Title: Evil manager treating us like prisoners in alcatraz

Question:
Hello /r/legaladvice, I am in need of some advice. X-post from asklaw. My story is a bit long but I want to be as detailed as possible to get the most accurate advice I can and honestly I just need to vent a little. Let's get started.

I am currently living in California, USA. My grandmother is 89 years old. My mother left when I was young so she practically raised me and my sister our whole lives. She has been fighting a 2 1/2 year battle with cancer. At the time, the doctors told us that she only had a few months to live and told us to prepare for the worst. Miraculously she is still alive and breathing today.

Once she was finished with her cancer treatment, she was admitted to a care facility to help her rehabilitate. While she was in the nursing home she fell and broke her spine due to the caretakers not taking her to the bathroom when she needed to. The employees at the home would promise the world and to take care of her while we were there but as soon as we left, they would completely ignore all of the old people living in the home unless it was time for a meal or if their family members were visiting. We had no choice but to take her out and care for her ourselves. That meant me, my dad, and my sister would take turns caring for her whenever we weren't working.

Because of the nature of my work (I work in web design & SEO), I am able to work from home most of the time which allows me more time to spend caring for my grandma. My dad asked me to move into my grandma's apartment to watch over her and be her caregiver since she is unable to walk, use the bathroom, clean, or prepare any meals for herself. So I did.

The previous manager at my grandmother's apartment was the nicest and sweetest lady. She was always friendly, we always exchanged hugs & greetings every time we were in the area, and I even went over her house and helped fix some computers for her to help her out. Honestly one of the nicest people I have ever met.

Well what happened is that she recently bought a new house in another state, so unfortunately she had to leave. Another manager came to replace her. And this is where the beginning of our troubles begin.

This new manager (let's call her Sarah), is a young girl in her twenties. The first encounter I had with her was when she knocked on my door one random day. Our dog was barking, alerting me that someone was at the door, so I picked him up in my arms and opened the door. I didn't even get a chance to breathe before she immediately tells me that I have to get rid of my dog. She didn't introduce herself, she didn't say hello or even a hey, just "You have to get rid of your dog now". I didn't know who she was or why she was telling me this so I asked who she was. It was only then that she informed me that she was the new manager and that she wanted me to get rid of our dog.

Now our dog is a small little dog, only 12 pounds, and he is a friendly little guy. He barks a bit but he's just the sweetest dog ever and has never done anything to harm or bother anyone. My grandma loves him and he is a critical part to her road-plan to recovery. Because of the little time left we have with her, we are doing everything we can to help her be better mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Our dog provides her with the companionship and love that she needs and gives her a purpose to get out of bed each day. Because of this, it is very important to keep the dog and my grandma together.

I went down to main office to speak with her regarding the dog. I explained the issue but she became very rude and condescending. I still have no idea why she had such hostility from the beginning of our encounters together but that's the way it was. I explained to her that the previous manager and us had an agreement regarding the pet but she replied "Yeah well I'm the new manager and everything she promised you doesn't matter to me". At this point I asked if I can get the phone number of someone above her. She became belligerent and started saying "I don't have to give it to you. I don't have to tell you." I asked her "Are you seriously refusing to give me your superior's information?". Sarah yells "I'm going to call your dad and tell him you were yelling at me!"

At this point I said I don't need your information, I know how to use Google and left. I found their info and filed a complaint and the next day, her manager came over to speak to me. I explained the situation to him and he replied "As you probably know there are many residents here who own pets. Having a pet is completely fine as long as we have the proper paperwork. You can either pay the pet deposit or we can waive it for those that truly need it." Sarah was furious. She threatened to go above her manager to get it overturned and all that jazz but after the paperwork was signed, we haven't heard much about the pet again.

Since that day, Sarah would constantly threaten to evict us, spread rumors about me to the neighbors, say false things about me to my parents (they are on the contacts list), try to dictate when we can or cannot be in our home, threaten us with random house inspections, etc.

The latest one is where she told us that I cannot be at the house when my grandmother is not there. Is this legal? I am her grandson, a family member and I am also her primary caregiver. I signed a live-in caregiver agreement, gave them our doctor's caregiver paperwork, and have already passed the credit/criminal background check as well.

I have to be in the home while she is not there to prepare her food, clean the house, wait for her to get out of her hospital appointments, etc, and also care for myself as well. Is it not illegal for her to be doing what she is doing? She is treating me like I'm some prisoner and trying to make things as difficult as possible for me and my family. All because of a personal argument we had once.

I know that if my grandma invite me into her home as a guest then I am legally allowed to enter into the premises and be there. I also know that since I am her caregiver and signed all the live-in caregiver paperwork that I am allowed to be inside the home. But is it legal for her to tell me that I cannot be inside the house EVER if my grandma is not there? If my grandma needs me to go inside the house to get her things, prepare dinner, do laundry, clean up the dishes and trash, and she asks me to go inside, it is completely legal for me to do so right? No manager of any apartment building can dictate who gets to enter the home and when, can they?

TL;DR apartment manager wants to treat the building like alcatraz and tell me I cannot be inside my nana's home even when my grandma needs me to

All of your recommendations are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 This is practical advice.

Talk to the manager you spoke to about the pet.  Tell him/her what is going on and that you will not deal with Sarah anymore unless it's a life or property threatening emergency.  Either he/she can speak to you, or they can put anything they need to tell you in writing.  This way they will know you are creating a paper trail.

Then see how that goes.Answer #2: It's pretty clear that Sarah hasn't been properly trained, or if she did go through training she didn't bother to retain any of it. She doesn't know the rather clearly defined rules that limit her authority. I would escalate this to the manager and talk to your parents about what is going on and seek their advice.

If this continues as it has then things will get far worse before they get better. Answer #3: This girl has issues. Go above her.

Edit: And don't be intimidated by her.Answer #4: No, it's not legal for management to require that the tenant be present when guests are present, unless this is specified in the lease.  I suggest you ignore her.  If you have issues, talk to her manager, with whom you now have a relationship.


Title: Looking to create a retroactive/future bill for my brother who is renting a room from me.

Question:
I bought a house last year(USA), and my brother moved with me. He is still in school, and will graduate in August. In the past few months his funding as not been as available as he thought, and is unable to pay his share of rent/utilities.

I am in a position where I am able to float him(or totally gift it if it comes down to it) this money so I sat down with him and he was agreeable to sign whatever necessary to promise repayment in the near future.

Is there anything special that I can write up that will create a binding agreement for us? I should have had him sign a lease, but never had an issue until now.

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You can create a simple lease agreement (Google 'Your State Name' + 'Lease Agreement Template') to get some easy examples. You can back-date the agreement as long as you both agree to it. I would then create payment receipts for the months he has already paid, which will create documentation about which months are/aren't paid.


Title: [Dallas, TX] Apartment complex changed ownership, legal remedies for lease

Question:
I moved to a newer (~1yr old) apartment complex, about 2 months ago, which has just been purchased by a different management company. I had most recently left a complex which was managed by the company who has purchased my current residence. We left on good terms, however we were very unhappy with the service which we received from said management company.

With a cellphone contract, if a materially adverse change is made you are entitled to cancel that contract; does such a remedy exist for a lease? If so, what constitutes as materially adverse? Can changing public areas from smoking/non-smoking or similar policy decisions be considered materially adverse, or do they have to charge more to trigger that?

Answer: A sale of the property does not effect your lease at all. If they breach the lease then you can look into terminating.


Title: Is it a crime if you move your handcuffs in front of your body?

Question:
This just sort if popped into my head one smokey night:
If you're flexible enough to loop your handcuffed hands under your legs so they're in your lap/in front of you is it a crime to do so? Like could they slap a "resisting arrest" charge or something?

Answer: I would think that would be a terrible idea and seen as an escape attempt.


Title: (GA) False domestic violence charges for my baby

Question:
I'm sorry if this sounds crazy.  But i swear i saw it with my own eyes.

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My daughter just got out of jail from a domestic against her ex.  The ex claimed she hit him and the cops took him at his  word and arrested her.  She's a TINY girl and couldn't have done nothing.

she and her ex had to meet at the police station so he could give over the baby.  I went with her in case he pulled something AND HE DID.  When she went to take the baby from him he jumped back like he hit her and started hollering.  Cops came out and of course, believed him again and arrested here again.  SHE DID NOT HIT HIM I WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME.  He made it up.  Now she has new charges plus shes in more trouble for being out on bail.

What can we do about this?  They say there's video but I know it doesn't show nothing.  The cops wouldn't listen to our side and just took his word again.

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Answer: She can get an attorney. Just because she's small doesn't mean she can't be charged with domestic violence.


Title: Racial discrimination during apartment search in Brooklyn.

Question:
A friend and I are currently searching for a new apartment in New York.  We're both well-spoken working professionals with good jobs and good credit.  My friend is African American, I'm Caucasian.

For ease, I'll refer to my friend as "John."

John was out of town so I viewed an apartment yesterday alone, which was for rent direct by the owner.  I sent John a video I took at the apartment and told the man who gave me the tour (building manager?) we were both very interested, but John would need to see it in person before applying.  The apartment is in Greenpoint, a predominantly white neighborhood.

John set up a time to see the apartment today around 6:30 pm with the same man, who sent me a few confirmation texts throughout the day regarding John's appointment.  I wasn't able to make it, but John called me immediately after the viewing and we decided we wanted to apply.

We contacted the man from the building within the hour and he told us someone had put down a deposit "right after he [John] left."  I asked him to let us know if things didn't work out with the pending application and he told me, "Okay.  But they seem good."

Something seemed off.  About an hour later I texted the man from the building through an app from a diguised number.  I asked if he was still showing the apartment.

He replied:  "Yes!"

I asked him if he could meet on Sunday, he confirmed the time and address for the same apartment John and I saw.

I believe we were denied the apartment due to racial discrimination.  I haven't brought this up to John yet, but I'd like to know our options for reporting discrimination or legal action, if any.

All advice is welcomed.

**Update/Edit:**  Thanks everyone for the advice, comments and speculation.  I called 311 this morning to file a complaint with the Commission of Human Rights in New York.  I was only able to reach a voicemail inbox which instructed me to leave my name and number for an agent to contact me within 24 hours.  If I don't hear back, I'll keep trying.

I also left a message with the Fair Housing Justice Center, this service seems incredible.  Thank you.

I did ask John if the man had behaved oddly or said anything to him that seemed off.  John described the man as "quiet" and said he would not respond to his texts other than one text saying he received a deposit.

I told John about the fake deposit and he also came to the conclusion that it was likely racial discrimination.  I was reluctant to tell (unnecessary upset) him, but I want to make sure the issue is addressed and thoroughly reported.  I am glad we we're denied the ability to apply rather than move into a place where John might be mistreated or uncomfortable.

Answer:
 It's going to be really, really hard to prove and probably not worth going forward with if you wanted to pursue legal action.

You're almost certainly right about the discrimination, but this isn't a place you're going to want to live anyway.  Better to find out about the owner now than after you've signed the lease (not that he would have let you).Answer #2: You can contact the [Fair Housing Justice Center](http://www.fairhousingjustice.org/our-work/housing-discrimination-complaints/). They are a charity which assists individuals who have been discriminated against in the New York area. They use undercover "testers" to gather evidence of discrimination, and they may be able to help you gather evidence against this particular landlord. They also provide pro bono representation. Best of luck!Answer #3: This is common and is due to racial discrimination. Some landlords believe that black tenants decrease property values. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/05/grim-racist-methods-of-one-brooklyn-landlord.htmlAnswer #4: How many units in the building?


Title: Employer mandates rent increase if I quit or am fired (VA)

Question:
Long time lurker, first time poster.

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I work for a small property management company in VA. As part of my employment package, I get a substantial rental rate discount if I live in one of our buildings. Our new CFO has just mentioned to us that all employees will be forced to sign a document stating that if we are to leave the job or are fired, our rental rate will go back up to "market rate."

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I signed a new lease earlier this year with the new lower rate but nothing mentioning tying that rate into my employment status.

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My question is: Is it legal for my company to jack up the rent rate (by several hundred dollars) mid-lease if I leave or am terminated?

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(One note: I have lived in this particular apartment for 5 years prior to taking the  job)
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > As part of my employment package, I get a substantial rental rate discount if I live in one of our buildings.

Typically housing provided by employment is not covered by the same protections as normal housing (like evictions). Since you've live prior to working for them it may change some things, but I don't see it being explicitly illegal to have the rent reduction removed if you're no longer under their employ. They aren't punishing you for leaving, they're removing a perk which is logical.


Title: [Virginia] I think I saw child neglect while working

Question:
[Virginia, USA] Throwaway.  I do architectural surveys and while I was on one, I saw what I think is evidence of child neglect.  Ant infestations everywhere, the child's feces in the trash can (like they were using it as the toilet. not cleaning up an accident), trash on the floor throughout the home (that they rapidly tried to clean up while I was there), stains, and otherwise disarray.

Obviously I want to help the kid.  But I'm I concerned about being there because I was on the job.  I know I'm not a mandatory reporter by Virginia's standards, but if I do report I can remain anonymous with the reporter (and that I'm protected on the report even if I do give them my name and information unless the court wants me to testify).  But I'm concerned the mother will know it's me (since I don't know how many other strangers came into the home) and try to get me/my company in trouble.

My boss is not particularly understanding.  It's a small family business, and I'm debating even telling him about it if I do report.  I believe I am protected from retaliation for this, but I'm not sure how far it goes.

What is my best course of action to legally protect myself while also reporting this to CPS?

Answer:
 You can report anonymously.  CPS will not lie on your behalf about who the report came from.

Personally I don't think it would be much of a choice if I had to choose between possibly getting fired and saving a kid being abused.  YMMV.


Title: Selfish grandson trying to sell a house that 4 people live in (in New York State) because a deed says he owns half the house.

Question:
My great grandmother just passed away in April and in her WILL she wrote off her $201,000 house to her Son, and 2 grandchildren that she raised in the house. However, in a deed she made in 2006, after the death of her other son, she said the house is owned by her passed son’s son (grandson) and her other son.
Now, since she passed away, Jon, the son trying to sell the house, of whom has NEVER lived with her and seen her once a year, wants to sell his half of the house to start a college savings account of $100,000. Mind you, his children are basically TODDLERS. They’re like 4 and 2. By the time they go to school, my grandpa Ralph will be long gone. PLUS, Jon’s HOUSE (yes he already owns a whole house) is $250,000. His wife’s parents are well off and he honestly does not need this money. I think his children’s tuition is a small part of what he actually wants this money is for.
The people living in the house are the three grandchild she raised after her son passed away (not including Jon, he was an adult by this time in 2005) and her other son, Ralph.
Now, Ralph has lived in this house for DECADES and has no income other than social security; he depends on living in this house, and so do the other 3 grandchildren. Today, on Mother’s Day (seriously?) he showed up and demanded that he’s selling the house and almost got in a fistfight with one of the grandchildren that work there. He offered Jon $20,000 to back down but he said “Not without the other $80K”
Jon is arguing that it’s his half of the house and he is going to get a court order to sell it because the deed overrides the will and his father would’ve been the one on the deed so it’s his right to sell it.
I think this is bizarre because FOURS HUMANS live in this house and one of them owns half the house from the deed.
Jon has had nothing to do with the house and has never lived there, he obviously had this plan the entire time and stayed quiet about it, playing the sympathetic shoulder to cry on when his plan all along was to sell the house 4 heartbroken people live in. How can he make Ralph sell his half? A court won’t throw 4 people out on the street, right? I read online a deed overrides a will in NYS but this is insane.
Please help/ask questions if you’re confused. What can we do to make sure he doesn’t sell this house for his own selfish needs. We really don’t know what to do and are going to contact the family lawyer. However, it would be helpful to get a heads up while he is away in Italy.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 > mothers day

> college fund for toddlers

> never lived in the house

> other grandkids

> man living off social security

> "heartbroken"

You listed a ton of info but unfortunately I see nothing that prevents a man from selling something he owns.Answer #2: Jon is correct that a deed controls the property. If joint owners of property can't resolve this (and it's unlikely that they can) a court *can* order the house sold in what is known as a partition action.

It isn't selfish to fund a child's education and it's actually incredibly responsible to do so when dealing with young children. If the house is sold the other owner (presumably Ralph?) will be paid their half of the sale.Answer #3: If she did deed away the property in 2006, then it was no longer part of the estate to be controlled by the will. The will only applies to what she owned at the time of death, not property she sold or gifted away years earlier.

As I understand it, per the deed the house is now owned by Jon and Ralph. Jon cannot sell the house by himself, but yes, he could go to court and get an order for a partition sale, which would result in the eviction of anybody else living in the house, including Ralph.

Ralph should consult with a lawyer specializing in real estate law to determine 1) the validity of the deed; and 2) the prospects for a partition sale, and what defenses, if any, might exist.


Title: Numbers in names?

Question: Just out of curiosity, can you legally have a number in a name? Could I name my child 5amantha? Or C0rey? Or Ky1ie? Not planning on it, because it's dumb, but is it LEGAL?

Answer: It depends on the state. In California you have to stick to the Latin alphabet, spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes. Kentucky doesn't have any rules. Sticking numbers in names there would be fine.


Title: [UT] Someone messaged me on Facebook accusing me of fraudulently using their credit card and started messaging my friends.

Question:
First off, it wasn't me. I'd never even heard of the company that he said the charges were for.  But he said when he called the company they gave him my name and general vicinity and that he had reported it to the police.

There were no requests for money and he didn't try to fish out any other information from me, so even though it initially feels scammy, I don't think it is one.

My question: Should I be worried? Could someone possibly be using my information to steal from others? If I am contacted by the police am I fine to just answer their questions honestly since I have nothing to do with this? Or should I still insist on having a lawyer present? Or am I just over-reacting (Most likely)?

Answer:
 Block and ignore this guy. Tell your friends to do the same. I can’t imagine any world where police/a cc company would find and give the defrauder’s information to the victim.

If you’re contacted by the police DO NOT ANSWER their questions and contact a lawyer. Answer #2: I guarantee this is a spam. In short order, he'll be demanding that you reimburse him for his expenses. Expect him to "generously" accept $100 against a $2500 charge, or something.

Block him and move on.Answer #3: In addition to blocking the scammer, you should configure facebook so that your friends list is invisible to everyone else. If everyone did that scammers would have a lot more work to do.Answer #4: If you have nothing to hide from police, then you have no need to answer any of their questions.Answer #5: It's a scam. Block and ignore.


Title: Does a doctors note legally excuse you from online work?

Question:
TL;DR: Online teacher refuses to respond to me or acknowledge the doctors note I got for wisdom teeth extraction. Does my doctors note legally excuse me from online work?

I am in South Carolina (not sure how important that is.)

Two weeks ago, on January 14th, I had my wisdom teeth extracted. When I made the appointment over three months prior, I had thought that my classes didn't start until the 21st. I have two classes on Monday and Wednesday from 9:30AM until 12:15PM, one class on Thursday night from 6:30PM-9:15PM, and two classes online. With the exception of my Business Law teacher I had everything explained to all of my in person teachers by Monday morning. The issue came when one of my online teachers had something due Wednesday night.
I understand that I should have looked ahead and done the quiz on Monday, but I stupidly assumed that since for all three of my past semesters nothing was due until the first Saturday. Regardless of how I should have been more proactive about the situation, the teacher refuses to respond to me. I have emailed her 3+ times about the situation and left her one voice mail. She refuses to respond to me no matter what I try. It has been over a week since I sent her the first email and she has not responded to any attempt at contact I have made. This teacher is known by other students and teachers alike for being extremely unhelpful and rude, so I'm not sure if she just is not seeing my emails or intentionally ignoring me. I have a doctors note that was written for the time of my surgery and up until a week afterwards. I did all of the work due that Saturday even though I had a doctors note technically excusing it, and even though I had to go off of pain killers to get any real work done. I did not intentionally skip the one quiz because I am lazy and horrible. I was on pain killers and I pretty much slept for four days straight after surgery. That one quiz is worth 5% of my overall grade and I am extremely worried. Does my doctors note actually excuse me from online work in the same way that it excuses me from going to class, or am I screwed?

Answer:
 >Does my doctors note actually excuse me from online work in the same way that it excuses me from going to class, or am I screwed?

This is almost certainly an internal issue dealing with school policy.  I highly doubt there is any statute dealing with when a school is required to excuse you for a doctor's note.


Title: My boss has invaded my privacy.

Question:
[Washington] Ok so this is a short but simple. I work for a security company and we are out of town for an event. Me and my boss are shacked up in the same hotel, the other night he invited me for a drink. After a bit he starts judging me on a personal level calling me stupid and saying this is the last time we will work on an event together. I text my best freind basicly venting to her about what a pice of work this guy is. Welp, today at work I go to use the bathroom and leave my phone unattended in my car. He takes it apon himself to go threw my phone and read all the txts I sent her without my knowledge. I  had no idea untill we start talking when i get back and states he knows im "disgruntled" with him and he works my txts's into all these little quips. I confront him and ask if he went threw my phone and he shrugs. Stating that "my phones right there, take a look at all the nice things I say about you if you like." At this point im livid. I say a few appologies fearing loss of my job. And leave it at that. I cant work with some one like this and need help.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Lock your car.  Lock your phone.Answer #2: It's unprofessional but not illegal.


Title: Stuck in a scam contract and would like help getting out. [InventHelp]

Question:
Was wondering if anyone here has any experience with InventHelp and their contracts. I'm looking to get out of one and would appreciate any and all advice.

Thanks!

Answer: Is there something illegal or unenforceable in the contract, or have they broken the terms of the contract?


Title: For the past 5 years I (f21) have been raising my son with my best friend (m22) and now we both want him to adopt my son and make it official. The father is not around. Is this possible if we aren't in a romantic relationship?

Question: My son calls him Dad and we treat it like a custody arrangement. My friend watches him every weekend and my son is treated by my friends entire family like blood. I want to make it official because of so many reasons but mainly because I want to honour their relationship and I want my friend to have rights over my son. Especially if I pass away or f anything happens. I want to write my best friends name under the father column in paper work. His biodad never sees him and I am under the understanding he wants this as much as we do. Is this possible if it isn't a romantic relationship? I have only found information about adopting stepchildren. But that's not us.

Answer:
 First of all, you can't do anything without the biological father's permission. Beyond that, it depends on the state. With the father joining the petition you could probably do this with no problem in New York, California etc. Whether it's the best course of action or not is unclear. This is a little bit of a peculiar situation, and you are still very young. What happens when either one or both of you marries someone else?

There's certainly messier situations, but having a stepson whose actively involved parent is BFFs with your spouse is... something a lot of people would not be able to deal with. It's great that you have your son's best interests in mind, but his best interests also have to include the realistic long-term family outlook and how your dynamics can change in the future.


Title: Uncle wants to relocate family to a different country

Question:
Background: We are all living in Texas at the moment.

Uncle married Aunt 1 about 20 years ago and has two kids: Kid 1 and Kid 2. When Aunt 1 and pregnant with Kid 2, she is diagnosed with cancer. In the end, she decides to give birth to Kid 2 and delay treatment, which causes her to die. On her deathbed, she asks my parents to help Uncle take care of Kids 1 and 2.

A few years later, Uncle remarries to Aunt 2 and they have Kid 3.

Currently, Aunt 2 has immigrated from Vietnam to the US and has been here for a few years. But she has grown sick of the US and has somehow convinced my Uncle and my grandparents (who are living with my uncle) to move the entire family back to Vietnam. This includes Kid 1 (Age 17, soon to be 18), Kid 2 (Age 7), and Kid 3 (Age 1.5).

Kid 1 is refusing to go back and my parents are currently planning on taking him in this summer after he graduates from high school. My grandparents are going back to Vietnam in a couple weeks and they're planning on taking Kid 2 back with them.

We've talked to Kid 2 and she doesn't want to go back nor does she want to break up her family. However, going back to Vietnam is essentially a death sentence for her. She's a sickly child and I doubt she'll be able to get the proper care she needs in a 3rd world country. Additionally, we don't think she has much of a future if she goes back to Vietnam.

Is there any way we can prevent Kid 2 from going back to Vietnam and let her stay with us instead? Or is it futile since we would have to convince my Uncle to stay?

Answer:
 Parents have almost unilateral rights over their children provided that they're not physically/sexually abusing them and feeding them. If the child really does not want to go back to Vietnam you could talk to Uncle and see if he would be willing to let you have guardianship of her. Cite her medical issues as a reason (beyond that she doesn't want to go) that you think it would be better for her to stay. Besides that, there's really no way to terminate the Uncle's parental relationship or otherwise force him to let the child stay in the states.

And healthcare in Vietnam actually isn't that bad in the major cities. Also, plenty of people grow up in other countries and yet manage to have productive careers.


Title: Custody

Question:
First of all thank you to anyone taking the time out of their day to read this and possibly give me some advise.
The situation refers to my fiancé. He has an 8 y/o son. The mother claims she has full custody because he owes back child support - they originally had a joint custody agreement and stopped going to mediation before the school arrangements were made. but it was 5 days with mom and 4 days with dad. Somewhere in her head when he started falling behind on child support she thought it meant that she has full custody - so my question is - is that a thing? can his joint custody rights be taken when he owes CS - second does it cost money to file and have her abide by the normal rules? She wont let him spend the night and wants visits to be supervised by his grandma and my fiancé cant help but to think it is all wrong, we are not made of money and live check to check and provide what we can to his son at all times when he needs it but the mother makes it impossible for him to actually father his son. its more like play dates with his dad. exhausting! anyways, thanks for any advice and have a great day! Tucson Arizona

Answer:
 > Somewhere in her head when he started falling behind on child support she thought it meant that she has full custody - so my question is - is that a thing?

Absolutely not.  Custody and support are completely separate matters.


Title: why don't artists get arrested for singing / publicising about alcohol / weed / drugs?

Question: isn't there a law about not being able to publicly encouraging other members of the public to do so?

Answer: [Here you go](http://constitution.findlaw.com/amendment1.html)


Title: [Connecticut] My Sister Who Works at DD is Being Forced To Pay $50 She Mischarged

Question:
My sister pressed the wrong button and essentially some women got a free $50 DD gift card. The owner is now forcing her to pay $50 or else she will be in trouble. She is constantly staying later than her shift and isn't getting paid for overtime. She is close to quitting. What should we do?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 She can refuse and likely be fired or she can agree and continue working for a shitty company.

She can file a wage claim for unpaid time.


Title: $50.00 parking ticket in suburbs

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > I received a 50.00 fine for violating municipal code 312-- parking during a snow emergency. I'm from Pittsburgh where no such code exists in the suburbs or city.

Ignorance of the law is no defense.

> Do I stand a chance of appealing the fine?

Probably not, no.


Title: AZ-Collecting evidence for a stalking/harassment case by a parent?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You can file for a restraining order again, and have it specify no contact. If multiple lawyers are saying that it's possible you just don't really have a case.


Title: Landlord forcing me to live with raccoons

Question: I live in a house and had raccoons in my attic for over 4 months the land lord was notified in writing multiple times about the issue but refused to correct it. So finally I had it taken care of myself which cost $225 I then withheld $225 from my rent and my landlord is saying I have to pay that $225 or he will then charge me a late fee. What can I do? Pest control is not covered in my lease and I live in lake villa Illinois.

Answer:
 This may have been a violation of the implied warranty of habitability but under IL law you have no right to deduct money from the rent for repairs you made. Your recourse is to pay all of your rent and take the LL to small claims court for the $250.

I would read [this guide](http://www.law.siu.edu/selfhelp/info/property/Landlord-Tenant%20Rights%20in%20IL.pdf) to avoid future issues.


Title: [MS] Where should I begin when trying to file for divorce without an attorney?

Question:
My wife and I have only been married 3 months but it's been the most miserable experience for both of us and we want out. We thought it could help and it hasn't. Guess young and dumb, whatever.

So we're wanting out but really there's no money to afford an attorney for each of us. Is there a way a do this ourselves? I've heard it's possible and we have no assets, no children, just a lease with both our names, and not even her name has been changed with SSA.

So really, I just need some guidance on if this is possible and how to even do this. Thank you guys.

Answer:
 Uncontested divorce is really just a filling out of forms and meeting the conditions for divorce.  It can absolutely be done by yourself with just the forms provided online.

Contested divorce is another matter and generally requires an attorney.  It's amazing how often what was uncontested is suddenly contested.  Don't be afraid at any point in the process to raise your hand - even in court - and say "I feel like I need a lawyer now."  The judge will usually grant a continuance to allow you to hire one.


Title: [TX] Is it possible to have a suspected murderer investigated over a decade later?

Question:
**As a disclaimer, I know it's "innocent until proven guilty." The issue here is that the man was never investigated, likely because he's the son of a \[former\] member of the county's police force.**

This was in a small town / county out in rural Texas, with a small police force where mostly everyone knew each other.

This question isn't for me, but for a family friend (I'll call her "Jane Doe") who's given up because she feels any attempts to continue pressing the issue will go nowhere.

Back in 2004, Jane Doe's (young adult / non-minor) daughter was beaten to death by, supposedly, her physically abusive boyfriend who'd been harming her for a long time in advance. Prior to the murder, Jane Doe and others had been attempting to get her daughter to leave him. After the murder, Jane Doe got custody of the couple's child, and she attempted to have charges brought against the man who'd killed her daughter.

There was never even an investigation.

Jane Doe had been trying to have *something* done for a very long time -- but each attempt to have police look him over, or to air it to the media, failed. She gave up trying a few years ago.

**I can't give more information than any of this because it would potentially identify her.**

My question is: if a way could be found to bring this issue to light, and have him at *least* investigated -- would it be worth pursuing, since it's been so long since the murder? Or would it be senseless since over a decade has passed?

Answer:
 How on earth would you know that there was never an investigation?

There is no statute of limitations on murder. You can report what you think you know to the police.Answer #2: You can contact the local police, the sheriff, and/or the state police and ask.

I am confused, though.  When you say there was no investigation, the police just showed up and said "yep, she's been beaten to death.  Hey, what's for lunch?"


Title: Misdemeanor ticket for urinating in public

Question:
I received a misdemeanor ticket for urinating in public. The ticket was issued in Anaheim, Ca and I live in Sacramento, Ca (6 hours away). I have a couple questions.
1.) can I simply pay a fine or do I have to appear in court?
2.) if court is mandatory am I able to change the venue to be closer to me?

Answer:
 This is a misdemeanor, not an infraction. Hire an attorney.

You’re going to be pissed when this blocks you from a job in the future, otherwise.


Title: Can I "nullify" my last will and testament?

Question:
So about 8 years ago I had a basic last will and testament drawn up. I'm in law enforcement and a localy attorney's office offered it for free to our agency. I took advantage of it because, well... You never know.

Fast forward to now, and I'm living in a totally different area and I'm divorced. For obvious reasons, I don't want my ex-wife anywhere in my life, and in that last will I did we were married and everything was left to her, etc etc etc.

What can I do? Do I need to go to an attorney in the town I live now? Can I just shred it or are those things kept on file elsewhere?

Answer: Go to an attorney with your current will and testament.  Have him help you draw a new one and replace the old.  Happens all the time.


Title: If Trump is sent to prison, is he still entitled to Secret Service protection?

Question:
I understand that even after leaving office, the president continues to receive protection from the Secret Service.

I’ve read recently that the investigation into Trump is looking bad for him and there’s a possibility he may spend the rest of his life in prison if he’s convicted.

Assuming he is indicted and then convicted and sentenced, will the secret service post agents in prison to continue to protect him? Or upon conviction does he become just another incarcerated felon and loses his privileges as a former president?

Answer: Here's [an article](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/06/would-a-former-president-get-secret-service-protection-in-prison.html) that discusses the issue.


Title: [NJ] Realtor broke down door with landlord's permission

Question:
I'm a tenant, and rent one apartment in a two family building.  A couple lives in the apartment upstairs.  Our landlord is notoriously flaky, he's very young and I don't think he knows a lot of the laws, or has much common sense.  Last winter the heat kept breaking and on my third complaint he basically said "I need you to be more understanding, these repairs are very expensive and it's going to get warmer soon anyway."  There also weren't carbon monoxide alarms when I moved in.  We had a major flea infestation coming from the basement, and he showed up at 9 AM unannounced with the exterminator and seemed surprised I wouldn't let them in to spray pesticide.  (I work nights and usually sleep until at least 10 AM, and the previous night I had an opening night party for my job.  I had freelance work I needed to do at home that day and couldn't leave for them to spray.  Also, I was literally asleep naked on my couch when I heard his key in the door.  He didn't even knock.)

Anyway, a little over a week ago he told me he was going to be selling the house.  I was very accommodating with him and the realtor, did a really great job preparing my apartment for photos, hiding my creepy artwork and animal skull collection for showings etc.  The realtor agreed to work around my schedule for showings, as I wished to be home when people were there. If I was unavailable, they'd just show the common areas and upstairs apartment.  I have been pleasant during the showings  (there have been nine groups coming through my apartment so far).

Last night I got a frantic phone call from my upstairs neighbor.  He said it looked like someone had broken into the building.  Not our main front door, but we have a door between the mud room and the shared hallway.  The frame was completely cracked, with the hardware on the ground.  We don't normally even lock that door, but one of the agents must have on their way out.  I was at work, and they had just gotten home from a vacation.  We both proceeded to freak out a bit, he said he'd call the landlord about maybe cancelling showings until the door was fixed, and then he'd call the police.

The landlord explained that it was ok, an agent was bringing people through earlier in the day, and found the door locked.  Rather than come back later I guess, he and the landlord agreed that it would be okay if he kicked the door in.  The landlord claims he called my neighbor to tell him but he didn't pick up because he was on the plane.  But I don't understand why he didn't call me?  Or text either of us?  Or why he allowed the agent to damage the property in the first place?  I'm sure it's going to be a very expensive repair, and I feel like looking like there was a recent break in would deter buyers.  The whole thing seems really bizarre.

Mainly, I'm worried that this realtor's crazy behavior will escalate somehow, and my dumb landlord will just go along with it.  I'm desperately looking to move ASAP, but I'm also dealing with some big medical bills right now and I have only even known about this for a week, and my neighborhood is very hot right now so even finding things in my price range is very difficult.  I'm prepared to put my things in storage and sublet if he gives me a 30 day notice to vacate  (I'm on a month to month lease right now).

I was wondering what I could or should be doing to protect myself, legally and financially?  I was thinking of asking the landlord in writing to assure me I won't have to pay for the damaged door from my deposit but not sure if there's anything else can be doing.

Answer: Your post is unclear.  Is this door a common door or the door to your space?Answer #2: This sounds very fishy, I know of no realtor that would kick in a door with clients present. Something is up. Can any realtors or landlords chime in on this


Title: American in Germany being 'stalked' by a (legit) Syrian refugee. I'm scared to report him not only due to my visa status, but because there are illegal drugs involved. Pls help.

Question:
Hi,

So I'm an American living in Germany for the past seven years. At the moment I have four months left on my visa. I'm currently searching for a job, but I understand that if I cannot find one, I must "go home." (Sorry, but at age 32, this IS my home now. I have everything here and going back to the US would be devastating to me.)

In any case, I realized recently that I need some friends. Bad circumstances led me to cut ties with my previous ones, but I am an extrovert and having no social connections is bad for me. I met a cool Syrian dude (so I thought) and we had coffee a couple of times. I told him that I did have a boyfriend and would never be interested in him, and he seemed cool with that. Honestly, most of my best friends in life have been male, so I thought that was fine.

A few days later I went to his place. He rolled a joint, smoked it, and then proceeded to try to make out with me. I shut him down fast and made him move to another couch. He then puked in the bathroom for like 4-5 minutes. He came back and tried again to kiss and grind up on me. This time it took me yelling, no! stop! maybe six times before he did, at which point he went to go puke for another 5-6 minutes.

After he came back, we chatted a bit, but then he tried it again, this time crying that he needed a woman. I had to physically force him off of me at this point, then he went to puke again. I left. I would have left earlier, honestly, but I felt that if I did that, he would just hold me down and rape me. Maybe that's silly, but that's why I waited to leave.

I waited until the next day for his apology to block him on my phone, because I was scared. I told him that I didn't blame him, but that we couldn't be friends anymore. Then I blocked him. I somehow thought that absolving him of his attempted crimes would placate him.

Since then (three weeks ago), I've received messages from his alternate number apologizing and saying he's not a sexual predator, and then, once I'd blocked that, from another unknown number saying that they were a friend of his and could vouch for him — that I was his first friend in Germany and that if I don't respond, I should be careful. I did not respond, but also blocked that number.

The thing is that he lives very close to me and that I told him this when we first met outside of our local supermarket. If either this were in the US or I were German myself, I'd have no problem reporting him to the police or seeking a restraining order.

However, since I'm also a guest here and since Syrian refugees are such a hot topic, and since there was weed involved, idk what to do. Please help.

Answer: Go to the police and report it.  They will take care of you just like they do any German citizen.  If not, you can get in touch with the Embassy and ask what resources exist to protect you.


Title: How much can I tell my doctor without them calling the police? In regards to vaping

Question:
I’m a 16 year old living in North Carolina.

I took a hit of an illegal thc cart on New Years Eve at a party. Now I’m feeling congested and slightly off. I’m considering telling my parents and going to the doctor to get an X-Ray or at the very least some expert input.

If I were to go, how much could I tell the doctor?Under what circumstances would they alert the police?
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 Generally speaking, a doctor doesn't care if you break the law, unless very specific conditions are met, such as a child being in serious and immediate danger. It's in their interest that patients are as honest as possible so that they can treat effectively. Reporting minor crimes would completely undermine that.

Rest assure, it's very unlikely that the doctor would report you to the police.Answer #2: They would not alert the police as it would be a deterrent to other patients from seeking proper care. You can tell your doctor what you smoked, they'll say it's bad for you, to stop, then treat you.


Title: Could a bumper sticker get me in trouble? [MN]

Question:
On a whim I bought a bumper sticker that says "You keep tailgating. I'll keep slowing down."

I don't know if I should actually put it on my car or not. What if I did get into an accident and the person who rear-ended me claimed that I slowed down too fast or too much? Could this sticker get me into trouble? I wouldn't actually change my driving behavior, of course. If I see something in the way, I'm going to hit the brakes. Otherwise, I'm going the speed limit. I'm not actually going to keep slowing down except in the most extreme cases.

Could this sticker be used against me if an accident were to happen?

Answer: They could bring it up. It wouldn't change that they had a duty to maintain a safe following distance. Answer #2: That wouldn't be a defense for hitting your car.  It holds no weight.  People need to maintain a safe driving distance and be able to respond to the driving of the person in front of them


Title: Police are coming in the morning with my dad, and my dad is trying to steal my mothers belongings.

Question:
My Dad has been in jail the last 6 months. He bailed out using his money he had saved up (Disability money) and the Police are bringing him over in the morning. He is trying to claim the truck in my mothers name is his own. If he gets access to the truck, he will disappear. Everyone knows this, because he is wanted in several other states for charges that he has jumped bail on as well, just none of the charges were in states close enough to get a hold put on him. So now he is out and the Police informed my mom that he is coming to get his stuff and the truck. I called the station and they told me that we can refuse him access to the truck if we want to, that it was just a civil matter, and there is nothing they can do. My dad has already lost a vehicle I sold him that he never paid me for, and another one of my moms vehicles. What is the best way for me to  approach this without pissing the Officer off that is coming over? And if he makes me give him the truck, what can we do? My dad doesn't have a license as well.

Edit: We are located in Indiana if that makes a difference in this situation.

Answer:
 The police already gave you the answer.
It's not his truck, he doesn't get to take it. Even if he did he doesn't have a driver's license.

Inform the officer of all this and keep the truck locked and unavailable. Answer #2: Take the truck somewhere else before he comes.

Answer #3: If your dad is not on the title to the truck, make sure to have that handy.  If he tries to take the truck, simply let the officer know the truck is not his, refuse your father access, and show the officer the paperwork.  The police are not going to let your father take something that is clearly not his.

Now, if he is on the title WITH your mother, it may be more complicated.


Title: (Texas) Neighbor has a fence and shed on our property.

Question: We bought a wooded lot 2 years ago and recently decided to build.  We did a survey for the builders and found out our neighbors have fenced in part of our property .  Also, part of their shed in on our property as well.  We want to fence in our property because we have dogs and don't want them running lose.   We cannot do that without them tearing down their fence and moving their shed. From talking to other neighbors, we found out she can be a difficult person to deal with.  What can we do to get her to move her fence and shed?

Answer:
 Step one is to tell her about the problem and ask her to fix it.Answer #2: IANAL, but depending on how long the fence has been there, I think she could have an adverse possession claim. Texas has some interesting laws for adverse possession.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/who-can-claim-property-based-adverse-possession-texas.html

I would consult with a real estate attorney if trying to work it out amicably does not go well.Answer #3: We're gonna need a simple MS paint style illustration of the situation I'm afraid.


Title: Drunk and freaked out

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Yes. It is completely possible to be charged with harassment for purposely harassing peopleAnswer #2: Harassment laws vary by state and country, so we couldn't say without knowing where you live and where the business you were calling is based. It's certainly theoretically possible you could be charged with some form of harassment for making these calls, but that would be very fact- and location-specific. Most likely, though, the company in question gets a lot of prank callers and is just using that prerecorded message to discourage them, and they aren't actually going to report you to the authorities.


Title: Tenant refuses to pay electric bill stating the last landlord of the building told her she "didn't have to".

Question:
I recently bought my first rental and the woman in unit 3 is already trying to get out of every financial obligation. Long story short she signed a lease with the last landlord that states she is responsible for all utilities but water, trash, and sewer which are paid by the landlord, me. I got notification that the last landlord had his name on the electric in her unit but took their name off when sold, of course, and then because of my landlord agreement with the electric company they've put it in my name. On top of her already signed lease, I had the tenant sign an addendum to the lease on May 31st that said she would put the electric back in her name. I reminded her by text yesterday and got no reply.

I'm fairing certain she's going to fight me on this. I'm wondering if because I have both the signed lease and the addendum that I can go ahead and tell the electric company to take my name off.?

My plan would be to call Monday [June 3rd] and tell them to cut the power on Wednesday if she hasn't put it in her name. I would then give her notice of the situation and it would allow her 48 hours to get it resolved.

I would like to know if this is legal? Or if I could get in trouble for just refusing to pay for one of my tenants electric charges when it's in writing that I am not obligated to do so.?

Any insight would be great!

(If it helps/matters this is all taking place in Kentucky.)

Answer:
 You absolutely cannot cut off her power.

If she is not paying some portion of her obligation then you can give her a notice to pay and if she does not then file an eviction.

>I'm wondering if because I have both the signed lease and the addendum that I can go ahead and tell the electric company to take my name off.?

No, your electric company will not allow that. They don't care wbout your lease.


Title: Friend's sister is being held as a fugitive after returning from overseas trip

Question:
I'm doing what I can to help a friend out. Her sister was coming back home to Los Angeles, CA after working in Australia for several months and as she was entering customs at LAX, she was taken aside and arrested. The sister is currently being held without bail.

The backstory is back in 2011 the sister was pulled over and arrested because a warrant had been issued for unpaid parking tickets. The sister served a few days in jail and my friend pay the processing fees. At the time, they thought it was all resolved. We jump to this last weekend where when the sister was returning from her trip, she was told she was a fugitive and was arrested because of that warrant. She is also considered as a felon.

My friend is doing what she can to pull bank records to show these payments were made and will be going to the court house to pull records of the court case and jail time served by her sister.

My friend is working to hire a lawyer but is curious to know what else she should be doing to help get her sister out
of jail. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Udpate 1: Thanks for the help. My friend is heading to the court house today. If there is a worth wild update, I'll share.

Answer:
 If she's a felon, there's waaayyyyy more to this story than unpaid parking tickets.Answer #2: Felony parking tickets are not a thing.  Someone is lying.Answer #3: You friend really needs to get the full story out of her sister. Felony parking tickets isn't a thing, and certainly not a thing that the TSA or other federal authorities would be this involved in. This stinks of some bullshit somewhere.

Whatever the truth is, your friend needs a criminal defense attorney immediately.


Title: Sex with girlfriend while she's asleep if she consents beforehand?

Question:
Is it legal to have sex with girlfriend while she's asleep if she consents beforehand? I just want to make sure because I don't want to get put in jail if she ever gets angry and tries to use it against me. Is there a form or something that I can get her to fill out? Can I have a conversation with her on camera so that it's clear what we're doing?

[TX]

Answer:
 If you aren't a troll, you really need to have a talk with your girlfriend. Answer #2: Is she asleep? Or drugged?

If she can stay asleep for the whole thing undrugged, maybe you need to work on some things....Answer #3: If you're that worried about your girlfriend calling the cops on you, you probably need a new girlfriend. And no, I don't think prior consent works like that.


Title: My 12 and 13 year old girls have new I phones, that my ex-wife purchased. Is there a legal way for me to access these phones when they are in my custody? Washington State

Question: I have them 3 days a week.

Answer:
 Access in what sense?

Turn them on and look through them? Yes. They are in your home and you have care, custody, and control of the children and their property while in your custody.

If you just want to do something to piss off your ex, it is not a good idea.


Title: [CA] My mother is being billed $400 two years after getting a DUI for "expenses for the sheriff traveling and detainment"

Question:
I'm going to say sorry in advance, I'm completely new to this, and up until now I've honestly tried to avoid this kind of thing. However, recent events have forced me to get involved, at least to understand why this is happening.

A couple years ago, my mom was detained in a certain...mountain community in San Bernardino County after driving under the influence of an overdose of her medication. If I remember correctly, she caused some property damage, and since a breathalyzer wouldn't work for this, they had to send someone up there to get a blood sample. This whole incident has been the prelude of a nightmare for our family - my mother got her license revoked, the DUI has cost her jobs, the court case and charges were costly for us (especially her having to pay for her mandatory classes), and in the long run has stressed out everyone in our household to the point of breakdowns.

Today, we received a letter from the Highway Patrol of San Bernardino saying pretty much what the title of this post is: that she is being billed $400 because of that incident, two entire years later. My family isn't in absolute poverty, but we are poor. It doesn't help that none of us have jobs - my grandparents are too old and sick, my mother can't get a job because of the DUI, and I'm trying to attend college in peace. We can barely pay our bills as it is, and rely on stuff like social security, my grandfather's pension, and food stamps to survive...and on top of the numerous medical incidents that come up usually taking up any spare money we have, we're pretty much screwed when we have even more extra charges to deal with.

This situation has already caused enough grief in my mother's life - the only good thing about it is that it was the final nail in the coffin for my mom to go to rehab, but I worry that she's going to relapse or do something to herself someday because she can't get the opportunity to move on from this.

I'm sorry, I'm not experienced in this kind of thing at all, and my family's at a loss for legal counsel. I really hope I can get some help for this...I've been unable to complete many of my courses because the things going on at home dig deep. Please, if anyone can help, I'd appreciate it. I'll check back tomorrow and provide more information if necessary, but I'm a bit hesitant to give more details on exact locations as the community where this happened is a bit isolated, and it could possibly identify my mom. Thank you for your help.

Answer:
 She can call to see if she can work out a payment plan with them.

And there are plenty of people who have a DUI that have jobs.


Title: Can you appeal a dangerous dog designation?

Question:
I work at an animal rescue in Texas and we have a dog who is designated as a dangerous dog. (We actually have a few but this is the only one I don’t understand)

The reason being is because she and the other resident dog killed a cat. In Texas, dogs don’t get in trouble for killing cats. When the owner of the cat tried to stop the dogs from killing the cat they turned and growled at him. He was sure that if he hadn’t run away in time they would have attacked him. He came back with a fireplace poker and succeeded in chasing the dogs off but the cat didn’t make it. The cat owner filed a lawsuit and both dogs were designated as being dangerous by the county.

I’ve been doing a lot of research and a dog is legally considered dangerous if they harm a person or another dog unprovoked.

This dog loves people, she is one of our easiest dogs to handle at the shelter and she is one of our most dog-social dogs and even helps us teach more unsocial dogs how to dog. Nothing about her is indicative of a ‘dangerous dog’ and she didn’t actually attempt to aggress on a human being.

Is there a way to appeal this decision? If so, how likely is it to actually be appealed?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 IANAL. It seems like you have a 15 day appeal window from the time of the designation. Are you within that window? I don't know how successful of an appeal you would have, but I would point out that the dog does not have to attack someone to fall under that umbrella as long as they "cause a person to reasonably believe that the dog will attack and cause bodily injury to that person." It sounds like the owners report makes this solidly within that designation. And none of the defenses built into the law seems to apply.

But as a rescue worker, you also know that dog aggression and human aggression are very different things. Dogs that have the potential for human aggression can be amazing with other dogs, so that fact doesnt really show anything. What you do know about this dog is that they have the potential to redirect aggression onto humans, so I guess I'm wondering why you are so interested in fighting this designation. It doesnt make the dog unadoptable, but it makes the owner more liable for future attacks, which they should be because they had advance warning their dog has the ability to redirect. We have adopted dogs out with similar designations, its harder but its information the adopters should have either way.


Title: Our parked car hit by an uninsured driver who was DUI...we only have liability.

Question:
We live in KY which is a no fault state.

We were at dinner at a resteraunt with street parking. We came out to a smashed car. The guy tried to drive off but his radiator busted and he was arrested and charged with DUI. He was arrested 6 weeks ago with a needle too...awesome citizen. Cops said he had snorted a pill before hitting us.

Of course he isnt insured (he claims he is but had no proof).

Damage:  Rear bumper hanging off. Muffler Hanging down. Rear Fender smashed. Scratches on front bumper where our car was pushed in to the car in front of us. (Their car wasnt damaged thank goodness).

We only have liability - NO collision. My insurance company didnt mention that we had under/uninsured driver coverage when i spoke to them.  Its a 12 year old car with 150k miles on it that ran perfect until this. Aside from muffler looks like all damage may be cosmetic.

Do we have ANY options here? Suing him doesn't seem like its going to yield money as this 40 yr old appears to be a druggy..

Options I see currently..let me know of any others you see.
A) Buy a new(or used) car
B) Pay for repairs out of pocket
C) Say screw the repairs fix muffler and take off bumper drive the beat up car.

Answer:
 Your legal options are to sue the guy for what the car was worth or not. But you are correct that if he has no money then there is no way to make him pay.

Answer #2: You will most likely have to repair it and sue. Although, I've heard of cases where you can present damages to the DA and ask that restitution be paid (your damages) as part of the legally assigned fees for his crime. That may be something to look into.


Title: Help getting full custody of my daughter, Miami Florida.

Question: My daughter's mother and I are getting separated (her wishes). I have tried everything and anything in my power to not lose my little family, but I guess I can't have my cake and eat it too. I know that laws usually benefit the mother much more than the father, that's why I would like help in keeping full custody of my daughter.

Answer:
 You are not going to get sole custody. The courts are very reluctant to award such unless one of the parties is clearly unfit to be a parent. Your best choice it to attempt to negotiate with your ex, and failing that, preparing for a custody battle with the best lawyer you can find. But even then you must be aware that sole custody is not likely on the table.

Here is the website for the Dade County Bar Association if you need a recommendation and don't know any attorneys through personal networking.

https://www.dadecountybar.org/public-resources/lawyer-referral-service/


Title: Playspace doesn't allow children with "communicable diseases" [OR]

Question:
I am a foster parent. An awesome new playplace opened up near me recently. It is very swanky and blows everything else available in the area out of the water, and it offers a deep discount to foster parents, so I decided to sign up for a membership. In the membership agreement there is the following paragraph:

" \[Playspace\] is a well family space. In consideration of other Caregivers and children, please keep sick family members at home. Children and adults with fevers, rashes, vomiting, or any communicable diseases are not allowed at \[Playspace\]."

I often have children placed with me who have communicable diseases such as Hep C, because their parents are intravenous drug users.  My questions are:

1. Does this policy exclude children with a communicable disease like Hep C or HIV? Or no because it can be reasonably inferred that they do not mean those sorts of diseases?

2. If the policy does exclude children with diseases like Hep C, is that legal? If it is not legal, can I do anything to address that with them? Could they ban me for being a trouble maker?

3. If the policy does exclude children with diseases like Hep C, could there be any legal consequence for me signing the form and continuing to take my kids with such communicable diseases there? What if one of my foster kids discloses their disease to someone there? (That kind of thing happens sometimes).

Thank you!

Answer: For the first question the best way to know for sure would to be to just ask the business Answer #2: Foster children have special  legal rights to privacy, so be extra careful when trying to figure this out to not disclose anything you shouldn’t. Answer #3: It sounds like they're talking about things like colds, flu, and other things that can be transmitted by air or by skin contact.  Not things that are hard to transmit like HIV and Hepatitis C.


Title: Found a rat in my food and need legal advice

Question: I'm out of my home state, seeking treatmemt for an eating disorder. While on pass I had lunch at a resturant and about 3/4 through the food I found a strip of rat skin with fur still attached. I'm having difficulty finding a lawyer becausr it serms personal injury wants broken bones or food poisoning. I have no idea where to go from here. I'm in Cleveland OH.

Answer: Inform the local health department, and ask for a refund on that particular item of food.


Title: Tree removal ($3,500) service cracked our concrete driveway in several places with their heavy equipment. Not sure if we should ask them to pay for it ($2,500-3,500) or what..?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Your issue doesn't seem to be that the contractor is unwilling to fix the problem, but more that you are likely to be unhappy with the outcome if he pays the full amount of his liability (the cracked slabs and not the entire driveway).

Why not have the entire driveway replaced, allowing the contractor to pay the value of the damaged slabs and you to pay the rest?

Unfortunately there are some situations where when a negligent party pays out the entirety of their liability you're still unhappy.  There is often no real remedy to that without taking on some of the cost yourself.


Title: Ontario, Canada I believe my transphobic mother is defaming me

Question: Hi I'm a 19 year old transgender male to female I recently moved out to get away from my transphobic mother as she'd been abusing me for the past two years for being transgender. I found out from my sister that my mother has been telling people that I was sexually assaulted when I was a child and that it's why I'm transgender even though I've never been sexually assaulted in my life. On top of this she tells people that she believes I have video game induced psychosis, she accuses me of stealing two hundred thousand dollars from her, tells people I'm a criminal and that I was domestically abusive towards her. It's horrible to hear that she's saying such awful things and it's humiliating to know that she's telling people this stuff. I don't believe she plans on stopping anytime soon and I'd like to have her charged with defamation. As far as evidence goes I have a hand written note that she signed where she calls me a criminal says I have no ethics are morals and much more. As well as text messages from her to my sister telling her that I'm crazy and that she lost me to mental illness. Do you guys think this is the appropriate reason to submit a defamation case and do you guys think with my minimal amount of evidence I'd be successful in having her charged.

Answer: OK, what are your damages you plan to sue for?


Title: My Kid was infected with TB

Question: My kid goes to a major public university and has been diagnosed positive for Tuberculosis. The health department has evidently found the student that was contagious and likely giving it to other students. I've incurred massive medical bills as a result. Do I have any options? I was thinking since the university accepts students from all over the world and places where TB is certainly more prevalent than the United States, they should be requiring infectious disease tests on students prior to admission.

Answer: You can talk to a PI attorney, but it is extraordinarily unlikely that you can hold a university responsible for a student being sick. Answer #2: Except testing for TB can be complicated because many countries use a vaccine against TB that cross reacts with the standard TB test. I am sorry your child got TB, but, the university isn't at fault for them getting it. Beyond that there is very little chance you can prove they got it from someone at the university.


Title: [Custody] Advice needed on how to proceed with aunt on meth and child endangerment

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Racecar, do not run or walk to the nearest CPS hotline. His safety is the highest priority, and their immediate involvement is key to making that happen. Once you have done that, run, do not walk to a family law attorney to get an emergency custody petition going. If you're the only family member with interest in custody it makes it a lot simpler, although you weren't clear if dad isn't known or if dad has actively declined custody. If it's the former there could be an issue with needing to locate him and/or evaluate his stake in this but if nobody else is up to it (including family members of dad, if applicable), you are on the right path.


Title: Security Clearance Advice - TX

Question: So I am currently applying to several jobs as a defense contractor that would require me to get a security clearance. However, I am worried that my recent FORMER association with an Alt-Right type group could disqualify me. Neither I nor the group (to my knowledge) ever engaged in any illegal activities. Is this something I should address on sf86? Specifically in the group association section.

Answer: If a background investigator can uncover it you should mention it.


Title: (UPDATE) Sister has put me on the no visitation list, unable to see our mother at the hospital. (CT)

Question:
**Saturday afternoon UPDATE**: The mom is off the ventilator, breathing on her own and she is talking (weakly though)!!!!!!!!!! This is huge guys. She is going to be able to tell her side of the story and M is so, so fucked. There is new evidence suggesting that M is doing this for money hidden in the house. Makes sense because she is threatening to call the police on anyone who comes by. I'm letting P have some alone time with his mom without being asked too many questions by me. Things are happening though!!

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/40r3wq/sister_has_put_me_on_the_no_visitation_list/

Hey all. This is the OP's fiancee. P is in CT visiting his mom so I'm posting on his behalf.

P got to the hospital and tried to find out information about his mom and she wasn't even showing up in the system. M had done something to where she was incognito or something. He asked to speak with a social worker about the case and he was waiting for a long time. Eventually he said fuck it and went straight to the ICU (he knew she was there anyways)

The charge nurse saw that he had called the hospital on Tuesday morning to make a note that he was going to be there and to not let M make any decisions on her own. That phone call saved him.

It was confirmed that M does not have power of attorney. P had printed out a picture of our daughter (his mom's only grandchild) and left it in the room with her. After a while he left to get food/shower/etc. M comes, finds the picture and rips it up and throws it in the trash (I have photo proof.) I told P to take a picture as evidence of how utterly shitty his sister is. M was so upset that her little plan had failed and she threw a fit!!!

M is now saying that she is going to get a lawyer and a social worker of her own to get her way. We have absolutely no idea what she is fighting for here. Money? Control? Control so she can get the money? We don't even know how much money their mother has in the first place!! We aren't concerned about no damn money, we just want his mom to live!

I told P to let staff know that if his mother wakes up with him not present, they need to get a third-party translator (the mom doesn't speak English) because we wouldn't trust M to actually tell the truth in translating.

M is so upset that she has told P that she isn't coming back to the hospital at all. She asked that P would not let anyone else come to visit. Not sure if he is going to stick by that or not, there are some other family members who want to see her as well.

Their mother has been making some slight improvements but the situation is still very bad. P was able to get a social worker to 'okay' that all decisions are to be pass to him first, M second. This was approved because of M's actions here, her refusing to come back, her being hostile, etc.

Sorry if I have left out anything, ask questions if you want. Thanks everyone for being so positive and providing many helpful answers and advice!
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 I'm glad to see that things are progressing. Tell P we are all rooting for him. Answer #2: > they need to get a third-party translator (the mom doesn't speak English) because we wouldn't trust M to actually tell the truth in translating.

Hopefully the hospital would do this anyway. Having a family member translate is one of the worst things to do with a non-English speaking patient, for exactly the reason you mentioned. There is no way to know if the information is getting through either through malice (as possibly in your case) or through misunderstanding on the part of the family-translator. Most hospitals have access to tele-translators (even for "obscure" languages) if they don't have in-house medical translators.Answer #3: Previous Post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/40r3wq/sister_has_put_me_on_the_no_visitation_list/Answer #4: Does anyone else think M did this to the mother? That's the vibe I'm getting. Answer #5: As a social worker I can tell you that no social worker will support M in her strange controlling pursuit. Hope everything works out!Answer #6: Any word on what caused the "accident"? Has P been to his mother's home and seen what's going on there? Is there any indication that M put her mother in the hospital?Answer #7: I hope the best for his mother and for P.


Title: I own a trademark. Someone else is using it.

Question:
Company A originally started selling t-shirts with a phrase on it. I recently trademarked the phrase to use on clothing. Is Company A allowed to continue to use the trademark however they see fit or are they limited to the t-shirts they’ve produced to date? State: Tennessee
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: If they were using the phrase before you filed your application, then you can't stop them from continuing to use the mark. They also may have a good claim to cancel your registration.


Title: Found $2,000 cash under my sink today... help?

Question:
I have been a tenant at my current residence (Georgia) since the beginning of February 2017 and my loft apartment was fully furnished upon arrival. This morning, while cleaning in my incredibly small kitchen, I lifted one of the rubber drawer liners that was in place before I moved in. Underneath was a small envelope, which I immediately assumed was a letter because of how thick it appeared to be folded. When I opened the envelope, I discovered 20 crisp $100 bills that were wrapped in $1,000 bands with the name of the bank, teller, and date on them. I'm just not sure where to start with this. I need this money sooo bad. I needed this money sooo bad 3+ weeks ago and I'm in between jobs. I neeeed this money. But I don't know where to start. I can't imagine that this was an accident. Help?

Edit: Added location

Answer:
 >I'm just not sure where to start with this.

Yes, you are. You are renting a place to live, so that money belongs to either the last tenant who lived there, or the owner.

So you tell the landlord or you don't. This isn't really a legal issue, because you know the money doesn't belong to you, and you can narrow it down to a few other possible people.

You have a moral decision to make.


Title: [Ontario] Roomate is not paying rent and making my partner and I uncomfortable in my own home, what can I do?

Question:
An old friend and I rented a nice two bedroom together; a few months later he moved several hours away and I needed to sublet the room to cover rent. My neighbor across the hall wanted more space and it seemed win/win, so he moved in and took the room.

He's now unemployed and on OW, two months back on rent, and I gave him notice three weeks ago; he has not made any effort to pack or find a new place, and is acting like he won't be leaving. I called the police (non emergency line) last night because he is making my home very uncomfortable and they weren't able to remove him because he has a rent reciept from March, though none from January or April, and has no way to make up the back rent.

How can I have him forcibly, legally removed, as fast as possible?

Answer:
 Not familiar with the Canadian system but I can't imagine it would differ that much from the process in the US in this regard. Police won't remove him until after you take him to court and win an eviction lawsuit.

If things differ dramatically in Canada someone will correct me. But these things are not fast and there are penalties (for you) for doing it wrong.


Title: Student Parking Garage—- Hippa Violations? Missouri

Question:
I go to a university that has a hospital attached. I get treatment for a variety of conditions at hospital.

The Parking Office keeps ticketing me in the patient lot because I also have a student parking pass in another area. They admit this is a flaw in the system

Today they told me that to waive this ticket they will “ask the hospital if I was really a patient there at that time.”

They told me they won’t ticket me if I email them the times/dates of my appointments.

This is illegal right? Both requesting my medical records (and getting them?) witho ur my permission and requiring me to disclose personal medical information in order to not be ticketed by their shit system?

If so where do I report this?

Answer:
 *You* told them you're a patient at the hospital.  They're just asking for verification.  They don't need your medical records or to know anything at all about your medical condition.  Answer #2: The parking office is not bound by HIPAA, anyway.  They can ask for whatever they want.  Answer #3: Its not a HIPPA violation for them to ask. It might be one if your doc tells.

That said, do you have to be a patient or merely have buinsess in the hospital to park there?

How do they normally maintain patient exclusivity?

Is your pass a sticker or a placard?


Title: Do I have to abide by a “neighborhood committee” that was established before I bought a house and didn’t have to sign any paperwork regarding it when closing on my house?

Question:
I got a notice in the mail that’s a packet of rules and whatnot the “committee” has.

I didn’t sign absolutely anything regarding a neighborhood committee or homeowners association or anything like that when I bought my house a year ago. But this notice is saying it’s been in effect since 2009 and if I don’t abide by the rules, I’ll face legal action.

Any opinions/recommendations?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Is this a HOA? Is one outlined in your property deed?Answer #2: Reading the post and your comments makes me think you have a neighborhood busybody. Nothing more.Answer #3: Pass out flyers to the whole neighborhood on the mailbox law🤣


Title: Juvenile Felony Questions

Question:
I am a 16 year old Juvenile residing in southern TN. I have two felony charges,1.sexual exploitation of a minor and 2. Solicitation to commit first degree murder. I was placed in a JDC for 92 days and was released on $15k bond/electronic monitoring and I have been to court two times since then. The first time my lawyer just continued it so he had more time to review my case. The second time he said the DA agreed to keep the case in Juvenile court and she offered a plea deal but the plea deal was to go somewhere(I'm not sure where because he talked to my parents not me" until my 19th birthday and to plead guilty to the exact same charges. So here are my questions.
1. How come the plea deal didn't lower any charges?
2. They have not showed a single piece of evidencce to me so I have no idea why I was arrested for those crimes other than the sexual exploitation one.
3. My lawyer said the next court date is a Disposition trial, and I've been reading and It seems disposition is after I've been found guilty but I have no had any other trials and I did not accept the deal and neither did my lawyer so why would the next trial be disposition?
4 . My lawyer told me they had two witnesses but he wouldn't tell me their names or any other proof and he acts like he doesn't know all the evidence himself. So do I have the right to know who the witnesses are and what they are claiming?
5. I'm not familiar with Juvenile cases or sentences so where would I go, and would their be a chance of good behavior? Because I had plans for college and many other things and I just graduated high school so I was hoping bringing things to court proving I have a good mindset unlike before. I was arrested in October of 2017 and I have learned my lesson from being locked up and I am not depressed or mentally unstable anymore. While I was in JDC I have to take mental evaluations and my lawyer said we might pull a insanity plea so I went a bit overboard and now since my results are so bad my lawyer said it's really bad but I did it because I thought it would help and now I'm trying to get evaluated again to prove I'm good now because my court date is a little under 2 months away.
TL;DR- 2 felonies, 16, on bond, in Juvenile court, do I have right to see and cross examine witnesses? What is most likely to happen? Plea deal didn't lower any charges or anything at all.

Answer:
 You need to bring all of these up to your lawyer, they are much more familiar with your case than we are. Answer #2: >do I have right to see and cross examine witnesses?

If you accept a plea bargain, then no, because you will be pleading guilty to the charges negotiated in the plea agreement.

If you plead not guilty and go to trial, then the prosecution will call witnesses and your defense attorney will be able to cross examine them. You yourself will see the witnesses from the defense table, but you will not be allowed to speak to them yourself.

>What is most likely to happen?

No one here can say, there are far too many details that matter but you ought not discuss on any social media. What you write on Reddit and Facebook, etc. are all potential evidence against you.

Your defense attorney knows your case and is the best person to advise you on these questions. Ask them at your next meeting.


Title: [NY] Juvenile Sex Offender moving to NY from OH

Question:
Hi.

According to http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/nsor/faq.htm, #15, an adjudicated sex offender, which I am, does not have to register in NY. It also says, #11, that an offender moving from one state to NY must go through a process to determine whether or not they must register.

Does anybody have any kind of experience with this, or any knowledge further than this that can be used to help me understand whether or not I would have to register or not.

Thank you.

Answer:
 I think you need to lawyer up on this one. You're asking for advice from people who may or may not be lawyers who practice in that field. And yet, the penalties for mistakes is your freedom. As Clint Eastwood said, "Do you feel lucky?"

My advice is to scrape together enough funds to get a professional opinion from a lawyer licensed to practice in New York.


Title: One party Consent state calling/recording two party consent state

Question: If I am in a one party consent state and I call a stranger who lives in a two party consent state and I record the phone call without their knowledge, am I breaking the law?

Answer: Usually the law sides on whoever receives the call in this case.Answer #2: Similar question: If I’m calling a business and they say “this call is being recorded,” do I have to let them know if I wish to make my own recording?


Title: [New Jersey, USA] Can a business refuse service based on my immigrant status?

Question:
I bought a car through a dealership in New Jersey. As part of the purchase process, the dealership provided me with temporary plates and was supposed to register the car with New York State. Two days before the temporary plate expiration date, the dealership informed me that they will not provide me with the registration service due to my immigrant status.

I went to the DMV the following day and got the plates in less than twenty minutes -- the DMV official had no idea why an immigrant status should be relevant to vehicle registration ...

Edit: To clarify, they denied me service because I'm on a student visa -- this is not based on my country of origin or ethnic background, just on the fact that I don't have permanent residenship.

Is a dealership allowed to refuse to provide a service based on immigrant status?

Answer:
 National Origin is a protected class.

When you say "immigrant status" do you mean the fact that you are from somewhere else, or the fact that you are on a particular type of visa, or what?Answer #2: I'm willing to bet they had some odd understanding of the legality of your status and what their liability was providing the registration. that's shitty, but it happens sometimes. since you were able to get the plates you didn't suffer harm, but had you, they could have been liable for it.


Title: [Ontario] Tenant has moved, demands access until months end.

Question:
Quick and to the point:

Mr. X is on a month to month lease with me (landlord).  Mr. X informs me verbally that he is moving out at the end of June in May.  No written documents as well as no 60 days notice.  Due to a good standing with Mr. X, I find a new tenant to take his place on July 1st.  Mr. X moved out June 7th, leaving me to come to the house and find large amounts of garbage (mostly small things such as bottles of coke, bathroom trash, dirty dishes and newspapers) and broken furniture (Mr. X's old wooden bedframe).  I texted Mr. X about this and he texted back "...You cashed Junes rent which means I still have that room until July 1st So Ill get it when Im good and ready..."

Only problem is he left his keys here when he moved.  Am I legally obliged to allow him access to the property or is this implied abandonment.  I have no problem cleaning his mess up if it means I am able to move forward and get my new tenant in.

Thanks in advance,

EDIT: In my post I made it sound as if he is moving out at the end of June, Mr. X did say this but moved out early on the 7th.  There is currently no one in the unit.

Answer:
 > is this implied abandonment.

Since you have explicitly been told they are occupying the unit until 1 July, no obviously not.


Title: Landlord is charging 16,000 for repairs, many of which made before we moved in. (NY)

Question:
My overall question is whether I can do anything to reduce these costs, I'm nervous to take him to court as he is rich and pretty powerful in the area while we are just college kids.

I graduated college last month and had a 1-year lease which ended June 1st. Me and 3 other students lived there and the house wasn't in the best shape when we got there.

Fast forward to the end of the semester, the house was in pretty bad shape as we made holes in the walls, messed up heating vents, scuffed up the floors a bit although they were already pretty bad, and other normal wear and tear. Before we moved out, for 3-4 days us and a couple friends fixed 75% of the holes with drywall, painted over them, wiped every surface with cleaning wipes, swept and mopped the floors and pretty much did anything we can possibly do to lower the cost as we knew we would lose the deposit at a minimum.

A few days before graduation we came home to the owner of the rental property who owns over 20 properties in the area and his wife inside our kitchen, door open looking around. The landlord complained about the condition of the house (before we finished the cleanup) threatening lawsuits and saying we can't get away from this. We stayed compliant and told them we would fix what we can and that's what we did.

So a couple of days ago I got a call from one of his workers saying that on top of the security deposit each of the students leasing will have to pay $1000 on top of the deposit we already payed, which we thought was fairly reasonable. I called today to ask about paying half now and half next month when the landlord says it's looking like $4000 each for all the damages.

I ended up asking for a bill which his worker said he would have to dig for but he had a list of the things they fixed and many of them were things like laminating basement floors which were never laminated, replacing the already messed up stove, replacing front door handle that never worked since we moved in, painting all the walls, carpets that weren't there when we moved in etc..

Answer:
 You need to hire a lawyer.  You're looking at $20k+ in bills; spending $1-2k on a lawyer will drop that down significantly.
Your lawyer willAsk for an itemized list with costs -- and the dates the original items he wishes to replace were purchased, and the last times the place was painted, floors were sealed, etc.

If you WRECKED everything and the house was in very good shape, the landlord wouldn't necessarily be able to charge you the full replacement value for things that had outlived their useful or expected life.  It sounds like the landlord delayed repair and maintenance – they can't use your bad tenancy to pay for the upkeep or improvements.  A lot of things you will owe the full value on, but a lawyer can help strike many items off the bill and limit the landlord's choices on what they use to fix/replace.Answer #2: Ask for an itemized list. If you feel some of it is unfair, you can wait for them to sur you in court and make your case there. It sounds like you trashed the place though.Answer #3: Did you take pictures when you moved in and when you moved out? Is the list of damages legitimate / reasonable based on how you and your roommates treated the place? You might want to pursue a compromise instead of a legal route if you feel the list of damages are realistic.Answer #4: You'll want an itemized list, along with discounts for the age of each item (your landlord does not get to charge you for a new stove if he had to replace a 5 year old one).

Then you'll want to dispute it.


Title: Osha bathroom rules [MN]

Question:
I noticed that my company doesn't have enough bathrooms for the number of women who work here per OSHA guidelines. My company has over 80 women employed in an office with only 3 stalls in the women's bathroom. Recently one stall has been out of order. We do have a few (2 or 3?) men who have a couple urinals and one toilet. We have been told we can use the men's bathroom if needed. Even if you include the men's toilet we are one toilet short. Realistically right now we have 2 toilets for 80 women.

Source for OSHA guidelines: https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9790

I am just curious what happens if someone makes a report to OSHA that we don't have enough bathrooms?

Answer:
 Generally they count out of order toilets if it's only temporary.

Realistically what happens is *maybe* OSHA comes to investigate, but this will be a very low priority claim for them.  They may get cited for a violation, fined, and/or told to remedy the issue if they're caught.  But I'd say it's equally likely they'll repair the last toilet before anyone even shows up.


Title: [CA] University booted my car for lack of a parking permit--that I have

Question:
Hi reddit!

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I purchased a campus parking permit for my car about 2 weeks for this semester. My car keeps getting tickets for not having a parking pass, even though I do. The first time, I called and they said that it was a system error that my parking pass hadn't been activated, but they would do that and the ticket would be dismissed. About a week later, it happened again. I called, and was told that the person who issued the ticket had misread my plate for a "0" instead of an "O", but that it would be taken care of. I got out to my car today, and there was a third ticket on the windshield for "no permit" and a boot was placed on my wheel. (The parking policy states that one the third ticket if the first two remain unpaid they would boot the car). I checked the online parking portal, and it appears that the first two tickets were not dismissed, the person on the phone just changed the ticket amount to $0.

&#x200B;

I was on my way to a flight lesson, and I can't ever catch an uber back from there (middle of no-where) so I'm on the hook for a few hundred dollars in cancellation fees. Parking office is closed on the weekends, so there is no one that I can call. Is there anything I can do in the meantime? Do they owe me the cancellation fees for my flight lesson? This is such BS!

Answer:
 You could take the university to small claims court to recover damages as this seems a pretty clear case of neglect on the university's part that caused you actual damages.  Figuring out HOW to do so might be a challenge.

Start by escalating to management and tell them that you want this fixed and you want compensation for their mistake, but be polite.  Document everything.Answer #2: Is your car still booted? On a practical level, you might want to pay to get the boot off and then argue about the fee later if the alternative is that it's going to be towed.

I'd try to start getting some of these errors in writing. Does your ticket list how to appeal the tickets? At my university it's a written appeal you send to the parking office, if they deny you there's actually a council of staff and faculty you can appeal that decision to. Tomorrow you probably want to speak to a manager about these problems, not just the person who answers the phones.