Title: [IL] Forced(?) into hospital, stuck with massive bill.

Question:
Okay this is quite the story but I'll try to make it brief. Also let me say up front that I fully acknowledge that I should have done something about this a long time ago, and there were much better ways to handle everything. But I didn't, so here I am.

A couple of years ago I was really depressed, so I sent my professors an email saying I was taking a week off, was depressed and had had some suicidal thoughts, and then stated very specifically I did not want this, was booking a counseling appointment, and would be back the next week.
A few days later I'm getting dressed for work when four cops show up at my door. They ask me if I'm okay, I say yes. They tell me one of my professors called them out of concern, and that they had a copy of my email, and I had to come with them to the psyche ward of the local hospital. I told them I didn't want to, I was getting ready for work, and I didn't have medical insurance so it would be really expensive. They said either I could come willingly or they would arrest me and take me. They told me they just wanted to check me out then I could probably go home. So I go willingly.

Get to the hospital, same bit with the staff. "Please let me leave I don't have insurance." They tell me I can either go in willingly, or if I leave they will call the cops, who will arrest me, and I'll be there a minimum of five days. Well great, looks like I'm going "willingly" again.
I don't get to leave for three days, asking calmly to be let go the whole time.

In the end I'm stuck with a nearly $14,000 bill. I had to meet with the head counselor at my university before I was allowed back in class, tell him about the bill, he says "they can't get blood from a turnip, just don't pay it." Called my father the same day and oddly he said the same thing. Same phrasing and all. So I didn't.

Fast forward a year, I've moved to Oregon and am very happy. Then I get a knock on my door, guy asks if I'm [my name], I say yes, "you've been served." Hospital is suing me for said balance, using a lawyer in Washington. I call the guy because I have no idea what any of the paperwork means, he explains because it was over $10,000 they can and are suing me, tells me I can file a motion to fight it and get a lawyer. I say that's what I'm going to do, only to find out I can't even afford the fee to file a motion.

So I call him back and tell him I can't, what are my options. He says I can settle, asks how much I can afford a month. I tell him $10, he says they want $500. Calls me back and says they'll do $200.

Now I have made every payment thus far, but it is stretching me so thin. Plus I feel it's bullshit that everyone said I HAD to go and I HAD to stay, but no one would help me with the bill. Or if I wasn't of sound mind to leave on my own, how could I be expected to be of sound mind when accruing several thousand dollars in debt? Is there anything I can do at this point? I'm just trying to avoid being stuck paying this forever. At this point I'm only paying on the interest, the debt isn't even going down.

Answer:
 This is what happens when you tell people you're suicidal. Not sure why you thought that was a good idea, but whatever. That ship sailed a long time ago.

As far as the bill, you can try to negotiate but at the end of the day you owe them for the services you received.


Title: Roommate can't pay rent now but promises to pay me back. How do I make sure I get my money?

Question:
I [23F] live with by boyfriend [24M] and our roommate [24M]. We are 9 months into our 1 year lease. All of our names are on the lease. Recently, our roommate got his second DUI, and he lost his license and either quit or lost his job. Now he sits at home, plays video games, and does drugs. Even though he's a bad room mate, I don't mind living with him until the end of April.
He has said that he can't pay his $645 rent/mo for the final three months. It is cheaper for me to pay the extra $645/mo than to break the lease. I've already paid for him for one month. The roommate says he will pay me back everything after he gets his tax return of $5000. I want to trust that he will pay me back. How can I ensure that he does pay me back? Do I write a contract and insist that he sign it? What if he refuses to do so?
What is the best course of action here to make sure that I don't lose money?

Location is Northern California.

Answer: Yes. Essentially get him to sign a promissory note to pay back the loan. If he does not pay, sue him in small claims court with the document as proof. Use witnesses, pictures, a notary as proof that he was the one signing. Answer #2: Your best bet is to get him to agree to allocate you the amount of rent paid on his behalf to you via direct deposit from the IRS.  He can complete Form 8888 to have his refund split into multiple accounts.  If he won't complete the form, you know he isn't serious about paying you back.


Title: My parents have a foster child they've raised since she was 8 days old, now her (in jail) mother wants her to love with her shifty grandmother. They say they have precident because she's the biological parent. Is there anything we can do to keep her, my parents want to adopt her.

Question: Edit: this is in Massachusetts

Answer: Get an attorney, and a Judge will decide. This issue is too big for Reddit help.


Title: Redwood Valley, CA: New neighbors cut down a bunch of brush on my property to create a turn around for their vehicle.

Question:
Location is Redwood Valley, CA.

I have several acres of property. This morning I returned home from business to find that my new neighbors had cut down a bunch of brush and shit from the edge of my property in order to use it as a turnaround spot for their vehicle (Assuming that's the reason due to multiple fresh tire tracks).

They are currently on vacation, so I haven't had a chance to address this with them directly yet. Probably for the best. But I asked another neighbor about it and they said they saw new neighbors doing the work.

No live trees were cut down. That part of my property is not fenced. However, it's still my property and I'm more pissed off over this as a matter of principle than anything else, since they didn't even see fit to ask me if they could do the work. I am also a bit worried about some sort of adverse possession law coming into play here.

Paint diagram for the crowd: http://i.imgur.com/ePxCpao.jpg

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Answer: Relationship advice, not legal.  Since the neighbors are new, it is possible they don't know exactly where the property line is and thought they were clearing brush on their own land.  Starting with this assumption will be good for any future relationship with the neighbor.Answer #2: I'd put up a small section of decorative fence just inside my property line.  They should get the hint.Answer #3: You can sue them for damages, if you can really assert any.  I'm not sure that "brush removal" counts as damages - it may actually be a benefit.


Title: Someone skimmed my card. I have their email. Now what?

Question:
Please let me know if there is a better place to post this!

So, I have a BofA debit card that I used yesterday to get gas. I hadn't used it in a few weeks, and woke up this morning to fraudulent charges. I'm fairly certain that it was skimmed from the gas station, so I'm going to the police station after work to file a report. I called BofA to close the account and reverse the charges.

The only issue remaining is that one of the companies they attempted to make purchases from was kind enough to disclose the email the person used to charge my card. However, it's not on a typical domain, and their username/email seems to be auto generated. Regardless, is there anywhere I can report this? Is it worth doing so?

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Put it in your police report.

Other than that, there's not much you can do with just an email address.


Title: Work tells me i will get health benefits after 90 days. After the 90 days, I'm told I wouldn't receive it until next year, is this fair?

Question:
I got hired on at a start up and on 1099 for 3 months, 90 days introductory period. On their job ad listing, they also stated that I would receive health benefits after the 90 day period.

I was given the employee handbook after being signed on as a full time permanent employee.

Inside it says in the benefits section:
Benefits Eligibility During the first 90 days of continuous employment at ______, you will not be eligible for benefits. Once you have completed the 90 days, you become eligible for the following employee benefits: Insurance -- Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Vacation Sick Days Eight (8) holiday each year

Now I'm asking my manager about it, and she replies with
"not at this time we do not, am sure as we grow as a company we will offer."

and then a week later with: "the company is planning to offer health insurance later this year or early next year"

I feel lied to, and now I'm a bit turned off with the company. My coworker thinks they just don't want to pay the difference of the past months because the company have to pay the full year.

What can I do about this?
Edit: I'm off 1099 after the 90 days.

location: california

Answer:
 Quit and find another job is your most likely answer.  Depending on the size of the company, they may not have enough employees to mandate health insurance under the ~~ADA~~ ACA (the current cutoff is 100 Full Time employees).  Employee handbooks aren't contracts, and neither are job ads.  So their misleading you is immoral, and bad management, but not illegal.

Further, if you're a 1099, you're not covered by the ACA and you're generally not entitled to employee benefits at any time.


Title: [BC, Canada] Is it legal for a public school teacher to use their platform as a teacher to recruit students for political campaigning?

Question:
I'm not in high school anymore but when I was I knew this teacher that very actively pushed his political opinions on his students. To his credit, he would tolerate people with different opinions but his classes were essentially pure propaganda.  But that isn't what I want to ask about, now it has come to my attention that he is using his platform as a teacher to recruit people for campaigning for the upcoming provincial election.  He isn't trying to coerce people into it but it seems a bit over the line to me.  I don't have any intention of actually taking any action but I would like to know if this sort of thing is even allowed.

Also it's not his campaign, just one that he is supporting.

Answer:
 Was this a publicly-funded school?

>recruit people for campaigning for the upcoming provincial election

That's not illegal but it's probably frowned upon. Read article 1 of the standards statement of the BC Teachers' Council.

> Educators do not abuse or exploit students or minors for personal, sexual, ideological, material or other advantage.

Report it to your local trustee, that's what they're for.


Title: Employer denying vacation pay AFTER vacation has been taken

Question:
Maryland

I know that employers are under no legal obligation to pay vacation time, however my employer does for certain qualified employees, like myself.  My boss asked about my accrued vacation time and if I played on taking it before the season picked up.  We agreed upon a week and I was good to go.  Before I left my boss mentioned he was having difficulty with the payroll department (computer errors) over my vacation but to take the time off I planned to, he would take care of it and I would be paid, not to worry.  Now, my vacation is over and my boss says he could not get the time approved right now and he is really sorry.  I took a whole week of work off and need the money I would normally receive.  Are they within their rights? Do I have any recourse?
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 Employers aren't required to pay vacation time, but if they say they're going to give it to you, they have to give it to you.  That's at contract.

Any recourse is going to put you on bad terms with your boss.  I would first suggest going to HR or above your boss's head, they may be able to help you out by preventing retaliation from your boss. It sounds like what your boss did was lie to you to keep the expense numbers artificially low.  Talk to payroll, HR, and/or your boss's boss. He'll probably get in trouble over it, which is fine, because he's not just doing it to you, if he hasn't done this to other employees, he will, especially if he thinks he can do it without getting caught.Answer #2: So that means they put your accrued vacation time back, instead of having you use it?

Do you have documentation of the approval from your boss (emails count)?

How much do you like this job v. do you need that weeks pay?  Because you can almost certainly win your week's pay, and you can easily be laid off after that.


Title: Google Play Store credit expired... As a California resident, I was under the impression that it was illegal for gift cards to expire. Do digital credits not count as "gift cards?"

Question: Reading the gift cards and gift certificates statutes in California, it seems like it is illegal for gift cards to expire within 5 years. I earned credit on Google Opinion Rewards, so I did not technically pay for a gift card, but did perform a service (filling out surveys) in return for store credit. However, it seems like the policy for these credits is that they expire after 1 year. I lost about $20 and didn't notice until it was too late, and although I'm not planning on suing or anything like that, I was curious as to why this is allowed. Any clarification on why Google Play credit can expire?

Answer: Nope. They would not fall under the Cali law. Cali law covers what you have already paid for. You didn't pay for anything


Title: (Az) 18 and in College, Not getting my child support.

Question:
So this is kinda a mess but I'll explain it as best as I can. If anyone needs more info just ask.

I'm eighteen and going to college a couple hours away from home. My parents (who both also live in AZ) got divorced when I was ~16 and my father has been paying child support to my mother since then. I've lived away from home for about 8 months now and when I moved out my mom promised to send me my half (I have one other sibling) of the child support check.

My dad pays about $1100 in support every month. My half comes out to around 529 dollars. Since I have been away from home, each month I receive (if I'm lucky) about 200 dollars from my mom. I'm broke.

I've talked to some people about this predicament and their response is usually "You're eighteen, it should have terminated on your birthday." My case is through the clerk of court here in my county and apparently the support does not terminate until my sister, who is a couple years younger than I am, turns 18.

I'm trying to move into my own place with the assistance of my dad and my girlfriend's mom. My dad can't do a whole lot to help my out right now when he's paying so much in child support. I need this money from my mom. It's mine, and I'm getting frustrated. The paperwork for my dad to petition the support is going to take quite a long time to finalize, and it might not be wrapped up until my sister is also 18.

The point is, I need my money, and I'm not receiving it. Is what she is doing illegal? How do I convince her to start supporting me?

Answer: It's not your money. Child Support goes to the parent, not the child. Nothing illegal here


Title: [Indiana] - Am I breaking the law by leaving the key in the ignition?

Question:
Throwaway because my main account is easily identifiable.

I have a truck (two actually) that I often leave parked on the street with the key in the ignition. I've been lurking on /r/legaladvice for a while now, and I recently came across this comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3gaxtf/my_17_year_old_daughters_car_was_stolen_the_thief/ctwumf2

Am I exposing myself to any legal liability by leaving my keys in the ignition?

Answer:
 If a child found their way into your truck and injured themselves when they decided to take a joy ride, I could see you being held responsible. Then again, I'm not a lawyer, but this brings to mind many of the cases I've heard discussed here where people are held responsible for the things children (who aren't theirs) do with their property when the owner didn't take enough steps to protect the children. For example, neighbor 1 has a pool and no fence, neighbor 2 has a young kid that goes outside one day and gets in the pool uninvited. The kid drowns and neighbor 1 is held responsible because they didn't take the steps necessary to ensure that a child isn't going to wander up and drown. "Attractive Nuisance" is the term.

Also, why do you want your truck stolen? Your insurance isn't going to be happy when they find out you left your key in the ignition and got your car stolen.


Title: Just got laid off and will lose my health insurance coverage by May 1st. What am I supposed to do under the Affordable Care Act?

Question:
Throwaway here. In the state of Texas. I am 25.

Lost my job; health insurance is running out. I know the deadline to sign up for Obamacare has passed, and I don't want to have to pay the fine on my taxes next year as I might still be unemployed for the foreseeable future and without insurance beginning next month.

The new health care law is pretty confusing. I'm not sure what to do and what my options are. What do I do?
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer: If you have a change in jobs it falls under consideration. Visit the website. It it a qualifying change that you can use to sign up.


Title: Student tresspassing on a rental property in Manitoba

Question:
Hi, I'm currently renting a house and lately I've noticed that there are footprints in the snow/the gate isn't closed properly when I get home from work. I live nearby a school and believe that one of the students there are entering the yard in order to cut time off their walk.

Would a "No Tresspassing" sign being posted mean that I could take action with video evidence, or are there other things that I could do?

Answer: I'd suggest locking the gate and posting a sign.  That should dissuade most people.


Title: I own a pizza restaurant, someone else is selling my products on the internet. Is that legal?

Question:
I received a complaint from a customer the other day about a credit card charge that they received from an order that they placed online.  I found this interesting because we do not offer online ordering.  I learned from the customer that there is a website called www.bringmethat.com that is selling my food.

Basically, the webpage has my menu items listed and anyone can go on there and order from the menu they have listed and pay with a credit card.  After they pay with a credit card a representative from the website calls my store and places the order (Note: they do not say that they are a rep from the website, they order as if they are the customer).  The Rep then pays for the order over the phone with a credit card and we deliver the food to the customer that the rep was ordering on behalf of.

When we deliver the food, we require the customer to sign the credit card receipt that we processed over the phone and they can add a tip if they'd like.  The customer was confused because the credit card receipt that we got them to sign was less then the amount that their personal card was charged (the webpage marked up our prices).

The website refuses to give me any information as to how I can have my listing removed until I "claim my restaurant."  I told them that I do not want to claim my restaurant because I don't want to imply that I ever consented to a listing on their webpage.  I never knew that I was listed on their site until I received the complaint about the credit card charge differing from the one on the receipt.

EDIT: I am located in Pennsylvania, United States

EDIT/UPDATE: I was able to get a hold of the CEO via an email address from a 2013 news article.  He was very helpful and told me that he will be removing all of my locations from his webpage.

Answer:
 Nothing about this practice appears illegal to me. My advice would be to do one of the following:

- Include promotional flyers with your menu and maybe a coupon attached to your deliveries, hopefully encouraging these secondary customers to call you directly next time. Turn an annoyance into new business.

and/or

- Get caller ID, and block the phone number(s) that these website reps call from once you figure out who they are.Answer #2: You didn't provide your location, but if you're in the US, and if your menu is copyrighted, and it likely is, you can file a DCMA takedown notice. It's not illegal AFAIK to offer a service where you place food orders for people.Answer #3: I agree with the other posters that it doesn't seem like any of this is illegal. Do you have the resources to start taking online orders yourself? That way if a complaint from them ever happens again you can direct the customer to your own website.Answer #4: they are paying for your product at full price right? that isnt such a bad thing is it?

I think this highlights the fact that you should have an online ordering system, because youll be cheaper than that website, as they have to make a profit on delivery whereas you only have to cover the expenses.

like another poster said, block that caller id if it bugs you, or the next time they come in identify them and inform them they are no longer allowed to purchase from you.


Title: Is it illegal for a professor to require a student to buy a book

Question: The professor is requiring us to buy a very expensive book for our subject, and i cant buy it cause its ridiculously expensive and i got pdf file of the SAME book from a doctor friend of mine, but my teacher wont budge and said that if i dont like it he could just fail me... Is this alright?

Answer: It is legal. Answer #2: You can't be forced to buy a book in the sense that somebody can drag you to the store and force you to complete the sale. You simply won't pass the class and will not receive the credit you are hoping they confer.


Title: Denmark/Tyrkey - Accident in airport and the extend of a lawsuit/claim

Question:
First the backstory:

My wife, our kid, and I were on our way to a weeklong vacation in Turkey from Denmark. When we arrived in the airport in Turkey, my wife got her hand stuck in the conveyor belt handling the baggage – very important detail is that there were part of it missing, such that there were a hole into the actually conveyor belt. It happened because our 1 year old was playing with a toy car on the belt and it fell down the hole and as response, she tried to get it up. Unfortunately she got stuck and suffered a very serious injurie.

The injurie is a very serious laceration (it was something like 55 stitches) of her left arm with a small fracture at the base of the wrist, as well as some possible/very likely nerve and tendon damage – as of right now we know of at least a part of the top of her hand that most likely won’t regain feeling – and we don’t know if she’ll ever get full function of her hand again, it’s not looking that great.

As I’m writing this she’s spent the last 4 weeks with her arm in a cast. And is scheduled to get it off in a week if everything looks good. Since the injurie, she’s been instructed to not even try to move her fingers or her hand because of the nerve and tendon damage. Because of that, she’s in for a very long rehabilitation period, she won’t be able to work until January at the earliest.

The aftermath:

From out travel agency we’ve gotten word that the airport has an insurance and that we should make a claim.

Now living in Denmark and having a travel insurance has it’s perks. So we haven’t paid for any treatment, and we’ll get a full refund on the vacation as well. As well as getting full pay for any time missed at work because of the injurie. Which has nothing to do with the airport, but our own insurance and the Danish healthcare system - the airport hasn't paid anything.

Now our question is what on earth would a realistic claim be? And is there any chance to actually get anything at all?

Edit: Added that the airport hasn't paid anything.

Answer:
 You've already gotten an awful lot - your medical bills were paid for, your vacation was refunded, and your wife is getting paid for any time missed. You're at about the limit of what you can reasonably ask for, especially since - and I do apologize for having to phrase it this way - your wife's injury is primarily her fault.

Should the airport have ensured that their conveyor belts were in good working order? Yes, of course. But your wife should also not have stuck her hand into a moving conveyor belt, and it would be very easy to find that this was not the action of a reasonable person - in fact, it's hard to see it as being a reasonable action at all. Better would have been to ask them to stop the belt for a moment, or just comfort the kid over the loss and replace the toy at the earliest convenience.

So no, I don't think you have a good chance of getting more than you've gotten already. What would you even be asking for more *for*? Your medical has been paid, your trip was refunded - so you can try again, when your wife is recovered - and she's not out any pay for the time she's going to be recovering; everything that would be reasonable to ask for has already been given to you.


Title: CANADA: Driver almost hit me head on. I swerved and totaled my car. Dashcam + Witness but no plate number. Insurance won't cover it unless person can be identified.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If you have liability insurance all they will cover is the other parties car and medical bills (up to your limit) if you are at fault.

Sadly this is a case of you are underinsured and you have no legal recourse against the insurance company. Answer #2: This isn't legal advice, so much as a request for clarification in case it's different in Canada from the US, where I am.  As I understand it you had liability coverage only.  Why would you expect them to cover your own damage?  Even if he'd totalled your car you probably wouldn't have been liable based on the video you posted, but that's not at issue: *your damages still wouldn't have been covered*.

I'm confused as to why you think they should be covering this.Answer #3: Do you have liability only or full coverage?Answer #4: Have you tried looking at the video frame-by-frame? You may be able to find one that clearly shows the plate. If it isn't super clear, you could try running it through photoshop for some sharpening.


Title: Daughter of deceased trying to get back items gifted to my mother, does she have a case?

Question:
My mother was dating a man for 20 some years, almost 2 years ago now he died of Lung Cancer.   She sends a message to my mother today, saying that "while going through the estate, she found receipts of items purchased for our address" (we have not yet seen any evidence, this just happened), she wants to reclaim those items now.   Most of them we don't have anyway, and we aren't sure what she's even asking for at this point.

This seems rather ridiculous to me and that she couldn't possibly have a case, these were gifted items to my mother over a decade ago.    I don't have a lot of details beyond what I've given

What should she do?   Is this just scare tactic to try and get her to give it up willingly?

Thanks in advance.

Answer: Yeah, no.  A gift is a gift.  She can try, but no court will side with her unless she can produce some proof that the items in question were not meant to be a gift but a loan.


Title: [CA, USA] Group of homeless people living 6' away from our window. They keep trying to force themselves onto our side.

Question:
So there's a group of homeless people that live next us. They are literally 6 feet away from our window. The only thing divinding us is an old wooden fence. It wouldn't be such a big deal if they didn't bother anyone. However, they lossened one of the planks. They would cross to our side and do God knows what.

The manager covered the loose plank with a bigger piece of wood. Now they are looking for another piece of loose wood. I don't know what they are trying to do. We cant leave the apartment unattended, because we fear they might try to break into our apartment.

The cops have been notified, unfortunately it's out of their jurisdiction, according to them. Supposedly the owner of the lot has to make a complaint. Problem is, nobody knows who the owner of the empty lot is. This lot has been empty for 7 years. Who knows how long it may stay empty, could be another 7 years.

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate subreddit for this. Any advice would be much appreciated.

*sorry for the formatting, I'm on mobile*

Edit: I would like to thank every single one of you who offered any piece of advice, much appreciated. I was able to find the owner of the lot. Apparently the company was approved to build a condo, this was in Jan 25. I'm not sure if they start the process any time soon. Perhaps they came across some bumps and will be delaying the construction.

Answer:
 I had an issue with homeless people in our area as well. They finally have been removed.

The owners of the property are not the ones who need to report it. That makes no sense but I assume the police are probably getting sick of these calls given the homeless issues in the city. Find out who has jurisdiction over the area and call them EVERY time the homeless people are doing anything wrong. Trespassing, being loud at night, blocking the sidewalk, harassing anyone, appearing like they're doing something illegal, and have your neighbors call too. You can call the non emergency line.

This is how we finally got their encampment removed by us. We are in an unincorporated area so we have the sherrifs and local police and he encampments we're on bike paths so it was a challenge at first. But once we found out who to call, we called for everything they did, the police came often and eventually removed them.

The homeless crisis is such a problem. And it sucks. I had sympathy for them and we didn't begin calling until they started breaking into everyone's cars, trespassing on property, setting up in the parks playground, etc. then my sympathy was gone.

Good luck!!


Title: My dad's insurance through his employer is kicking me off at age 24, can they do that?

Question:
We live in Michigan. My dad is retired via disability (had a heart attack in the 90s and he worked in the warehouse). I'm not entirely sure how it works exactly but he still gets insurance benefits through his company (coca cola). He told me their rules say kids have to be in school and can't be on past age 24. I just turned 24 and lo and behold they took my insurance benefits away.

I'm pretty sure under obamacare 26 is the cutoff age. My dad said it's 24 because he's retired. Is that something they can do?

Answer:
 (IANAL!) Ok, so I jumped around the ACA fact website:
https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/about-the-aca/young-adult-coverage/index.html
and found a link, which gave me another link to here:
https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Files/adult_child_fact_sheet.html
 and I quote "Broad Eligibility. This expanded health care tax benefit applies to various workplace and retiree health plans. It also applies to self-employed individuals who qualify for the self-employed health insurance deduction on their federal income tax return."
So even if he's a retiree, you still get to stay on until 26 even if you're married and no longer financially dependent on your father. You're his kid and you're not over 26.
I recommend starting here: https://marketplace.cms.gov/ and figure out your next step.


Title: Is it stealing if warehouse workers load someone else's order into my car?

Question:
In IL, if it matters.  My brother told me an anecdote today about his friend.  Said friend placed an order online for a large screen TV for in-store pickup.  Store contacted him later, said it was ready for pickup.

Friend shows his pickup receipt (Not paid receipt, as it hadn't been paid for yet), store gets a couple employees to load the TV into his car.  Friend drives away.

A week later, the store calls asking for payment for the TV.  Friend says they have the wrong guy, and nothing ever comes of it, despite the store following up repeatedly.

Is this technically theft?  Would the store have a legal recourse, or is it just warehouse shrinkage?

Answer: Of course that's theft. He's going to be charged criminally and/or sued civilly very soon. Dumbass.


Title: Key holding employee on maternity leave came into my business early morning and left with more than she came in with. In South Carolina.

Question: I own a restaurant, this past Wednesday an employee who is currently on maternity leave came in well before she knew anyone else would be in. She was a pastry cook, and had a key because she was scheduled before any other employees were scheduled. That evening she texted me, and said she didn't want to return to the job. I texted her hack and asked her to return her key. She never texted back. We noticed some items were missing, I reviewed security tape, and she came in and out twice with a box. She knew she wasn't on the schedule. Any recourse I xan follow up with?

Answer: File a police report and change the locks. Depending on the value of the theft, you might also want to notify your insurance.


Title: A family member is committing tax fraud by switching owners every few years. Should I report them? If so, can I do it anonymously?

Question:
My grandmother's sister and her family own a car repair business in California and they are committing tax evasion by changing the owner's name every couple of years to prevent paying income tax. I am not completely sure what the laws about small businesses and taxes are exactly, so if anyone knows please let me know.
The reason I know about this is because the family tried demanding my father's social security because they wanted to put the business under my father's name. My father obviously refused and that family cut contact with us.
They have had this business for over a decade and they still manage to manipulate other relatives and family friends to help them out.
Is there a way I can report them if I have evidence? I would like to do it anonymously but I don't know if that is possible. Also I live in Canada now so it might affect things.

Answer:
 let them put the owership of the business in your name then fire them and sell off the assetsAnswer #2: You can also report this directly to California. California also leavies its own income taxes on businesses. Yes, it can be reported anonymously and from outside California or the US entirely.

&#x200B;

 [https://www.ftb.ca.gov/online/Fraud\_Referral/index.shtml](https://www.ftb.ca.gov/online/Fraud_Referral/index.shtml)


Title: (Pure curiosity) Is it illegal to get someone to have sex with you in exchange for not calling the police?

Question:
First of all sorry if this sounds like a troll or deliberate shitpost, it was something that peaked my curioisity. We've all seen (be honest) the adult film scenario where a young man is caught thieving from a middle aged woman's house and she promises not to call the police if etc etc...

What is the legality of this if it were to happen in real life?

I appreciate that the law varies from state to state (and country) so how is this seen in your legal realm?

Answer:
 >What is the legality of this if it were to happen in real life?

It's called extortion.


Title: [Arkansas] Stupidly masturbated in my car

Question:
This happened in Arkansas but the car is registered in Tennessee.

Long drive, got super horny for some reason, but instead of waiting I take the exit into a tiny town to do the deed (mistake #1). I drive around and park in the lot behind a Super 8 that’s surrounded by woods on 3 sides. The car is parked about 150 feet from the building, and it’s facing the woods. This is in broad daylight in the afternoon (mistake #2). I look around and there’s no one in view- no cars either except for a semi truck with no one in it facing away from me about 50 feet to my left. I’m facing away from the building, and I’m not in the line of sight of any windows either. So I do the thing for about 5 minutes.

Here’s the problem: afterwards I realize there’s a camera mounted 2 stories up on the motel building (about 150 feet away, mind you). It’s at an angle that makes me think there is a very slim possibility that I may have been in its line of sight.

So no one saw me, but one camera might have. Possibly. Like I said the angle might have been a bit off and I might have been too far away for it to pick up anything, but it definitely saw my license plate.

Yeah I know I need self control. Believe me, I’m working on it.

My questions for you are: how likely is it that someone will notice what I was doing on the camera? How likely is it that the motel staff will care at all, or report it to police? If it is reported to police, what should I expect/do? Like I said, no one saw in person. Thanks

Answer:
 > how likely is it that someone will notice what I was doing on the camera?

I would say for the vast majority of businesses and almost certainly for something like a Super 8 that is not likely to hire a dedicated security person to stare at the camera 24/7, camera footage is stored for a while and not reviewed unless there is a reason to.

Beyond that, if someone did report it to the police, they're not likely to go hunting for you.


Title: Are traffic signs in parking lots enforceable anywhere/NJ?

Question:
I've always wondered this.  Am I actually *required* to obey stop signs, yield signs, etc. if they're in a private businesses parking lot?
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: **Generally** you can't receive a ticket for it. Some cities or counties have municipal codes that authorize enforcement of signs on private property under certain circumstances. However if there are other cars around and you ignore the sign then you may get stopped for reckless driving. If you are in an accident the insurance company can find you at fault due to not obeying the sign.


Title: (NC)Teacher/Student Relationship/Therapist bills

Question:
So I don't really know how to start this so I might as well give a backstory to it. I'll happily answer any questions you guys have. Almost a year ago I got into a sexual relationship with one of my teachers. While the relationship was going on she told me things like she was not married. (I'll get to why I'm saying this later)
While talking over the phone I asked about protection because I was 15 and had no way of getting any. The relationship was moving very fast is why I brought it up. She was on her period most of the time it was going on so most of what we did was kissing. I was 15 at the time the relationship started. Turned 16 and one day in the car she asked if I wanted to have sex because she was off her period and all I said was  "I don't know, I don't have any protection" She said I didn't need it because it was the day after her period (first time being in a relationship that got this far so I believed it and later found out it was a lie) so I came in her. The next day we got caught and I found out all the lies she told me. She was married, and I could get her pregnant. I have yet to know if I have a kid or not. This whole situation has ruined me. I saw a therapist afterwards and she said I probably suffer from PTSD because I do have weird flashbacks of the shit that happened and have panic attacks when It happens. And my therapist stopped seeing me because we couldn't pay for it anymore. We don't have a lawyer because It's basically her vs the state and the state on my side. And now that I don't have a therapist I've just been in this depressed mood 24/7.  And it worries me that I might have a kid because she always made jokes about her "ex" husband couldn't get her pregnant. So why not use a a horny 16 year old. After the teacher situation was spread through the school because of the news people somehow found out it was me and I of course got attention, I hated it. Also one teacher in particular started treating me like shit and telling it was my fault she was fired. I told the school about it but they did nothing. I then decided to drop out. Later on I decided It would be a great (terrible idiotic) idea to make a threat to the school and was arrested. My lawyer for this case is trying to say I shouldn't be charged with a felony because I have no criminal background and basically blaming the whole teacher fucking me up thing. I really don't want to come across as I'm playing the victim even the the court will count me as the victim in the teacher case. I'm wondering who/what I should sue for. I honestly just want to get the money to pay off my therapist so I can go back to getting help. I'm just lost and im also sorry this was all over the place. Any questions you have I'll answer. Papa bless you all.

Answer:
 Who is your contact through the DA?  You should definitely inquire about victims advocate restitution and see if they have a fund that might be able to help you.

Also, I'm sorry you and your family is going through this.  I am definitely disappointed in the way people treat male victims when it comes to teacher sex abuse--you're probably being told you're not a victim and it was awesome, but the feelings you're having right now are very normal and more common than you think.Answer #2: You were molested by an adult. You are a victim. Why weren't charges pressed against the teacher? Answer #3: I'm not sure where you're at in North Carolina but there is a place called Daymark that is completely sliding scale for therapy. I think you could probably see someone there for about 5 dollars. It's all over the state I believe but mostly in the western part.

Edit: a word


Title: Prosecutor Not providing usable dash cam

Question:
MISSOURI

I was stopped on June 22nd, shortly after being passed by a white sedan.  I was nearly passed by a black truck that then returned BEHIND me, and we saw the red and blue lights.  Cruise control set to 55, trooper says I was doing 75.  I believe it was not possible for his moving RADAR system to determine, reliably, the speed of any of those three vehicles because they were too close together; AND I believe I was the slowest moving car of the trio.

I believe the dash cam will show all of this in court.  I made a discovery request, and received a single .AV file, not playable.  I contacted the highway patrol, they say "We send over (Send, not sent; as in "It's our typical practice", not "We definitely did this") 23 files which include a viewer".  Details about this viewer were given and I can't find anything online that works.

Prosecuting Attorney says "we never got that", and insists all I get is the one unplayable, unusable file.  Side note: While the troopers office has been very polite and helpful (to the extent they claim they can for a 'case that is not yet adjudicated'), the P.A.'s office has been terse, rude and accusatory.  I've been painfully polite, apologetic and thankful.

I do intend to ask the trooper questions, regarding those cars.  And intend to introduce pages from the manual of the moving RADAR system that show that it can't reliably determine speed from vehicles traveling that close together.  However, the video evidence will solidify that (He claims to have never seen the other vehicles, another issue), AND should be able to show my ACTUAL speed using the same VASCAR technique troopers in this state themselves use.

Any recourse?  Thoughts?  Can I ask the court to demand or compel the prosecutor to provide usable video?  Can I ask the court to dismiss this case because the state is not cooperating in Ernest with the discovery process?
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 >Can I ask the court to dismiss this case because the state is not cooperating in Ernest with the discovery process?

Sure you can ask...but that's a ridiculous thing to ask, will only piss off the judge, prove you can't use google effectively, and also make the prosecutor not want to offer you a deal to just end the thing.

If you've tried various different players, and the file isn't working because it's corrupted or something, then it's incredibly likely that the prosecutor's office doesn't have a working video either.  I say that because the prosecutor's office doesn't have the time, money, or care enough about your particular case that they would go through the trouble of intentionally corrupting a video to cover up some big traffic ticket conspiracy in the police department.

Your recourse will be to either find a working player for the video, or prepare to defend yourself without the video.


Title: [NC] Sadly I was fired from my job. Audio camera was to blame.

Question:
Hello reddit I'm officially jobless (Hate not having steady income.) basically my issue is that I was fired for "Lack of performance" but when my general manager (friend) was telling me over a recorded phone call that I was fired; He told me that the real reason is because I said something and they heard over their audio cameras that they didn't like and the little Weasle of the owner's son told on me.

I legitimately don't recall what I said. The owner doesn't let my GM hear the record so because of hear-say I'm fired.

There were and still are no signs anywhere on the premises that say "audio cameras in use." Reddit help me out, Do I have a case?

Edit: Thanks for all your help

Answer: No. North Carolina is an at will employment state meaning you can be fired at any time for any reason barring you are in a protected class.


Title: Action against drones flying in Midwest

Question:
I am an individual living in the indiana. Individuals are being advised not to take action against the drones that have flown over their property.  I have a legal right to the airspace above my land correct?  Can I not remove unwanted foreign objects from my property, would this not be trespassing or other? If an unwanted individual enters my home i can take action to remove that person, why would it be different with a drone? If it is unknown who owns the drone and what the intentions are, it seems logical to me that I should be able to forcibly remove the drone. I would think that it could be seen as threatening or invasion of privacy for an unwanted object to be on an individuals property. Would I be legally liable for the cost of the drone should the drone owner attempt to take action?

I by no means fully understand the law regarding drones but to me it seems crazy. Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 > I have a legal right to the airspace above my land correct?

Generally that's the FAA's. While it hasn't been fully ironed out your "land" ends somewhere between 80 and 500 feet above your land.

You can take reasonable action to trespass someone from your land. That generally involves contacting the police if they do not leave.


Title: Seattle, WA - house i rent just purchased with no notice given.. new owner wants to evict tenants in 10 days?

Question:
I have been renting a room in a 7 bedroom house for 2 years now. We just found out that the previous owner of the house has sold the house and the new owner wants the house cleared in 10 days and have served us notices.

Basically it's a 7 bed room house in a college area where the rooms are rented out individually. There was a house manager that had no written agreement with the owner. He just paid her $2250 every month. He would charge $460 rent per room and pay the owner himself. We never had any communication with the actual owner until recently.

Anyways, about 2 weeks ago we all meet with the actual owner of the house and she says that she is selling this house to her friend but sont worry as he would continue to honor any arrangements she has with us.

About a week later, we hear from a lawyer representing the new owner saying that they are terminating our month to month lease and that everyone has to vacate within 30 days. Everyone in the house was served this notice.

I do a little research online and hook up with Seattle DCI and they go over the notice for me and say its invalid because they didnt give a reason to terminate which is needed due to the Just Cause ordinance in Seattle.

The lawyer for the new owners property management firm then proceeds to serve us all with several new notices

10 day to perform or vacate.. basically they are saying the original person who rented the house from the original owner is violating their lease because there is supposed to be no subletting allowed.

Then more bad news.. the lawyer at DCI says they can no longer help us due to the number of tenants involved. They weren't even able to refer me to anyone who could help..

It's my small son, gf, me renting one room and currently 3 other rooms renting out with one person each, so technically they are serving vacate notices for 6 people

AFAIK it was a verbal agreement between the original owner of the house, and the house manager who we all paid rent to. They've had this sort of agreement for over 15 years from what I've been told

She was well aware of the house was being sublet and rented out per room. This was a long term situation, going over 10+ years. I personally spoke with her about renting out an additional room over the next year. This was about a month ago. Week or so later she sold the house

Any help or advice would be highly appreciated. We have a toddler so we are scrambling to find a new place. Being homeless in a week is absolutely terrifying.

Answer: You can contact the Tenants Union at 206-723-0500, they may be able to help you figure out what your rights are, but if DCI won't touch it you may just need to move ASAP.


Title: How badly am I affected by a PPO?

Question:
In posting from my phone at the moment so i deeply apologize if it isn't formatted properly.

Alright to give a bit of back story on my issue, I'll give my best recollection of events. Around April of 2014 my girlfriend and I decided to "take a break" from a relationship with the understanding that we would be getting back together in a few months. (Her issues were religious in nature) she was acting very aloof and secretive during that time but I didn't think much of it till she started dating another guy about a few days after our relationship went on pause. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but that almost seems like cheating in my opinion) anyways, when I found out, I immediately called her and cussed her out over the phone. I was extremely confused and hurt as to why she would do something like that. I then drove over to her parents house to talk to her or her parents about what happened. I knocked and her dad answered then told me to leave after I asked to talk with them about the whole situation. I asked again just to be sure and then left without incident. In the next few days, I tried to apologize to her in person for cussing her out. Every time I even got in her vicinity, she glared and scowled. I gave up on trying to apologize and left her alone from then till now. She then filed a PPO (personal protection order) against me and I received it about a week after I had just let the events of the past few weeks just drop. In the order, she had written that I had told her I wish she hadn't been born (not true) and that I cussed her out. Fair enough. But then she made more extravagant claims to solidify her order. She claimed that I was highly mentally unstable and that I was extremely depressed continually, I wanted to kill my family (not true either), and that I was a long time self harming individual (I only had cut once, but my gf at the time was carving her arm to pieces and then sending me pictures of it)

That's my side of what happened.

Now for my background, I am a Michigan resident and the PPO was filed in Michigan. This was about April of last year and it expired in November of the same year.

With that on the table, my two questions are as follows.

1. Will this PPO show up on my record and if so, for how long?

2. What methods do I have (if any at all) do I have to get it sponged from my record?

Any help or replies would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 I am not a lawyer.

That being said, the following came from [this law firm](http://www.schmierlaw.com/PracticeAreas/Domestic-Violence-Facts.html)'s website in Michigan:

>**Does a Personal Protection Order against me mean I have a criminal record?**
 A Personal Protection Order is a civil matter and will only remain on your record for one year unless the person who requested the PPO against you asks the court to extend it. If there is a violation of the PPO or a conviction, such as a charge for assault, it is a criminal matter and there will be a criminal record of that conviction.

According to that, the answer to question 1 is yes, until November, but it's a civil issue, so I guess it depends what 'record' you refer to.  The answer to question 2 (*expunged*, by the way) would be: anything you want, it's going away in 10 months anyway.

Outside that, talk to a lawyer.

**Personal advice:** Future reference, I don't know how old you are or how close you two were, don't ever go talk to an ex's parents about a break up, why it happened, etc.  That's just bad.  Answer #2: IANAL.  But I think you should really consult a lawyer.  Answer #3: You should have filed a motion with the court immediately after she filed if you felt the claims were false or exaggerated.  You would have then had a hearing.

I can't answer either of those questions, but you should contact an attorney that deals with PPOs in your area.  I can tell you that you want it "expunged" from your record, not "sponged".


Title: Pronouns On Job Applications?

Question:
Illinois.

Are they allowed to ask my gender in a job application?

They are asking me for my 'preferred pronoun' and I am not comfortable with this.  If I don't fill something in though will they not consider hiring me?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Yes, employers are allowed to ask your sex.  Usually it's simply for record keeping purposes and there's an option for "do not disclose."


Title: Father broke my nose, can I sue him?

Question:
I’ve asked a question in this sub a few weeks ago about the legality of being assaulted by my father, but since it happened internationally, the police can’t do anything.

I just got done seeing an ENT and he confirmed that my nose is broken and that the bump sticking out is my bone. It’s not medically necessary to fix it, but if I want my nose to look how it once did (it was a very nice slender nose!) then I’ll have to have cosmetic surgery.

I’m a grad student and single mom, I don’t have time for surgery, even if I could afford it.

Last detail, my father assaulted me while I was holding my two year old on my back, and while my 7 year old was standing right next to me. As you can imagine, the whole incident has been horrible.  My 7 year old is afraid to play outside alone, I walk around with a pocket knife in case he comes back to finish the job, and my face is literally damaged.

So, can I sue this lunatic? I have a desperate need to take control of the situation, but I feel like my hands are tied.

TIA

TL;DR Can I sue my father for head butting me and breaking my nose?

Answer:
 > I walk around with a pocket knife in case he comes back

No, nope, not even.

> can I sue this lunatic?

Sure, if he's in the US. Get the surgery and sue him for the cost. You'll need to make sure you can prove he did it.


Title: I just got fired

Question:
TLDR: I believe my company fired me because they didn't want to lay me off, the reason they used doesn't even make sense because they let me fill out and approve another time sheet two weeks later. How do i go about getting unemployment if they try to challenge.

So as the title states I just got fired from my first real job after a year. I am going to give you guys a little background on the company and their reason for letting me go.

I worked for a government contractor with a horrible track record, 1.7 on glass door and while i knew this going in I just figured that those people posting were disgruntled employees... boy was I wrong. I knew this company was not a good fit pretty soon after I started, but figured I would give it a year and then start looking for other jobs as it would look bad to prospective employers if I left earlier. I recently hit my year with the company about two weeks ago. In this year it is not an exaggeration to say i saw about 15\-20 employees get hired and fired/let go/quit usually less than 2 months in, just to give you guys an idea of the turnover rate. In an extreme case, last month a girl was hired and then fired after working for 2.5 days... For a company that has been in business for 15 years, I was probably one of the top 5 longest tenured employees at my departure of a year. i believe that speaks volumes for how this company was run and operated. All micro managers with massive workloads who berate and belittle employees who have just started. it feels like you are thrown to the wolves and left to figure it out, the ones who do like me survive till they get a new job, or fizzle out within the first month or so

The team I worked on had a substantial contract and so it was mandated that everyone should be billing all 100&#37; of their hours to the contract in some capacity. They did not want employee's billing to overhead at all as this comes directly out of the companies pockets. We were given hour budgets based on tasks per month and expected to bill no more than the allotted hours, but that you should always bill 100&#37; of hours to the contract. I have not had an issue with this until recently when the company decided to put me on a proposal\(basically a bid for a new contract\) they allotted me 8 hours, but demanded that I put in 50\+ additional hours over the course of two weeks. I did this, busted my ass, and billed those 8 hours for the proposal, and then billed my contract hours that I worked. When timesheets were due I get a call form my manager stating that because I wasn't working on the contract for a lot of hours\(the proposal\) that she was denying my hours. Keep in mind I am an exempt employee so if she was denying the hours that means that they had to be billed to overhead. She called me into her office and basically said that this happens sometimes and that although i was working I had two options, I could use my PTO\(34 hours of them\) or I could go to the CEO and request more billing to overhead. This was essentially black mail, because she knew in that context that if I go and do that I would have been fired on the spot. So I billed to PTO and thought that was the end of it. Two more weeks go by, another time sheet is submitted and approved with no issues, I was still pissed about the PTO from the last pay period but figure I'll find a new job soon and be done with this place. Well today the company had a big meeting with our client and basically told them that they are not going to be picking up the option year. This has huge financial implications to the company as a whole because they haven't won a contract in a few years and are now losing their biggest one. 45 minutes after they had that meeting I was called into the office and fired for "attempting to falsify hours" on my timesheet.

I want to apply for unemployment because I believe I am eligible, but feel like they are going to deny my claims on those grounds when they are bullshit. It was a mistake that I made based on what I had been told to bill by the company, and if it were such a serious offense then why wasn't I fired two weeks ago when it happened instead of today? I know they were just trying to avoid "lay offs" and paying severance.

What should I do?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 They tricked you into using your pto in lieu of your time actually worked. Maryland has statutes which protect you from losing your pto if you are fired. It gets applied to your final paycheck.

From the anecdote above I would draw the conclusion that they planned to fire you anyways, tricked you out of your pto, and waited a couple weeks to stop you from connecting the dots. Don't know what you should do about it as IANAL, but i can't be the only one who sees this.

Edit: You may have trouble receiving unemployment as well since they talked you into using your pto instead of showing the hours worked and billed accordingly. Technically you could say that you did falsify your timesheet. Your former employer has some shady practices and you are, frankly, better off now then you would have been at retirement time when they decide to screw you out of a lifetime of savings.Answer #2: To clarify, you spent 58 hours on the proposal and billed 50 hours to the contract? Are these for the same client?

You used 34 hours of PTO for hours actually worked. Where did you bill the other 16 hours?Answer #3: Report them to GAO for fraudulent billing practices. Company I used to work for got in trouble for it and had to pay treble damages.


Title: Paycheck Direct Deposited Into Someone Else's Account, Money Was Withdrawn, No Help From Credit Union - Phila. PA

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I'm not sure why you think the credit union should be responsible for this. You authorized the deposit into the incorrect acccount. You failed to catch your error in a timely fashion where the money could be returned to you. The other party spent money that was not theirs.

The credit union is actually the only party without fault here, but they are being kind enough to help you pursue the return of this money.

If they fail, you can sue the person who took your money in small claims for its return. But I do not see that you have any recourse against the credit union itself.


Title: (Indiana) I found out earlier this week that I have been summoned as a juror in a county I do not live in anymore. I live 2+ hours from this courthouse and the assembly is at 8:15am. Can I submit an affidavit before 8am, or possibly call the courthouse to excuse myself from it?

Question:
As the title says.

I do not live in the county I was summoned in.  I moved around a year ago from my parents house, and I live 2+ hours away. The cost of gas as well as 4+ hour round trip are something I cannot afford. Am I able to legally excuse myself from the summons or am I forced to be present at the courthouse tomorrow?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 The proper time to call the courthouse was when you became aware of the summons.

Since you have to be there tomorrow, you're going to need to show up with proof of residence elsewhere.


Title: Can my former employer investigate me without telling me why??

Question:
So my former employer just emailed me and said I was banned from the premises because there’s a pending investigation about me after I quit voluntarily. There was nothing said to me when I left. I left with a clean record and no prior infractions.

My question is: will they have to tell me why and what they’re investigating? This is causing me a lot of anxiety.

Answer: Nope. They don't have to tell you anything. You also don't have to answer any questions. Refuse to communicate with them further, and if the cops get involved, don't answer any questions from them and get an attorney.


Title: [Michigan] Rented a car for a weekend road trip, took and returned the car without inspecting like an idiot

Question:
The title of this post pretty much sums it up.

I rented a car for the first time for a weekend trip and returned it this morning without any before/after pictures. It dawned on me a few minutes ago that this is something I should've done before going and then when I came back. I didn't even think about this because I definitely didn't hit anything for the 2.5 days I had it, but thinking about my own car, what if someone had put a scratch on it in the parking lot and I didn't notice?

I returned the car and the agent checked me in without doing an inspection or anything. I parked it right in front of the store and then some other customers came in while I was waiting for my ride to come and pick me up. The agent drove the car behind the building, presumably to park it and then pick up another car that one of the other customers were renting.

My ride arrived and as I was leaving I saw the car I had just returned pulling back to the front and, I think, being rented to one of the waiting customers.

Now I'm paranoid that there was damage I didn't notice and I'm going to get charged for this. Obviously there's not much proof I can provide I didn't do something. While I nervously await something that may or may not happen, **is there anything I can do in the meantime to maximize what little protection I may or may not have left?**

Information about me & the rental: I am under 25, I bought liability and personal accident insurance through the company, and am using the collision protection on my credit card.

Please feel free to lecture me about my carelessness, because I admit that what I did (or rather did not do) was incredibly stupid, but if you could follow it up with some advice for this situation, I'd be so grateful. :(

Answer: Honestly, are you this paranoid about every company that you deal with? This is the way car rental returns work. You have insurance and you didn't hit anything. My advice is to relax.


Title: [FL] Charged with a misdemeanor. Representing myself.

Question:
  The court verified that I was capable of proceeding pro se at my arraignment and admonished me to be sure that I followed the Rules of Criminal Procedure and Evidence.

I have not waived speedy trial requirement.

I filed a Demand For Discovery on 6/7.  Just received a response on 7/24, which is 32 days passed the statutory requirement of 15 days.

Can I file a motion to dismiss or a motion for sanctions because of the prosecutor's blatant disregard for the rules?

My prosecutor just passed the bar late last year.

Answer:
 Your prosecutor passed the bar, and thus is far more qualified than you are.

Additionally, he or she will be able to bounce questions off of a wide variety of colleagues with decades of experience to guide them.

Meanwhile, you're asking reddit.

I don't have advice on your situation. I do wonder if there's a bookie willing to take bets on the outcome of your case, though.


Title: Was denied time off, even though I asked for it in advance

Question: I work at a "department store" that really isn't.  It's a wildly successful chain store where you always find things you didn't know you need.  It's a lot of fun to work there.  The employees and management are awesome.  The scheduling person left 2 weeks ago and was replaced by this woman who I told today that I can't work 7/4 because the buses don't run that day and I would have to walk 1-1/2 hours one way.  She told me to just take Uber and if I wasn't there, there would be consequences and walked away.  I don't have a credit card to pay Uber and won't pay 3 hours pay for a cab there and back.  Going to talk to management Wednesday, but is there anything else I can do (I have always had Thursdays off until she started scheduling and now my hours are all over the board and she changes them at a whim as in work until 10 and back at 8 in a day's notice).

Answer:
 Unfortunately, it is unlikely that you have any protection against being scheduled for July 4.  That's even irrespective of it being a national holiday that everyone wants off.  Your difficulties in being able to get to work do not pull any weight at all.

> Going to talk to management

I don't know your situation -- this is a "play it by ear" kind of thing.  However, if the scheduling person is in a position of authority/supervision over you, then "going to management" is likely to make her a permanent enemy of yours.  That's often the way of things.

Moreover, it's also very possible that management's opinion of you will take a nosedive over this.

Even if you're *right* and they agree with you, it's a career-limiting move.


Title: CA: My manager says it’s illegal to share pay information to peers.

Question:
We just got a yearly bonus today and I know for a fact that I got half the bonus people who worked for longer did. But whatever. I’m guessing this is legal.

My manager said we’re not allowed to share pay/bonus information with each other. Is that allowed?

Answer:
 https://www.dol.gov/wb/media/pay_secrecy.pdf

CTRL + F "California"

>“No employer may do any of the following:
>> a. Require, as a condition of employment, that an employee refrain from disclosing the amount of his or her wages.

>> b. Require an employee to sign a waiver or other document that purports to deny the employee the right to disclose the amount of his or her wages.

>> c. Discharge, formally discipline, or otherwise discriminate against an employee who discloses the amount of his or her wages.Answer #2: >If not, should I let my manager know that she is making herself and the company liable?

I would not alert the manager if it were me.  You lose your leverage and the company can reposition itself to shield itself from liability.  It's better to have this in writing, or have witnesses, or even better to have some form of reprimand for discussing pay.  Then go to the DLSE's Retaliation Investigation Unit via a complaint.Answer #3: You get a smaller bonus is most likely legal, yes.

Telling you to not discuss pay is definitely not legal. In fact, it can turn in to big fines for the company. Telling your manager about this would be the nice route. Otherwise you can go right to a complaint.Answer #4: Illegal via state and federal law to prevent employees from discussing wages with one another.


Title: [AR] Taken to small claims court for medical bill I've already paid, wasn't given a court date, and lost. Now I owe for the medical bill again AND the court fees. How to proceed?

Question:
Title basically covers it, but I'll expand on it.

Around the beginning of the year, I went in for a visit with my doctor. My insurance didn't cover any of the costs, so I had to wait until I could afford the hit to my bank account. In November, I received a letter stating that I needed to either pay in full or be taken to small claims court. The letter asked for a reply, so I called the collections department at the hospital and paid my account in full. They assured me this would take care of it. I have no receipt, but I have my bank statements showing that the specific amount was paid to this hospital in December. My reply wasn't due until the day before Christmas, but I had to wait for my check to get in and then wait for the hospital collections depart to reopen for the holidays. I was three days behind the reply date, but under the circumstances, they let it go. I never heard anything else about this bill and assumed it was over with.

Fast forward to yesterday. I got a letter stating that I did not show to plead my case in court against the collections office and lost... But I was never sent a court date. The letter says that I still owe the amount I've already paid PLUS $80 in court fees, and the ruling was dated for January 10th, after I'd already paid. If I had been given a court date, I'd have happily shown up with my statements. Instead, I was told it was handled and not to worry.

I don't think I should have to pay for ANY of this since I'd already taken care of the debt and was assured my account was handled. How do I proceed from here? Do I call the collections office? Do I call their attorney? I'm not exactly in the opportune financial situation at this time to throw out hundreds of dollars for something that shouldn't have happened. Any advice at this point is much appreciated.

Answer: Did they give you the case information? Failure to provide adequate service is usually triggers either a nullity of judgment or atleast right for new trial. So you want to contact the court and see about filing for a motion for re-hearing due to non-service. Once there you can present your evidence balance was paid. I would contact the hospital and get  them to fax you over a receipt, your bank statement is better than nothing but a transfer of money doesn't necessairly show that a specific debt was paid. Answer #2: Ask to see the Return of Service for the notice of your hearing. If they served you and— according to their rules (and best knowledge)— did so successfully, there should be some sort of proof. If you had no notice I'd think you should be able to get the default vacated fairly easily and schedule a new hearing.


Title: So my former boss threatened to sue me for 1.2 million…

Question:
Here’s the situation.

I live in Oregon and a month ago my former boss threatened to sue me and two other people for 1.2 million dollars unless I paid him 350,000. The reason? “Allegedly” when I was working at his professional firm, I was plotting to take down his sports training business (a separate entity) and steal all their clients for my own lessons (I was a collegiate athlete and do private sports instruction on the side). By doing so, I was also allegedly harming a summer-travel sports team program who trains at the sports training business – thus the three entities in the draft complaint were his professional firm, the training company, and the sports team program.

When I received the “draft” complaint along with the demand letter, I started laughing because it was that bad. The only legitimate part of it was that I did break my employment contract with the professional firm by disclosing the bank balance of the sports training business to one of their former employees (at the time, my boss was lying to two people after they left his employment as an independent contractors saying he couldn’t pay them because the company had no money. I told him that was bullshit and they had thousands in there account and that they were being lied to). Even so, after consulting with an attorney he said that me disclosing the information didn’t cause the firm any monetary damage (since the individuals didn’t change their course of action of trying to get paid, they would have kept trying to get it regardless of having that information), so it would be just about impossible to prove damages. Several attorneys who looked at it asked if the guy were nuts, because if he did try and actually pursue it a judge would throw it out as frivolous because it’s that bad. The demand letter itself is extremely personal and condescending, essentially talking to me as if I’m a child and need to “learn my lesson” – my attorney said he had never seen anything like it.

Furthermore, the sports training business has since dissolved (at least in an operating aspect). I also reached out to the national head of the summer-travel sports team program about what was going on, and he said that his program would not be involved in any lawsuits. This individual was also a very small owner in the sports training business and doesn’t want them involved in lawsuits either. Basically that knocks out two of the three leaving only the professional firm to come after me. In the employment agreement though, it said any disputes arising between the firm and me would be handled by arbitration. When my attorney pointed that out in response to the demand letter, they didn’t respond.

In fact, that was the only response we gave to the demand letter, they never responded to our non-response and I haven’t heard from them since.

Basically – I want to spread around what this jerk has been up to out in the youth-sports world he is involved in, and what better way to do it than with this jack-ass demand letter and draft complaint he sent me. He already has a bad reputation in our respective sports world and a long history of lying to coaches, parents and players, and then bullying them if they don’t do what he wants (like threatening to sue a parent of a 10U athlete if they don’t return 4 jerseys, kicking girls off mid-season and not refunding any team fees) and I’m sick of it.

So my question – is it a bad idea to start spreading around what he sent me – just exactly the documents that were sent to me with no extra narrative on my part.  If people are getting their children involved with his program, and I think it’s important they know exactly who they are dealing with. And the sports world is very small so it wouldn't be long before almost everyone knew about it.

Answer:
 Can you afford the lawyer to fight this? Because causing more damage when you are looking at getting sued for damaging the business is not a good idea.

Contact an attorney asap


Title: My job is saying they can't pay our backpay for at least 2 months Greenville SC

Question:
I was/am working at a startup marketing company working as a web developer. Everything was good until one of the partners pulled 5k from the accounts and then suddenly no one could get paid anymore. So we went on strike until we got one of our paychecks and now one of the owners who just got married is saying that we won't be able to be paid until another 2 months even though he is dropping loads of money to go on a honeymoon in Hawaii.

I was hoping someone here can help me understand what options my co-workers and I can take to get paid in full and leave this job. My coworkers and I are also looking into getting lawyers and looking into the board of labor.

Thanks everyone
Topic:
Labor Law (Unions)

Answer:
 Firstly, you need to start looking for a new job ASAP. Your company is out of money if it can't cover its own payroll.

You don't need lawyers, you need to file a wage claim with the SC Dept of Labor.


Title: I live in public housing, they want to do "surprise" repairs, can they do this?

Question:
Obviously they are going to. Let's get past that.

My housing authority wants to come in and tear out my sink to repair the wall behind the cabnets. I was given notice today (10/13) AFTER 5pm and they are expected all week 10/15-26. If they find no repairs they say sorry for any inconvenience. Is this legal for them to be able to do this?

I don't feel like this is exactly right and moreso an excuse to invade my apartment. My neighbor on the end of the building didn't receive this notice, but two other apartments behind mine do. (It's a long two story building), one of which is empty and they already know about that.

What can I do?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 It sounds like there is something going on with the pipes and they need to get in and figure out what it is. That sounds like a necessary repair to me. They gave you ample notice too.

You can make sure your apartment is available all week in case they need to get in there.


Title: CPS

Question:
Very long story short; my husband and I were drinking one night and we got into an argument (assuming) the next thing I remember was waking up to a puddle of blood on the floor from my head. I don’t know the events from drinking to that, but do remember everything after. I did call 911 solely for help for my head. They arrested my husband as they think he abused me. That is still being handled but fast forward- CPS showed up at my door when I wasn’t home and left a paper to contact them. I did call them and they want to set up an appointment to meet with me and my 1 year old child.

What should I expect from this? My child was cared for the night of the incident as I had to go to hospital by my parents.

I’m assuming the cops called CPS for whatever reason and now they are investigating.

My child is a healthy baby, over 50% percentile in all categories, beautiful home, tons of toys, lots of love, great food and snacks.....

I made the appointment for them
To come to the house but should I have talked to an attorney first? I dint want them poking around to try and find SOMETHING to take my child away. He’s in a very loving home and never neglected or abused.

Any advice is much appreciated

Answer:
 > He’s in a very loving home and never neglected or abused.

Okay...

> my husband and I were drinking one night and we got into an argument (assuming) the next thing I remember was waking up to a puddle of blood on the floor from my head.

And there is the problem. If the kid was home before the incident (like when the EMTs showed up), then CPS is going to figure out how you're validating the first statement. Because drinking, passing out, arguing, waking up in a pool of blood, and having to call Emergency Services falls in the realm of mental abuse and potential neglect if the kid was there.  When in doubt, lawyer.Answer #2: >My child was cared for the night of the incident as I had to go to hospital by my parents.

As you describe it, you were blacked out drunk that night prior to the injury.  Was the child with your parents the entire time you were drinking, or was the child only taken there when you were taken to the hospital?


Title: What to expect at a DUI hearing

Question:
Hey guys,

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Friday night I was arrested for a DUI in Virginia. My hearing is Monday at 9am. Can you tell me what I should expect?

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Some background - I was out with a co-worker and we were way too impaired to drive, and decided to have her call her roommate to come pick us up. But as my co-worker's phone was dead, we went to my car to charge it. I moved my car to a parking space under a light, since it was 1am and the lot was deserted and I felt safer where we could better see our surroundings. Here's the bad part - I was in a borrowed car, and when I backed it into a parking space (to better be able to see an approaching car), I backed it up and onto the curb (giant SUV, felt the bump but thought I was bumping against the curb, not onto it). We ended up sitting and chatting for about 20 minutes while we waited. At that point, mall security pulled up to see what we were doing, seeing as how I had driven onto the curb. When I rolled down the window he saw how drunk we both were, and called the cops. Since the keys were in the ignition, and the car was running, I was charged with a DUI.

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I blew a 0.15, which is the threshold in VA for stricter penalties (including 5 days in jail). It's my first offense, and I have a clean driving record - not even a speeding ticket. I have text message screenshots showing me asking other people if they could come get me, establishing that my intent was not to drive. I did drive across the parking lot, that's on me.

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Will I get the opportunity to tell my side of the story? I'm hoping for some leniency (ie, a restricted license vs a full-on suspension) since I wasn't driving and wasn't planning to drive, even though I realize that per the law, it was grounds for a DUI.

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I was arrested Friday night, got out of jail Saturday afternoon, and my hearing is at 9am tomorrow so no law offices are open. Plus I can't come up with money for a lawyer that quickly.

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Thanks, all!

Answer:
 It is likely an initial hearing. Ask for a lawyer and do not "explain your side of the story."Answer #2: Criminal lawyers can be contacted on the weekends. Do not tell your side of the story. Keep your mouth shut and let an attorney speak for you. Ask for a public defender if you can't find a criminal lawyer in time.

It doesn't matter what you think your defense is with text messages, that you're really sorry and wasn't planning on driving, etc. If you blew over the limit, that is what the judge looks at.


Title: I need help

Question: I informed a sub tenant that his lease would end 30 days out, which is what our agreement says, but his reaction was "I've been evicted before I know it takes 3 months" and refuses to leave. Anything I can do?

Answer:
 Eviction timelines vary somewhat by state.

Not that it helps you now, but this is why landlords do background checks and don't rent to people with evictions in their past. Answer #2: You need to give him proper written notice. Then if he refuses to leave, you will need to file for an eviction.


Title: Owners told me that I am not allowed to talk to other employees or former employees anymore

Question:
Background: Louisiana. I have work for this restuarant for going on 5 years. Recently the majority of my fellow employees quit. This includes managers, bartenders, kitchen staff, servers, etc. I am the longest lasting employee there. I have always made friends there with no problem. We used to go out drinking etc. I have even named one former employee as my godmother for my baby arriving later this year! Earlier this year, they have shouldered me with a lot of responsibility. Training EVERYONE who comes through the door. Running store errands. Redoing menus, Service manuals, long 14 hour shifts etc. I do what I can for the store. A few months ago I found out I was pregnant and cut my availability in half. I do not work nearly as,much as I used to but I still work more than a lot of people there. They sneak in shifts and I tell them no, I can not do it. They tell me they have to do what is better for the restuarant. I am afraid that they are trying to pressure me or guilt me into taking the work load when I do not feel comfortable doing so. Today, when I asked to not be scheduled for the long closing shifts as frequently they steered the conversation to if I still talk to former employees as they heard I had lunch with one a few weeks ago. I confirmed and they told me that they could not ttolerate the chance that I may say something to them (ex employees) about the store. And even though I haven't done or said anything inappropriate yet, I might and get myself into trouble. This has n0t been an issue before and I am very unnerved by it. They told me if I have the need to talk that I can talk to some friends who are unfamiliar with my wwork, my fiance at home, or to them. I was pretty flabergasterd about the conversation and admittedly did not stand up for myself the way I feel I should have. I am afraid of getting fired for some thing so SILLY after so long and am afraid of looking for another job as a pregnant woman. Any advice will be appreciated.

TLDR: boss wants to suddenly control the people I hang out or talk to. I feel like they are trying to force me to quit by making my situation as uncomfortable as possible.  Should I do as they say?

EEdit : sorry am on mobile. Trying to minimize errors

Answer: You can talk to anybody you want to. They can choose to not continue your employment. If you are fired for this reason, file for unemployment.Answer #2: Your employer has to treat you, a pregnant woman, the same way they treat their other employees (assuming they have more than 15). That said, they can fire you for talking to ex-employees or just about any other reason if they feel like it, so if you'd like to keep your job I'd consider putting up with the bullshit until you have your baby, at which point you may need or want another job anyway.


Title: My uncle's drug addict ex-wife is trying to claim over $100,000 which he left to my autistic sister.

Question:
A little background. My uncle was an employee of New York State. He died recently after losing his battle with leukemia. Around the time of his diagnosis (a few years ago) his wife (lets call her Susan) got into hard drugs and ended up leaving him and moving in with her dealer. Lets just say that it was a very chaotic time for the whole family. There was at least one incident where she removed all the furniture from his house and my grandmother (who lives on the property) had to call the police to get her to leave.

My uncle filed for divorce (which she asked for), but when he tried to serve her with the papers, she could not be located. She had no address of her own and was basically living on peoples couches. The only request my uncle made during the whole ordeal was that she return the engagement ring as it is a family heirloom. This request was communicated through my aunt (his sister) who was in contact with Susan's step sister, who in turn communicated it to Susan, who we still could not locate. The ring was returned along with a letter saying that my uncle was no longer responsible for paying her bills and that she didn't want any money. For the last 2 years she has not been seen or heard from, she was in no way part of my uncle's life.

Needless to say, my dying uncle took steps to completely write Susan out of the will. What little he had was left to my grandmother except for a few thousand dollars (or so we thought) which he had in a NY state pension plan. This he left to my sister who is 13 and a special needs child. The money was to be put into a trust for her so that she would have some financial assistance when she is older. Unbeknownst to anyone, his NY State pension also entitled the beneficiary (now my sister) to a death benefit of over $100,00 dollars!

Somehow Susan found out about the death benefit and is now claiming that because she never signed the divorce papers, she is entitled to my uncles entire estate. In addition, should it be found that she is not entitled to the entire estate, she would be entitled to 1/3rd by right of elective. She has filed a temporary restraining order in order to prevent the state from paying out the benefit and has served us with legal paperwork demanding that my 13 year old autistic sister show up in court. My parents can't really afford a lawyer and they don't know what to do. Can you guys help? Is there anything we can do to help our case going forward?
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 your uncle's wife may very well be entitled to the state pension plan, but you'll need to talk to the state regarding their rules on beneficiaries and how death benefits are paid.

your family will really really want to do their best to find a lawyer to handle this. contact your local bar association for referrals.


Title: Can my public high school force me to get an absent note signed by my parents even though I am 18 and no longer live with them?

Question:
I live in MA and currently attend a public high school. I was never emancipated or anything, I just moved out when I turned 18 and got an apartment.

I did not go to school today as I was touring a local college, tomorrow morning I will need to present a note to the front office informing them of my absense. The student handbook says

"If	a	student	is	going	to	be	absent	 from	any	portion	of	the	school	day,	parents	must
call	the	school	nurse	at	(978) (DELETED NUMBERS) by	8:00	a.m.	 When	the	student	returns	to
school,	he/she	must	bring	a	note	from	a	parent	or	guardian	to	the	front	office
between	7:30	and	7:40	a.m. The	note	must	state	the	full	name	of	the	student,	the
date	of	absence,	 the	reason	 for	 the	absence,	and	be	signed	by	 the	parent.	Students
who	miss	school without	parent	permission	are	considered	truant.	For	this	reason,
parents	 must	 provide	 a	 note	 for	 all	 absences	 from	 school	 or	 class,	 regardless	 of
circumstances.Students	who	do	not	provide	 a	note	within	 three	days	 of	 returning	 from	 the
absence	will	be	assigned	Administrative	Detention	for	each	day	until	a	note	is
received."

Can I be forced to get a signature from my parents even though I am 18 and my own legal guardian? I'm really lost on how to handle this cause I know the ladies at the front office are going to flip if they see a note signed by a student.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: It depends on your school policy- I'm certain they have one, you aren't the first 18 year old that lives away from their parents, I promise you. When I was in high school, we could write our own notes, but that was when dinosaurs roamed the earth.


Title: My wife was in a car accident, do we need a lawyer to help with an insurance settlement?

Question:
My wife was in a car accident back in February, she was rear ended into a 18 wheeler truck, and received a concussion, since then she's been suffering post concussion symptoms, mainly really bad head aches.  The car was badly damaged, but the insurance of the person that rear ended her covered it, and they have also covered all medical expenses so far.

They call us about once a month asking if we are ready to settle, our thought has been we should wait at least until the head aches stop, but I also have now idea how we should handle an insurance settlement, which leads me to think a lawyer would be a good idea.

In the event I just answered my own question, is there any advice as to how to find a lawyer, we are in Oregon.

Answer: Yes, a lawyer is a good idea. And had your wife been seen by a neurologist or head ache specialist?


Title: [Wyoming] Employer requiring me to be "on call" for days at a time with no pay

Question:
I work in a government job. I work 12 hours shifts, so I work 3 days, then get 4 off. The next week, I work 4 days, and get 3 off. We are paid at a fixed hourly rate.

Since I always have several days at a time off, I like to use my 3 and 4 day weekends to travel, and go see new places for a couple days.

However, my employer has a rotating system of "on call" employees; One employee is designated as the "on call" for an entire set of days off. The "on call" employee is usually called in if someone else calls in sick, or it's a very busy day. The requirement for the on call employee is that (s)he be able to respond to the workplace within 60 minutes. I have never actually seen ANYTHING regarding the on call procedures in writing anywhere in our company policies. Also, we aren't paid a single penny for remaining in the area and available during our set of on call days.

It hasn't been wildly inconvenient up until now; I was only on call 1 week a month. Now it's doubled; I am going to be on call 2 weeks a month. That's 50% of my off time that I am required to be stuck at home, remain sober, able to report to work, with no compensation.

Is this legal? And is there any recourse?

Answer:
 Are you paid a salary or by the hour?Answer #2: As long as you don't have to be AT the workplace, it's legal and actually pretty common, unless Wyoming has some odd statute where it's illegal. Someone more familiar with Wyoming law want to chime in?Answer #3: Wyoming has no specific law that I know of, that regulates "on call" pay, so you fall back onto federal law.

The general guideline is "on call time" need not be paid for as long as the employee is able to effectively use the on call time for the employee's own purposes.

Employers may have "reasonable" guidelines such as remaining in a certain radius, getting to work "x" number of minutes after receiving the call and abstaining from alcohol. (You can find a few cases here and there were judges have allowed "on call" pay to be paid due to the restriction of alcohol but those are few.)

The best you can do is negotiate some kind of comp pay. For instance some companies pay minimum wage for any time spent, "on call." This would be a private arrangement for you to work out though.


Title: Universities and citizen ship

Question: I was born in America and received an American passport. All my siblings the same. However, both my parents are not US passport holders. does this still make me legible for US citizen scholarship/need-based scholarship? or am I considered as an international?

Answer: Yes, you're elegible .


Title: [Ontario] My school wants me to pay 250 dollars because I lost an ID tag

Question:
Can they force me to pay a price that is so obviously above fair value? The ID tag is a small plastic card with a number on it and nothing more (no name, no personal info, etc.)

I know for a fact that it would cost probably less than 15 dollars to make a new one, so can I be forced to pay $250?

Answer:
 The amount they're charging you isn't just to replace the tag. It probably also includes an element of a fine for the time that someone who shouldn't have had that tag could've used it to get somewhere they didn't belong, and the trouble the school now needs to go to to revoke your old tag's permissions and assign them to a new one.

It's not price-gouging, it's punishment.Answer #2: They can charge whatever they want honestly.


Title: Summoned to court for child support from another state, currently paying what is owed. Cannot make court appearance. What can I do to prevent making this worse on myself?

Question: Ok, so I'm going to try to make a long story short. For several years now my child support obligations have always been taken out of my paycheck. For whatever reason that seemed to stop some time ago. No idea why, and honestly didn't pay any attention and didn't notice (stupid, I know). I received a summons to appear in court for lack of payment. I live a pretty far distance away and it would take a miracle to be able to make the court date. I have made a large payment toward what I owe and I plan on paying the remaining total over the next month or two, but my concern is what will happen if I'm not able to appear and what ramifications there would be. Is it likely that this could be resolved without actually going through the courts? Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated since I really don't know what to do with the situation.

Answer:
 > my concern is what will happen if I'm not able to appear and what ramifications there would be.

You could be held in contempt of court.  You would likely lose the hearing and further sanctions could be applied.  If you go to the hearing, you may escape with no sanctions and your payment plan intact.