they haven't responded.

I'm sorry if there's a better sub for this. I don't know what to do. I'm fighting a losing battle here and I just want to take a shower without worrying about burns or hurting my leg more. I feel like they try the shower, wait a couple min, say it's fine and walk away. It is so random though that they might not catch it.

This is a large property management company in NJ.

Answer:
 as a former apartment manager, sounds like your building has BIG problems with water,
Call code enforcement with your city and tenant council for help.
see what your lease states for repairs (certified letter)
I would not hire a plumber and pay for it. there could be so many reasons for this, and could cost many thousands of dollars.


Title: At what point on a freeway onramp does the speed limit change?

Question:
I realize this is a question that's not very likely to ever come up.  I've never seen a cop sitting on an onramp with his radar gun.  But I'm curious about it.

Let's say you're on a road with a 35mph speed limit and you enter a freeway onramp that merges into a freeway with a 70mph speed limit.  At what point does the speed limit change from 35mph to 70mph?

Answer:
 The acceleration lane is there for you to accelerate up to the speed of the freeway so that you can more easily merge with those already on the freeway doing that speed.Answer #2: Unless it's clearly posted on the ramp (or there is a traffic control device), there's no line where the speed limit immediately switches from the "street" speed to the "Freeway" speed.  You are supposed to accelerate down the ramp at an appropriate rate so that you are traveling (using your example speeds) at 70 when you merge onto the freeway.

Likewise, on an off ramp, there's no immediate drop from 70 to 35 (or 0 if there is a stop sign or traffic light at the top); it's a smooth, gradual deceleration over the length of the ramp.Answer #3: This is likely a situation of what’s reasonable and safe. Obviously you need to accelerate to the speed of traffic, but mashing the pedal the minute you hit the on-ramp in your Ferrari and reaching 70 in 3 seconds would not be safe and reasonable.


Title: I would like a recap on street laws and parking please.

Question: Alright, so I dropped off my friend at the airport last Thursday. She gave me her car and when I got home, I parked it by my neighbor's home. The space was empty and wasn't blocking her 2 driveways/car spaces. Fast-forward to today, I just got home and there's an orange slip on my friend's car. The car will be towed if it is not moved every 72 hours. Now I'm confused. I legit thought I could park any car anywhere, but I guess not. I'm quite ignorant with street parking laws and I'm assuming the laws change with counties and states. By the way, this is in CA. I would like to know more about this. I obviously won't be pressing any charges, how absurd. Thank you.

Answer: “Parking” isn’t the same as “leaving a car in a public spot without moving it for many days at a time”. Local laws/zoning applies.


Title: NYC: Babysitting and parents haven’t come home

Question: My cousin is currently babysitting at a home where the parents should have returned 3 and a half hours ago. About half an hour after they should have arrived home, they texted that they’re “running late” and have not responded to messages since. My cousin has to get to her other job. Can she legally leave the children with someone else without consent from parents?

Answer:
 absolutely do not leave the children. Call the police non-emergency number.Answer #2: Drop them off with the police and contact the parents, they had a time schedule and faulted on it.Answer #3: Oh boy, i hope the parents are ok.Answer #4: If they're only half an hour late, your cousin's doing well. I hope she's charging hourly.

If it gets to being several hours, then making sure the kids are safe is priority one. Making sure the parents know where they are is priority two.


Title: Could I get in legal trouble for buying a domain name and pointing it to someone else's website?

Question: Just as an example, lets say I buy shittyasswebsite.porn and set the DNS record to be the same as the record for reddit.com. If they wanted, would reddit be able to sue for this?

Answer: No, they (the owner of the legitimate site) would probably just not allow that link to be recognized by web crawlers. I used to work in digital marketing and that's what we would do. That's way easier and cheaper than trying to make someone take down the site. But why would you spend the money each month to host a site that just points elsewhere?


Title: (WA) Creepy uncle offering money to wife for naked pics

Question:
So my wife has this creepy uncle (CU) who lives in Washington state. She lives in a SE Asian country and I'm in the middle east for work. CU just messaged her on Facebook today asking for naked pics of her and offering money to her if she sends those to him.

I'm going to message him myself and tell him to fuck off but I'd like to scare him into not messaging her again. She's going to block him of course but is this a crime and can I tell him to not message her otherwise we'll contact the FBI/Washington state police and report him for this?

Answer: It is legal for one adult to offer another adult money for naked pictures...  At least in the US, where the FBI/Washington State police have jurisdiction.


Title: Divorce imminent with violent husband. Afraid of being left with nothing.

Question:
Hello, I’m a New Jersey mother of two young adults. I am married to an emotional, physical, and financially abusive husband whom we are all living with. Enough is enough. However, I have a great fear: a fear that once I file for divorce, he will do everything in his power to makes this process as grueling as possible. I fear he will leave me with nothing to my name, naked on the streets figuratively. He is the kind of person that will make an extremely violent argument over the most trivial subjects like leaving a light bulb on for too long. He takes his anger out on myself and my children. In this moment, I realized he is a dangerous narcissist.

I have been married with him for 26 years. We have had a joint savings account where I trusted him to keep my salary and his to go into, but I have no way to access the account to check the balance or withdraw from it. I am also aware that he has some unknown sum of our earnings invested in the stock exchange. God knows what else of my assets is hidden with his.
I have a separate business account in which we both had access to where I made extra money on the side doing billing for medical practitioners. About three years ago he went to the bank, told the teller a story that we are buying an apartment and that he needs a $43,000 bank check from my business account. The teller fell for the story and she gave him a bank check which he later deposited in an unknown bank account. I called my bank as soon I realized the money was missing. The Manager told me how he showed up at the bank and told the “apartment” story. He had the proper IDs to prove that he was a beneficiary in the account with the story. After heavy pressure from family members, he gave me the money back in a form of a bank check from his bank.

As of recently he has been keeping video and audio surveillance of every conversation, and movement we make in the main rooms in the house (no bathrooms or bedrooms) which he claims is for home security purposes. Unlike me, he is a tech savvy person, and I caught him somehow screening everything I do on my computer on his computer. In blind anger, he admitted he does this, as well as screening my cellphone conversations and location. I’m being stalked. He is always one step ahead of me but he is silent about it most of the time. He makes threats that he will cease paying the mortgage, utility, and credit card bills that are under my name. He goes through my room when I’m not home and deletes any evidence of photos, video, and audio files pertaining to the abuse. Additionally, I recently found hand written receipt for supposedly rent I take from his mother, who no longer lives with us anyway and she never paid rent to us while living in our home. He forged my signature on the receipt.  He has been through my password protected computer as well as taking sensitive, personal, and legal paperwork. He goes through other family members phones and reads conversations and emails I have exchanged with them. And the list goes on.

If anyone can give me an advice on how should I go about this process to make sure that Im not left struggling to help my children while paying for a $2700/month mortgage with less than 20 years left on the home loan. My husband is not a normal person whom I can reason or negotiate with. I have to prepare my exit in a very quiet manner if possible. He must not know I am filing for a divorce!! The problem is that he has full control of all financial documents, in a locked file cabinet and in his computer password protected. I just want what’s mine that he has taken and held from me for many, many years.  Thank you so much for your time.

Answer:
 You need to speak with a family law attorney.  Answer #2: Withdraw all your money from the separate business account. Create a new bank account at a new bank and have your paychecks deposited there.

Resign yourself to losing the house. It will have to be sold.

Start talking to a domestic violence shelter and see if you can get on a waiting list for a women-and-children shelter, and/or stay with family and friends. Start counseling or talk to your doctor about some mental health treatment.

Once you have income in your own bank account, hire a good lawyer. You'll be just fine.


Title: Fiancé is a good man, but is paid under the table and all kinds of illegal things are involved...also, I'm pregnant. So scared. (California)

Question:
So, fiance and I have been together for over four years. He's worked for his employer, as a manager in the shipping department, for six years. For about four years, they paid him as an Independent Contractor; yes, I know that that's not right, and it's illegal, but he let them do it anyway. He owed the IRS *a lot of money* in taxes, but he's whittled it down to about $1,000. About two years ago, he gave them an ultimatum; either they put him on payroll (some of their employees are, some are not), or he report them to the IRS. They gave him a counter offer, which he took; they gave him money to pay about a third of what he owed the IRS, and gave him some musical equipment from the shop. Since then, they've been paying him in cash.

About a year ago, he decided to try and get Medicaid (he's had serious back problems which he's never been able to resolve). In all the time he's worked there, he now only makes $11/hour, and insurance is not affordable for us. However, he didn't want to get his employer in trouble for paying him under the table, and so he claimed he only made like $2,000. He gets free healthcare, now, I think he's had it for almost a year. He's convinced he can't get in trouble, that they won't find out.

In August 2015, we found out I was pregnant (I'm now six months along). He approached his boss and explained that we're going to have a baby, and he absolutely must be put on payroll. They promised they would do it, but they still haven't (pro tip: it's not gonna happen). I also make $11/hour, plus tips so more like $13/hour, but I work fewer hours than him since I'm in school. We're in a pretty tough spot.

To make things harder, we live with a roommate in a one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, which is a really, *really* expensive area. I'm not on the lease. We've lived here for four years, but there's no where else we could live without moving far away, and our roommate wouldn't move in unless he was on the lease, and my Fiance had a better chance of being accepted as a tenant than me, since I've never been on a lease before (I'm 26, he's 25).

It would really help us to try and get some aid, like food stamps or WIC (it's a government thing benefiting pregnant women, mothers and children). I'm terrified, though, to apply; they need proof of residence, which would probably get us evicted; they need me to give them the income of people in the household, and my fiance "has no income"... it's all such a mess.

I'm in dire need of advice, and I can't afford to seek legal counsel, since everywhere I've looked a basic consultation costs $40. I don't even have $40 to my name.

The obvious right answer is for my Fiance to find a new job with an honest employer right away, but I have told him this a total of three times since getting pregnant, and each time he gets really stubborn and defends his job, saying he's comfortable there, he loves the people he works with, and his bosses mean well... and he says that "everything will work out, everything always works out". All I can see his him winding up in jail for fraud. He's so gentle and honest, I don't understand why he's let them swindle him into this situation.

I should mention that recently, he did start looking at Craigslist job listings, for things like music tutoring jobs and other such whimsical descriptions. I feel like his best bet would be to find something, *anything* in the meantime, that will pay equally to what he's currently making (that shouldn't be too hard), to escape this bad situation as soon as possible. We don't have much time, and we can't afford to wait till the baby comes, because it will be much harder, then.

Thank you for listening. Any advice is deeply and warmly appreciated.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 You should move in with your mother. Maybe you can quit your job and get student loans to finish school, instead, while you take care of the kid.Answer #2: Have you been going without prenatal care?? Get yourself on Medicaid!!! You, as a pregnant woman, automatically will qualify.

You can ask for advice over at /r/babybumps, too. There's definitely quite a few ladies over there who have been through the process of obtaining Medicaid and WIC, and can give you some guidance. In all sorts of situations, some of which sound similar to yours.

You can obtain these resources as a "homeless" person, as well. This is something I have done in the past (though my experience was with food stamps) -- you explain that are crashing with whoever is on the lease but you are not on the lease and technically have no residence.


Title: Adopting my Step-Child: What are the biological parent's rights?

Question:
So I just got married this past November and moved into a house with my new family: my wife and my 9 y.o. step daughter.  We all get along great and life is fantastic!  My step daughter has mentioned that she wants me to adopt her, and we've discussed it thoroughly with her, and she very much wants it to happen, and in fact calls me "Dad," rather than by my first name.

So, as a preliminary, I thought I'd ask a few questions here because we're worried her biological father may have some say in the matter.  Here's the deal:

Her father has been in and out of contact with her for her entire life.  He wasn't there for her birth (as he was in jail) and his name is not on her birth certificate (a fact which allowed us to get her passport without him being there).  She used to visit him once a month until the age of 4, until he started getting into drugs again and my wife kept our daughter away.  He was then arrested for felony breaking and entering and went to prison for 3 years.  He got out a year ago and has contacted his daughter about twice in the last year in person, and twice by phone (he missed her birthday and Christmas, btw).  Turns out he is now going back to prison for breaking and entering again.  Since this is his second felony for the same thing, he'll probably be gone a long time.  Our daughter has never lived under his roof, he has never paid for medical bills, rent, groceries, or anything like that.  He has given her some money on her birthdays and Christmas.  He also owes near $30k in unpaid child support, but in the last year paid about $1k.

According to this website (https://www.ohiobar.org/forpublic/resources/lawyoucanuse/pages/lawyoucanuse-204.aspx):

>Q: Are there any exceptions to the rule that the "other" parent must consent to the adoption?
A: Yes. There are two exceptions to this rule. If the "other" natural parent has failed, without justification, to 1) communicate with the child, or 2) financially support the child for a period of one year before the filing of the adoption petition, that parent's consent is not required and the adoption can proceed. The court must find, by clear and convincing evidence, that the natural parent has failed to provide more than "de minimus" (minimal) contact with the child, or has failed to provide for the child's maintenance and support. Other exceptions may apply to "putative fathers" and parents whose parental rights have been terminated by a juvenile court.

My question is: should we lawyer up and go into court and apply for adoption?  Do we even need a lawyer?  Would he have any case against us?  What would be our best strategy?

Answer:
 Your best strategy is to do nothing, including even hint about this plan to him or anyone who knows him, and wait for him to go to prison.  At that point you will know his sentence which is very useful information.  Then immediately contact an attorney.  (Prison is a reason for non-support and little contact, so you want to use the year prior.)  He has had at least some communication with her and paid at least some child support.  I wouldn't recommend you file it without a lawyer.

Also, some States have a provision for automatic termination of parental rights if a parent is sentenced to a long term of imprisonment.  I have only seen this in CPS cases, but it also might apply to your situation.

>Would he have any case against us?

Not for monetary damages, but filing an action in family court while he is not in prison potentially opens up a can of worms.  He can counter requesting an order for increased parenting time, and with the threat of potential adoption may choose to actually exercise it.


Title: (Colorado) Ex gave car in both our name to father out of state.

Question:
About 3 months ago my ex walked out on me.
I bought a car while we were together and had the title in both our names.
A week after we split she stole the car out of a parking lot, called the cops they said there was nothing they would do about it (Civil Matter)
I went to her house the next day to get it back. her mother answered the door with gun in hand and demanded I leave. I refused to leave without my car, cops were called, I got arrested for Domestic Violence/Trespassing
Under advise of my extraordinarily bad public defender I shouldn't try to do anything about the car until the criminal case is resolved.
While together I was not allowed to work (she had me take care of her two small children who were no relation to me) She had stated that she owned everything in the apartment which is why she took the car.

Here's the kicker though.
Both our names were on the title and she can't drive. the only logical thing she could have done with the car is sell it or give it away and the most likely person that would have taken the car would be her father who lives across country and was at my bail hearing. I have no proof nor(under advise of counsel) can I acquire any that she gave the car to anyone.

What can I do to get either compensation or my car back?  She took literally everything including my cloths, a collection of pipes and bongs and about an ounce of weed. I have no reliable form of transportation and the last time I had court I had to walk for 3 hours to get there.  I'm living with my mother outside town and have no means to move.

Answer: You are entitled to 50% of the FMV of the car. Sue her for the value of it. This is why you don't buy property with people you are not married too.


Title: Landlord changed the locks on my house and put my belongings in the garage.

Question: Kansas City, MO. I don't have a current lease and they're telling me I only have until September 30 to collect my things. Is there any recourse?

Answer:
 You are entitled to notice before you can be evicted, and MO law forbids landlord self-help (i.e. lockout) evictions.

If you were in violation of the rental agreement in some way or behind on rent, you are entitled to five days' notice to cure the problem or pay the rent -- at which time your rights as a tenant are restored.

If you were not notified of a lease violation or deficiency in rent, you are entitled to 30 days' notice.

*Forcing you out* cannot be done by the landlord.  S/he must obtain a court order through an unlawful detainer action (fancy name for eviction lawsuit) and then get the county Sheriff to serve the writ of possession on you.

If you have proof of residence (address on drivers' license, mail addressed to you, bills in your name, copy of the rental agreement) you can try contacting the KC police department to see if they will forcibly restore you to your home.  Otherwise, you can sue for "forcible detainer" (landlord preventing you from accessing your lawful home, uses the same accelerated process as an eviction lawsuit) or sue the landlord for damages and violation of your rights.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/missouri-notice-requirements-terminate-month-month-tenancy.html

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/illegal-eviction-procedures-missouri.html

Note that you should consult an attorney before taking any legal action.  There may be facts you haven't disclosed that would change things.Answer #2: Yes, that's an illegal eviction.  Document everything, then sue for double damages as is your right.


Title: [Indiana] Underage, marijuana shipped through mail URGENT Help

Question:
Not looking for a lecture really, I realize I fucked up BIG time and it won't happen again.

Before I begin this was shipped via mail to me and the police have decided to let that go however I still have to visit my probation officer for the first time Thursday.

Basically I ordered some marijuana online and it got caught in transit. This happened last Tuesday and the police had me come into the station. I told them everything and they set up a meeting with a probation officer which I'll be meeting later this week. However I want to know what the worst case scenario is. No one from my school is aware that this has happened, and no one knows that I've done marijuana. I get above average grades, hovering around a 3.5 GPA. Currently attending a therapist for this because I've been experiencing a lot of stress because of non-related things  (this was one of the reasons I bought some, helps with stress and anxiety). The main thing I'm worried about is something permanent getting on my record. I don't want this to scar and prevent me from getting a job or attending a decent college.

I've talked to my parents about it and they had a decently long talk about this with me.

Anxious right now so apologies if my summary was poorly written, I would just appreciate any advice you can provide me with.

Answer: Well you already admitted everything so not much advice to give now. It's too late for that.


Title: [BC,Canada] Fired for Getting Assaulted

Question:
So last thursday, I was assaulted.

*Here's some backstory. I lived with suspect 2 years ago and he tried to charge me with Theft, Assault and Rape as well as sent people after me and other things. Why? I have no idea. Fast Forward. Went to court and everything for it. It was all settled. I moved away and then came back (family here).*

Now - I got a job at a supermarket and then last Thursday, I was returning carts to the front of the building. He saw me as I was going to get more carts and he came back and started physically attacking me. I held his arms so he couldn't get a hit in but still tried none the less. Then 2 of my coworkers (a supervisor and an employee) came out and stopped it. He took off running and I had called the police about an hour later because I was in shock and didn't know what to do. So the police comes and gets a statement from me, and tells me (because it's BC Law) that If I defend myself, I can't press charges but if he comes back then you can, he then explained that if I wanted to press charges now, I should have just stood there and let him hit me.

Fast Forward to today, I haven't seen the Suspect since that day, but as I was heading in to work, I walked to a nearby restaurant and asked for a menu (friend and I wanna eat there soon) and he comes out and gets all tough and stuff and asks what I want. I calmly explain to him a menu and then he gets someone to give one to me. Anyways, I fast forward to lunch at work and I tell my boss (since he wants to know everything about this ordeal and situation) and he comes upstairs and meets me in the staff room and we have a private meeting with him and the assistant manager. They decided to let me go because they feel that me being there is putting everyone else's safety at risk and they explained to me "What if he comes in here with a baseball bat or a knife or a gun, then not only are you at risk, but so are my employee's and my customers."

So they let me go, and I told my friend and the friend said "That sounds completely illegal. Take it to the labour board." So I'm just asking you guys real quick, because I hear where my employers are coming from but what my friend said has me questioning. Thanks guys.

Answer: Contact the Employment Standards Branch. This doesn't sound like the kind of misconduct or danger that would justify terminating you without notice or pay in lieu of notice, and your employer likely owes you money. Odds are good you won't get your job back, though.


Title: Hiring someone to shovel snow off our roof. What does this business/person need to ensure we're not liable for their potential injuries?

Question:
I might not worry quite as much if they were laying floor tiles but we're talking about having guy(s) on a snow- and possibly ice-covered roof, shoveling snow.

From what I understand, the best-case scenario would be a licensed general contractor with general liability as well as worker's compensation insurance for himself and his employees. However, our state (New Hampshire) does not require that general contractors be licensed, unless they work on heating or plumbing systems, so it is probably impractical to demand licensure.

My question is, how should I be vetting these folks and what should I be asking to see before or when they arrive to ensure I will be covered in the event someone is injured on my property performing this service? I have found a number of conflicting statements elsewhere as to what classifies an "employee" versus an "independent contractor", which seems to make all the difference in terms of who would be liable. It is my understanding that in states where licensing is required, hiring an unlicensed individual may constitute hiring them as an "employee." How would that work in a state not requiring licensing? Would someone shoveling a roof even be considered a general contractor?

Answer: hey insurance dude here.  You're going to want to ask for their agent to send you a Certificate of Insurance and have them name you or your business as additional insured on their policy.  Make sure they have General Liability coverage and Workers Comp Coverage. This will  indemnify you from any attempt from them to go after you.


Title: I'm 16 and was given 3 kids a year ago.

Question:
I was told to post this here and see if theres any ideas anyone has. I'm from New York if that helps anything.

I'm 16 and my sibling were thrown onto me to take care of by our mother who is never home to help anymore. She leaves before we get home from school and is never awake in the morning before we leave for school. Our fathers (2 different dad between the 4 of us) are never around to help so we dont get their support. But our mother will scream at us and if we get the house clean during the week or if we dont give her a list of food or keep our grades up, but the worst come to me when ever she gets mad she takes it out on me and screams calling me a disappointment and a mistake. Also will never buy us food through out the month because she spends her food stamps on her boyfriend instead of us and usually were down to having nothing by the end of the month so I usually dont eat. She also doesnt feed my youngest sibling while were st school or so my youngest sibling claims. And I'm wo deering if anyone has any idea on if theres anything I can do now while still being a minor.

Answer: You should absolutely call CPS on yourself, or ask a teacher to do it.    Focus on there not being food in the house when you call,  that will get their attention more than you telling them about the yelling.Answer #2: Not providing food is an issue you should talk to a teacher about. They can help get CPS involved.


Title: [CA] Landlord texted Notice to Enter from 12/24 - 12/30. Is this legal?

Question:
My landlord texted me a picture of a 24 hour Notice to Enter Dwelling Form. The notice states the landlord will enter the premises on 12/24 - 12/30 during 9am-5pm. The purpose is for a roof repair. Is this legal? CA code says a notice to enter should include date and approximate time. I don't see how such a broad time frame would qualify as proper notice then.

I have explained to her repeatedly if she gives me a day/time, I will accommodate her request. I want to be present though because i don't trust her alone with my dogs.  She has also proven herself a liar so I want to be present with a witness. Just for reference, last time she came over for a repair she claimed I denied her and her handyman access and refused to put my dog away. This is a complete lie. She actually asked to borrow a ladder from me and I let her kid use my bathroom. Also my dogs were in a bedroom the whole time.

So r/legaladvice, is it legal for a landlord to give notice to enter a dwelling for a week long period?

Edit 1: Landlord said repair man is coming over sometime after 6pm on 12/28

Answer:
 >So r/legaladvice, is it legal for a landlord to give notice to enter a dwelling for a week long period?

Generally, no. That's because both the notice and subsequent entry must be reasonable and I'd argue that a notice with a blanket week long timeframe is not reasonable at all. You might want to try to get her to agree to narrow down that window to a more reasonable timeframe, like a 48 hour window.


Title: How screwed am I?

Question: So I was on unemployment from a former employer, and I started working for my uncle what I thought was under the table but found out later on that I am actually going to be 1099'd and was working with him for a solid 5 months of unemployment so how screwed am I when it comes to taxes? Franklin Ohio

Answer:
 You pay your taxes that you owe.  You're not "screwed" in that regard at all.  You file, and then you pay what you owe.

Then that problem is solved.

But it sounds like you committed unemployment fraud, which is a whole separate problem that can end with you in prison.

So the taxes are not your real problem here.


Title: Boss's reasons for not wanting to give raise

Question:
I found out I'm am one of the lowest paid in my company, even though I've been there the longest. I researched what I do and what's is paid locally for my skills and also put together a list of accomplishments at the company. I went to my boss with this and the conversation actually got heated. I'm wondering if his reasoning is illegal or just him being a jerk. Here are some of the things he said:

1-You offered to do more work. When so-and-so left you wanted more work and hours, so you volunteered!
2-You have been part-time in the past. How do I know you won't want to go part-time in the future if I give you a raise?
3-What other people make here is none of your business! (I know it's not, but that doesn't change the fact that I do know now and I do as much or more than that person).
4-It hurts his feelings that I feel undervalued.

One more thing that was brought up in the conversation about pay. Last winter some coworkers and I went to his superiors to discuss some issues about him. He found out about this in May and puts the blame on me (even though it was a group effort). Can he hold this against me when it comes to pay? He mentioned how hurt he is about this and how I stabbed him in the back and now he knows where I stand.

What do you think?

By the way, he took out a salary survey while we were talking and the pay I was asking for is right in the average.

Edit - I'm in Minnesota.

Thank you for all of the responses. I am applying for other jobs. I think he is going to give me the raise, but that won't change his behavior.

Answer: If you're in the US there's nothing you can do but find a new job and practice your negotiating skills.