Title: (OH) Found 3-4 WHOLE dead baby chickens in my 8 pc already-cooked chicken meal at a local grocery store.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Ask for a refund and leave it at that. I don't see how you'd be entitled to anything more.


Title: Concerning Ohioans stuck in the snow.

Question:
I live in northern Ohio in a small college town. Every year I always find young college kids who are here for their first real winter stuck in a ditch in one part of a town or another. Having lived here all my life I drive a 4x4 with a tow strap, kitty litter, warm clothing the whole nine yards. Whenever I find them I pull them out or give them whatever aid I can offer while they wait for a tow truck.

Now since they are often first or second year college students spending their first months away from mommy and daddy they could very well be breaking the law when they put their car in the ditch. For the sake of being specific I'll lay out a scenario. A 19 year old college freshman puts his friends car in the ditch. He's one drink over the line between drunk and sober. He's got a bag of pot in the car. Underneath the snowbank that he put his front end into is a small dog with a collar and mailbox with a name matching the name on the small dogs tag. Now.. I come along jolly, well insured and naive. See a young man in trouble, pull him out of the ditch and send him on his way while being none the wiser to any of the tomfoolery mentioned above.

Are there any legal repercussions I could face in this situation? Does anyone have any advice if I would like to continue helping these poor kids?

Answer:
 Well, if there is damage to other property besides the college kid's car, you helped them leave the scene of an accident.

And if they are drunk and you put them back on the road, you could on incur civil liability if they kill someone on the way home, too.Answer #2: So: man is completely wasted, runs over a dog, takes out a mailbox, lands in a ditch, you pull him out and send him on his way, and you're asking if you could face legal repercussions?


Title: Can I be sued for revealing my rapists name?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > My concern is- can I be somehow sued for slander?

That would be a giant red YES. You can't prove it happened, and depending on your location, calling somebody a rapist may be defamation per se and they don't need to prove damages. Therapy is what you need here not a lawsuit.Answer #2: Can you? Sure, that's not hard. Can your rapist win? Probably not. His lawyer would almost certainly advise him not to try, too - there's nothing to recover from you if you're already broke, and the lawsuit itself would bring more attention to your statements and could put him in the media spotlight as an "alleged rapist." It's just plain bad strategy.

It's more likely that he'd sue your friend, since she's the one posting about it, but the post is evidence that you made the statements, so there's at least a theory under which you could be sued as well.

Basically, don't worry about it too hard. _If_ you're sued, worry about it then, but realize that the worst a lawsuit is likely to do is to create some debt for you, and to create an obligation not to repeat the statements any further.

If you want to do some prep work, start looking at local abuse shelters and womens' shelters. Many have access to low-cost legal resources or can help you apply for legal aid.


Title: Resisting arrest

Question:
So I have court next week and I apparently resisted arrest last May 2017. It’s almost been 2 years and I want to get this case over with. I was told to put my hands behind my back when cops arrived to my parents house and I told them I didn’t do anything so then 2 cops beat me up, I got hit with a baton and then they handcuffed me and took me to a hospital when I told them I didn’t want to go they also breathalyzed me thinking I was drunk but I wasn’t. So long story short I was in jail for a while then I bailed out and found out a couple months ago I had a warrant.
I got the video I’ll post it when I get it from my public attorney.

Any advice on how to fight this case?

My first appearance they said 3 years probation and 10 days in jail. I thought that was outrageous so I pleaded not guilty.
This is also my first offense on my record and I’m 26 years old.

Answer: Listen to your attorney, do as they say.


Title: Girlfriend's dad threaten to shoot me if he sees me in his house

Question: So my girlfriend and I started dating. Her parents are very closed minded and don't like her dating at all. Her mom is opening up to me says I'm welcome anytime but her dad is the completed opposite. When we were in the room alone he told me next time he sees me on his property he'll shoot me even if the mom or girlfriend let's me in. I've done nothing to get on this guys bad side. I've been polite, shook his hand when we meet but he's not budging at all. I have a full-time job that I love and and such. I really like this girl and I kinda see a future with her but I really want to see where it goes. I am in Illinois so I know you can shoot someone if there on their property (correct me if I'm wrong) if their breaking in or trespassing. Not really 100% sure what to do in this. My girlfriend told me she doesn't care about her dad's approval and she still wants to be with me. What's the best thing for me to do?

Answer:
 Stay out of his house.Answer #2: Quite aside from the legal aspect of his behavior, what do you get out of needlessly pushing his buttons this way? He doesn't like you, for whatever reasons, and the fact that the girlfriend and the mother have invited you over isn't going to magically change his opinion of you.

Put yourself in his position for a moment and ask if *you* would cheerfully tolerate the disrespect of someone entering your home after you told them to get fucked, but it's totally okay because your wife and daughter told him to come by any old time.

Avoid the drama, stay away, and see your GF at some place where he has no say, like **your** house.Answer #3: Unless you got him on record saying this im afraid your SOL. Maybe just have her hang at your place instead? Answer #4: > What's the best thing for me to do?

See your GF elsewhere.

&#x200B;Answer #5: You have no legal recourse once you've been shot dead.


Title: Involved in a car accident (at fault), other side has hired lawyers and my parents are afraid of getting wiped out financially - what's the likelihood of that happening? (AZ)

Question:
I was involved in a car accident earlier this year - I was found at fault for rear-ending the other party. At the time, everyone was fine and walking around without any injuries, and the other party refused medical evaluation and treatment.

My insurance is grouped under my parent's policy - they were notified that the other party had hired a lawyer, and are freaking out about it They are extremely worried that they will lose all their assets and savings because of the accident. My understanding is that the insurance company will hire a lawyer to defend us if we do get sued, but what is the likelihood of it getting to that point? Will it get to the point where their assets are at risk, especially since we have insurance?

Answer:
 Most cases (that dont involve death, alcohol, severe injury or neglect) settle for within policy limits. If you are under insured then there might be an issue. And yeah, if sued and you lose for more than your policy limit, that comes from you. Not your parents, you. Answer #2: >  At the time, everyone was fine and walking around without any injuries

You have no way of knowing that. You're not a doctor and you didn't examine them. Some types of injuries are not immediately evidence.

Your insurance company will attempt to settle within your policy limits. This is why you have insurance.

> but what is the likelihood of it getting to that point?

No way to know. Too many variables.


Title: Ex still has ~$500 worth of my stuff

Question:
When we split she agreed to pay me back for ~$500 worth of home theater equipment that i paid for. She did not want to have to replace the speakers since it was all in place and working. I agreed to it but she still hasn't paid me back. I have invoices for all of the equipment in my name and text messages from her saying she will pay me what is owed.

Anything i can do? I know some of you will say to just write it off, but $500 is a lot of money to just give up on. I've asked for the speakers back and haven't received a response.

USA-TX

Answer: There's always small claims.  Here's a [booklet put together by the Texas State Bar Ass'n](https://www.depts.ttu.edu/sls/forms/How-to-Sue-in-Small-Claims-Court.pdf) talking about the process [PDF warning].


Title: Can I sell a legal drug on Craigslist?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 >
*I feel like it is important to note that Kratom is not dangerous in anyway. There are 0 deaths attributed to it. So I really don't feel guilty selling it.

You are wrong, you were just to lazy to even open up google and type "kratom death" and hit enter afterwards.


Title: [Washington] Car accident repairs higher than actual value of car

Question:
A friend of mine was involved in a car accident 2 months ago. He is currently getting the run around from the body shop.

Some backstory: Lives in WA, got rear ended at a bus stop, takes vehicle to shop in OR for repairs. Person who rear ended them found at fault, insurance is taking care of it. After a walk around, before taking the car apart, vehicle was found with $7,700 in damage, vehicle worth about $12,000.

So here is where it gets to be a mess, the body shop didn't add to the estimate, they just started repairs. The $7,700 didn't include the replacement of modules that are damaged in the result of a wreck that comes to be at least $2,000 in parts alone, with more work to be done. They also didn't replace components like the trunk pan, they just stretched it back out. I have photos and it looks like someone tried to straighten a crumpled beer can. So that is clearly not pre loss condition, mind you my friend is very meticulous and the car was damn near perfect condition.

This has gone back and forth for awhile now, and the kicker is that he brought it to this OR shop because he has a professional relationship with the guy and has done work for him in the past.

So far the total is coming up over $11,000 and that is assuming they do a good job, they are refusing to replace the trunk pan, and are trying to force him to take the car back when it is not close to pre loss condition. He is thinking about taking legal recourse but is afraid he doesn't have a leg to stand on and they have very deep pockets. I told him to not accept the vehicle and let the insurance companies battle it out with the body shop in the middle.

Looking for any advice, I know this is pretty specific so if I need to look elsewhere it would be helpful to be pointed in the right direction. Thank you.

Answer:
 This car should have been deemed at total loss by the body shop. They are taking serious advantage of your friend and he should report them to both insurers and the BBB.

"Insurance companies will typically consider such a vehicle to be a total loss, even though the repairs are only 75 percent of ACV"

and "A totaled car is a car which is considered to be a total loss after an accident. This usually means that it is damaged to the extent that it is not worth repairing. For example, if the car is worth $10,000 and needs $7000 worth of work, it's not worth it and will generally be labeled as a total loss. Generally, the cutoff is somewhere in the 70% to 75% range. In this case, the car is considered to be a total loss except for the value of scrap metal or potentially salvageable parts. An appraiser can check the damage done to a wrecked vehicle to determine the totaled car value."

He must tell them to stop work immediately and that he never authorized them to start-he should do this in writing by certified letter.

Then he needs to call his own insurance company and tell them what happened. Ask them to work with the other insurance company to get the car declared a total loss and get him his $12000.

He needs to do this TODAY


Title: I got in an accident and we didn't report it. Now the estimate is much higher than expected and the other party wants me to pay in full.

Question:
I was recently in a car accident in Providence, RI, and we did not report the accident because we both had time sensitive prior commitments. I was illegally parked on the side of the street, but idling with the engine on, and I did not notice a car pull up behind me. I backed up relatively slowly to leave, and my trailer hitch dented her license plate and cracked paint on the bumper. However, she was also illegally parked with the car off, but I do not have photo evidence of this, I only have photos of the damage. Initially I was in shock and I apologized several times and I may have gave the impression that I was going to pay in full.

She called me again today and the estimate is relatively high ($1500) because she got it checked out and says her bumper needs to be replaced. I'd prefer not to go through insurance because it will bring my prices way up (young male driver) and I may be unable to afford insurance if it goes any higher. I'm unsure how to proceed. Is she partially at fault for being illegally parked behind me, and very close at that? Should I go through insurance, or ask to split the cost?

Answer: No, you dummy, you hit a parked car because you didn't look before you started moving. Pay to fix her car, otherwise her recourse is to sue you or send her insurance company after you.Answer #2: you are at fault, pay for the damage or use your insurance


Title: (WA) Dad bought large amt. of gold from business, hasn't received large portion

Question:
about two weeks ago, my dad purchased $23,000 worth of gold at a local coin shop - they, of course, didn't have that amount on hand, but they accepted his money anyway, telling him they needed the time to get that amount. They haven't given him a time frame when it will be available. This business has been operating for 10+ years; they have a brick & mortar location.

I'd assume this transaction was put on paper for the price per oz at the time of the transaction, but I haven't asked him yet. Is this a common/typical practice within legal standards? Does he have any recourse if he asks for the money leftover that they have of his that he could've gained from interest by other means?

Answer: I don't know why it wouldn't be legal. People are typically free to invest however they want. I am somewhat vexed that he would agree to this, since reputable dealers (e.g. Apmex) will ship that quantity without any real delay. Interest isn't recoverable because a loaf of gold doesn't pay dividends or interest. It sits there.


Title: Non-Compete Advice!

Question:
Working for a small private agency in NY. Signed a non-compete contract a few years ago when I started, of course I don't have a copy because I didn't ask for one then. (young and eager for a job!! I didn't even think twice about signing it!)

Anyway, my question deals with leaving the agency. I am an employee that works the contracts that my employer holds. One of these contracts has grown exponentially and Im fairly surprised that haven't hired someone full time yet because they certainly have enough contract hours to do so-- I don't think it is cost-effective any longer for them to be using a contractor.

My question is-- if a company that contracts with an agency decides to independently create a full-time position and stop contracting with said agency-- do non-competes apply to this situation? Could I apply to that position or would it violate the non-compete?

TIA!

Answer: It depends on exactly what the non-compete says, but yes, it certainly could.


Title: Art teacher says I can’t enter clay infinity gauntlet in art show.

Question:
Every year my school has an art show and I wanted to enter my clay infinity gauntlet into it. It’s not exact (details on the top etc) it’s just a generic yellow gauntlet with “gemstones” on the fingers and hand. This girl in my class who likes to ruin everything for me told the teacher I was making a copyrighted gauntlet from Infinity War. My art teacher has a no negotiation policy and even if it may be copyrighted she says make something else. But my gauntlet is almost finished and I don’t have time to make something else.

Can anybody tell me if putting the generic looking gauntlet in the art show will get me/my school in legal trouble and disqualify me? I don’t think the infinity gauntlet is a copyrighted object.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: It doesn’t matter if you gauntlet is infringing or not. Your school, through it’s representative the teacher, can generally make and enforce their own rules and codes of conduct. Including one that the representation of someone else’s IP may not be entered in the show.


Title: Attacked by dogs when I was a child in Massachusetts, 10 years later lawyer wants money -- please help

Question:
I'm wondering if anyone here might be able to help me untangle the mess I've gotten myself into.

Ten years ago, I was attacked by two German Shephards who jumped the fence of the house that owned them. I was taken to the hospital shortly after and incurred medical bills and an ambulance bill. My parents and I hired a lawyer at the time to represent the case; and I won. Except no money was ever paid out. Verbally the lawyer had said there was not much else he could do and that after ~7 years he would just be dropping it.

We have not heard anything from this lawyer for 9-10 years since the judgment/hearing. Last year, I got a letter in the mail from a firm who expressed that upon going through public records, they saw there was an award that had never been paid out. They said they would represent the case, which at this point has accrued significant interest for a contingency fee of 50%; figuring it was better this than nothing; I signed and had notorized documentation removing the original lawyer from the case and assigning this new firm for a period of two years.

Now, a hearing is coming up in several days with the new firm and the lawyer representing the dog owners. All of a sudden, my parents are getting letters and packets in the mail from the original lawyer (again, after a 10 year hiatus with no contact or follow up). Today I got an e-mail from the new firm stating that original lawyer is saying I owe money and that he will be present at the upcoming hearing (I don't understand how he can just show up at this hearing as he is no longer representing me). New firm is now telling me that original lawyer's fee would have to be resolved first before they'd give me anything.

My parents are trying to find the original contract signed with original lawyer. I'm just failing to understand how he can just come out of the woodwork after 10 years looking for money when he did nothing to try and get me mine (he had always been very verbally sympathetic to the dog owners, which we had found very bizarre; it hardly even seemed that he was representing my side of the case).

I also know that I had asked the new firm upfront how any fees from the first lawyer would be dealt with, I was told they'd handle it and not to worry about it.

Boy, have I learned a lot from this whole experience.

Are there any particular details about this scenario that would protect me or hold a case against the original lawyer hired. Is this something that could be reported to the Bar? I would also think it all depends on if any money even gets paid out, which I am doubtful of.

Answer: Your first lawyer is entitled to his fee from the judgment he won.


Title: [FL] House flooded by telecom technician

Question:
Last week, a technician for a major telecom broke a water line in our attic, flooding half our house. They immediately got a plumber to fix the pipe and had a remediation company out the next day to begin demolition of the areas damaged by the flood and to dry everything out.  Their insurance company is supposedly going to pay to have everything repaired and we are in the process of getting estimates.  They sent out an "independent" adjuster to write up their own estimate.  I'm having a family friend, who is also a licensed independent adjuster come out and write up his own estimate because I'm worried that they are going to low ball it.  In the meantime, they refused to pay for a hotel while everything dries out.  My wife, son, and I are diagnosed asthmatics. We have all had to use our rescue inhalers and my wife, whose asthma is well controlled, has had to start nebulizer treatments in order to keep breathing. We also have three other young children who are showing signs of respiratory issues since this started.

Am I wrong to trust that their insurance company will make everything right, despite their lack of caring about the health and well-being of my family and I?  Should I consult with a lawyer? Is there anything else I should be cognizant of while we are taking inventory of all of our damaged belongings?

Edit:  I forgot to add that we are renting from family.

Answer: Have you called your homeowners insurance? They might cover alternate living arrangements.Answer #2: If you have home owners or renteres insurance contact your agent. They may cover what the other company doesn't. Often your insurer will go after the telecom company and their insurance for their costs.


Title: Got cited after getting rear-ended.

Answer:
 With respect to the accident, going around your insurance is probably a bad idea unless you know how to prepare and execute a full release once you pay the guy.  If you don't, he can come after you for more money later.  You should let your insurance handle this -- that's why you pay them.

As for the ticket, you can get a lawyer if you really want to fight it.  Otherwise all you can do is argue the facts and see if the judge agrees.  You can probably subpoena the witnesses to appear.


Title: Landlord didn’t provide notice 30 days before renewal and lease auto-renewed. Do we have any options?

Question:
So about a month ago, our landlord provided us a document ~5 days prior to when our lease was set to renew asking if we were staying. We were traveling at that time and upon our return, he informed us that our lease had renewed and we were on the hook for another year.  I was recently offered a job that will require a move from Philadelphia to Dallas so we need to exit this lease, but by the time the job was offered it was to late.

It was in the lease that it is on us to terminate the lease but this just sits funky with us. Intentional or not, telling us our lease was going to renew a few days before it did seems slimy.

The plot thickened when another apartment in the building opened up and the landlord is now aggressively marketing that apartment.  The landlord has listed our apartment on Zillow, Craigslist, etc alongside this other apartment at the same time but has priced our apartment out of the market. It seems almost intentional, especially since he is controlling the listing of our apartment.

What say do we have when it comes to marketing/pricing/Etc? Do we have any options to break this lease with minimal penalty?

TL;DR: Lease automatically renewed but need to move for job reasons. Any options to break lease with minimal penalty?

Answer:
 >It was in the lease that it is on us to terminate the lease but this just sits funky with us.

What sits funky with you? That the landlord is respecting the lease they signed and asking you to do the same?

Or the fact that they sent you a reminder ahead of the lease expiring despite not being legally required to do so?

>What say do we have when it comes to marketing/pricing/Etc?

Not much - you are locked in for another year.

>Do we have any options to break this lease with minimal penalty?

Not based on the information you supplied.

I am sorry that you are finding yourself in a pickle, but as a tenant, you assumed certain obligations when signing the lease, and it appears that you just failed to give the required notice, so the lease renewed, which is all according to the contract you agreed to.

There is simply no legal recourse that I can see for you - I would continue working with the landlord on mutually acceptable solutions to this conundrum.

>I was recently offered a job that will require a move from Philadelphia to Dallas so we need to exit this lease, but by the time the job was offered it was to late.

Also, based on this, it seems that you would have renewed the lease even if you'd have gotten the notice, since the decision to move was made AFTER the lease renewal deadline.


Title: My 13 year old son has been acting out recently, so I'm considering the idea of punishing him with a belt. Would it be legal or are there negative legal implications (NY)?

Answer:
 You mean hitting him with a belt?  Yes, that could be considered child abuse.  Answer #2: Yes you can use a belt. BUT it is not recommended. If you leave a mark and CPS sees it, then it is physical abuse. You cannot leave an injury, bruise, mark.

So it is not recommended because it is to hard to control in order to not leave a mark.
 ft
And that age is not great for physical discipline. They move a lot and you can cause serious injuries that could lead to criminal charges.

Take things away, fancy clothing, privileges, electronics. Answer #3: Are you willing to risk a felony charge and possible loss of custody of your child on the advice of anonymous strangers on the internet?

Here is some friendly advice that will help you avoid the need for legal advice.  Get some therapy for both the child and yourself.


Title: Filed for Bankruptcy, Landlord filed for a lift of the Stay on the house so he can evict me. I've already moved, do I have to show up in court? [UT]

Question: Long story short, bad relations with landlord, and so to stall to give me time to find a house I filed for bankruptcy. I've already moved, and finished all the requirements of the bankruptcy, which is due to be discharged any day now. My landlord has filed for a lift of the Stay put on the house for 90 days. I've already moved and mailed the keys back (he lives in another state - they should arrive there tomorrow) do I need to do anything with the court? I think he's filing to force me to finish the bankruptcy, which I have, as well as lift the stay to Evict me, and I'm TOTALLY gone. What happens if he wins in court? It just lifts the stay to evict me, right?

Answer:
 Yes, you need to show up in court.  Whether that be the hearing to lift the stay, or an eviction.

Both would likely be dismissed once you explain that you've moved.  Speak to your bankruptcy attorney, as this may be able to be handled without your physical presence, but some representative should be there.


Title: Husband Can't get ID without Replacement Naturalization Papers, but can't Replacement Naturalization papers without ID, Any Advice?

Question:
Hello all, I hope posting here for this question is ok.

My husband is a U.S. Citizen and has been for over 20 years. Last year during a move from Washington State to Ohio (where we now live), His Naturalization papers were lost. Last December we filed an n565 for Replacement Naturalization papers. During this time his Drivers license has expired and he can't get a new one because he doesn't have Naturalization papers. Two days ago we received a request from USCIS for more documentation. The documentation they want is a copy of his marriage license (no problem there) and a recent ID (Problem). So the problem is we're caught in a loop. He did make an appointment with the local USCIS office but I also thought I might look around and see if anyone else had any advice on how we might be able to get him an ID or what we might be able to do.

Thanks so much.

[edit] No He doesn't have a passport [/edit]
Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 Try calling your local US Congressman's or US Senator's office for help.  A call from a staffer there might get the USCIS office to cut through any red tape.

Good luckAnswer #2: Is he still a citizen from another country? He might be able to get a passport from their embassy or consulate, and use that with USCIS. Answer #3: You can use the old driver's license if it expired within the last 6 months.

Did he ever have a US Passport?


Title: Discrimination Help

Question:
Hi r/Legaladvice, this is my first time posting here so bear with me, I just have a quick question.

I am a gay male, 21 years old, and my boyfriend is a 20 year old male. We are trying to move into an apartment, first time moving out. We are in Missouri. On the apartment complex's website we've been looking at, it says you must be 18 to apply, 2 people per bedroom allowed.

The place we are looking at is a 1 bedroom, the woman we've been speaking with is trying to pry into our lives and asking why we would be sharing a room in a 1 bedroom. We don't want to flat out tell her we are homosexual for obvious reasons of being denied. After avoiding the question she is now trying to tell my boyfriend that seeing as he is 20, that you have to be 21 to move in, even though on their website it says 18, specifically ages 18-21 must have good rental history, even though we could get a co-signer with great credit (She does not know about our rental history yet though, so that isn't the problem). She seems to keep trying to change the rules that are set on their website.

Is there anything we can do? Or is it perfectly legal for them to deny us because we are gay?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 AFAIK, within Missouri only St. Louis has passed a law making sexual orientation a protected class when it comes to housing. However, the FHA is expanding its role in protecting LGBT individuals in terms of housing discrimination. [See here.](http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/LGBT_Housing_Discrimination) This is an evolving area of law.

But even if you are in St. Louis that may not matter, as they aren't necessarily bound by the "rules" on their website. If they want to change the policy to 21 they are free to do so (they just can't age discriminate against people 40-70). The phrase "good rental history" itself (even if they were bound to follow it, which they are not) is subjective. "Good" could mean a lot of things.

It's entirely possible she is discriminating against you because she perceives you are gay. If you want to consult with an attorney you can, but it sounds like it would be hard to prove you were being discriminated against due to sexual orientation. (And as far as the landlord knows officially, you're not gay, since you haven't said you are.)


Title: I’m scared i’m going to jail

Question:
My boyfriend and I were caught stealing some wine and food at Walmart.
Obviously got caught. I’m out on bond and I have court tomorrow at 8am. This is my first offense— I only have speeding tickets on my record.
What should I do? Is there a good chance I’m going to jail?
I’m in indiana if that changes anything

Answer:
 You should retain an attorney.

What have you been charged with?  We can't predict outcomes, though it wouldn't be common in most cases for someone to serve time on shoplifting or relatively minor theft as a first offense.

That said, the threat here isn't so much the punishment as it is the conviction for a crime of this nature which may limit job and educational prospects.  A lawyer gives you the best chance of avoiding conviction - perhaps trough a deferred adjudication or similar construct.


Title: Will the state lose jurisdiction over me when I turn 18?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If you've already been sentenced, then your punishments are set.  If those punishments last past 18, then yes, they can continue punishing you past 18.


Title: (MI) Won a prize with a loyalty card that isn't under my name. Who gets the prize?

Question: Long story...my aunt once gave me her loyalty card because she honestly wasn't using it. I didn't realize it was registered under her name. Well I did, but I honestly forgot. I won a prize. It's a small prize, but still. If I go to claim it, will they give it to me? Or does she need to claim it? I don't talk to her anymore, our family got into a huge fight...Is it legally hers? I have been using this card for at least ten years...

Answer: Read rules of card, likely everything is hers. Huge fight but not so huge to stop using benefits from her eh?


Title: Arrested for stealing an 8$ car holder.

Question:
So I am an 18 year old student living in university at Illinois and decided to steal an 8$ card holder that sticks onto my phone.

I stole it today afternoon and got a call couple hours later from the cops to meet me. The cop met me at the library (where I was) and told me I am getting arrested for stealing the case. He read my rights and said I was getting charged for retail theft. He also said that the record was going to last for my whole life even though he called it a misdemeanor. I have a court date on the 19 of December. I told him everything, (I know dumb)I was in the store and I took the case and walked away even though I had money to pay for it.

Answer: Get a lawyer. Answer #2: [This](https://www.isba.org/public/illinoislawyerfinder) is the Illinois bar referral service. $25 gets you a 30 minute consultation. Reach out to them tomorrow morning, and meet with a criminal defense attorney.


Title: How do I legally dispose of political signs on my property.

Question:
I am posting this for a friend that owns a small mom and pop convenience store. He is located on a busy intersection that has no less than 25 political signs. It deters lawn maintenance. He has picked them all up but has no idea how to legally dispose if them.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 Trash can would be a good place to start.

On top of that, nothing is stopping him from putting up his own signs admonishing the people that are littering on his property.Answer #2: Do y'all have strigent recycling laws and your asking which can they go into?

If someone puts trash on your yard, throw it away. You may want to reach out to the campaigns and tell them to stop. Hell, they may come and pick them up for you. Those signs aren't free and if they are about to be trashed, they may gladly take them back

Further, they may have been placed by a contractor or paid employee who would have been told to only put in public spot and/or get permission to avoid shit like this.


Title: Anti-semitic roommates drove me out and stole valuables [chicago il]

Question:
Long story short, I was friends with some girls at the beginning of my college career. We ended up renting a house together: 3 of them and me. This was in June of last year. Since then, they became super anti-semitic against me out of the blue. They just said really awful things about me being Jewish and they said they wished I would "die already." I ended up feeling so unsafe that I moved out early, now I am living on my own and paying 2 rents until the lease on that house is up.

After unpacking, I realized that from my Jewelry box my watch and my Hermes bracelet are missing. I would NEVER lose either because both are important to me. I rarely take them out of the Jewelry box. I know I had them before I moved out because I considered wearing one item on a date but ended up not, and put it back in the box.

I believe they stole the items as they have stolen from me before. The watch is not valuable but I really did like it. The Hermes bracelet, however, is very expensive. It was bought for 800 in paris. The money lost is less important to me than the sentimental value of the item and how I got it. I never buy expensive things like that so it was a special treat, basically. Its the only super expensive thing I own.

I dont have any police reports or proof from the first time they stole from me and I don't have any proof now that I could show to the police. It's just pretty much that I know it was them because we never had people over. The are also the only ones that knew what my jewelry box looked like or where it was.

I am so lost. I dont know what to do. Any advice helps, thanks.

Answer:
 Your options are as follows:

1.  Report the theft to the police.
2.  Sue them for the items or their value.

To be frank, you don't appear to have any evidence that they've stolen it.  You know you had it at one point, and you know you don't have it later.  That doesn't mean that they stole it.


Title: Presidential Pardon Limits

Question: Are presidential pardons only applicable to federal crimes? I wasn’t seeing much info regarding state or municipal charges.

Answer: Yes, they are only applicable to federal crimes. So, for example, there is an ongoing criminal probe of the Trump Organization and Donald Trump personally by the Manhattan district attorneys office under new york state law. In the event trump pardoned himself prospectively, any potential charges resulting from that investigation would not be affected.


Title: Apartment managers wants my boyfriend to pay rent even though he is not living there. What can he do?

Question:
Hello, we live in the state of California and in the city of San Bernardino. My boyfriend lives in a one room apartment with another roommate. So a week ago my boyfriend's roommate crashed into their apartment. Her car got totaled and their apartment wall was pretty messed up. My boyfriend wasn't there at the time, but the manager told his roommate that it would cost around $100,000 to fix everything! Apparently she crashed into a gas meter or something like that. So the insurance got involved and all that. The insurance will only cover $5,000 and will not pay for their apartment or a hotel or anything like that. The car crash happened last Saturday. The manager turned off all the power and gas and told them that she was going to change the lock on the door. He only manage to take a few things, but most of his possessions are still in his apartment.

The problem is that around 5 families including my boyfriend had to get evacuated due to gas leaking from the car crash. The manager found rooms for the other families but told my boyfriend and his roommate to look for their own cause she didn't have any more rooms for them. Is this okay to do?! I am she had enough rooms for the other families, but not for them!?

The manager at first told my boyfriend that it would take a week or two to fix everything. It has been a week and we drove by the apartment and nothing appears to be fixed. Today my boyfriend spoke to the manager and asked her when it will be fixed and she said she was not sure. He asked her this because his rent is due to be paid this Thursday. His contract ended a while ago and now he is just paying month to month. He doesn't want to pay for rent if he is not going to be living in the apartment. When he told the manager this she told him that if he did not pay for rent she will evict them and that the people on the lease (my boyfriend, his dad, and roommate) will not be able to rent an apartment for 7 to 10 years!

What should he do? He is going to get in contact with a lawyer for some legal advice later, but I just can't wait. I feel that this manager is being unfair. I have read online that the manager cannot evict someone unless they have a court order. But then I read that you can evict certain types of tenants. If anyone can refer me to some information I would really appreciate. Sorry if this is confusing! I will clarify if it is needed.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Landlord is upset and dragging feet in hopes that your boyfriend and roommate shove off given the absurdity of the damage caused. It's frankly understandable. Most states do not require landlords to house tenants in event of incident such as this, especially when it is the tenants fault. If your boyfriend doesn't pay rent and also doesn't leave, yes the landlord will probably evict them and an eviction can hurt the ability to rent in the future. Your boyfriend probably can get a pro-rata deduction in rent for the time the place isn't habitable, but its kinda a was given your landlord could then sue your boyfriend's roommate given that lose is their fault.

My advice: Your Boyfriend & his roommate should gather belongings and move out. Did they have renter's insurance?


Title: Stranger mom in ICU and they call me

Question: Hi, I (24f) just have some questions I need advice on. My mother (49f), who left with with her ex boyfriend and didn’t take care of not my sister who is now dead, is in the ICU. A lot of people tried to find me and they succeeded. I don’t talk to my mom, she never really tried to change or to better herself while she was capable and now she’s in a ventilator with her toe cut off due to a massive infection in the bone and such. I go up to see what’s going on they tell me everything and say how she’s kind of demented and fighting back and not cooperating with the doctors to take the ventilator off. They basically want me to make the choices and they said she has a 50/50 to live. I haven’t talked to her, we had a falling out, she does drugs like meth, picks sex with guys over me her entire life, and is super selfish. I blame her for my sisters death. I’m not sure what to do because I don’t even want to deal with this. I don’t want her medical bills. I don’t want to see her in this condition and I just want to avoid the situation completely because I’m already going through a lot and this is just fucking too much. I want to tell them to just let her go because even after she makes it, who would take care of her? I can barely take care of myself. Plus, she won’t be her normal self. She’ll be suffering. She has diabetes, a problem with her heart, and now she could be demented. She also does drugs which I’m sure has decreased her body health by a lot. And I just want to end it now. I don’t want the medical bills because I cannot afford them. I’m still living with my foster father and I just don’t know what to do. I’m lost. I don’t want to be heartless but I don’t want to assume responsibility for her either because I do love her, she birthed me, I just can’t get over everything she has done. She never changed and I will not take care of her. Any guidance would be much appreciate. Thanks for reading.

Answer:
 Texas has no filial responsibility laws, so you won't be responsible for her medical bills.

You can either tell the hospital that you don't want to make decisions and would like to be left alone, or you can tell them that you want them to take as few life-preserving measures as possible.


Title: Someone blasted my FB profile in an article and I dont know what to do!!

Question: I am black expat that lives in Egypt and experienced discrimination recently. I tried to complain to the manager but was unable to get a hold of him, feeling frustrated I wrote a Facebook post about it and made it public so everyone would hear about my experience. Within 24 Hrs, it got 200+ shares and the story sort of blew up, not internationally viral but still gained some traction. Then the place and their CEO contacted me, apologized and fired the workers and etc. So naturally, I made an update post to let everyone know what happened. Tonight, my sister called to say someone screenshotted my FB posts and wrote an article about it for some website. The screenshots had my FULL name and my FB profile picture on it and I honestly felt like someone violated my privacy because the author didn't ask for my permission. I don't want to take the story down, I want people to hear about my story so that they can be socially and racially aware and the author didn't write my story in a bad way, in fact, I believe this article can do good but I'm also not comfortable with the idea they used my name and my face without my permission. What should I do? What should I say? Does anyone know any legalities surrounding publication in Egypt? I don't want to take it legal but I also dont want to initiate conversation completely blind, i wanna have some background as to what my rights are and what's allowed and now allowed in the world of publication. Any help is appreciated.

Answer: You made it public. It's public. News sources can use public materials. Answer #2: You’re unlikely to get a good response on Egyptian law here, but if it’s anything like US law, you have no recourse. If you want something to remain private, it’s generally not best to post it on Facebook. Answer #3: However you may feel about it, nobody violated your privacy.


Title: california - court appearance for multiple driving infractions - what to expect?

Question:
Hey /r/legaladvice! I'm a social worker in california, and I'm asking this in order to prep one of my clients, as I can't accompany her to the actual court proceedings. Her son has a court date coming up, and it's basically the result of having a DUI, driving without a license, and tons of other driving infractions. Written on the last ticket (with the court ticket) was the phrase 'warrant' and '25,000$ bail.'

My client is a disabled adult, and naturally, very nervous. I'm hoping to sit down with her and her son before the actual court date....what sort of proceedings should he expect? Is there any risk for arrest if there are unpaid fines? Basically I just want to get an idea of how it's going to look for him, so I can run a roleplay scenario, and keep any 'outbursts' by my client at bay.

If anybody has any idea what to expect, please please let me know. Thank you in Advance!

Answer:
 DUI is not a driving infraction.  It's a crime.  If there's a $25,000 warrant out, that sounds like a felony.

He needs a lawyer.


Title: Doctor gave me a painful anal fissure from a rectal exam

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer: You're literally butthurt about this.Answer #2: Anal fissures are literally small tears that lots of people develop. You will be fine and I can't imagine it harmed you that much throughout the week unless you have an exceptionally low pain tolerance. The doctor didn't do anything wrong here.


Title: Can I be sued for enforcing my job's policy?

Question:
This takes takes place in Maryland. I work as a security officer for a small hospital. We have a policy that states certain parking places are off limits to employees from 7am-7pm, but open to the night shift. There are also some parking specifically reserved for volunteers that work for the hospital. Violating the policy resulting in a boot being placed on the vehicle and a $25 fine paid to have it removed.

A nurse stated that her husband works as a vehicle inspector for the state of Maryland, and that he will check for every single mark of damage done to the wheel during the application process of the boot, and will sue both the hospital and I. How much ground would this case have if she did decide to sue?

Answer:
 She's got a point; if you have to damage a car to boot it, you're liable for it.

That said, your employer bears responsibility for your actions as their agent; that's well established in modern employment law. Answer #2: Go back and tell your supervisor that an employee threatened to sue you, and your guys' employer, for parking where they shouldn't. Hopefully your supervisor will kick it up to HR.

As far as a suit... how badly can a boot damage a car?


Title: Do I have a case?

Question:
(TEXAS) I was arrested for a POC and after checking over my property inventory (which I did not give permission to be removed from my vehicle) I realized that my money was short. I stated the money was short, and even told them what denomination was missing. Upon the internal affairs at the police department doing an investigation a police officer in training was found responsible and released from his position due to my money being taken. All pending charges are being dropped and I was refunded the hundred dollars that was missing,  do I have a case? Is it worth my time, and would it be reasonable to request a pro bono or at least nothing upfront until after?
Any and all advice is welcomed and wanted...THANK YOU

Answer: What do you hope to achieve? You reported it, they investigated it, and they took action and got you your money back. That's about as good of a result as you could ask for.


Title: (Asking for my boyfriend) My boyfriend is in a custody battle for his 9 year old son he hasn't seen or talked to since thanksgiving

Question: Sgddrgb

Answer: Do you have a legal question? He has an attorney and can fight it. Get proof he paid support (checks, bank records, whatever)


Title: I lost $400 cause I'm a trusting idiot

Question: A woman I know asked me to cash a check for her. I did, everything seemed fine. Like a week later my account is over drawn for 400 dollars. I call navy federal, they say the account ended up having insufficient funds. Can I sue the woman for reimbursement? If there's any missing info needed to help me out ask below. I live in VA.

Answer:
 You can't sue who doesn't exist. This is an old, common scam. If you knew for certain who this person was, you might have a chance.

Did you send the money you cashed the check from somewhere, perhaps via Western Union?


Title: Talked to my dad and step-mom on Friday, Sat get a text from her, then a phone call saying I'm 'out of dad's will'...options? advice? (TN, USA)

Question:
Okay, will try to be brief.
  I'm mid 30's, father is just over 70. He lives an hour away with a girlfriend that's lived with him for 7 years (right after I moved out from there to go to another state to live). The girlfriend's daughter, then son at times lived there as well, to the point where her son and my dad got into multiple violent incidents and he and his g/f moved out (with my assistance, I moved back into state at that point).  My dad recently sold a portion of the homestead that paid off taxes, lawyer fees, and what was left of the mortgage; there is still over 100 acres left, with at least 30 of them very prime for anything, but rural location.
  Overall the relations have been good to great, I visit when I can (which is sadly about once a month, I work nights for the past 3 years), no problems of any kind until a few months ago when once I was asked to drive him to the VA and was unable to that particular day. Any other time I was ready, but he would change his mind at the last minute.
  This past friday I decided to call them up after a few weeks silence since me and paternal half-sis had a fight online about dad, talked to girlfriend for a few, apologizing for not calling lately or anything, then talked to dad, both seemed fine about it and were glad to hear from me.
  Saturday, got a txt from her basically saying "I know you already know that your dad wants you out of the will. I will try to change his mind. You will be in mine if needed. But you need to grow up. Selfishness isn't helping." (I had no idea, turns out she told my step-dad, but he didn't know what to do about it, and didn't tell me or my mom yet.)
  Within 5 minutes she called me, and I'm very sure she was pretty-to-very drunk. She cried twice, explained that because I'm having troubles in my own life, I need to stop being selfish, and how her kids call every day and think of him as a true father and that they will be in the will someway. She said she has medical power of attorney now, and they are wrapping up the divorce paperwork of his last wife (his...5th I believe; they separated, and she's wanted it for years just needed to have him pay for it). She was also pretty pissed and convinced that either I or my mom (who is still local, and friendly with them both) called their recent lawyer and said that she isn't fit to care for my dad (I'm thinking it more likely my sister).
  I know my dad's will from when I lived there 7 years ago (me and sister split everything, I can utilize an option to keep 5 acres).
  At the moment I of course want to go over there asap and confront dad, but sometimes he's barely coherent, and she's been in charge of his meds for so long, I'm just really worried and frustrated.  Added that this 'young guy' is staying there too, which limits the chances of trying to confront my dad without their interference.  I'm pretty sure they'll just do the whole "he doesn't want you here, get out! Before I can even see him.
Options and advice appreciated, sorry for writing a book.

EDIT: cut out a lot of less-than-important things.
   Added this: I'm not complaining if my dad actually wants to change his mind, that's his prerogative and I can finally just walk away from girlfriends drama and bitching and not feel bad (homestead has been in our family for over 150 years, always knew it meant a lot to us family); I'm just pretty convinced either girlfriend is trying to get me to blow my top (giving more ammo that her and her kids are so much better), or just walk away (doing the same). I'm figuring to call them Monday, pretend the phone call/txt didn't happen, and just be nice and check on things, not mention anything until and unless they do first. If that goes well, then plan to visit next day and see what happens.

Answer: You're not entitled to any of your fathers possessions. It's completely up to him whether you get anything or not and he can write you out of the will if he wants. If you think he's being coerced or is mentally incapacitated to make this decision you need to gather evidence as such. Answer #2: I skimmed over this.... but, essentially your dad can write his will however he wants, you are not entitled to anything of his. If you believe that he is for some reason mentally incompetent then consult a lawyer.


Title: [AZ] Discovered a video of my father raping me as a child

Question:
Throwaway account for obvious reasons. I am a 19 year old male and I was recently looking through an old digital camcorder. Most of it was really nostalgic, old videos of myself and my siblings as kids, stuff like that. I then came across a video of my father raping me. I don't want to go into detail as I am still in shock and typing this out is still extremely hard, but I have no idea what to do. I live a relatively normal middle class life and I am just at a loss of words. I have been in my room with the door locked for eight hours as I don't want to face my family. The worst thing about this is my mother was present in the video as well, she seemed to allow it.

I am typing this through tears. I have absolutely no idea what to do legally about this. I cannot afford a lawyer.

Thank you all so much for your support, I am completely shocked right now

Answer:
 You don't need a lawyer. You can take the tape to the police and file a report. They will take it from there.

On a personal note if you live with your parents you may have to get prepared to move out.Answer #2: Walk out the door with the camera and directly into your nearest police station. Tell them exactly what you've said here.

Contact RAINN for counselling and support. I am so, so sorry.Answer #3: > I cannot afford a lawyer.

Forget the lawyer. Turn this over to the police immediately, and seek counseling.Answer #4: Police. Yesterday.

I am so, so sorry.


Title: Super popular test post, please ignore.

Question: Will probably make best of.

Answer: I'm more interested in bird law, sorry. Answer #2: /u/LocationBot recallAnswer #3: Came for the MS paint diagram, did not disapointAnswer #4: no you can't have marijuana


Title: Can an employer stop you from taking tips?

Question:
Florida

I work at an office supplies chain, where we don't officially take tips.

Recently, we were asked to sign waivers saying we would no longer take tips. Many were upset about it, only because it had been allowed for years.

Is my manager annoyed to do this?

Answer: As long as you are paid at least state minimum wage for untipped workers, then yes, your employer can refuse to allow you to accept tips.


Title: Co-workers 16 year old son was in a serious dune buggy accident.

Question:
Here are just the facts, completely unbiased:

While my co-worker was at work her neighbor handed her unlicensed 16 year old the keys to a dune buggy to race around their neighborhood. The neighbor or her son did not have permission from my co-worker or her husband. The neighbor says that he told her son to go slow but the neighbor did not provide a helmet or ask that her son wear restraints. Her son was going too fast, rolled the dune buggy and crashed into a different neighbors garage/house. Her son is seriously injured and both neighbors are now expecting my coworker to pay for damages totaling about 15k. My co-worker feels completely responsible for all the damages however I feel that because she was not present and didn't give permission she is absolved of the financial damages for the dune buggy but should take responsibility for the damages to the house.

Please help and give us your best advice.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: The kid is absolutely liable for his own negligence.  There might be a separate cause of action for negligent entrustment against the person who let the kid use the dune buggy, but that doesn’t mean the kid isn’t responsible for his own negligence.


Title: Sold a Lemon- Had no idea. Need Help ALBERTA CANADA

Question:
Hey guys, Im in a bit of a bind and need some advice.

My fiancee and I had a 2002 Ford Focus, with approximately 230,000kms on the engine. The car always ran fine for us, with the odd issue here and there (as to be expected).

It came time for us to let go of the vehicle, as the transmission started to leak- and I only have basic knowledge of vehicle maintenance. I suspected the leak to be the lower pan gasket, although there was no way for me to know as we never had it inspected. We simply kept the fluids topped up, and put it for sale.

Fast forward one week where we finally put it up for sale after the leak had started. In the ad, I had mentioned that there was a transmission leak, and it would be best for a mechanically inclined individual. I posted the car for 1500, but let it go for 1300, as I knew that would be a fair deal as well. The deal included the car, and two full sets of brand new winter tires, which definitely increased the value of the sale in itself.

After multiple viewings all week, one lady decided to come by and take a look. She came with her boyfriend, and his dad (which happened to be a heavy duty mechanic). They gave it an in-depth inspection (with a flashlight and all), as well as a test drive around the block. Everything seemed great, and went as expected. The dad seemed very confident in fixing any issues that it would have and said so openly. (I would like to mention now that a week prior I had decided to fill up the tank with 20 bucks of gas, and take it for a test drive of my own before people started to come by for a look. It drove great, even on the highway.) Fast forward to the day of the purchase, and she seemed very happy with her new vehicle.

Although a couple days later, I get a text from her which accused me of selling her a broken vehicle. She said it doesnt go above 80kms and idles very high. I assumed it was the transmission, but couldnt say for sure. I asked if she kept the fluids topped up, as instructed, and she replied that "shes not an idiot, of course I did". I asked if her boyfriends dad has looked at it, although she seems to have skipped that question all together. She finds it difficult to believe we had no idea the transmission was going to fail when we sold her the vehicle, even though a mechanic has not inspected the vehicle in the past few years of ownership. Id like to also mention that there was no inspection prior to the sale of the vehicle, as she decided to just buy it outright.  Her stance is "you knew there was a transmission problem and you sold it to me knowingly. Theres no way a mechanic didnt spot it with all the work you guys had done". (We never had a mechanic work on it, as I was the only one to perform and fixes- as i mentioned in person when she came to inspect the vehicle).

Shes wanting to take us to small claims court, although we have no money to our name. Im not sure what to do. We have a wedding in august and were moving back home to our parents to save some money already. Im a full time student and were living off of my fiancees income.

I posted the ad with all relevant information. Make, model, kms, known issues, and I even specified that mechanically inclined individuals would be preferred. I mentioned the transmission leak, and included all receipts for any items i may have purchased in the past.

Do you guys have any advice?

 I know the law and it says, " **Be a Wise Consumer**
Unless otherwise stated, used vehicles are sold "as is". This means any flaws or defects with the vehicle after the sale are the responsibility of the buyer. Do not let yourself be blinded by the reputation of a particular make or model. Even a well-made vehicle can deteriorate if it is not maintained properly."

Although I dont know if she still has grounds for suing us.

Any help would be really great...

I never meant for this to happen and ive apologized profusely already. Ive tried to explain things to her but its falling on deaf ears.

Answer: She can sue you. Your defense would be exactly what you laid out. Not much you can do until/if that actually happens. Don't have any further communication with her. Once somebody threatens legal action then you stop talking to them.Answer #2: Sounds like a scam to me. She bought a car after you said transmission problems. Now wants to sue you.  I think she's scamming you.


Title: My doctor tried hypnotizing me when I was younger...was this legal for him to do?

Question:
I'm in Iowa, and this was probably 10 years ago now.

Looking back, I just think it was kinda strange.

Answer: Without any details, yes.


Title: Airbnb partygoers stole hosts' items

Question: My friend threw an unsolicited party at an airbnb and the partygoers stole the owner's items. My friend didn't even know this until afterwards when the owner notified them. Would my friend be charged/arrested for robbery, even if they didn't actually do it? What other legal possibilities would occur against them? Like for example, would the owner be able to sue them?

Answer:
 Your friend needs to pay for the damages to the rental unit. Yes, they can be sued if they refuse to pay. Answer #2: It is unlikely they will be arrested, as it is too difficult to prove they were the person who stole them. We do not assign criminal responsibility the way we do civil.

However, the owners certainly can sue the person who rented the unit. Their actions of inviting guests is what allowed the theft to occur; the hosts leased use of their space to you, not your friends. If you know who stole them, you can sue them for what you have to repay the hosts. But in no circumstances here would the hosts need to identify who stole the items and sue them. That is on the person who signed the rental contract with AirBnb.


Title: Found Money. Can I spend it?

Question:
Location - Washington State

I was on a hike this morning along one of my normal routes. I had to pee and stepped off the trail to find a bit more privacy.

I noticed a plastic grocery bag which seemed out of place. I hate people who litter in our National parks so I figured I pack out the trash.

It turns out the bag was filled was appears to US money or very good counterfeit. Upwards of 20000 USD.

I didn’t see anyone else or any other cars on my way out.

The money is currently in my trunk.

What do I do I here? If I bring it to the police will I get it back? Can I just spend it? Do I need to report it on my taxes?

Answer: If it was $5, I'd say keep it.  For $20k, take it to the police.  Fill out the paperwork.  If no owner can be found, you'll get to keep it.  And yes, you'll probably have to mention it on your taxes.Answer #2: Report it to the police. They have a process and you can eventually keep it if the owner can’t be found. Answer #3: Police.


Title: Photography on private property? Security and Legality?

Question:
Today I went out and did a shoot with a friend of mine in two malls, both of which security told us we were not allowed to shoot as the girls nearby shot selfies on their phone and pictures of the food court. I'm aware that many private places within the United States have "rules" where you're not allowed to photograph on their property but as to what could happen here, I'm not sure. These are just company rules, not laws after all?

From my understanding, the security guards can't detain you unless they put you under citizen's arrest, which probably couldn't happen for taking a picture unless they tried to pin trespassing on you. I also am fairly certain that they can't touch your gear, look at your photos, or ask you to delete anything either.

Any type of clarification on this would be greatly appreciated. Both situations were fairly well handled by security today with the exception of the first location guard being a bit of a dick. The second location guy was really nice and respectful although both guards asked me to delete the photos, I did not.

TL;DR

What are the legalities of shooting on private property (malls, shops, etc) in the USA. Can security detain you, take your gear, or request to delete the photos?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: They can ban you from the premises and have you trespassed. They cannot detain you or take your property.


Title: Inheritance question (MA)

Question:
The Will stipulates assets be split equally between two adult children. One is a criminal drug addict, living a life one would expect. This person has stolen and/or cost his parent hundreds of thousands.

Assuming the parent doesn't change the Will, is there anything the other child can do to prevent half their childhood home from going into a needle?

What is meant by, and involved in, contesting a Will?

The criminal child has severe mental health issues with extreme violent tendencies and is already being monitored by our State's High Risk Team. Scored a 13 out of 15 on the assessment... Highest recorded... Thankfully he hasn't murdered or seriously harmed someone yet.

So assuming he's either incarcerated or under medical/psychological care most of the rest of his life; how will all that factor in? Will the State take or manage his share of the inheritance for him?

The other sibling is executor - and personally wishes he doesn't get a nickel - what will they be facing when the parent dies?

The surviving family only knows where the criminal is through a mutual acquaintance and has restraining orders against him, who will be responsible for telling the criminal his parent died and about the Will?

Any information would be appreciated, including anything pertinent I may not have known to ask.

Thank you.

*Since I wasn't clear; the executor child knows they have to honor the Will and has no plans of stealing from the criminal sibling, just wants to know what to expect and how hard or expensive it may be.

How does he get his share if he's incarcerated when the parent dies? Or if he's involuntarily committed? Assuming they don't go for a guardian, does the executor simply sell everything and send him a check?

But again, how does it work if at the time we have no idea where he is?

Answer:
 People are entitled to give their money to charities for cats and to children that are having a hard time in life.

Your job as executor would be to execute the will fairly.  If you can't do that you should refuse the executor job.

You can try to convince the parent to change their will to set up a trust fund or annuity for the other child, so that the money is doled out slowly over time.


Title: Is senior pricing discriminatory?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: It is legal to discriminate against young people.Answer #2: If you are patient and lucky, eventually you will be entitled to pay the discounted price too (along with all the fun body issues)


Title: Getting my husband out of the house before the divorce. (Ohio)

Question:
I am planning on filing for legal separation and then divorce from my husband of 2 years. My son and I are eventually going to move in with my brother, but we are doing some renovations to make the transition possible. I have asked my husband to move out of the marital home in the mean time, he refuses.

Here is where it gets tricky. The house we live in, we rent from my father. When the lease was made, I requested that it be only in my name. Things had been bad for a while, and I was afraid it might come to this. I put the lease only in my name so that if we separated, there would be no disputing who got to stay. At this point, I am a full-time student with no income. I can't afford to stay here, and would never ask my father to let me stay for free while he pays all my bills.

The other side of it is, my husband is awful with money. He makes enough to support us but the bills are habitually unpaid. He has insisted that if I am moving out, he is going to stay. He will have child support on top of the other bills he already doesn't pay. He can't afford to stay here.
I want my dad to be able to rent this house out to someone else once I move out and not have to deal with my husband, who will inevitably get evicted for nonpayment of rent. Before anyone asks, I supplement our income with my student loans,  usually spending anything over my tuition on back bills every semester from things he hasn't paid.

So here is my question, is there a way for me to get him out of the house legally? Can my father just refuse to give him a lease? Will we have to evict him? What should I know going into this?

Answer:
 You can give him proper thirty day notice then file for eviction. He is your sublease (assuming he never signed anything with your father).

[Link](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/ohio-notice-requirements-terminate-month-month-tenancy.html)


Title: (CA) Roommates don't want to include me in the new lease and want me out. I cant afford to move anywhere else.

Question:
I have lived my house in downtown San Jose for nearly a year. My friend was the lease holder but is moving out and is helping one of my roommates acquire the new lease. We have a really good deal.  She does not want me living in the house for the next year and wants me gone. Mainly because I have a dog and use the garage (I pay for both). I don't make very much money and cant afford anything close in the area. To make matters worse I am hoping to start a new full time, better pay job very soon. Is there ANYTHING I can do? Please let me know. I no longer have a home base to go back to and don't have very much money.

Edit: I rent from the lease holder with no contract, just a verbal agreement to pay $950.

Answer:
 You can't force people to live with you against their will.

The better job will help the money problem, no? Also try calling 211. They can help with money, housing, food, health, and so on.


Title: [PA] Landlord is demanding rent on a property we didn't live in.

Question:
So, some backstory, my girlfriend and I decided to move in together earlier this summer. However, the expirations on each of our leases didn't match up (hers ended end of May, and mine is up end of July). Since she'd been a good tenant for three years, she asked her landlord (via email) if it would be possible for her to go month-to-month for June and July in order for us to find a place, and eventually it was settled via verbal agreement that my girlfriend would go month-to-month for June and July. Nothing was signed, just agreed upon.

The landlord then showed us another property of theirs and and we loved it, so we decided to go for it. The landlord asked us to move in in July, and we thought that would be fine, and we'd be all set. My former roommate decided to move into my girlfriend's previous apartment, and did so on July 11th, getting the keys on the 10th, but with a lease that lists a start date of August 1st.

The landlord is now demanding the rent for July from my girlfriend on a place she was not living in, which is now inhabited by my former roommate. During this whole process, I'd been incredulous that the landlord was apparently just letting my former roommate live there rent-free for three weeks, and now it's clear why, as the landlord thought the rent would be paid by my girlfriend on a location she was not living in after they insisted we move into the new apartment for a July start to the lease.

When we realized what was being asked by the landlord, we stopped replying to her emails to make sure we didn't say anything incorrectly, but I want to check here to see if there are any things we should be concerned about, and what the opinion of lawyers would be on the subject. Any help would be appreciated!

TL;DR: Girlfriend went month-to-month after the expiration of her lease with a verbal agreement. Signed a lease on a new place for a start of the second month with the same landlord, and they're still requesting the second month of rent from her, even though someone else is now living in the apartment.

Answer:
 One of these two happened:

1) your girlfriend sublet the apartment to your former roommate and the former roommate owes your GF prorated rent for July from the date he moved in; or

2) your girlfriend moved out and the landlord moved a new tenant in.  In this case your landlord needs to prorate your GF's rent for the month of July until the date the roommate moved in.

Sounds like it's the second one.  You can tell your landlord he can't collect double rent for July and you'll be paying the prorated rent for July until the new tenant moved in.


Title: Assaulted by Hilton Hotel security guard, phone damaged, sprained wrist. (Gold Coast, Australia)

Question:
Last night as I was finishing my kebab after drinking at a bar, I went into an alleyway to take a leak and I didn't notice that it actually on Hilton property. A security guard came up to me and started yelling at me asking what I was doing and he started getting progressively more aggressive. I took out my phone to record the incident and he forcefully grabs me by the wrist and twists it to the point where I thought he was going to break it (can barely move it today). He then took my phone, threw it on the ground making it come apart (the cover and batter) and proceeded to forcefully throw it into a garbage can (screen is smashed). At this point, 2 other guards saw what was happening and came out to help me. They told the guard to leave and he walked away. They then helped open the trashcan and found my phone for me and I made a complaint with them and left my number. The security office called me this morning to inform me that the security guard has been fired, and that they looked at the CCTV footage and want to compensate me. They asked what I thought was appropriate and in my hungover state I just said well its about 100 bucks for a screen fix as that was the only thing wrong with the phone at that point. It has now stopped working completely.

I am wondering what sort of compensation I should be asking for? I definitely need a new phone, but I also want to make sure I am getting what I deserve from this assault/battery. What is the best course of action? What should I be asking for and what should I be doing? They are calling me back on Wednesday when the main Security Risk officer is back. Thanks guys

TLDR: Guard smashed my phone, sprained my wrist, has since been fired. What compensation is appropriate?

Answer: You should ask for the compensation to put you in the position you were before the incident.


Title: [Texas] Physically threatened at work by boss's husband that also happens to be my father

Question: Hey /r/legaladvice!  I come to you with a conundrum. I work at my family's business, and have worked there for about 7 years now. I was working today, and I got up from a crouch and smacked my head pretty hard on a sharp object. There was no damage, but it hurt like hell, and I smacked a steel pole with my hand on purpose (yes, I know I should not have done that).  Anyway, my boss (who is my mom)'s husband (who is my dad) started literally running at me, and threatened to "beat my head in against that f-ing pole".  I shoved him back, and it devolved into a shouting match, as I had a pretty decently sized hammer in one hand from working. (I didn't pull it out to defend myself, I had it in my hand when I smacked my head). He has a pretty lengthy history of pulling this sort of crap, from throwing things at me, hitting me, and verbally abusing me, and frankly I'm sick of it. I don't want to involve the cops or anything, but is there anything I can do with the Labor department?  He is not employed by the business because he "didn't want to get investigated by the SEC". I just want it to stop. I would quit, but it is the best-paying job in the area. I just want the physicality to stop. I'm in Austin, Texas and I'm not a minor, although I'm under 20 and living with my parents for the summer.

Answer:
 Your family sounds fun. Think you could have said "I'm working for my dad" in a less straightforward way?

There are laws involving domestic violence that he's running afoul of. Answer #2: Your issue here isn't a labor department issue. It's a police issue. It's time to find a different job and/or call the police.

If you quit, you may very well get unemployment if you apply for it.


Title: Neighbor stole my sons kittens. What can I do?

Question:
About a week ago, we took in two stray kittens that had been dumped in my parents neighborhood. I live on a large piece of land far off the main road with a barn perfect for housing 2 outside cats. We set up a home and even cut a pet door into the back of the barn so the cats could come and go as they please. As it turns out, my neighbor apparently has a problem with the concept of barn cats. I know this because she pounded on my door at 1am to tell me this and insist I find the cats a "real home." The next morning we wake up with the kittens no where to be found. The day following we watched the neighbor walk out her back door with the kittens following her. Apparently she removed them from the barn the night she came over and continued to feed them and keep them with her. Yesterday we saw her passing the kittens around a gathering of people at her home and now as far as we can tell they're gone. Anything I can do about someone giving away animals that weren't hers to give? My real issue at this point is that, in the week we had them, my son got pretty attached. He still thinks he just can't find them. I have to deal with that when I get home....

Edit: located in northeast Ohio.

Answer: Why haven't you called the police?


Title: Backlash of suing a university [NY]

Question:
I seriously injured myself on the property of a university I attend. This resulted in surgery, short term immobility (about a month) and restricted walking (about six months), and the long term prospect of arthritis. It also postponed my graduation significantly.

I met with a lawyer today, who surveyed where I fell and he thinks that the area isn't reasonably maintained and that I have a case. He wants me to think about whether or not I truly want to pursue a lawsuit with the university.

Myself and my sibling attend the university. One of my parents also attended. I don't know if this would ruin that "relationship", or what repercussions this would have. Would the university not even care? Would I not be permitted to interact as an alumni at future events? I'm just wondering what pursuing legal action would mean in relation to me (and my family) interacting with the university in the future. Any insight would be helpful.

It is a very large (financially) university that is often hit with law suits, if that's relevant.

EDIT: Thanks for the replies, you guys! I'm thinking that since this seems to be a non issue, I'll probably go through with it.

Answer: Probably nothing. Clowns are constantly falling when trying to perform the difficult task of walking.


Title: [CA, USA] Sold my car years ago, driver crashed it, and it appears in my record. What can I do?

Question:
Sold the car to some guys (they may have been illegals) back in May 2014. I had them sign a contract, took down all their information, and had them sign a Bill of Sale as well. I signed the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability online for DMV using https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/online/nrl/welcome

Fast forward to the the present, I called for an insurance quote at State Farm and surprisingly they mentioned an accident under my name within a week of selling the car. I was not informed of this accident at all until I called State Farm and my current insurance Ameriprise.

What can I do to have this incident expunged from my record? Is it too late to do anything about it?

Answer: What to the DMV records show in terms of when they processed the form. Did you keep a copy?


Title: can a credit card be issued without ID

Question:
this applies to vancouver BC canada, one of those solicitors in a retail store tried to offer me a store credit card and i told them i had no ID on me at the time yet they still persisted, would it even be legal for them to do so without any sort of identification or proof of mailing address, and if it's not who should i report this too or inform
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: An ID is not required to take a credit card application. If it were, how could you apply online or via phone?


Title: US, FL: During a hearing, the judge suggested I report my lawyer to the bar association. How should I proceed from here?

Question:
My grandson, who lived in Venezuela, visited my husband and I in Florida with the intention of living with us. His parents gave us custody. We're both American citizens so adopting him would give him the legal status he requires to live with us. We hired a paralegal to handle the paperwork, who told us that this was gonna be an easy process. After we submitted the paperwork, the court asked us for his immigration papers which baffled the paralegal. She suggested we get a lawyer.

It proved difficult to find a lawyer who would handle a case in both adoption and immigration, but we found someone. Let's call him Josh. Josh told us that adoption and immigration were completely separate, and that our grandson's legal status was not related to and did not influence the adoption process in any way. We insisted that the court asked for the immigration papers but he assured us that those were two different cases and not related at all. He told us he'd go to court, speak with the judge bla bla bla. In short, he said he'd handle the case.

After about a month, he hadn't given us any updates, so I gave him a call. I asked how the case was coming along and he said he was talking about it with his partner and they were working on it. After this, he became hard to reach. He never replied to any of my emails and whenever I called, his secretary would say he's not in and that he'd get back to me, which he never did. On the two occasions I was able to talk to him, he made excuses and would dodge whatever questions I asked him, saying things like the judge was being difficult and strict or some other mumbo jumbo. Until one day, he called us with bad news. Josh told us the judge had decided not to approve the adoption because of my grandson's immigration status. I asked him how that could be since, "you told us that adoption and immigration were completely separate, and that his legal status would not be a conflict or interfere with the adoption." Josh replied that it was the judge's decision and that these laws change all the time. In the end, he did offer another solution, humanitarian asylum, which he would very gladly provide for a price.

A few months passed, we received a letter in the mail for a court hearing in regards to the case. Confused, we called Josh to see if he knew anything about it; he told us he hadn't set up the hearing and that we didn't have to go, it was probably gonna be a waste of time and nothing would come of it. We decided to go anyways.

We got to the court, judge called our name and, after looking over the file about our case, she said "Oh, so you're doing this by yourselves?" (meaning, without a lawyer) We replied "no, we hired Josh and he's been handling our case" and that's when she told us that Josh had only submitted a letter saying he was representing the case. There was no record of him ever meeting with a judge to discuss our case or doing anything to represent or help the adoption. After explaining all that, the judge advised us to report him to the bar association then asked if we were going to keep moving forward with the case and we said yes. She then said that our next step would be to get him to step out of the case.

That's where we are right now. What are my options? Is reporting him worth it? Is there any way to get my money back?

Answer:
 Well, if the judge made that recommendation, you might as well go ahead with it. You can sue the lawyer in small claim's court for the money you wish to recover if he did not render the services you paid for. And find yourself another lawyer!Answer #2: your attorney may have comitted malpractice; if nothing else "Josh" has violated the Rules of Professional Conduct b/c he was not truthful with you, withheld information from you, and was not diligent in his role as your advocate (at minimum).

Whether or not you choose to sue him (and if your grandson isn't successfully adopted b/c of some delay caused by your attorney), then you may have a claim for malpractice and should consult with a properly trained attorney who handles those cases.

&#x200B;

In the meantime, try calling the local bar association and asking for a referral; tell them your current attorney did X,Y,Z.Answer #3: https://www.floridabar.org/about/contact/

Specifically the department that covers Lawyer Regulation.Answer #4: Not a lawyer, but I work at an immigration law firm in Australia.

Firstly, report him to the bar. Without a doubt.

Secondly, go to an immigration lawyer. An experienced one. There are very few situations that would make a good immigration lawyer say, "hmm, that a first". And in my experience, a significant amount of our work involves fixing other people's immigration screw ups (read: inexperienced and/or under-qualified lawyers' immigration screw ups).

I hope you figure it out. I wish I could help more :(


Question:
*Beep Boop Beep Beep Boop*

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Original Post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/5eilnr/tx_update_from_last_week_on_home_buyer/

Author: /u/Bigfoot44

#**[TX] Update from last week on home buyer threatening to sue.**

> Here is the link to last week's thread - https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/5d6kez/tx_buyer_is_threatening_to_sue_us_because_pool/
>
> I followed your advice and stopped communicating with them. The real estate agent reached out a few minutes ago over email with the following message.
>
> "I wanted to see when you were planning on sending payment for the pool repairs? It looks like there is also a leak in the hot tub. Things are looking pretty bad and our client is extremely upset with how things are turning out. Imagine buying your first home only to find everything is in poor shape and you have mice in the house on top of that.
>
> We also got a quote on the leak in the sunroom. The cost for repair is $75. Please let me know if you are willing to cover these cost and work with our buyer. If not I will let her know. Thanks!"
>
> 1st: We are not paying for her pool turning green after a full week and a half of her owning the home and not setting up a cleaning service like we told them to before buying the house. You don't wait a week to set up energy. Hot tub has never leaked...."it looks like the hot tub has a leak" is an intimidation effort in my opinion. Remember, this buyer/realtor did not get a pool inspection done. We had no idea the filter needed a few grids replaced and that the hot tub has a "leak." We just wanna get the formal definition or what we could get sued for here. Am I right thinking that they would have to prove we knowingly did not disclose these "issues" we were not aware of? Wouldn't a real estate agent understand this? We are considering filing a formal complaint with her company if you all think that is a good idea becuase someone rated as the top realtor in 2015/2016 in "Insert large Texas City" should know this. Maybe she got rated that high because she goes after people like us for her clients.  Thoughts?
>
> 2nd: Mice???? You've gotta be kidding me. I have never seen one mouse in our house the whole time I lived there. We laughed when we read that. If there were mice wouldn't a hoome inspector have found that?
>
> 3rd: We bought the home at 22/23 yrs old and put tens of thousands of dollars into upgrading the home. This house is 21 years old. This is not a bad home, it's actually one of the nicest in the neighboorhood. It sold for $300,000  after 4 days. I don't know how that is supposed to make me feel bad for the buyer who is threatening to sue me over less than $500 total.
>
> 4th: The sun room was only $75 after trying to intimidate me that it would be a huge cost. We are inclined to just send a check for $75 and get that over with. You can see in the previous thread that I did mention we knew about it, but didn't disclose it. Not something that we had considered a problem as it only was evident during torrential rain. You can see those comments in the previous thread.
>
> My wife is talking to a lawyer right now in the other room about this but he isn't a real estate lawyer. We are just trying to figure out how to respond.
>
> We are thinking of saying we will pay the $75, and after speaking with our lawyer have decided not to pay anything on the pool. Better wording with I hope advice from you all. Should we be filing a complaint anwhere about harrassment at this point? We think it's pretty cut and dry that they own they home now and it's not our responsibility to pay for repairs they find that we had absolutely no idea existed.
>
> Thanks for the help!

Answer:
 They had the option to inspect and ask for repairs for any items prior to closing. I wouldn't pay a cent towards anything.  There is about a zero percent chance you would be found liable for any of this. Of course if they actually sue you you have to respond but they are not going to spend the money to get an attorney or go to small claims court for this. They will lose.

I would file a complaint against the realtor with the Texas Real Estate Commission.

http://www.trec.texas.gov/complaintsconsumer/

Short answer is they can go pound sand in a parking lot.  They had the option to ask before closing.  After that they own it.


Title: (OH) My mom needs to compel her daughter to give up legal/medical authority or be deemed incompetent and gain guardianship

Question:
Ohio here. W, my sister (26F), is to my knowledge diagnosed as schizophreniform or schizoeffective disorder and probably some other stuff. She is seasonally or intermittently manic, bipolar, occasionally psychotic; not functional and not really stable long term. W has been both voluntarily and involuntarily "committed" to local/regional psych wards at times, the longest time being 3 weeks to my knowledge. She cannot hold jobs for long periods of time so for the past 6-8 years, W has been rotating/cycling out of my mom's house and various acquaintances places via couch surfing or renting, always burning those acquaintance bridges and ending up back under my mother's financial and emotional care. This is not healthy in any way for either of them as my mother enables/concedes to my sister by humoring her, allowing her back into her house again and again, and giving "loans" that will never be repaid.

&#x200B;

Mom has come to the conclusion that drugs are not the affector of my sister's behaviors and it genuinely is a mix of her and her conditions. So, now, she is trying to draw the line and I am helping her find a long term solution for this situation. W is not compliant and will not be compliant, believing that she is healthy and refusing to stay on her medication for more than a week; even if she did stay on her medication, we have no idea if it'd work for her situation. We either need to force her to relinquish records, which will not happen, or we need to figure out a way legally.

&#x200B;

Our end goal is to have her, of her own volition or not, produce the needed medical records and attempt to gain eligibility for social security/adult disability benefits so that she can have a guaranteed disability stipend/income and have stable housing not under my mother's roof. W will most likely fight and contest any action we take for or against her.

&#x200B;

How do we begin those steps in gaining that legal authority of my sister? What sort of lawyer should my mother consult? My sister is currently staying with my mother again (she's been at home for 3 weeks this time I believe) - if my mother decides to take action legally or officially, should she begin evicting her since them living together is a conflict of interest and could result in police being called to the home? In general, what is our best course of action/are we missing anything?

&#x200B;

Thanks!

Answer:
 Can you get your sister to apply for disability now? My brother is skitzophrenic and it took 7 years for his disability to go through. Even with a stack of medical records, it takes a very long time.Answer #2: NAL but have worked with guardianship stuff in the past. Contact a guardianship lawyer or your local probate court for more information. Depending on your state or county you can contact APS and they can connect you to the local resources.

Depending on her capacity you may not get full on guardianship but can apply for Financial conservator where someone would be handling the finances but your sister would still be able to make her own day to day decisions.


Title: [ID] 19 years old, court summons for $2200 credit card debt

Question:
Throwaway for obvious reasons..

Located in Idaho.

Hi, I'm 19 years old and I was served papers by a middle-aged woman, saying Discover Bank "may place a judgment" against me for credit card debt. It's from Suttell, Hammer, and White.

I lived on my own from 18 years old, then I hurt my back severely, unable to make payments on my car and apartment. So I gave my car to my parents and moved in with them. I tried to keep myself afloat by using my credit card, convincing myself that I would be back on my feet in time to pay it back. $100 went to $500 went to $2000. Stupid, I know. I regret it. It didn't help that my parents were pressuring me to get back to work when I could barely stand for 30 minutes at a time (I worked in construction).

I haven't been able to find work; to pay rent, I've mostly been selling my valuables. I'll take odd jobs here and there whenever possible but nothing sticks. This town has nothing that I can do without my spasming.

Right now, I have $220 to my name.

My bills are:

- $300/month for food and rent (parents just say to buy food and that counts as rent)

- $50/month for necessities

- $60/month for gas for my "new" car my dad gave me

- No phone bill, I just use a prepaid phone and use WiFi

- Expenses add up to $410-$450 a month, I only make $100 more so I'm trying to save up.

What should I do? If I have no job, how are they going to place a judgment on me? I literally have nothing in my name: no house and no car, as the title is under my dad's name, I just use it here and there. If they start taking money out of my bank, I won't be able to pay anything and I will be put into more debt..

Please, any advice. I know what I did was stupid but I've been trying to dig myself out of this hole. I have goals. I want to go to school for mechanical engineering. Thank you.

Answer:
 Try /r/personalfinance ...you may be able to negotiate a lower amount with them. With the card, not the subreddit.

What do the papers say? What do they tell you to do? Do you have a court date? Have you at any time contacted Discover to explain to them the situation?