Title: Found illegal things in my newish rental home. Before I call the police, do I need to do anything? (NC)

Question:
I am going through a bitter custody battle with my shortly to be ex-husband. We have two kids of which I am the primary care giver ( he travels often and I am the only one reliable enough to pick them up).

I have a lawyer for this who is great. I mention this on the off chance it might be relevant.

We recently ( four weeks ago) moved into a rental home. It is a large place and with the kids and working and everything I've been taking my time unpacking the nonessential items. I was putting some things up this morning in a closet on the second floor that is sort of set away from everything before waking the kids for school when I pulled out a box that didn't really look like one that we had brought. It was near the back behind some old cans of wall paint.

I opened it up thinking it might just be some more home improvement supplies since the landlord had some stored about the house since it needs a little fixing up.

In the box were some twenties ( I don't know how much; I didn't count it) and what looked like some substances that may or may not be illegal (but probably are) and some syringes.

I put the box on the floor and shut the door.

I don't know what drugs look like but those look like drugs and that is definitely money.

The kids woke up around this time so I got them dressed and off to the box stop before trying to contact my lawyer but not being able to get anyone on the phone.

I don't want them in the house when the kids come back. I want to call the police. I know I must call the police.

Questions:

I absolutely have no history of illegal drug use or anything. I didn't do anything but open the box so I didn't touch any of that stuff.

I do have a slight history of  depression which led to alcoholism after our first miscarriage (before our two children were born) which I was treated for and proactively still seek treatment for. I will be 15 years sober in a few months and still check in on meetings on occasion.

I am probably over thinking this but my husband is trying to use my past history to leverage custody and I feel like me finding this box would just give him more ammo.

I can just imagine him telling the judge that I live in a crack house or something ( it is in a fairly nice neighborhood, not far from the school, and everything about the place seemed nice).

 I know I should talk to my lawyer. I plan to if he ever gets around to calling me back but should I wait for him to call me back before I call the police? I can not wait more than another hour, surely.

Slightly panicking and I don't want to tell anyone else because I don't want it to be a thing until it is a thing.

I definitely don't want to call the landlord first because I don't know him that well.

So, the door is shut, the kids are gone so there is no risk of them seeing it until about 3:30 and I am wondering what to do first since my lawyer isn't answering right away.

Location: North Carolina

Edit: Talked to my lawyer and coordinated with the police. They've taken a report and the box is gone. No problems. They seemed much more interested in talking with my landlord than anyone else.

Also, I wanted to add I have no convictions related to the alcoholism. I sought treatment on my own through private therapy and an impatient treatment center. I never drove or put anyone in danger but myself.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

Edit: thanks for the good advice from the people in the know. It worked out great and I did the legal and right thing.

I got a bunch of really bad advice though. I can't believe that many people suggested doing some thing illegal and not reporting the crime. Wow. Just wow.

Answer: Hey, just a heads up, you might be able to keep that money. Here's some guidance on the subject: http://www.ncdoj.gov/getdoc/f1004625-d7a5-4521-93ac-deadf8203337/Disposition-of-Property-by-Law-Enforcement.aspx See section 4b on page 10. It appears that you **must request** that the money be returned to you. Contact the police via letter with the details of the case and formally request that the money be given to you, as the finder, in the event that no one comes forward to claim it.


Title: (US IL) found out my Ex's boyfriend's Mom has been using stories about my son and his name in her business promotional newsletters

Question:
I just found out over the past couple years my Ex's Boyfriend's Mom has been using stories and quotes from my Son and using his First name in them. My son has an extremely unique first name with a unique spelling and currently 5 years old. She has been doing this in newsletters advertisements (that discuss sales on her website and upcoming events) which are publicly posted to her Facebook, sent to her mailing list and archive online. She is a motivational speaker and life coach.

My concern is that she may be fabricating these things to better her marketing and using him to better market her business. And this is only newsletters I'm unsure if she also publicly speaking about him. And if she is fabricating there's stories I'm concerned that they could be viewed as truth and risk having them used against him later in life.

I've contacted the person and she indicated she will not use him moving forward but this looks to have been going on for atleast 2 years with 6 newsletters about him that I know of.

Is this a violation of COPPA? Or worth seeking additional advice on?

Answer:
 >COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.

does not apply. you can pay a lawyer to write her a cease and desist letter but i don't think you have any grounds to sue. Answer #2: I think the OP should explain more what the lady is saying about her son on Facebook and in newsletters and online.

Answer #3: You are worrying too much.  Everyone makes up testimonials in their marketing.  There is no possible case that 20 years ago somebody is going to track down a pamphlet and not hire your kid because of a quote by a 5 year old in a pamphlet from 20 years ago.


Title: Getting out of paying full amount for tuition

Question: Signed contract with my employer stating if I quit I'll have to pay back full amount for school. I've already completed two years but only signed the contract this year, am I able to get out of paying the two years I already completed or pay back full amount? Planning on talking to lawyer. Wanted to come here first for advice. Thanks In advance. Reason for wanting to quit is I'm getting a better offer somewhere else and I'm not learning enough at work.

Answer:
 You’re not very clear.

Is this tuition for training you use on the job? Or tuition reimbursement for part time college classes you’re taking while you’re working?

What was the total cost of the tuition? How long did your job require you to stay, and did it state if the fee was prorated based off of the time spent working?

A contract signed covering past consideration generally isn’t enforcible; previous actions can’t be used as consideration to induce performance in a new contract.


Title: Am I committing obstruction of justice by not answering questions from the police?

Question: I was watching Law and Order and the detective told a suspect he would be arrested for obstruction of justice if he didn't answer his questions. Is this true?

Answer: Police don't have the authority to require a witness to answer a question. That's what subpoenas are for.


Title: Colorado: Stuck on apartment lease with brother who throws parties with underage drinking and drugs

Question:
Throwaway for obvious reasons.
&nbsp;

So I don’t really have anywhere to turn to, as this is a sensitive topic to talk about. I can’t just casually ask a coworker, friend or family member what I should do about this. Sorry if this is long, I’m going to make this as TLDR as possible. I don’t want to include too many personal details and there is a massive personal issue going on between my brother and I, but I’ll save that for r/relationships. So here are the details plain and simple.
&nbsp;

People involved: My brother (26), myself (27) and my fiancé (26) and we all share a lease in an apartment in Colorado. All our names are on the lease, which is up in 3 months.
&nbsp;

Situation: My brother, just out of the military, turned into a party animal after starting university a year ago. He’s very attractive and has girls over every single night and gets new ones about every 2 weeks. Sometimes there’s drama, sometimes not. These girls are freshmen and are around 18-21 years old. Some are older (or even much older), but not often. The usual is 18-21.  The last month or so he’s been throwing huge parties every night with tons of girls and I’ve recently found out these girls have been using cocaine in the house. I know these kids also use shrooms and acid, but I have no idea if it’s present in the house during these parties. They also drink alcohol and smoke weed. Don’t forget, probably all underage.
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These kids are a bunch of hippies and they get on my nerves even when they’re sober. During these parties, my fiancé and I don’t participate. We either leave and crash at a friends, or try to hole up in our room as I’m up at 5AM for work every day. I’ve tried talking to my brother about this, but the conversation is not going anywhere. He won’t heed anything I say, calls me paranoid, boring and that I have a stick up my ass.
&nbsp;

So what I want to know is, what happens when someone complains about noise? What happens when the cops show up? What am I accountable for? What happens if I’m not there when they’re called vs. if I’m asleep in bed? What if I call the cops myself? Will my fiancé and I be pardoned in some way? I was thinking of perhaps calling cops myself when I know a party is happening while being far, far away at a friends, in another city. But if it’s all our names on the lease, how we my fiancé and I be affected even if we’re not present? Will my brother ever find out that I’m the one who called? Or is that confidential? I know it will cause personal problems within my family if I call myself, but I don’t give a shit anymore. Clearly my brother has no mind for my future or his own. He thinks that if anything happens, he can “save me” by telling the cops I had nothing to do with it. I’m not so convinced this is true. I’m heading to graduate school in the fall trying to pursue a career involving mental health and the law and I’ll be working closely with criminals and within prisons, so it’s vital I have a clean record.
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And heaven forbid… what if something happens to someone during a party? What if one of them overdoses or gets alcohol poisoning? Emotional devastation aside, what does the law say and how does our situation change if we’re present in the apartment or not during such a horrific incident? I’m scared to death something bad like this is going to happen.
&nbsp;

Currently, the fiancé and I are trying to find a new place and get out of our lease, possibly sublet to one of these many kids who are practically living with us anyways. But the soonest we’re able to do this is end of May, which isn’t soon enough because I want out like yesterday.
&nbsp;

H.E.L.P.   M.E.
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TLDR: Living with fiancé and brother all on same apartment lease. Brother has started going crazy with the parties and has lots of girls over all the time with alcohol, weed, cocaine and probably acid and shrooms. The girls are mostly between the ages of 18-21 but I can’t be 100% sure. My fiancé and I usually leave, but what happens if cops are called? Does the situation change if we’re not present? Should I make the call? What happens in the worse case scenario – overdose or death? WTF do I do and where do I go from here?

Answer:
 Ask the apartment office if they will let you out, your brother has to agree though and prove he can cover the rent. I did this in Denver a couple years ago.

Be gone when the cops show up. If you’re there, even while sleeping, you COULD get hemmed up.

Not to belittle you, but I would suggest stepping up a bit on controlling who comes in your house. Your freedom is in serious jeopardy. If the cops show up, and there’s blow out in the open, EVERYONE is going to jail.

Answer #2: Call the police, and report it, you have the duty to. You could face legal trouble if something happens to someone, and you knew about all that was going on but did not take action.Answer #3: Get out of there. Tell your parents your brother needs help. Get out of there. It will not end well.


Title: HELP! Made a facebook post and now I might be expelled and in trouble. did I break any laws in utah?

Question: Hi, I'm a high school student and right now I need help. So last week I got really mad at one of my teachers (hes a jerk honestly. He failed me and a friend this semester for not showing up to class even though we turned all the important stuff in and got good grades on them.) and made a facebook post calling him a pedo. I said that he takes girls out behind the school and makes out with them. hes a really creepy guy and my post was obviously a joke (I ended it by saying lol and in the comments said it was not true and a joke) so I didnt think to much of it. Well, i've been on christmas break this week and was supposed to go back monday but my mom got a call yesterday saying that I'm going to be suspended for my facebook post and I need to come with my parents because their holding a counsel or something to see if im going to be expelled. They also said to expect the teacher to go to the police with this!!! My post was obviously a joke and every one of my friends knew it (and I even said "Yeah lol, i'm just playing. only posted this cause that freak failed me" so they knew I wasn't doing this for real!) Is this serious and can I get in trouble with the police? I'm only 16 so i'm not even an adult and my post was a joke? I deleted the post already so does that change anything?

Answer:
 So, yeah. This kind of "joke" post is called libel/slander. You have no proof that the educator in question does "pedo" things and you said he did.

Congrats on being another idiot teenager.

He failed you for skipping class, which he has every right to do. You should have went to class, then you and your "friend" would have passed.

Prepare to apologize and beg that he doesn't go to the local authorities- which, again, HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO DO! By calling him a "pedo", even "jokingly", you threatened his livelihood and could have easily ruined his ability to teach.Answer #2: Yes, it's serious.  It was just a joke bro is a terrible defense.  Answer #3: Dont make statements falsely accusing someone of sexual assualt.

 It is not a joke (regardless of your intention).

It is a potentially life ruining lie.


Title: Detained by private security in Las Vegas.

Question:
I'm on a family vacation to Vegas right now.

I don't pay to play.

I'm trying to get better with talking to girls, so I set a goal to approach 100 girls this week. On my 19th approach tonight (which honestly had only platonic intent anyway; I'm not into face tattoos), it turns out that this girl was a "known prostitute".

Now, in hindsight, I probably should have just walked away after she told me she is an escort, but I honestly stayed to chat and explicitly told her I don't pay to play. We were just going be friends. Sounds legal to me. She even takes my number.

As soon as we hug and part, some guy is ready to detain me within seconds. I just stay calm and cool and let them cuff me because I didn't do anything wrong.

I take a few videos asking them why I'm being held. Shortly after, I notice they are private security and not police. They end up taking my phone, taking me aside, searching me, patting me down, trying to get me to tell "my side of the story" and even this dirty trick where they essentially tried to get me to confess.

After I hold my ground, they eventually let me go.

My main question: do I have any recourse here? I realize that most guys don't just go up and talk to random girls, so that could create some confusion, however, I still feel violated. Handcuffed, questioned, and "booked" all for trying to improved my depressed self b

Answer:
 >  Handcuffed, questioned, and "booked" all for trying to improved my depressed self

You mean, for trying to pick up a hooker.  Even if we buy your story, you admit fully that it looked exactly like you were breaking the law.

You can certainly call the casino and complain.  It's very unlikely you have any sort of recourse here.  Answer #2: Frankly I'm surprised you talked to 18 girls that weren't escorts before you met #19.


Title: (NY) An Uber driver left my partner to nearly freeze to death

Question:
Last Saturday, my partner got into an Uber from Manhattan going to Brooklyn after midnight. This was during the Code Blue warning so temperatures were around -12 Celsius. Around 5-10 blocks from her apartment, she threw up on her dress and passed out since she'd been drinking. The driver pushed her out of the car and left her in the snow on the sidewalk.

Fortunately, one of the friends she was out with was waiting for her to call when she got in. Since she didn't, he called the driver to find out what happened. The driver said he'd dropped her off near home but wouldn't give a location. After attempting to call again, the driver blocked his number.

This friend then went all the way back from Harlem to search for her. It took him around half an hour to do so but he thankfully found her and got her inside before calling an ambulance and getting her checked out.

Now I'd usually expect a fine for any damage done to the vehicle as well as lost business due to the mess, but the callousness of throwing someone who can't take care of themselves out into that sort of weather is just appalling. Not sure what we should do, if anything. Thought I'd ask here what people thought. She knows she'd had too much to drink and isn't looking to pass off responsibility and, honestly, we're just glad she didn't get hypothermia and is OK.

Answer: Its an asshole move for him to literally drop her off on the curb... but hes a driver. Not a babysitter, nurse, or friend. Its not his job to wake her up and carry her into the house. If she was that bad off, she should've left with a friend or maybe not drink until she blacked out. The only thing you could probably do is give him a bad rating and complain to uber. Answer #2: I am not sure that she suffered any financial damages that she could (or that would be worth) suing the Uber driver for.  She should definitely report the situation to Uber (and not just give the driver a poor rating on the app).


Title: [MI] Sister accidentally signed a lease?

Question: So pretty much my sister somehow unknowingly signed a lease. She isn't employed and goes to college full time. They didn't get a cosigner on the lease either. My parents tried calling them to figure something out, but they wouldn't budge. Wat would be our  best course of action?

Answer: She goes to college and “accidentally “ signed a lease? Looks like she’s living in an apartment now and getting a job.Answer #2: Send them a letter that she is not going to live there and they need to find a new tenant. She will be responsible for rent until they find another tenant.


Title: (IRE) Went into Emergency Room on a holiday in America from Ireland. Insurance company won't cover me.

Question:
I was on a working holiday to San Francisco from Ireland last summer.

My American health insurance (Mapfre) had been organised through a travel agency called USIT. When USIT asked me questions about if I had a pre-existing medical condition I answered yes. When they asked have I been admitted to hospital in the last two years I answered yes. When they asked was I on medication I answered yes. All truthful answers. However I was not aware that I was supposed to call the health insurance company (Mapfre) afterwards to go through it in more detail.

Whilst in America I began to feel very unwell; fatigue, nausea, weakness, aches and pains. I emailed my medical consultant in Ireland and he advised me to go to the hospital. I went into St Francis Memorial hospital in San Francisco. I was in the ER for a couple of hours (maybe 6). They did some tests. They didn't know what the problem was so I was released.

My health insurance company (Mapfre) have rejected my claim stating that I did not declare my pre-existing medical condition to them so they would not be covering my hospital bills. This is a disaster for me, it was an honest oversight, I didn't know I had to contact them after informing USIT.

I have received a bill from the physician that treated me in the hospital for 651 USD. I have received a bill from the hospital for 5,503.13 USD. I was only in the emergency room for a few hours, I can’t understand how the bills could be this big.

I am 23 years old, I have only recently finished studying at university. I have very little money and am unemployed.
What should I do in this situation?

Answer:
 > I have received a bill from the physician that treated me in the hospital for 651 USD. I have received a bill from the hospital for 5,503.13 USD. I was only in the emergency room for a few hours, I can’t understand how the bills could be this big.

Welcome to America. Did the insurance company issue you a card after asking you those questions? Did they tell you that you had more questions to answer? Answer #2: Call the california dept. Of insurance helpline. Also ask the hospital about a charity program that covers people without insurance. Forgot the name but my friend ised it.


Title: Mom wants to transfer the deed of her house to my name after X amount of years. PA.

Question:
I'm currently renting out my mother's first house from her because she doesn't want to deal with renters and I found renters and between them, I don't pay rent and instead cover half the utilities instead -- it's really the perfect situation. I work pretty close and it's a nice drive, so I don't see myself moving anytime soon.

She told me if I stay here for five years (or maintain the property, and deal with renting it out so she doesn't have to hire a company or do it herself), she'll transfer the deed to me. The house is paid off in eight years. It's a great deal and the house easily rents for it's mortgage price, and utilities are really low because it's small and very functional. New roof in the last eight years, all new appliances (incl. water heater), finished basement, huge yard, etc.

Is this a doable situation? I don't know anything about real estate or financial decisions like this; the last big thing I bought was my car in 2010, which is nearly paid off. What should I look out for? Will this affect my credit score, or finances, or anything like that, just by signing the deed over to me? Will we need to do any sort of exchange?

How should I go about setting this in stone, and making sure she's serious about this? She's been known to back out of deals before, and I want to make sure I'm not wasting time. My goal is to stay here, continue to rent the other rooms, and invest what would be my rent money (~$900/month) earnings into my 401k while I work for a company that overpays me and matches 5%.

Answer:
 You'll want to set up some type of formalized mortgage contract. Basically, your mother would sell you the house for $x (which would be fair market value) on credit. You would then give her a mortgage against a "loan" with zero interest, and she would forgive the maximum IRS gift amount per year so that you don't get taxed on that amount as income. After a bunch of years, you'd own the house outright.

It's pretty standard real estate stuff. If you're serious about it, you'd want to go to a real estate lawyer and have them draw up the agreements for you. Definitely worth paying somebody to get it done right.

Oh don't forget you still have to pay property taxes, and you'd want insurance. You'll want to make sure you plan for that and set aside money.


Title: In the army, getting deployed... want to know if i can have someone sign a car purchase for me, what legal action would i need, if any?

Question: Hey guys, i will be getting deployed to Kuwait in one week, a quick 5 months. because of a certain situation i would like to finance a car, obviously i wouldnt be able to sign for the car in person. I want to know is there any legal action i could take to have my mother sign on my behalf with my permission of course. lets say a 25,000 car with 8,000 down... just in case you need that info. Thanks for the help ... live in GA

Answer: Why would you buy a car a week before getting deployed?


Title: I Bought a car that was supposed to be a clean title, went to DMV to title transfer only to be told it was salvage!

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Be prepared to lose that money. The issue with private deals is they're almost always "as is." Just so you know, Carfax is a privately owned, third party company, so there is a good chance there are missing/unreported things on there.

I would search the VIN that is physically on the car, not what was written down on a piece of paper, just to make sure.


Title: What checks are in place to ensure that the discretionary powers afforded to police and prosecutors aren't used to further systemic bias, and how effective are they?

Answer:
 None.Answer #2: If you want a real answer rather than a reddit circlejerk answer . . . well, its going to be too complex and varied by location to get a specific/simple answer.

Elections and elected officials, for starters.  That, in and of itself, includes A LOT.  There are also various legislative and executive mechanisms that can be a counter to any type of governmental discretionary power.  Add in the judicial system and the many pros / cons.  There are non-political checks in the form of departmental policies and internal review.

This sounds like a prompt for a college paper.  If that is the case, you should get to researching legitimate sources.  You won't get an all encompassing answer (or much of a good one) on reddit.

In short, your question is pretty much unanswerably vague.Answer #3: LolAnswer #4: Is this a homework questionAnswer #5: Pretty much defense attorneys.


Title: (Texas) my phone was stolen and found in a car with a felony according to police. police said they are getting a warrant to search the phone, this doesn't seem right. Any advice?

Question: I was robbed and me and my friends phones were stolen. Yesterday I got a call saying if I could unlock the phone to which I gave the investigator the passcode (bad idea I know, just didn't think about it at the time). Then I got a follow up call saying if I give them consent to look in my phone for the IMEI code to which I said I'd rather be there in person and do it myself. The investigator said this is perfectly fine and that's my constitutional right. As I was heading there I got a call saying that since my phone was found in a vehicle with a felony, they are getting a search warrant for the phone. Any advice on what I should do?

Answer:
 You could try to get an injunction to stop the warrant, but realistically, if it was found in a stolen car it could have useful evidence on it and it's going to get searched. Answer #2: Is there anything incriminating on your phone?
Answer #3: I'd be at home and in the car cleaning out everything so I was squeaky clean just in case.  The IMEI is going to help the investigators track where the phone was.  Are they going to care you had weed at some point in the past?   Maybe they write it down but honestly they've got bigger fish to fry with the felons. Still doesn't hurt to be safe rather than sorry Answer #4: You are under no obligation to give them access to your phone without a court order, if you have nothing bad on it,however, it would probably speed up the process of getting your phone back.


Title: [IL] Neighbors are mad that my cat plays with the blinds in *my* house, getting tired of this

Answer: When they come to your door answer it in a cat outfit and only respond with meow.


Title: [MX] My direct boss just told me Im getting fired next Friday...

Question:
Im a recruitment specialist for an outsourcing company. I've been there for almost a year. For the first year you only get fixed term contracts (3-month contracts) up until the year, and after that you're given a permanent employee contract.
It's a "small" company, having only around 50 people.

On friday, I was told by my direct boss (HR Coordinator) that the HR Manager wants me out by friday the 30th (my contract hasnt even expired yet, it expires in december). Im not supposed to know this, but he told me since we became very good friends and I really know how to do my job. He tried to talk HR Manager out of it by showing him my results but it was useless. Apparently he doesnt like me. My boss told me that he is using every excuse to fire me (for example, not picking up/cleaning the space I used in the table to eat, not closing the restroom door when I get out of it, or just for taking a small "smoke break" (everybody takes those smoke breaks). This along with me "not showing early" frequently (I have to be there at 8am, I almost always arrive at 8:01-8:05 and he always gets mad at it, even though he has arrived much much later and even hours later when he fails to wake up). Oh, another thing, he and the Administration Manager are a couple, so she supports his decision 100%. The only person that is above them is the owner, and he is in Korea 90% of the time. I can not contact him, and besides, even if I did, my guess is that they would all blow me off since Im only a recruiter that has been there for almost a year and HR Manager and Administration Manager have been there for 5+years.

HR Manager is not the most professional person, since he is always making inadequate jokes and stuff about other people/women at the company (making fun of them or saying he would bang a lot of the females there, in a vulgar manner. He even jokes a lot with me (pure hypocrisy apparently).

I wonder if there is anything I can do to save my ass or at least to take any kind of legal action since I have literally never failed on getting my job done.

EDIT: MX is Mexico, and no need to file for unemployment since I already have guaranteed job in another company. Also, when I first applied to the position I made it perfectly clear that I would be commuting for an hour to get there and that I would not be able to show up there early 100% of the time, and they accepted since they saw potential on me (try not to give me the "wake up earlier" speech, since I am already only getting about 6 hours worth of sleep at night because I go to school after work, I get out at 10pm get home by 10:30, eat something, prepare my stuff/food for next day and go to bed at 12:30). Its hella hard already.
Besides, I would understand 100% Manager hating me because Im late regularly, but he also is regularly late, and even later than me.

Answer: I don't have any legal advice, but please try not to say anything that would get your boss in trouble for telling you.Answer #2: Everyone just LOVES the "five after" guy.


Title: Can you legally record a phone call without informing the other party if they informed you that they are recording you?[pa,us]

Question: I often call customer service people and before the conversation ever gets going, they often always say that they will record the call for various reasons. My understanding is that most states only require one side to give permission to record, meaning if I was apart of the conversation, I could record it legally with no problem. However, Pennsylvania is one of a few states that require both parties consent. My question is, if they are admittedly stating that they are recording the conversation already, do I need to state that I am also recording the conversation?

Answer:
 >  do I need to state that I am also recording the conversation?

If you are indeed recording them, then you do need to tell them that.   As you said, PA is a 2 party consent state, so you know and you need them to know.


Title: A former coworker miscarriage because my previous manager overworks her. Can she take any legal action against my former emplyer? (Orange County, California)

Question:
Sorry in advance for the bad writing, haven't written anything this long in a while

&#x200B;

So I used to work in a assisted living community. I work in the dining department to be specific as a server. I left that place because a was offered more pay in another assisted living community for a whole lot less work. Before I put in two weeks, there was two other people (both were a full timer) who quit because they were not getting enough money and raises each year. So it is pretty evident that they are not paying us a whole lot (at least compared to other assisted living community).

 Each time a server quits, the other servers have to take his/her shift. Within two/three months three full timers had quit (including me). So my previous manger started giving her more shifts. Sometimes giving her 6 days of work in one week. Sometimes giving her 5 days, but one/two of those days 12 hours of work instead of the usual 8 hours, without any extra breaks. The schedule always changes too, she works for 8 straight days from (5/16/19-5/24/19) with one of them 12 hours of work. 6 straight days from (5/30/19-6/4/19). Another 6 straight days from (6/10/19-6/16/19). My previous manager is getting away with this because technically those work days are separated within different work week. She (my former coworker) work those days while she's pregnant on her first trimester. Everybody knew that she was pregnant (the news was unavoidable). And then recently I heard from another coworker that she had lost the baby.

Can she sue my previous employer? If yes, what evidence do I need to gather? So far I have her (my former coworker) work schedule. I also ask my former coworker to get the papers from the hospital (when she just had find out that she is pregnant) saying that she was pregnant and another paper from her recent check up saying that she lost the baby.

Answer:
 No. First trimester miscarriage is exceedingly common and generally the cause is undeterminable. Did she ever at any point ask for accomodations? Did a doctor tell her that her managers scheduling was responsible for the miscarriage?Answer #2: Unless she was hit with something (blunt trauma) she'll almost certainly find it impossible to prove that stress was the cause of miscarriage. SorryAnswer #3: No, she would not.Answer #4: That isn't how it works. Over half of all pregnancies end in spontaneous abortions,  within the 1st trimester.

Many pregnant women work 12hr shifts. I'm a DNP, and most pregnant healthcare workers  (in a hospital setting) work 12hr shifts (3 days on 4 days off).
Barring disclosing a disability to HR, and  receiving reasonable accommodations,  there is nothing illegal about her schedule.

There is also zero way to prove what caused the miscarriage.


Title: Can a previously hired roofing company and city officials trespass on your roof without homeowner's consent? Help me help my mom, thanks.

Question:
Hi Reddit, sorry first time posting and on mobile so bear with me please.

My mother had roof work done in November (this in Florida btw) because we discovered previous hurricane damage was leaking through the livingroom ceiling. She paid $7,000 and not only did the roofing company not find and stop the leak but they punched numerous other holes in the roof. She has before and after pictures of both. They told her they would fix it no problem, then told her she needed to pay them more (she did not), and then never returned. My mother does not have the money to refix the roof currently, much less sue them for damages. She has recently put a tarp up over the roof, as it is again rainy season, until she can attempt to get it fixed AGAIN.

So yesterday she gets a call from the roofing company that they need to go up on the roof to get it signed off as completed because his license is expiring (? She was in hysterics explaining this to me, sorry so I'm not sure the exact form.) She told them to beat sand.

Today I pull up to visit her and she is arguing with a city official (not a cop, not code enforcement? Truck just said 'City'). Without knocking or attempting to contact her at all the city worker and the roofing company worker climbed up on her roof without her consent. She came out justifiably upset at strangers on her roof and when I arrived the workers left before I could attempt to gain any information from them.

Is this legal for them to do? We live in a stricter code enforcement area, she's been fined because they could see her garbage cans from the street before. So the tarp may be breaking something? But to just climb up on her roof as a woman living alone, wtf? (I'm 100% sure they though she was gone and could just sneak up. Her car was parked in the garage because we've been getting hail thunderstorms lately. But its usually 24/7 out front.) How can I help her? This whole situation is messed up and now she's crying that they're gonna condemn her house.

Answer: If random people start climbing on the roof of your house, call the cops. City officials would provide ID and tell you why they are there before climbing on your roof.Answer #2: This sounds a lot like a permit getting signed off. If you live in a jurisdiction where a roofer has to pull a permit, part of that process is frequently a final inspection. You may have consented to that inspection when you or your contractor pulled the permit.


Title: Was recently in an accident in Texas and I am not sure how I can survive the legal fallout

Question: I collided with a stationary car on the highway, and am worried about the immediate financial repercussions that may follow. The citation issued was for "fail to control speed" and the lady I rear-ended did not have her airbags deploy so she had a bloody/broken nose. The EMT's on scene said it was a minor injury, but she refused to leave her car, (even to check on the 5-6 dogs she had in the vehicle,) and I fear she might be milking the injuries in order to make a suit against me. The financial situation my family is in has always been dire, and this might be the end of us, so I have a few questions. How much might this ticket cost? What happens if I cannot immediately pay for the ticket? How could I prepare for any possible litigation against me? Thanks anyone for reading my post.

Answer:
 The ticket and her potential injuries are two separate things. Have you notified your insurance company?Answer #2: > How could I prepare for any possible litigation against me?

Inform your insurance. Pronto. Forward them anything from the other party or insurance that you receive. You paid them (hopefully - please tell me you have insurance) to handle this for you. Let them.


Title: [US - Ohio] I suspect my landlord may be taking steps to evict me for the sole purpose of remodeling and raising rent.

Question:
I have been at the same apartment complex for 7 years now (6 years with the current management company). Never had any issues, and have never missed one rent payment ever. We were on a yearly lease but as of a few months ago we agreed to pay a higher amount and went on a month-to-month lease (we thought we might be getting a house sometime this year - unsure now). The lease was strictly verbal and the only things agreed upon were the higher rent amount, and that they required 60 days notice to leave.

As of this last month, the 'annual inspection' was taking place in which maintenance comes in and checks for various issues such as plumbing, electrical, and so forth. I was home that day for my inspection and they came in and were out within 5 minutes, barely saying anything. I thought there was no issue. 3 days later, on a Friday afternoon around closing time (convenient because I couldn't call anyone then as they were closed), I get a letter slipped under my door stating that our inspection failed and was 'in need of housekeeping' and that based on the lease agreement (which we aren't on) it requires that we maintain our apartment to be sanitary (which it is, sans some boxes and items we had around the house, which in no way hurt the premises or caused vermin/bugs etc.). The instruction was extremely vague and nowhere in the old leases do they state exactly what 'housekeeping' is and they never elaborated when I asked them. How can I follow instructions and be compliant when you aren't telling me what to do?!

They state we are in violation of the lease agreement and if the cleanliness of the apartment does not improve after the 2nd inspection, we 'may be subject to an eviction action'. They noted almost everything was dirty, our blinds were broken and our smoke detector was missing (I had it down because it'd go off all the time due to cooking - yes I'm an idiot.) I since replaced the blinds and put the detector back up, but still feel that they could get us for about any stupid thing that was preexisting in the first place; the apartment is like 100 years old.

They ran a re-inspection a week later, which I was under the assumption that we are to have 30 days to fix up any issues. Regardless, we worked our asses off for countless hours to clean the place up, and its practically spotless now. I attended the next inspection, this time with a different person who seemingly had no idea of the last person's pictures that were taken to compare with. They were rather dodgy with my questions and not transparent like they usually are, and also felt the need to mention that a similar sized unit like mine was renovated recently and costs about $400 more than mine, and that I have a 'really good price' for this place. Why the hell would you even mention that? Were they tipping me off on what they were about to do? Also, they didn't want to share the results immediately; I was given some excuses and that they would let me know 'soon'. I feel like Schrodinger's cat right now; I'm sick to my stomach.

We are good tenants and other people don't abide by any rules here. We have people smoking weed to the point that I'm surprised Snoop Dogg doesn't show up. I feel like they are trying to find a way to get us evicted in the quickest time possible (which for a broken lease is 3 days, otherwise 30 days - but we don't have a lease anymore?!).

I'm wondering if we have any sort of case against these slimeballs. They didn't give us 30 days to fix our 'issues'. We've been under heavy mental and physical anguish over this mess, and we've done nothing wrong. I can't just run off and get a new place immediately as finances are rough, and if I get an eviction on record I feel like I'm just going to be homeless at that point.

Should I contact an attorney and fight this if this is the direction its headed? Is it not worth pursuing due to fees or the landlords always presiding over a tenant?

Or should I cut them off ASAP and tell them I'm giving them my 60 day notice (and have to scramble to find a place?)? Or am I just paranoid? What would you do?

Answer:
 If you're not on a lease and your municipality doesn't have rent control, then your landlord can give you notice 30 days before the end of your last rental period that your tenancy is ending. They don't need cause, and they don't need to give you an opportunity to "fix" anything. Without a lease, you're there on the sufferance of the landlord.

This is not an "eviction" and would not appear on any public records. It's simply the end of your tenancy. It's not something you can fight, other than by negotiating a new lease with the landlord to prevent them from being able to end your tenancy for a while. If you remain after your tenancy has been terminated, however, _then_ you can be evicted through the courts.

Similarly, you can give 30 days. You may have agreed to 60, and this is nominally enforceable, but they'll have a hard time proving you ever agreed to if it it's not in writing and the conversation was seven years ago.

If your landlord wants you out, a no-cause termination is by far the fastest and most reliable way for them to get you out, legally. Fishing around and looking for cause for a three-day notice to cure or quit just means you'd spend three days fixing the problem so that you could void the notice, whereas a thirty-day notice cannot be avoided without a lease. Maybe they do want to raise the rent - but it's just as likely your landlord's being nosy.


Title: [MO] Friend's employer has been forcing her to work at least 10 hours overtime per week, all off the clock. They've tried making her work on vacation time to "meet productivity".

Question:
Hi all, first post. Thanks in advance for any help. Apologies for formatting, I'm on mobile.

 My friend is young and completely detached from her parents. She just got out of college and has been working as a child support specialist for a company that bills Medicaid.

She gets paid hourly. She is only allowed to work 40 hours a week but is constantly given workloads that are impossible to complete in 40 hours. Her workloads are constantly increasing. She's just been told she has to juggle 20 clients (used to be 14).  She has to meet with each client at least once a week. There are only 5 working days in the week.

Her supervisor knows this and has openly admitted to having her work off the clock, stealing vacation, etc.. Her supervisor has clocked her out in the middle of the day and clocked her on accrued vacation time. She told her supervisor to fix the vacation thing and she did. But she still hasn't been paid for possible hundreds of hours of work.

  She has talked to co-workers. This is the norm in her company. They've been forced to work on vacation time, forced to work overtime (off the clock, of course).

I told her to keep track of all the hours she's worked but she's only been keeping track in her head.

She's looking for another job now but is worried any action she takes will be met with retaliation or it will make it hard for her to find a job in the future.

What's her best course of action?

Answer: Immediately go to a lawyer for employee rights and get everything in writing. Making an employee work off the clock and changing their punches are violations of both state and federal laws. Their employer is violating so many laws it's making my head spin.Answer #2: Find another job, then file a wage claim


Title: [FL] Our marriage license expires 12/07 but the ceremony was performed on 11/25 signed and dated can we turn it in tomorrow to the clerk?

Question: So we got caught up in everything and had a long honeymoon and saw our marriage certificate today at 10:00 PM that says it expired today. We had the officiant sign and date on the date of the ceremony wondering if we just goofed really hard or will have no problem turning it in tomorrow to the clerks.

Answer: It's not an issue. If you hadn't got married within the 60 days, it would have been, but you did so it isn't.


Title: Mindless clicked on porn link on mobile reddit, now internet is blocked and getting threatening messages. Michigan

Question:
I was browsing reddit at home on my home Wi-Fi and mindlessly clicked on the next link without reading the title or the link. Before i knew it i got this message:

"ATTENTION! Your mobile device has been blocked up for safety reasons. AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING IN PROGRESS. Amount of fine is 250$. You can settle the fine with PayPal My Cash. TYPE YOUR CODE (250$ PayPal My Cash). AND PRESS 'OK'"

There is then a space for a code to be typed in with Cancel and OK options. I pressed Cancel and i brought me to another pop up with a long message that starts by stating my country, region city, and location with im pretty sure is longitude and latitude(?) as well as my mobile phone operating system(AndroidOS)

"You are accused of viewing/storage and/or dissemination of banned pornography (child pornography/zoophilia/rape etc.) You have violated World Declaration on non-proliferation of child pornography. you are accused of commiting the crime envisaged by Article 161 of the U.S of A criminal law.  Article 161 of the USA criminal law provides for punishment of deprivation of liberty for terms from 5 to 11 years. Also you are suspected of violation of 'Copyright and Related rights Law' (downloading of pirated music, video, warez) and of use and/or dissemination of copyrighted content. Thus, you are suspected of violation of Article 148 of the USA criminal law.  Article 148 of the USA criminal law provides for the punishment of deprivation of liberty for terms from 3 to 7 years or 150 to 550 basic amounts fine. It was from your mobile device, that unauthorized access had been stolen to information of State importance and to data closed for public internet access. Unauthorized access could have been arranged by yourself purposely on mercenary motives, or without your knowledge and consent, provided your mobile device could have been affected by malware. Consequently, you are suspected (?) until the investigation is held (?) of innocent infringement of Article 215 of the USA criminal law ('Law on negligent and reckless disregard of computers, computer aids and mobile devices') Article 215 of the USA criminal law provides for the punishment of deprivation of liberty from 5 to 8 years and/or up to 200.000$ fine. Are you sure you want to reload this page?"

it follows with a 'Do not Reload' and a 'Reload page'. when you hit either one it stays on the same pop up with the previous message.

im pretty nervous about this message. but when i close out of the internet on my phone, my phone works as normal, and i can use the google chrome internet app no problem. I really do not know what to do, and if this is even real, i can not have this sort of offense on my record, as i work around kids, and would most likely be fired.

I tried to find the link that i originally clicked on but can't find the link to report it.

there is a website located behind the pop up and it is hardpornvalidation.com/5/9/. I cannot see the rest of the link, if there is more to it.

underneath the web address it says it is "Under supervision of FBI, U.S.A Ministry of Interior, Interpol, Copyright Alliance International Cyber Security Protection alliance."

That is all the information i have on it. Please, please, please help.

Answer:
 That's an attempted scam in the form of malware. The FBI does not use popups to apprehend you. Run your malware/virus scanners on your device and get rid of it.

Android or iPhone? I can try to google up something for you.


Title: Landlord making me pay full cancellation fee

Question:
This takes place in Massachusetts
In the lease the word "tenant" is defined as follows:
"TENANTS Jane Doe, John Doe, Janice Doe
Called “Tenant” for the Property"

The cancellation process says there is a cancellation fee as stated below:
"Tenant pays Landlord a Termination Fee of 	$750	"

If I am the only one of the three leaving why do I pay for the full cancellation fee considering Tenant is defined as all three. Every other number is listed as a whole versus as 1/3 wouldn't this number be stated as though all three of us were leaving. If I pay the full 750 doesn't that mean my roommates can leave with no cancellation fee? Or say that they go in on the cancellation fee with me they'd be able to leave later without a penalty?

I initially told her to keep my security deposit as a portion of the cancellation fee however, after talking with a lawyer he says that he even thinks I don't owe a cancellation fee at all because a substitute has been found and okay'd by the landlord so the lease is not being cancelled, somebody is just being substituted. Is this true?

I also paid first, last, and security when I initially rented the place and December is my last month and I inadvertently paid December's rent despite having paid last months rent in the beginning, is there a time limit as to when she has to return that money?

Answer: So this other person is replacing you on the lease?


Title: RUNNING RED LIGHT (KIND OF)

Question:
(CALGARY, AB) Okay so I was travelling south on a neighbourhood street just off of 17th avenue a couple weeks ago. I was travelling towards 17th ave and there was a traffic light that was GREEN but I knew it was about to go yellow and then red (obviously) so I was about half a block away and sped up to turn right onto 17th ave. In doing so, I didn't come to a complete stop before turning right but I'm unsure of whether the light was technically yellow or red when I actually did proceed through the intersection to turn right. BUT I do know that the traffic actually travelling on 17th ave was STOPPED. Which means they still had a red on 17th ave because they hadn't started moving yet. Note: I do know that there is a brief couple second period where traffic travelling both directions have a red light at the same time while it is switching.

Fast forward 1 minute... I guess there was a cop sitting at that red light on 17th ave travelling west. Therefore, they were driving right behind me once the light went green for them.

He pulled me over, asked me for all my information, went back to his car for 10 minutes plus and eventually came back and gave me a $388 ticket with "54(1) fail to stop at a red light" and said something along the lines of "you have no prior offences and you're young so you can probably explain that to the court and figure something out" I don't remember exactly what he said.

ANYWAYS, going forward... should I plead NOT guilty and explain the situation? or should I go in and plead guilty but ask for a ticket reduction as I'm a student and have a clean driving record. Should I mention the fact that the cop was still STOPPED at the red light which confirms the fact that my light was either yellow or JUST went red.... or is this a bad idea?

Please let me know! Thanks!!

Also... I am a 20 year old girl and there were 3 of my male friends in the car. Should I ask any of them to come with me? Or just go by myself?

Answer:
 Going to court and telling a judge "i dont know if the light was yellow or green but I speed up so I could go through it really fast" is not a good thing to tell a judge.

Bad Idea. Hire an attorney if you want to fight it


Title: [CA] Landlord raising rent by $450 (30%)

Question:
I just received the following letter today:

> Dear Anygami,
>
> The lease on your apartment #XX expires on 9/26/2015. We are currently offering the lease renewal terms and rates shown below. Your new lease will begin on 9/27/2015.
>
> * You may sign a 12 month lease renewal for $1988.00 per month.
>
> This offer will expire on 9/18/2015. If you do not renew your lease or give notice to vacate, your lease will automatically go month-to-month for a new rate of $2,885.00. We would also remind you that if you are planning to move you must submit a 30-Day Notice to Vacate form with all leaseholder's signatures to the leasing office 30 days prior to your move-out date.

My current rate is $1546, and this amounts to a 28.5% increase. It was my understanding that you needed to give 60 days notice in California to raise a rent by more than 10%. Is any of this legal? Do I have any options?

Answer:
 You appear to be correct:

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/legal_guides/lt-2.shtml

What I do not understand is whether the landlord is required to keep the current rent until October and have the higher rent for the remaining 11 months, or if the lease could be worded to charge $1,700 on month 1 and and the remaining 11 months at $1,988 to be in compliance with the law.  I'll let someone more familiar with California renters rights to chime in, though my inclination is that the payments would be structured in two-tiers to meet the 60-day requirement.


Title: Canadian who visited Nashville got charged with simple assault

Question:
So I came down to Nashville for the weekend and at one of the bars I went to I was asked to leave by the bouncers. Me and my buddy were escorted out by about 7 bouncers for no reason down a tight hall. I was pretty intoxicated, and while being escorted pushing started and next thing I know I’m being dropped to the ground and handcuffed. I was charged with simple assault, as the bouncer said I elbowed him. So Cops show up after being handcuffed for a decent time. They were so awesome and polite, all the respect to the Nashville police force. So they give me a misdemeanour citation. Which I have a copy of. My booking date is for the 26th of October, I’m leaving the country tomorrow morning. Now the cops already got my fingerprints and photo (SEC) unfortunately my dumbass misplaced that piece of paper. So my question to this community is what exactly should I do.
I really appreciate any help at all

Answer:
 > Me and my buddy were escorted out by about 7 bouncers for no reason ... I was pretty intoxicated.

Asked and answered.

> I’m leaving the country tomorrow morning.

That would be a very bad idea. You've been charged with a crime. If you simply don't show up to court, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. If you ever want to travel back to the US without getting arrested at the border, you need to resolve this. The best way would be to delay your return home, contact a local criminal defense attorney first thing tomorrow morning, and figure out your options.


Title: Roommate has started selling drugs

Question:
Chiming in from New Hampshire and my roommate (college, not by choice), has recently started to sell drugs (pot is the only one I am aware off). I was just wondering if, myself (square as a box) could face any legal consequences from his actions if he gets in legal trouble.

I have looked at other posts on the topic, but was wondering if there are any laws in New Hampshire that would make cause any consequences worse than being questioned, and possibly being charged and having my case dismissed.

Edit: Spelling

Answer:
 Are you in a dorm? I would be more worried about getting your housing taken away for not reporting your roommates dealing.

Put in for a room mate transfer quickly. Answer #2: Contact your RA and explain the situation to him and that you want a room change, also make sure he doesn't hide any drugs in YOUR stuff, but most likely if he's gonna be arrested it will be in the act where you won't be there, and wouldn't have anything to do with it, but I would make sure, if the police got a warrant for your place, non of your stuff would be mixed with the drugs.


Title: Keys being held hostage (TX)

Question: The situation's pretty simple. My mom lost her car keys -- not too long later, a sign went up in the area saying something to the effect of "Lost your keys? 100.00." and listing an apartment number. Is this illegal? Can she do anything besides pay up?

Answer: No that would be extortion essentially. Call the police non-emergency line and explain the situation.


Title: Is this a lawsuit worth pursuing?

Question:
For background: I had been sick with Lyme disease, thoroughly treated for that, headaches, fatigue.

Months after I was off antibiotics, I took pseudoephedrine for mild ongoing headaches, which the doc thought may be attributable to sinus problems.

The packaging makes no mention of chest or heart pain on the box.

I take the pills as prescribed, and 2 days in have terrible chest pain, I go to the hospital, they say "it's probably pain from lyme or anxiety."  They didn't see any correlation between psedoephedrine and my 200/100 blood pressure and 10/10 chest pain.  They discharged me.

Hours later I returned in screaming pain, a headache like you've never felt.  They brought down my blood pressure, but told me I need to go home because I have a long-standing blood pressure problem (which all my medical records show I absolutely did not), I had an acute problem from the meds.

After being discharged again, I started getting crazy ringing in the ears, crazy tachycardia, vomiting, and seeing tons of sparkly things in my vision.

I had to go back to the ER a third time, where my doc demanded to them I stay.

Two years later, I still have that same migraine headache, the sparkles in my vision, the ringing in my ears, chronic postural tachycardia syndrome, and chest pain.

I have not worked since, have been in 9/10 pain every second of every day, have fainted and collapsed many times since.

Between the negligence of the hospital and the lack of labeling for chest pain on the medication, do you think I have a case?  And what do you think I might be able to get for it?

My location is Boston, MA, I am a 30 y/o man, who was working in finance making decent money and now has to live at home, unable to work, and on many meds to keep my heart from overbeating and hurting.

Answer: Maybe? Med mal cases are incredibly fact specific, and you aren't helping yourself with the hyperbole. You haven't been in 9/10 pain every second of every day and making a claim like that hurts your case.


Title: TX - ER Physician & Unvaccinated Patients

Question: I am an ER physician in Texas. I have had more and more patients enter my ER who are unvaccinated. I refuse to allow my other patients be exposed to potentially dangerous infectious diseases harbored by these people. I understand my legal obligation to give “life-saving” care to patients however, >99% of patients who come to my ER are bumps, bruises, and common colds. Is it within my right if after a brief history and physical, in my medical judgement that the patient is not experiencing a life-threatening issue, I can refuse services to unvaccinated patients?

Answer: NAL - Unless something’s changed in the last few years , I’ve never seen an ER triage that asked about vaccinations unless it was germane to the symptoms and reason for visit. Nor do hospitals have vaccination history on patients unless the patient received an immunization at a hospital-connected clinic that shares data with the central system .  I dare say many patients in their later years, 70+, may not even know immunization history.  By the time a physician actually sees a patient they have already been in the waiting room and are already back in an exam room or a curtained off area .  This sounds like a BS post but if for some reason it’s not, - why haven’t you discussed with the ER head?Answer #2: This is a question to send up the food chain. The hospital you work for or contract with likely has a policy addressing this. If not, their management or counsel can give you an answer.Answer #3: Your employer will determine that.


Title: May I drive an exchange student who lives in my home if I got my intermediate license less than 6 months ago?

Question:
I realize it's illegal to drive someone who is not an immediate family member for 6 months after getting an intermediate license, but does that apply to an exchange student whose guardians we have in common?

Google hasn't had any answers for me.

[WASHINGTON STATE, USA]

[8/10/17]

Answer: It depends whether you live on the moon or somewhere on earth


Title: Hit by a car in a crosswalk (CA) - what are the next steps.

Question:
Friend of mine was hit by a car while crossing at the light moments ago. They had the walk symbol.

Car clipped them, took them off their feet slightly, but they were able to walk away with some pain and soreness. A cop was flagged down who advised them to handle it like a collision. Both parties exchanged info.

Should my friend file a police report? Should they go to urgent Care or a doctor to get checked out? Anything else they should do? Everyone left the scene without filing a report, no witnesses stopped.

Answer:
 He should get medical attention if he feels like he needs to.  That's not a legal question.

He can file a claim with the driver's insurance for medical expenses.  He's not going to get rich, if that's what you're asking.


Title: [USA] Is my employer taking advantage of the immigrant visa?

Question:
Hi,

I, and some others, were granted a H1B visa from my employer (some others got a B1 Volunteer Visa - no pay), and in the contract it says I will be paid a SALARY of $1 USD per month. He sponsored me, and several others. We all knew what we were getting into by "working" with him. It was just for us to legally enter the states and find a new job.

We all signed that we agree to the salary of $1 USD per month and are "consultants", the others signed up as volunteers. He subtly encourages us to find a different job as well.

Do we, the employees, have any legal grounds against him?

Answer: Sounds like everyone, including you, is commiting visa fraud. You need to talk with an immigration attorney.  They may tell you to leave the country immediately as to not get barred from re-entry.  Don't report this or confront anyone without talking to an attorney first.


Title: Possible Harassment at Work

Question:
I am the administrative assistant to the superintendent of a small public school district in NJ. I was hired right out of high school and have been there 27 years. The current superintendent has been there for 2 years.

I have no prior discipline reports and have received glowing evaluations, including the last 2 years. It has become obvious that a Vice Principle is monitoring my interactions with my coworkers, to the point if he sees me speaking with certain ones, he interrupts and escorts them away from me. I get left feeling humiliated.  Another coworker has said point blank that he got in trouble for speaking to me and, from the behavior of other coworkers, he is not alone.

It's an ongoing issue.  At times, when I give the Superintendent a message, he responds by asking why the person was talking to me. I called him on it once, and he said he felt bad they were bothering me. I have a copy of an email where he told the administrators to not use me as a "sounding board."

It feels like harassment, especially having someone monitoring my conversations and that he has, apparently, been discussing me or my performance with my coworkers. My plan is to speak with him about it, but I wanted to know if it is harassment.

Answer: The new superintendent may actually be feeling like they're wasting your time. Have you talked to him about it?


Title: Girlfriend's divorce isn't finalized. Ex husband will be on our son's birth certificate. Please help

Question: Like the title says my girlfriend and I had our son last night and we found out today that because the divorce isn't finalized yet that he will be on the birth certificate as the father not I. This is quite upsetting for both of us. Any help or info that anyone could provide would be so appreciated. We live in the U.S. in Louisiana. Please help me figure this out reddit.

Answer: Get a lawyer.  Now.


Title: [FL] Father denied visitation after suspecting drug abuse.

Question:
Intro: My wife and I got married in 2011, separated in 2014, had never divorced or filed anything through the courts. We are now dissolving the marriage and neither of us have attorneys. This is in Florida.

My wife's parental rights were terminated for two daughters before I had ever met her, maybe as far back as 2007. She had admitted to me that she smoked meth with her boyfriend, Jacob. They smoked meth together for a week while the girls were somewhere else. When the girls came back, she supposedly stopped, but the boyfriend continued. He ended up assaulting one of the daughters. The two daughters had different fathers, but they are both now under the custody of the younger daughter's biological father.

Soon after my wife and I started hanging out, I had discovered her pill addiction, namely Xanax. I stayed by her side, trying to get her to quit her addiction. She stopped when, after three months of having known her, we discovered that she was pregnant. I tried doing what I thought was right for my unborn child. We got married. Even though we never had a good relationship, the environment was healthy for our son. Soon after his second birthday, my wife and I split, with her moving an hour away to a different county to live with her mom and taking our two year old son with her. For about a year, I had my son every weekend, driving him back-and-forth. Eventually, I had him every other weekend.

From everything I could see, it looked like she was doing a good job with him. I started to question my son's environment when she said this guy, Dane, had been living with them. This was in 2015; my son was 3. She said that he had wanted to fight me because they bought a laptop together and then she sold it without giving him the money; he wanted money for weed and said I should be paying more child support so she could pay him back. She told me this after he had already moved out from her residence. Dane had been convicted of felony battery, possession of marijuana, and resisting arrest in 2008, felony 3rd degree child abuse in 2006, and has had a domestic violence injunction filed against him. I believe there was also an issue with statutory rape in his past.
In August 2016, my wife's mother died. In October, Tina, a friend of my wife, had notified me that Dawn had moved into my wife's residence. Dawn had been living with Tina but was kicked out and had a domestic violence injunction created against her. From public records, I can see that Dawn has been convicted of making a false 911 call, possession of hydrocodone, possession of morphine, and possession of contraband in a county detention facility. She had a "DOMESTIC - REPEAT VIOLENCE" case filed against her in 2013 as well. Even the friend Tina has been convicted of heroin trafficking.

My wife had denied that Dawn was living there for a while but eventually admitted to it when, on Christmas morning, I brought my son there to visit and my son's bedroom had been deconstructed for Dawn to live there. She lived there from October to January. Immediately after Dawn had moved out, or even before, my wife's brother, Jim, had moved in with her. He has since been sleeping in my son's bedroom. Also, Auri (11 or 12), a daughter of my wife's sister, has been living there as well, sharing a bed with my son and my wife. My wife's brother is 26 and has no job.

For these reasons, I had started the paperwork for dissolution of marriage so that I could plead a case of primary custody. My son's safety has been paramount, but there have also been past issues with her using my son as collateral. She has withheld visitation as punishment several times. She cancelled my timesharing that was scheduled for Easter and instead let somebody else have him for the weekend (for no apparent reason). She tried keeping him from me on Christmas because I told her she had to text me about adult issues instead of calling me. She has repeatedly cancelled attempts by me to pick him up from school, which he has explicitly asked me to do.
In April 2017, I tried getting her to agree to me seeing him one extra weekend a month, which would be 24 more nights a year. She gave me a hard no, saying that the only time she gets to see him is the weekend. I proposed the inverse, saying I could have him during the week and she could have him three weekends a month. She refused any plan other than me having him 4 nights a month.

April 29th, on the way to the park, my son asked why I was trying to take him from his mommy. When I inquired further, he said that his mommy had read a text that said I was trying to take him away from her. The following day, again, he asked if I was gonna keep him. He said his mommy had told him I would.

In the past, he had also told me that mommy says she's sad when he talks about daddy.

Also, since the end of 2016, I had been asking her to let me have him during the summer. She had always pushed the topic to the future.

May 18th, I got a call from a boyfriend of hers. He said that my wife was going down a dark road, using pills. He had said that when I picked up my son the last time, a drug-dealer named Michael was hiding in my son's bedroom. This stuck out to me for two reasons: He had to have known that I went inside my wife's apartment, not something I usually do; he had to have known the bedroom was closed, which it was. The brother usually slept inside the bedroom, and I had noticed that the brother was sleeping on the couch that day. My son was in his mom's bedroom with her and his cousin sleeping.

This boyfriend said she was now sleeping with the drug dealer. Knowing she had gone to pills in the past, I took this very seriously. I picked up my son the following day, as I was scheduled to do anyway. The day after that, I called DCF and reported the issue. They drug tested her and (as she admitted elsewhere) she tested positive for THC. She didn't test positive for oxys, which she had been accused of using, but from my understanding, most urine tests don't even test for that.

Please keep in mind that I know nobody personally except my wife and her brother. I never looked for this information. It was presented to me. Her boyfriend had my phone number because she called me from it one day.
Initially, I was upset that DCF didn't find enough info to take any action; then, after, some reflection, I realized I was only upset because I was assuming that she was guilty. The accusation could've been false, and that's a good thing. I let the situation go. I did look into Michael's history, however, and saw that he's been convicted of domestic violence, battery, and that he's currently facing charges for grand theft auto and burglary. On Facebook, he brags about making "street money" during the night. My wife admitted to DCF that he does occasionally spend the night.

A week later, I got an unsolicited message from one of her friends, implicating my wife in having a drug addiction, of having used drugs around my kid, having gotten drugs from Dawn to let her stay there and drive her places. She said that everybody knew she was a drug addict. She got me in contact with a different ex-boyfriend, whom she broke up with after he questioned her drug habits. Apparently, she had been using her mom's pain medications after her mother had died. The other ex-boyfriend told me he saw her use and buy drugs. The friend said she had seen her intoxicated on drugs. The friend who contacted me sent me messages from several other people who basically replied, "Duh, everybody knows she's a pill-head." My wife's stepfather said she used to come by, asking for oxys from her mother.

She showed me messages from my wife's upstairs neighbor. The messages were talking about how DCF had showed up and the neighbor was defending her having said that my wife was a good mother to DCF. She said, however, that she was happy they didn't ask about the drugs because she wouldn't have known what to say. The friend told me my wife had asked for money so she and her brother, along with Dawn and Michael, could flips drugs and make some money.

I mentioned none of this to my wife because I knew it was futile. I finalized the last bit of paperwork for the dissolution of marriage.

She called me the week before Memorial Day weekend, asking if I wanted our son because she had waited too long to get him into summer camp. I jumped on the opportunity and started looking for summer camps.

We had agreed that I would have my son for a month with her having him every other weekend; this schedule was to start on Memorial Day. The night before Memorial Day, she called me saying that she knew I was trying to get primary custody of our son. She said, "I can't believe you're trying to take him from me. You know how sad I was when I lost my girls." As a result of that, she said I can no longer have him for a month.

I filed the paperwork that Tuesday. She denied me visitation for every weekend thereafter. Every Wednesday, I ask her if she will interfere with my visitation and that I assume no response is an unwillingness to cooperate. She said I can drive up there and visit him every other weekend at her place. I'm afraid to do this because of the hostile environment. It wouldn't be just me and my son. It would be me, my son, his mother, his uncle, his cousin, and probably the neighbors. She has a history of starting conflict in front of him. Worst of all, I would have to explain to my son why he can't come home with Daddy.

I filed a motion for a 10-panel hair follicle test that will go back 90 days and test for more drugs. She has filed her counter-petition and filed for temporary timesharing and other relief that says, verbatim, "Temporary custody of minor child. Father can visit every other weekend."

I have tried calling, and she has not let me speak with our son. She says he's playing and hangs up. She hadn't had him call me until today.

As of Father's Day, I haven't seen my son in 28 days. I sent her a text that said, "Please have [son] call me." She called this afternoon for a total of 9 minutes. My son asked to come over so I asked if I could pick him up. She got on the phone and brought up that she filed the custody papers and didn't want me having him until it was signed by a judge. I responded that she had no legal right to keep him from me. To that, she responded that we were on speaker phone and she didn't want to discuss these matters in front of him. After a minute of my son and I talking, she rushed him off the phone, saying that they needed to meet some friend and her two boys at the pool.

Even before the recent changes, she had refused to tell me what kindergarten he will be going to next year. She refuses to tell me where he is during the day now or who watches him. I have never given any indication that I would take him and not return him. All I've done is file for primary timesharing. On that parenting plan, I even gave her more time than she has given me. I'm not trying to keep him from his mother; I just don't believe that she can consistently provide a safe environment for him.

I realize that I need an attorney, and I'm getting that finalized this week. Is there any general advice you guys can provide? For me, I have no history of drugs, I've never been convicted of a crime, I'm not part of that crowd. I have a good career and have been steady for a long time. I understand that not everything can be substantiated, but how much will the allegations, coupled with her past, affect custody? How will the courts look at her not allowing me to spend time with him?

Answer:
 What a wall of text,

Could you maybe hit enter twice in a row to create paragraphs?


Title: [Ontario, Canada] Previous owner's unpaid bills are now going to be a lien on our property.

Question:
So we bought a house in October. The lawyer that handled the closing didn't resolve three things:

1. Back-taxes owed
2. Approximately 5 months of unpaid water bills (now added to taxes)
3. Unpaid electricity bills

All of these were accrued long before the closing date on the house. The water bill has been added to the tax bill, and now the city is sending letters about putting a lien on the property. The unpaid electricity bill has been resolved as it was almost negligible.

Can a lien be put on a property after the ones who incurred the debt have sold it?

Was the lawyer's conduct questionable if they didn't disclose or discover the taxes owed?

Answer:
 > Can a lien be put on a property after the ones who incurred the debt have sold it?

Yes.

> Was the lawyer's conduct questionable if they didn't disclose or discover the taxes owed?

This is one of the things the lawyer would normally have checked as part of the conveyance. I don't know what the scope of the services you agreed to was though.


Title: Help! Art thief from another country

Question:
Hello,

I am from the United States

(I am new here, not sure what to do)

I, along with some other people, have been targeted by a nasty art thief on dA, and it has spread to many other sites.

This link here, http://royalphase.deviantart.com/journal/Art-Thief-odeeart-Suspended-Update-5-427614479 , contains a lot of information about what is going on.

Basically, he says that Icelandic Copyright laws state that he can steal artworks from anyone and from anywhere, put it into a collage, and sell it for a profit without consulting or crediting the original artists. We are unsure of what to do; and what laws are correct and which ones are skewed.

Any help would be great,

Thank you.

Answer: All of those sites are in the United States, so just send DMCA notices to them.


Title: [MN, USA]Should I be concerned my lawyer has ran for a position of a district judge in the past and was a municipal prosecutor ?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: A large number of defense attorneys used to be prosecutors.


Title: Mother's bank account was emptied due to overdrafts on another family member's account.

Question:
(Texas) My mother was added to her sister's bank account so that she could help manage her and her boyfriends accounts (i.e., pay their bills) as they have had a history of financial distress. The boyfriend managed to rack up several thousand USD in overdraft fees unbeknownst to my mother until her own bank account (with the same bank) was deducted the amount owed by my aunt and her boyfriend.

My mother has contacted the bank and made temporary arrangements to get her account credited back until he repays the debt. I am aware there has been some form of promise-to-pay but I am not aware if it was paper or verbal and that time has expired. I understand that she has some liability for the account as she consented to being added to the account, however does she have any case for arguing that since he (the boyfriend) accrued all of the debt himself, without her consent or knowledge, she should not be held responsible? If she had not had sufficient funds to offset the debt of the account already with that particular bank, could they (the bank) have filed on her credit history?

Thank you for your time,

Answer:
 By the sounds of it, your sister and her mother had a joint account. Your mother is as responsible for the overdraft liability as her sister on the account.  She is presumed to know how much money is in her own account - her ignorance of the spending pattern is her own problem. The bank could sue either of them for the money if they couldn't have transferred money in.

The question here is did the boyfriend have lawful access to this account? Was he allowed to spend money from it (e.g. did his girlfriend give him permission)?


Title: Is there any use in filing a police report against someone who demanded money in exchange for not posting naked pictures and a video online? (Money was not paid; pictures and video were posted.)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Since the video is already out there then why hasn't he already gone to the police? That's extortion. It isn't like the person can still hold it over his head.

Does he have copies of their chat log where she threatened to release the video? That will be important evidence.Answer #2: Extortion.

Also revenge porn, which is specifically illegal in California.Answer #3: Just wanted to add that you don't actually know the account the woman was using is actually a valid account. For all you know, it was a  40 year old man operating the account from his mother's basement...in Guam. I know your friend 'thinks' he Skyped with a woman, but I'm very familiar with this scam and the multitude of people who somehow can't tell when they are speaking to a bot or watching a pre-recorded show.

It would take a lot of balls to put that much evidence out there, the messages, the videos, etc., and then associate your true self with the scam.


Title: At what point does putting your hand on your firearm become "aggravated assault"?

Question:
This literally just happened. Outside my office a guy was just stopped by a police car, and 5 other police cars were on scene shortly after. I went outside to see what's up and this is what I saw:

Guy in car is being yanked out, a handgun was taken from the driver's side (appears to have been next to the seat?).
Guy won't shut up (obviously a dumb move), but from what I heard, the cop told him that "the homeless guy over there said he was talking to you at the last stoplight and you reached for your gun"

The guy replied something about, "the homeless guy was leaning in my window and I was scared, so I *moved my hand near my gun*, but I didn't pull it out. I just wanted to be ready in case the guy tried to hurt me.".

The cop seemed to reply like that story matched what the homeless guy said (he never claimed the gun was pulled, he only said he "reached for" it). The cop said something like, "yeah the homeless guy said you didn't pull the gun".

I have to assume that the homeless guy got out of the car window and then called 911 (yeah, he was on a cell phone).

They took his wallet and verified that he had a CCW permit (even though in Tennessee, you don't need one to carry a pistol in your car). So, he was more than legal to be carrying the gun with him.

Then, they handcuffed the guy and told him he was under arrest for aggravated assault.

My understanding of this charge (in TN) when it pertains to an otherwise legal pistol-carrier is that the person would have to PULL the gun, or at least, make some sort of threat (verbally like "get out or I'll shoot you") or something.

This is interesting to me, because I'm also a CCW holder and travel with my handgun next to my driver's seat. I could easily see myself just moving my hand closer to my gun if I felt threatened, even if I didn't currently believe the situation warranted pulling it out (frankly, I'm not going to pull my gun unless I'm ready to pull the trigger). I'd just want to be "ready" if the situation warrants it. You know, sort of like if you are walking in a busy area and you put your hand on your pocket to protect your wallet? Heck, it almost seems like it would be something you'd do unconsciously, if you are always carrying.... you just put your hand on or near your firearm as an "instinct"...

So, what do you guys think happened? Do you think he was arrested but may not be actually charged if his story is verified? Or, is just the act of moving your hand towards your gun, considered aggravated assault? I realize there's a lot of speculation here, and I'm OK with that.

Answer:
 Well, you're right that this is a grey area. It was definitely up to the officer's discretion on whether to make an arrest or charge on those facts.

However, the one guiding principle I'd point out is that you're not allowed to respond with more force than is applied or threatened against you. It's not lawful for you to pull your gun in response to someone making an unarmed threatening move towards you (unless you have very good reason to believe that their unarmed movement is a deadly threat to you, i.e. tiny girl v. big dude). So, by moving for his gun, the guy threatened an absolutely unlawful escalation towards deadly force while the homeless guy was at worst threatening slight physical harm or maybe insignificant property damage.


Title: Talking to the police vs talking to FBI/SS?

Question:
I was just reading [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/3l68qs/tifu_by_selling_on_ebay_which_lead_to_the_secret/) on the /r/TIFU subreddit about some guy who had a run in with the FBI because he sold something on ebay which was used in a crime. This only ads to something that I had been wondering about... Basically, I've seen and heard a lot about not talking to cops no matter what (mostly from reddit); and it does seem like good advice, given that a lot of horror stories have come out of people trying to be transparent with the police, only for it to come back to bite them. But does the same go for the FBI/CIA/Secret Service? I know they have a lot more power and are far more intelligent when it comes to investigating, but is it still in every person's best interest to request a lawyer **no matter what** in any possible situation? It seems like the right thing to do but I can only imagine the risk of pissing off FBI/CIA agents by delaying their investigation.

In the TIFU story, the guy was very cooperative and transparent, which seems like the best way to go about things, if all parties are truly working for justice, but I can only imaging how this could have ended poorly had the FBI agents wanted to put this guy in prison for whatever reason.

EDIT: I live in Michigan but it shouldn't matter for this question......

Answer:
 >But does the same go for the FBI/CIA/Secret Service?

Yes.  Don't talk to them.


Title: [texas] I went to a sushi place I’ve been to before which is connected to some apartments. It has a tunnel of sorts that my truck clears easily. Well this time I went thru it and my truck didn’t clear and have a huge scrape from front to back. Do I have to call insurance and pay $1500 deductible?

Question: The place says they are not responsible for damages. They have the big yellow tube thing hanging (same height) see pics and say they had cones which they did which made me look down and see what was wrong with the ground but still guided me to a part that was low enough to mess up my truck. They also said they changed the sign to represent the new height but it’s not obvious it’s a new height or very clear to read in general. Didn’t even notice until they called and told me they legally changed the number height. Am I at fault and out $1500 I can’t afford to fix my truck that all I wanted to do was get some sushi? [am I screwed?](https://imgur.com/gallery/yowTtrw)

Answer:
 Yeah if you drove your truck into a fixed object then it is your fault. Sorry. Of course seeing as it's just cosmetic damage you could always not fix it or fix it later when you have the money.Answer #2: > They also said they changed the sign to represent the new height but it’s not obvious it’s a new height or very clear to read in general.

I disagree.  I think the combination of the height being correctly listed and the cones and flags are a pretty good warning.  A court is likely to agree.

What else did you expect them to do?  Have a spinning sign guy out there everyday until they repair the barrier?
Answer #3: I think the marking is absolutely horrible. Is the new, lower rebar 6'4"? Or lower than that?


Title: If i'm included in someones will. Can i legally be present when the executor is discussing that with the lawyer?

Question:
[Canada, Ontario] So my mother recently passed may she rest in peace. Myself and my brother are pretty much the sole recipients of said contents of that will. But with that being said My Grand mother is proprietor of the will. (What she didn't even tell us she was until after my mother had passed knowing my mother was near death.)

I would like to be present when my grandmother meets the lawyer regarding the will and the process of that. But she insists i'm not allowed to be present for that meeting. Now i won't lie there's a little mistrust in the family regarding how this will has been presented and who handles it. What i want to know is there any law in place saying i can't be present when the will is discussed with the lawyer? I feel as if i have a right to be part of this process.

Edit update; my mother and father of 18 years went through a rough time in 2001. A will was written leaving me and my brother to split the estate 50/50. I wasn't aware of this will. My mother and father had reconciled and then my mother passed away. This old will was left with the sister and was shown to me after my mother had passed away. Her wishes were to split it 30/30/40. 30 for each boy and 40% for my father. But the finances over the mutual fund company she has named my father beneficiary. Is the will still valid?

Edit2; Thank you all for the advice i think i have a better understanding what my limits are and what i can and can't do. You've all been great help. Thank you!

Answer:
 Generally speaking, under the common law of many Western nations, you have a right to "inspect" the will.

However, you do not have a right to be present at a private meeting between your grandmother and her attorney.

If you have any concern as to the propriety of the process you are advised to consult a lawyer on your own especially if you plan to challenge the will. Do NOT challenge the will on your own without professional legal advice -- I cannot state this strongly enough. Answer #2: The will is still valid. If your mom wanted to change it, she could have at any point in the last 15 years.

The executor must distribute your mom's assets per the will. If anyone wants to challenge the will they can, but keep in mind they may not win and its expensive and time consuming.

You do NOT have the right to be present when she gets legal advice about her role as executor.


Title: My daughter may have been sexually assaulted (MN)

Question:
This is a difficult post to write, but its necessary. Within the last two days my wife and I have grown suspicious that our 3 year old daughter may have been sexually assaulted at some point.

&#x200B;

Completely without prompt, she started describing a situation that raised some serious red flags. She began describing a situation where she was staying over at her grandmas house. She said that at some point "mean hulk" came in the room. She said he tried to eat her mouth, and touched her privates. She also said he used "a sword" that touched her. At some point, she said her grandma came into the room and told him to stop and she was safe after that.

&#x200B;

We have no idea how long ago this took place as she doesn't have that concept of time and she hasn't stayed over there without us in a while. She also couldn't identify who the person was aside from being "mean hulk". There is only one adult male that could have lived there during that time, but she did not say it was him specifically. This morning my wife called grandma and confronted her about what was said. She immediately became defensive and said whatever our daughter said was nonsense and didn't want to hear another word about the matter, then hung up on my wife.

&#x200B;

We are really unsure of what to do from here. Do we contact the police? Should we have our daughter see someone that can better extract specifics about what happened? We don't even know if we have enough to be able to do anything at all. Any help is much appreciated.

Answer:
 You can absolutely contact the police, and have your daughter checked medically.

There may not be a strong path forward to prosecution if she can't articulate what happened or who did it (because she's three).  But at least they'll know and have something on file.

You can also just not allow her to go back there.


Title: [AZ] What information can family legally gain access to after we die?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If you're thinking of doing something drastic, please head over to /r/suicidewatch or seek other help.  Permanent solution, temporary problem.

There is no action you can take to prevent anything after you're dead.  Even if there were a legal way to do what you're talking about, it could be challenged, and the dead person could not fight it (due to being dead).


Title: [NYC] Employer has not paid me for 5 weeks now and refuse to take notice of or acknowledge it

Question:
I've been working for an after school tutoring business that is contracted with a nyc public school. The agreement was that I'd be paid every week before class. Five weeks have gone by and the owner has made no effort to pay me even after I sent several reminder emails. I just sent an email explaining that I will not continue with the program. I plan on contacting the school and explaining my situation. Where else can I report this business to make sure that I am compensated for my time?

Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 You can file a complaint with the NY Dept of Labor. Were you an employee or an independent contractor?

https://labor.ny.gov/formsdocs/wp/LS223.PDF


Title: Ontario medical malpractice out-of-court settlement release forms only show the settlement amount of $10.

Question: I am currently in a lawsuit for medical malpractice and we have come to a settlement agreement out of court. My lawyers have sent me a release form to sign stating the “payout sum of Ten Dollars ($10.00) plus other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which I herby acknowledge”. This is not the actual amount agreed upon. When I asked my lawyer about this he claimed that $10 is standard and that the lawyer for the doctors never want a true $$ amount on the form so that there is no formal record of the amount paid.  This does not sound right to me, has anyone heard of this before? Should their be something clarifying “good and valuable consideration”? Thanks for the help!

Answer: you have a lawyer, take your lawyer's council and sign it. your lawyer isn't going to settle for $10, he needs to get pay as well.


Title: Anti vaccination mother, pro vaccination father

Question: My wife and I are separated and she is pregnant with my daughter.  It's clear we will no longer maintain a relationship but will now have to work on being "co parents". The problem is she is anti vaccinations (both of my step daughters have had no vaccinations) while I believe they are absolutely important. We plan on splitting custody.  What are the laws in place for this? Can I just take my daughter in and have her vaccinated? Or will I face possible legal problems from that.  Any advice please. I live in VA

Answer:
 Will your non vaccinated step daughters be around the baby? Because for the first few months, she won't be old enough to get vaccines, and your ex's negligence over her older daughters health could potentially put your child's life at risk.

Answer #2: You can take her to get vaccinated, unless for some reason your custody order requires you to agree on medical decisions. Even then I can't see a judge punishing you for vaccinating your kid.Answer #3: I appreciate it. I'm not worried about a flashpoint but want to know where I stand legally. I know her stance on the issue and I know it's not something I can "talk her into" but my child's well being is my absolute concern


Title: Is it your right as a victim to see your police records and notes if your case is closed?

Question:
I have a copy of the police report but I am being told I cannot view the police file and my records  even though my case is closed. I am being told by the supervisor of the violent crimes department that they have to be subpoenaed? Does anyone know the law in Louisiana if this is covered in victim’a rights or not?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 I have a copy of my police file from when I was the victim of a crime, but I’m not in Louisiana. My victim services coordinator told me how to get mine, and she’s been incredibly helpful over the years, answering all my questions as they’ve come up. Here’s a list of the victim assistance coordinators in your state:

http://fluxconsole.com/files/item/126/25083/VAClist2018.pdf