Title: Being forced to vacate business location

Question: I'm writing on behalf of a friend because I don't know what I can do to help.  He has owned a local coffee shop in a strip mall type location for the past 15 years.  He was just informed this morning that the property management company intends on letting his lease expire without giving him an option to renew.  One of the owners of this property management company is also an owner of her own coffee house company who intends on putting in another location of her shop where his is located.  This seems shady AF.  Is there anything illegal about it?  I mean she is literally stealing his hard work he's put into this place/location.  He does not have an option to move elsewhere so she is effectively shutting down his business.

Answer:
 Generally, the landlord doesn't have any obligation to continue to rent to a tenant beyond the end of their lease.

So long as the lease doesn't entitle him to a renewal option, I don't think there's anything illegal going on.

This is assuming he's somewhere in the USA.


Title: Health benefits cancelled without notice. Took my daughter to the doctor and got hit with a full bill. Company not taking responsibility

Question: So let me backtrack just a little.  I was hired 4/12/2018.  I was told I could send in my health benefits form after my 91st day so that my coverage would start.  That would place it on 7/13/2018 that I could send in my information to start my benefits.  There was an open enrollment period for the company that was 6/22-6/25.  I thought maybe I could call and start my benefits then to take place a little earlier as I needed insurance for me and my daughter.  They told me that since I had not been employed for 91 days yet they had no information on me to set up my benefits and that I would have to submit my paperwork through my benefits manager after my 91st day.  Fair enough.  Fast forward to 7/18/2018 I sent in the paperwork and asked my benefits manager if that’s all I need to do.  She received my paperwork and told me my benefits were effective 7/19/2018.  I received my health insurance cards in the mail and processed my day to day life.  On 8/20/2018 I took my daughter to her 7 year check up and used my insurance cards. About a week later I received a doctors bill saying I was uninsured and needed to pay out of pocket for the visit.  Confused by this I reach out to my Benefits manager who then tells me my coverage ended 7/31/2018 because the new plan began 8/1/2018.  Without any knowledge of it whatsoever.  When asked how this could be she told me I would have needed to sign up during open enrollment time as well as submitting the paperwork I had sent her on 7/18/2018.  When telling her that I did call open enrollment and that they told me they had no information about me in the system she basically said she couldn’t say why or what the open enrollment company had said and that it was out of her control.  Do I have a case at all?  Or am I shit out of luck on this one?

Answer:
 It SOUNDS like you became eligible to be on the company health plan 7/18/18.  However, it also sounds like the plan year goes from 8/1 - 7/31.  So therefore, you probably should have been enrolled via open enrollment for the future plan year that began after your eligibility, AND needed to sign up for the tail end of the plan year that was about to end, and be enrolled for that portion of July, if your plan allows for partial months (most company-based plans I've heard of are for entire months only).  You really need to sit down with your benefits coordinator.  Even if you weren't quite eligible at the time that open enrollment happened, they should have let you enroll for the plan year that began after your eligibility date.  If they don't have a process for that, then they need to let you sign up now.

&#x200B;

Regardless, it looks to me from the information provided in the post, that the appointment with the doctor occurred under the first plan, regardless, and should be billed under that plan.  So unless they only do whole months and didn't even start your benefits until 8/1, the visit should be covered under the plan that was in effect in July.


Title: Am I entitled to be paid for working a "trial" shift?

Question:
I live in British Columbia, Canada.

I applied for a job at a local sport/ski apparel shop on Wednesday, and the owner asked me to show up this morning for an 8 hour trial shift, to see if I'm a good fit.

It went okay, but there were a lot of aspects of the job I didn't like, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to move on and look elsewhere.
The owner really liked me, and he didn't want me to give up there after one shift, so he asked me to think about it over the weekend and call him back on Monday, to let him know if I'm willing to give it another shot, or if I'm walking away.

He made no mention of paying me, and I forgot to ask before I left.
I'm not very familiar with labour laws here. I worked a full day, and it was a pretty exhausting shift, it wasn't just observing or anything, so I would hope I'd get paid for it.
He didn't make me fill out any paperwork or get my information or anything, beyond the resume I handed in.

I plan on bringing it up on Monday when I call him, but I'd really like to know my rights in this situation beforehand.

I'm a legal citizen here, and I'm 21, if it matters at all.

Answer:
 According to the Employment Standards Act you should be paid at least minimum wage for that.

Here’s a link to the Act for reference: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards/guide-to-the-employment-standards-actAnswer #2: Hey. In BC unpaid internships are illegal, so any work you are asked to do is paid work. When you call on Monday ask about the payment for the shift you did work. If he refuses, tell him you will be going to the Employment Standards Branch. All you need is proof you worked the shift - Voicemail/Texts/note you took for yourself that said you went to bed.

Not a lawyer but I do this stuff for my friends often.


Title: (KY) Grandparent left money for me in their will, but I no longer speak to my family

Question:
(KY)
My question is: Is there a way to claim money from my grandparent's will without speaking to or seeing my family?

Some background on why: After many years of a strained relationship, including being shamed after coming out, my mother told me in a crowded restaurant, albeit not so bluntly, that she regretted giving birth to me. I have a mental illness (now treated), so this was a particularly corrosive detail to mull over, which eventually landed me in psychiatric care.

After several months of counseling, I decided that in the best interest of my mental health and prosperity it would be wise to cut ties with my mother entirely. It's been a couple of years now since then, and now that my mental illness is treated and I'm able to hold down a job and a home, I've decided to finally pursue higher education (science). I'll be starting in the fall.

My grandparent passed away about a year ago. I received an email detailing something about money in a will, but I decided then not to respond because I still felt so raw and fragile after psychiatric care.

I speak to my other siblings and one other family member very sparsely, maybe once every other month. We're not close at all and we live entirely different lives.

I feel bad for wanting to claim this money. I didn't go to my grandparent's funeral because of the distance I needed to maintain from my mother. Also, when they were alive, my grandparent was always shaming gay people, and gave me a hard time for my staunch atheism.

I'm pretty good with my money. I've been diligently tracking my expenses and income for the past several years. I'm currently building up an emergency fund, as advised, as well as setting aside money for other expenses like dental work and vehicle maintenance. The chaos of untreated mental illness has been the only real barrier to financial prosperity for the most part.

So, with the realities of life, starting school in the fall and those costs, I keep thinking about that money with my name on it. I'm just wondering how I could access that money without talking to or seeing my mother, mainly.

Thank you.

Edit: This was originally posted to r/personalfinance, but was directed to post here instead.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 Who sent you the email? In Kentucky, wills must be filed with the court in the county where the deceased lived when they died. You can check the court filings and see if an attorney filed the will, and contact that attorney. Answer #2: Who informed you of your inheritance?

>I'm just wondering how I could access that money without talking to or seeing my mother, mainly.

That really depends. If your mother is the executrix of the estate, you may not have a choice in the matter.

Also, there is no shame in collecting money that was willed to you even if you weren't on the best of terms with the person.  Sometimes, it's their final act of contrition/gesture for having a shaky relationship.


Title: accused of break and entering?

Question: i received a call from a private number claiming they were OPP and i was being accused of breaking and entering, half asleep i took this as a prank call  and hung up and they called back a few times saying if i don't cooperate things will get much worse. I didn't say anything as i was sleeping and assumed this is part of dumb scam or prank. is this real? and should i be worried? what should i do? im located in toronto, ontario, CA. who calls from a private number!

Answer:
 Even if this were the actual police, you can't help yourself by cooperating.

If arrested, say nothing and wait for your lawyer.


Title: [UT] my sister is harassing me online

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 So, instead of taking responsibility for your abhorrent decision to "go on a few dates" (let's just call it what it is, an affair) with your brother-in-law, *who is still married to your sister*, you want to add insult to injury and pursue criminal harassment charges against her?

I'm confident that whatever she's saying about you is 100% true and justifiable, and I don't see enough here that rises to the level of harassment.

Make better decisions.


Title: (CA) City wants to install a large communications tower in the hill behind my backyard. Do I have any recourse?

Question:
I live in the country and my property backs up to a 400ft hill that has been preserved as open space and will never be developed.  I found out recently that the city wants to install a large communications tower to help with transmissions services.  Talking with several city employees who use transmissions daily (police, fire, etc), they have never noticed an issue with transmissions anywhere in the city.  I also do not believe an official communications study by an expert has been done to verify the necessity.  Personally, I believe this is being pushed forward by certain city officials who want to leave a legacy for themselves by installing a large tower that can be seen from everywhere, completely disregarding the natural beauty and backdrop this hill provides to the city.  (The hill is a common centerpiece for city publication photos and has some minor publicity of its own with a couple of books about it.)

I do not want this tower installed behind my house.  They will be putting in a fire road to the top and all it will do is provide open access for people to look down directly on my house and the neighbors houses.  It will also be an eye sore and spoil the view we have up the hill.  Currently the hill only has use trails and is open to the public, but the limited access keeps our level of privacy acceptable.

What options do I have to persuade the city to consider reasonable alternatives?  I am pretty sure any issue in transmission communications could be solved with repeaters or putting a tower elsewhere, such as on top one of the buildings in town.  I am thinking of recruiting the EPA or other environmental groups that would be in opposition due to environmental concerns.  Could I also commission my own communications study to refute any studies by the city?  Would hiring an attorney be worth it? All of my neighbors are already in agreement to oppose the tower.  What is our best option?

Edit: I checked the zoning specs of the site and found the corresponding municipal laws regarding installing a comms tower.  Two points in the code state:

"To maximize the use of existing and approved structures to accommodate new communication antennas in order to reduce the number of freestanding facilities needed to serve the community"

and

"To minimize adverse visual and aesthetic effects of Telecommunication Facilities through careful design and siting standards"

I think this is where I will focus my disagreement in front of city council.  Any tips on strategy?

Answer:
 Probably need to take your three minutes in front of the city council to voice your concerns.  You also should consider talking to the city public works director to understand the need beforehand.  It's unlikely they are doing it just because they can.  Towers and infrastructure are expensive.  It's not something done lightly.

Do you have any legal recourse?  Probably not if it's not your property.


Title: How can my employer pay us half pay

Question:
So I work for an in in the banquets department.  We normally are payed 9 an hour with extra based on tips and cuts from each party.  But we have gotten together and proved that the most anyone has ever made on a shift after tips and extras was 14.74/hour but almost all the time it adds like 2 dollars an hour extra. Now on hoildays like Christmas we suddenly hot check where our hourly rate was 4.5 an hour. And even after tips and extras.  Only 2 put of 34 of us breached minimum wage.  How is this legso.  We all tried pressuring the owner and now there are 29 of us.  Ive been recording things for a year bit nothing is incriminating.  Any time someone gets loud about going to court they magicly break a stack of glasses or an accident like the dumbweightor breaking down and them saying he did it.  Wtf.  It's like this place is run by a mafia

G
This is NE PA

Answer:
 I have no idea what you wroteAnswer #2: Legally they can pay you less than minimum wage IF you receive tips to make the difference. The establishment is supposed to be reporting any tips you make for this reason. They are more than likely claiming you make more money in tips than you really are to avoid paying you the difference.

Any restaurant I have worked in, I was responsible for claiming my tips. However, in some cases the management told me to claim $8 per hour worked in tips no matter what I actually made.


Title: PayPal buyer scammed me out of $1,400

Question:
I live in Georgia

Buyer lives in California

Earlier this year, I sold merchandise online. Listed the merchandise as is and he understood that. I have texts to collaborate. The money was “gifted” to me to avoid fees. I know to avoid this next time. As soon as he received the merchandise, he filed a complaint with his credit card company saying what he ordered was incomplete. I gave my full side of the story with supporting evidence to PayPal for the dispute but they still sided with him. I know have a -$1400 account with collections calling me. On top of that, he never mailed my merchandise back.

So am I just SOL? Is the only way for me to sue him to go to CA?

Answer: Since you violated PayPal’s terms of service, I would not expect much help from them.  Your best bet is going to be bringing a claim in small claims court.


Title: Traffic ticket leads to a warrant, Texas/student.

Question:
I got a ticket a few weeks ago and i contacted some lawyers to help me resolve it.

I received a letter from my city notifying me that there was a warrant for my arrest due to outstanding fines. I was under the assumption that the law firm was to contact the court and be issued a new court date for me. I was also under the assumption that I did not need to attend the first court date because a new court date was to be issued. I was never told explicitly this, but the emails I received insinuated this.

I was emailed a new court date by my lawyers on Tuesday and I received the letter yesterday. The original court date was December 3rd and the new one is on January 12th. I already emailed my lawyers but I have not heard back. Do I still need to worry about the letter or is this a mix up of some kind?

Answer: Don't ignore it. There is a warrant out for your arrest. Call your attorney today and let them know.


Title: [OR] Can my employer forbid employees from discussing wages?

Question: I work in a traditionally underpaid, overworked healthcare field. Recently a medical journal for people in my position published an article discussing the beginnings of a union forming which included an average wage range. We make very little--on average, after paying income tax, full time people in my position fall close to the federal poverty line. Several of us have been discussing this and comparing our hourly pay. One employee was concerned because the owner of the clinic's wife has reportedly told several people they would be fired if they were caught discussing how much they make with other employees. I wasn't hired by her, just her husband, and have never been told this. Is this legal? Would she have grounds for firing us if she overheard us or if another employee told her? The clinic is located in Oregon.

Answer:
 No. Under the National Labor Relations Act, an employer can not prevent you from discussing your salaries.Answer #2: If your employer punishes you for discussing wages, he is violating Oregon law: https://www.schrocklaw.com/oregon-employees-may-discuss-wages/

I don’t think threats give you a cause for action, someone please correct me.Answer #3: Not a lawyer.  Legal grounds to fire you?  No.  The motivation to fire you for something "unrelated" in an at-will state?  Absolutely.  Know the law, but also be smart.


Title: Is it legal to use Hornet Spray for self defense? (Phoenix Arizona)

Question:
(Phoenix Arizona) The other day, I told a good friend  that I keep a can or two of wasp/hornet spray handy in case I get attacked. My friend was horrified and told me that I would be the one that was arrested if I ever used it on an assailant, whether I was walking my dog or inside my home. She said it was the equivalent of a business setting up a fatal booby trap for burglars and I'd be looking at a long time in jail if I ever used wasp/hornet spray on someone else, whether it was self-defense or not.  Is my friend right? I don't want to get a criminal record at my age, but I don't want to be yet another senior whose attack makes the local news.

Thanks in advance for everyone's help

Edited to add: I do have a pepper spray, but I am assuming that it would be easier for me to use a large can of wasp spray in a panic situation, especially if I didn't have my glasses on.

Answer:
 > She said it was the equivalent of a business setting up a fatal booby trap for burglars

No, it's not that.  Booby traps are banned in a large part because they're unable to identify the situation and the people involved, and would be indiscriminate as to their use.

You *would* have an issue because the hornet/wasp spray is likely very injurious or deadly.  Self-defense must be reasonably deployed and used.  You can't seriously injure or kill someone in every situation.

The question, were you to deploy it, was whether your force was proportionate to the danger and whether you used the minimum force necessary to stop the issue.  For something like hornet/wasp spray, it's likely you'd go over in most circumstances.

Consider pepper spray or mace instead.


Title: Just pushed a kid (UK)

Question:
Before you read the below please know that I'm absolutely ashamed of the way I acted and know I'm a complete moron.

I was just walking home from work and for the whole way down this long road (3rd of a mile). This kid kept pushing and punching this other one walking near him. The kid being hit kept begging him to stop and was repeatedly shouting "stop bulling me" which made the other one keep doing it more while laughing.

I was bullied for years at school and absolutely tortured (literally, one time a kid cut a portion of my ear off for fun) and I stupidly intervened without thinking. I pushed the bullying kid (he was leaning against a wall laughing - one handed push on shoulder) and asked him what on earth he was doing.

He said that the kid was his brother which the other kid confirmed and I just walked off after hearing that.

Am I going to get in trouble for this? Should I call the police and tell them in case this kid has gone home and told his parents?

I know I'm a moron for interfering but I was the bullied kid for so many years and just wanted to stop it and didn't think. The bullied kid was absolutely begging he other kid to stop.

It was in quite a busy area and there are probably CCTV cameras if that changes anything

Answer:
 Whatever you do don't turn yourself into the police. You don't stand to benefit at all from doing that.

It's extremely unlikely that:

a) the kid told his parents; and

b) the parents told the police; and

c) the police remotely care; and

d) the police have any way of identifying you; and

e) even if they do, that the CPS would consider bringing charges; and

f) even if they do that, that you would be successfully prosecuted.Answer #2: Don't call the police. That's just asking for trouble. Since you didn't injure the kid, I doubt anything will come of this. Its really not worth police time to pull footage and do all this work to track you down for a relatively harmless thing. If you had beaten the kid, it'd be more likely. Yes it is possible given these facts if you were identified, you could face a misdemeanor charge for assault.


Title: Can I be sued for not giving someone a personal loan after previously agreeing to?

Question:
On Saturday, September 1st, my then girl friend asked if I would give her a loan for $2,000 to cover her deposit on her new lease of a home (and other associated expenses I assume). She was aware this was a loan, as we discussed this via text message and in person. She agreed to pay me back in $500 increments over the next four pay periods. I wrote her the check that day and she deposited it into the bank.
The following Wednesday, September 4th, I discovered that she had been unfaithful and was cheating on me. I immediately called my bank to cancel the check, which was successful. The money never left my bank account. I notified her that day that the check had been cancelled.
This morning, September 8th, she contacted me threatening legal action, expressing that she had spoken to an attorney and said that what I did was criminal, citing Texas penal code 31.06. She has requested that I send her another check to rectify the situation, which I am strongly opposed to.
The memo line of the check read “Loan”, and I have multiple text messages indicating as such. My question is
1.	Did I break the aforementioned penal code (or any for that matter)
2.	Does she have a civil case against me if she decides to sue me for retracting the money for the loan.

Answer:
 > expressing that she had spoken to an attorney

Lol. No, she didn't.

> and said that what I did was criminal,

Absolutely not. 31.06 has to do with writing a check in order to obtain goods or services while knowing you don't have the funds to cover in your account. She *might(?)* (very doubtful) have a civil claim against you which would necessitate that she sues you in court, but a criminal act, no. You could make the claim that the loan was contingent on the continuation of the relationship, and that when the relationship ended so did the loan. I wouldn't worry about it. Unless/until she actually serves you with a lawsuit, ignore her.


Title: Louisiana Prenup Question

Question: Is it possible to use a prenup as a way to get around child support? Is that something that you can put in a prenup? I know that one of the ways to get around child support is if both parties agree about not using it, can you use a prenup as a way to prove that the other party agrees to refuse it?

Answer: No, that's not what prenups are for.


Title: Sexual Harassment in the office - Colleague won't help me because I won't have sex with him (CA)

Question:
So I've been working with this company for the last 8 months (software company) so there aren't that many females around. There is a person who is in a similar position to mine who has told me he's liked me since the minute he saw me. Okay.. fine. I have made it clear that I am not interested. He used to make me a CD every day and every morning there would be a new one on my desk. I thought to myself 'okay well this is a bit excessive and creepy, but whatever I can live with it'.

Then he starts to get more aggressive, drinks with colleagues after work turn into him saying things to me like, 'oh well the reason I help you out so much is because X (my colleague in the same position as me who is a male) isn't going to fuck me.' - WOW okay definitely not going to sleep with you! I've made it quite clear i'm not interested (dating someone else, busy all the time, don't want to hang out with you or go to your concerts, involved with someone else, etc.)

So these kind of comments continue, and he makes remarks constantly about how he thinks I'm sexy and beautiful, and this and that. One thing that happened recently was that I sent him a sexy picture on Halloween because he texted me  'hey it's X' on my new phone without his number saved, and I thought it was an ex boyfriend... so I told him sorry I was really drunk and to disregard.

More recently than that, he had been ignoring me and refusing to assist me with work - to which he later admitted was because I didn't go to a concert he bought me tickets for. This brings me to the breaking point I've had today - my colleague (over our text like work communications) told me that the reason he refuses to help me now is because I won't put out (have sex with him).

I don't want to work here anymore, I don't want to work for a company where my superiors know this person has a grudge against me because I don't like him back, and have done nothing about it - my boss once said 'yes I know - I've heard all about it'.

I also don't want him to get away with this behavior - I have been nothing but nice and professional - and just because he sees me flirting with someone else in the office (someone who is just my friend, not someone who I'm actually flirting with), so he thinks I'm someone I would just sleep with to get his help.

Now that he knows I won't sleep with him, he won't even respond to my emails.

I guess I just want to know if I have any legal rights here? I started documenting today - writing a journal and (screenshots) and I have texts from him as well.

Do I have enough evidence (my word as well as who he told he was done helping me since I won't have sex with him), to do anything about this? Do I need to take this to my superior again? I am afraid of retaliation and losing my job. I'd really appreciate any insight with this... thank you in advance.

Answer:
 Does your company have an HR department? If so, you should be reporting him there immediately.Answer #2: There might be a case against the company if they fire you after you tell them.

Even if it's long been after the fact. Answer #3: Is it impossible to do your job without his help?


Title: [NH] Do I have any liability if I put out junk on the curb with a 'Free!' sign?

Question:
Probably not as sexy of a question this sub normally gets asked, Ill draw a ms paint pic to make up for it:

http://imgur.com/DUWDGr6

Have some old crusty but functional window A/C units and some other misc stuff (Shelves, tables, etc).  Do I have any liability if someone stubs their toe on a shelf or has an allergy fit from some dust in an AC unit?

Answer: If no one takes it, it is littering.


Title: If I (native-born US citizen) marry a foreigner here on a student visa, how long does it take for them to get legal residency and what are the best steps?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 What kind of student visa? If it's a J1 with the two-year rule; then they need to return to their home country for two years and aren't eligible to adjust status without a waiver.

Otherwise, [see here](http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide2)Answer #2: Err, I'm confused. She's here on a student Visa? She hasn't over stayed her visa, *right* ?

So: Go get married.

Apply for change of status. She's going to apply for a green card. If you're being honest about all this then after paperwork, fingerprints, pictures and an interview she'll get a temporary green card, it is good for 2 years. After 18-24 months she can apply for a permanent green card. After 3 years she can apply for citizenship if your'e still married or after 5 years she can just apply for citizenship.


Title: [NJ] Drove with a suspended license, but I don't think it should've been suspended in the first place.

Question:
I'll try to keep it as short as possible, but back in May of last year I had gotten a ticket for speeding and careless driving for going 95 on the turnpike. I paid the fine but I was also supposed to take a class along with it. I was never notified about this and I'll explain why later on.

About a month or two later I went to upgrade my license and the DMV informed me that my license was suspended for not taking the class. I called the DMV, paid the fee to restore my license, scheduled the class and took it 3 weeks later on September 17th.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago and I was stopped by a cop who informed me that my license was suspended for not taking a class. ( I have the certificate saying I took it) I had my court date a week ago and tried to explain that it shouldn't have been suspended but all I was able to get across was that I had evidence other than my license not being suspended. (The courtroom was crowded and the judge was rushing every case so it was hard to get my point across). Now my next court case is for the 15th of March.

I found out my address was never changed officially so I wasn't getting government documents that I was supposed to, which is probably why I wasn't informed of my license being suspended twice. I also found out that I was supposed to take the class before September 1st but there was no way to schedule the class to be taken before that due date.

I honestly just want to get my license restored ASAP, should I get an attorney or try and make my case?

I'm at work so I won't be able to reply till about 1230

Answer: Did you notify the DMV of your address change?


Title: Can you use political leaders' name on products?

Question:
[Here's](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/75o72o/can_a_cereal_company_sue_me_for_using_their/) my last post.

Basically, I decided to make Tony Abbott themed breakfast cereal to advocate marriage equality.
I named the cereal 'Abbott Puffs' though there is a disclaimer on the side of the box saying that it's entirely coincidental.
It's got a big caricature of Abbott on the cover that I got my friend to draw. Can I run into any sort of trouble?

Also, a friend warned me about Abbott supporters, illegally of course, harrassing me. Thoughts?

Edit: I'm in Victoria, Australia.

Answer: You will have a better chance getting this answered in [r/auslegal](https://www.reddit.com/r/AusLegal)


Title: Unbeknownst audio recording in MA

Question:
Hello,

&#x200B;

My wife is being reprimanded at work in Massachusetts for something she said about "Mary"  while alone in a room with a different  individual "Bob". The claim, however is being made by "Mary"  that my wife made this comment directly to "Mary" and it has been stated  in the room that I was recorded (without my consent)  saying it.

Can this be used as evidence to "write her up"?

Answer: There is no “fruit of the spoiled tree” construct in civil law as in criminal. Whomever made the recording could be addressed under the law but that doesn’t prevent the employer from acting upon it.


Title: Wedding venue contacted me and told us they already had our day booked a year in advance after taking our deposit.

Question:
My fiancée and I are getting married on the 23rd; we spent a few weeks looking for a venue and found one we were happy with. We left a deposit, signed a contract, and thought all was well. A month later (yesterday), I received a call from the owner telling us that they can't honor the reservation as they already had a different event booked for that same day and that it was booked *last year.*

He essentially told us he'd refund us our deposit (obviously) and that if we weren't satisfied, we can take him to court and hung up. I'm kinda furious as we were planning on sending out invitations tomorrow (it's a three day event) and this kinda has thrown us for a loop and we're scrambling to find another location.

What purpose does the contract serve if they can just renege on it? Do I have any ground to stand on here?

Answer:
 So here is the gist.  A "simple" breach of contract claim entitles you to the "benefit of the bargain".  In English, that means if you were going to pay this place $1,000 but because of their breach you had to go out and pay some other (comparable) place $3,000 because of the late timing, then you are entitled to get back the extra $2,000 you spent.

Where it gets even more fun is if you also throw in a claim for fraudulent inducement.  In NY, that requires you to prove: 1) a misrepresentation of material fact, 2) known to be false, 3) made with the intention of inducing reliance, 4) that is justifiably relied upon, and 5) results in damages.

Why bother?  Because you are (potentially) entitled to more damages for a FI claim, including consequentials and punitives.  In English, an example of consequential damages is if your $3,000 replacement place was further away and you had to taxi there, those costs can be tacked on.  And as the name implies, punitives are awarded to punish the defendant for deliberately lying.

Keep in mind that you can file a case in small claims court only if you are looking for $5,000 or less.  (Anything above that will require filing in a different court).  But if you don't feel like pursuing a lawsuit and still want to create waves, you can try filing a complaint with the Attorney General's office: https://ag.ny.gov/consumer-frauds/contact.  No guarantees but it's free and can be done online.Answer #2: To be clear... you're getting married four days from today (the 23rd)... it's a three day event... and you haven't sent out invitations yet?

And you only booked the venue a month ago?


Title: I was raped in prison. Released last week. How do I go about getting justice?

Question:
Florida prison. I was there for 3 years, drug related. During this time I was raped three times by the same person. Each time I reported to the guards and I was dismissed as "your word against his"... . Last time it happened was 18 months ago.

That guy is still in prison and will be for about 10 more years (as far as I know). After release, I asked a guard about the process to bring this person to justice and he told me not to waste my time and in his experience the only way this happens is if there is camera footage.

Is there any way for me to bring my attacker to justice? Or should I give up and move on?

Answer:
 You can report it, but it sounds like you already did that. Answer #2:  I would not hurt to get some sexual assault counseling, if possible.  Good luck on your time out.Answer #3: This is a prisoner's rights/civil rights issue.  Without a more thorough investigation, it's impossible for anyone here to offer an opinion on whether or not you may have a claim against the jail or staff for failing to protect you.

I'd start by reaching out to a non-profit advocacy group like the Florida Justice Institute to see if it's something that they handle, or if they can point you in the direction of someone who does.

https://www.floridajusticeinstitute.org/contact-us/Answer #4: You could also contact your local FBI office - it may have been a federal violation (civil rights) since you were incarcerated.Answer #5: [This organization](https://justdetention.org/) might have some helpful resources.  Answer #6: This is what SID is for. They should've been called in and their should've been an investigation. Contact a lawyer.


Title: SO is a nanny and stuck between these kids' parents. Details inside.

Question:
(Texas) My SO is a nanny and is currently watching these kids. The father said he is getting off early and wants to hang out with the kids and said that the mother doesn't want him to see them early. We just got told from the mother that she's leaving him and she told us not to let him get the kids. What are we supoosed to do or who should we listen to?

EDIT: for clarification, these kids get dropped off at their parents place whenever one gets home. They never come to pick them up, we always drop them off wherever their parents are. So with that in mind, if the father is the first available and wants to see them,  is that what we should do?

Answer: Interfering with a parent's custody is a crime.  Absent a court order to the contrary, give the kid to whatever parents comes to get them first.


Title: [England] I found the deeds to a house in another house left to me in a will. Where do I stand?

Question:
Okay, so basically as the title suggests, I was clearing out a house left to me in a will by my great aunt, and came across the deeds to a second, unknown house.

The deeds are in the name of a much older relative who left his entire estate to my great uncle who in turn left his estate to my great aunt, and now to myself.

My question is, where do I even begin to find out if these deeds actually entitle me to anything? I understand it's perfectly possible that the house was long since sold and these deeds were maybe lost and reissued.

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Yo dawg I heard you like houses

Seriously though find an estate attorney.  Answer #2: r/LegalAdviceUK might know where to start your search.Answer #3: In the US I could go to the county the house was in and look up request the transfer records going back XX years.  In some places I can do that online in others I would have to go in person or pay a title company to do the search for me. Answer #4: The first thing you should do is to aquire a landregistry report which will give you information about the current owner of the property, ownership history and other various details about the property.  You can buy this for around £5 at https://eservices.landregistry.gov.uk/www/wps/portal/!ut/p/b1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOKNjSxMDA1NjDwsjM3MDTxN3dyNDUNMjQ1MjPWDU_P0C7IdFQG9k5Tz/

If the property is currently owned by a person associated with your family you should consult with a solicitor for further guidance.


Title: Left bad review of Legal Office on Google, Owner posts details of my case online publicly, including my full name.

Question:
Is this even allowed? I left a bad review of a terribly mismanaged case with this law firm and the owner (who has a history of replying to reviews making excuses) mentions details of my case publicly in the response. This is infuriating and I am wondering if I can do anything about this.

[Screenshot](https://imgur.com/a/JqF4KZ5)

Answer: It's worth a bar complaint, but that is probably all.  I imagine a non-lawyer wrote that, but lawyers are generally responsible for the conduct of their employees.  Because nothing there is truly sensitive (and much of it is probably public via court filings) it might result in a slap on the hand, but probably not much else.Answer #2: I would take this screenshot and submit it straight to the bar. I would link it, but you did not put what state you are in.


Title: Is calling a witness knowing that they will commit perjury, with the intent of catching their lie, considered entrapment?

Question:
I was thinking about a story that someone commented on an Askreddit thread (that I can't remember off the top of my head, phooey) where they talked about how a former employee of their client said that he would lie about his employer on the stand of called as a witness. Obviously OP made the call not to bring the former employee as a witness but it got me thinking...

If the call, in which the employee stated his intent to commit perjury, was recorded, and OP subsequently *did* call him as a witness and then played the recording where he stated his intention to lie - would that be considered entrapment, in a way? Would that be illegal? Unethical? Probably to that last one, now that I think about it - what would even be the repercussions for doing this?

Answer:
 No.

Entrapment is generally limited to law enforcement (not court proceedings) and is limited to "The suspect didn't even want to commit the crime but the police convinced him to against his better judgement."

That clearly doesn't apply here.Answer #2: No,  they can and should tell the truth.

The only time calling a witness who will lie is an issue is if it's your client or witness.
The other side wants to lie and you can prove it when they do?  Pray they lie.


Title: Company firing most employees and rehiring them at lower wage on the same day. Is this legal? (Alabama)

Question:
This is a regional chain that has decided to expand to new markets, and the owners are gutting their franchises here for funding. The employees are being met with one by one and being given two letters - the first a termination letter, the second a job offer for the same position at a lower wage (anything from $2 less per hour to dropping down to minimum wage).

Is there any recourse for an employee in this situation besides leaving? It's likely the whole staff will be quitting within the next two weeks, but it doesn't seem like this should be legal.

Answer: They're being terminated. Every single person involved could simply decline and file for unemployment.Answer #2: Give them the finger and use the termination letter to file for unemployment. Your bosses did not think this through. Do NOT quit, just don't accept the new position and start looking for a new job. Answer #3: There is no reason to do this in such a convoluted way.  At will employment means they could just cut the wages, there is no need to fire them and rehire them, a reduction in wages going forward is legal unless there is a union contact to the contrary.


Title: (USA-CO) Employer forcing select employees to sign paperwork that declares them "Independent Contractors" and other shady things

Question:
I am writing this on behalf of my girlfriend.

She works at a local gym sitting/watching customer's kids while the adults workout. She has no employment contract to speak of - the 'interview' consisted of them showing her around the building for 5 minutes and then asking when she could start, no paperwork, background check, or anything else. Paychecks have come in the form of handwritten checks from the owner's personal account, no taxes withheld. Basically it's all verbal and as far as we can tell, under the table.

When scheduled, this role is responsible for two 1-hour sessions with a 20-30 minute break between them, plus another 30-45 minutes after the last session to clean up the gym and play areas. Despite this, workers in this role are paid for precisely 2 hours and nothing more. When GF asked about this discrepancy she was told the recent (March) pay raise from $10 to $11/hr was "to cover the extra time they're required to be here" - the reality is minimum wage here was raised to $11.10/hr in January. So every shift, they're getting an hour or more of free labor, + $0.10/hr.

Recently, they started requiring employees to sign in and out "to more accurately adjust paid hours" and "to keep track of actual hours worked". I'm not very clear on what that means, or how it would potentially affect pay but thought I'd mention it. Finally, this week though they informed everyone in this specific role (no one else as far as we can tell) that they will be required to sign "Independent Contractor" agreements to continue working there, and there were a ton of new rules like needing 30 days notice to make any schedule changes or request time off - things that definitely don't seem to meet the requirements to be an IC.

I have a rather armchair understanding of labor laws but a few of these things are raising red flags for me. Can they force select (or any/all) employees to sign IC contracts like this? What about taxes, both past and present - who is on the hook for paying them and making sure things are straight with the IRS? Can she demand back pay for all the extra time she has worked without pay? I'm tempted to report this whole debacle to the IRS and let them sort it out - is that a good or bad idea?

Answer: She needs to file a claim with the CO Dept of Labor for both the unpaid work and the miss-classification of being assigned an IC status.


Title: Am I avoiding taxes?

Question:
I live in Utah, I might be getting a job with a company that does a flat 400 a week. Cash or personal checks. They say that they are an LLC company and that they don't worry about the taxes. I'm worried about my personal taxes. What can I do? Is it easier to look for a new job?
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 As long as you report all the income on your taxes, you should be fine as far as federal income taxes go (I don't know enough about Utah's state-level taxation structure to comment there) provided you pay the appropriate taxes.  If there are no withholdings, you are still responsible for paying the full amount of taxes.

If the job is not legitimately an independent contractor position, the company is in violation of the law for failing to properly withhold their portion of applicable federal payroll taxes and my personal suggestion would be to simply report them to the IRS.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Employer-and-Employee-Responsibilities---Employment-Tax-Enforcement


Title: Felt abandoned by car warranty?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: What would the refund be for? It was a clerical mixup with numbers and had the kid not helped you change the tire you still would have been able to use it that day like they offered. You don't get a full refund just because it took a bit longer then normal to sort out


Title: My wife's doctor sent her entire medical history packet to her work and she never asked for it. It also didn't have her name on it so other co-workers opened it and saw her whole history. Should we do anything?

Question: She is pretty embarrassed about all the people at work knowing such personal things about her, and the hospital has called and apologized, but I don't know if this is as big of a deal as I think it is.

Answer:
 The doctor's office, for absolutely no reason and with no request by anyone, sent a confidential medical file to a business without designating it for any recipient?

That's the whole story?Answer #2: In addition to everything mentioned below I would bring a complaint to HR.  The very first person who opened it up should have realized this was obviously confidential information and turned it in to a manager / HR representative without sharing it further.

At MINIMUM HR should put out strongly worded information that using accidentally revealed personal, private information without permission could result in severe punishment including possibly termination.

Personally if I knew who the first person who found it and shared the damn thing I'd be calling for their head.  The absolute minimum I would stand for is a very public apology and a hand written letter why sharing medical information is a bad idea.

No legal basis for those opinions other than standard business ethics.Answer #3: Besides the HIPAA complaint, you can also complain to the state board of medicine. Maybe your insurance company as well, since they may have rules about what their in-network providers are allowed to do.


Title: Stupid Roommate Ruined my semester

Question:
Okay so basically this is the background story. I live with 2 other roommates both of which are in frats. Over the summer my one roommate moved out and needed someone to live there for the last month on his lease so he let one of his fraternity brothers move in. I lived at the house Monday thru Wednesday then was gone for the weekend and my other roommate never slept a single night at the house.
It turns out that the kid who moved in was selling drugs and eventually the Crime Suppression Task Force raided our house. I did not know the kid before he moved in AT ALL.

I do not smoke weed and did not have any drugs in my room. The kid took blame for everything but I still had a bench warrant for Possession of less than an OZ and Drug related Items. They brought me in and questioned me knowing I wasn't the suspect of the house they asked me many questions saying "your charges could go away if you go buy drugs from a known drug dealer" which I said no because thats not safe. I did not qualify for a public defender and opted to have a Jury trial in hopes of reaching an agreement with the Prosecutor because the county I live in has had many problems with the Crime Suppression Task Force and the legality of them using college kids to take down drug dealers. My pre trial conference is this week and I need some advice on how to handle this. I live in Georgia Also.

Answer:
 Hire a lawyer ASAP.

Rule #1 about dealing with police: DO NOT talk to them. If you're detained or arrested, exercise your right to remain silent. Nothing you say can exculpate you in court. It can only hurt you.Answer #2: Ask yourself how much less your degree is worth over your lifetime if you are convicted of this criminal charge. Now, how much more is that than what it will cost to hire an attorney?Answer #3: Does your college have a legal aid office?Answer #4: Any deal you reach with the prosecutor will be a good deal worse than what you will get with an attorney. You have already spoken extensively with the police and I want to stress you are in a situation heading towards this incident potentially affecting your degree, your university status, financial aid, ability to be hired, ability to be licensed and potentially a number of other very life changing consequences. Get an attorney. Many will do the initial consultation free of charge and will be able to give you a ballpark cost and possible outcomes.  Beg, borrow, take out a credit card balance transfer if you must, but get an attorney for this.


Title: [OH] Recieved a 3 day notice to vacate my apartment, what are my next steps and options?

Question:
As the title states, it's not yet a formal eviction , but I have 3 days to vacate my apartment.

I don't make enough money to support myself,  and fell behind on my bills. There's no way for me to make my payment unless I sell my stuff but even then the balance wouldn't be met.

What's the next steps I should take? I've reached out to the landlord , but haven't spoken yet with them.

I'm unfamiliar with the process and I don't know what my next move is.

Any advice will help! Thanks!!

Answer: Quit or cure.  Either you solve it or prepare to leave.  The landlord is starting the eviction process.  You need to work it out but even when you leave you still owe the money you agreed to pay so you're going to have to work out a plan or risk a judgement for the money.  You just have to adult up and try to work with the landlord to find a suitable agreement.  You're not a bad person, just things don't always work out.  Now just migitate it because an eviction is gonna make it way harder.  Answer #2: Since you admit you can't pay, your next move IS to move, either on your own or with a Sheriff's escort.


Title: Just got summoned in a case against someone's mortgage who i've never heard of before.

Question:
So I just got a summons along with my wife. I was named in the case along with about 10 other people who all have a different last name than I do. For a foreclosure of a house in a different part of the state from me.

I've got no idea what to do or where to turn to.

They didn't even know my name, called me John Doe.

Worst part is I'm selling my house. I'm worried this might stop the sale somehow.

Answer: Call the issuing attorney and ask them what's up.  We can't really guess further.


Title: [NC] Are there any legal repercussions of "kidnapping" a legal adult who consents to the "kidnapping"? They are Muslim, btw.

Question:
I know this sounds awful. But this is a 100% serious situation.

But it's a very very complicated situation so let's lay it out on the table:

A friend of mine, legal adult (maybe 23?) is Muslim. They are (non-binary but for all intents and purposes, they're female -- let's call them Sully) in a relationship with a close friend of mine, and their relationship is considered Haram (he is not Muslim, he is not Arab).

He wants to help Sully abscond the family, and prevent a forced arranged marriage.

If my friend helps Sully escape by "kidnapping" them, are there any real legal repercussions? Can Sully's family charge my friend even if Sully consented to everything? If Sully is a legal adult, even if they're Muslim, can they prevent anything that happening? I understand a police investigation could be called into play, but once they find out Sully is okay, does that mean Sully is free to go?

We're trying to work out the legal logistics here. I know it seems really far fetched. I'm just a messenger, so please don't shoot :(
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: An adult doesn't need anyone's permission to leave home, and someone helping them isn't committing any crime. This is in no way kidnapping; this is moving out.


Title: [FL]Received a collection notice for a toll's that are not mine.

Question: So I received 1 collection notice for a toll that was not mine. In the collection notice it says that the toll is for a license plate number that used to belong to me 11 years ago. I called up the toll authority (Which is a maddening process in itself) to ask them what this was all about. And they told me that they sent me to collections because I never paid the bill that I was mailed. I told them I never received the bill, and asked them for a copy. They sent me one, and the mailing address they used for an address I used to live at 15 years ago. So of course I never got this bill. They showed me a very blurry photo of the plate going though a toll and the plate number certainly looks like it matches a plate number that I used to have. However the car itself is not visible in the picture. They (the toll authority) is adamant that this is my license plate and that this bill is my responsibility. I also logged into their online toll system and had a look, and it looks like there are roughly 25 to 30 more unpaid tolls all from last month that are all going to come my way as well. I called the DMV and asked them for help, and asked them if they could erase or somehow decouple that plate # from my name from their database permanently. They told me they could not, and to take up the problem with the toll authority. It takes 1/2 an hour just to get through to somebody at the toll authority and when you actually get ahold of somebody they don't give a shit one way or the other and they simply say pay the bill or we send you to collections plus notify the DMV so I can not renew my license. This is in FL if it matters. What do I do here, contact the attorney general or go to court?

Answer:
 It might be worth gathering up all your documents including proof of your current address and current vehicle registration, plus anything supporting the fact that you no longer own the car that was associated with that plate, and go to the DMV in person.Answer #2: Went through the same thing with the private toll authority in Austin tx.  They were billing me tolls while my car was in Colorado.

I filed a complaint with the Texas dot, which immediately caused the toll company to offer a settlement and remove the bogus tolls.  I suggest an official complaint with the Florida Dot.Answer #3: I live in Florida....the toll roads are notorious around here for things like that. Call FDOT Toll Enforcement tel:888-824-8655. They should be able to get this adjusted for you.


Title: How can trampoline parks exist, liability-wise?

Question: Can I basically start an obstacle course with floors of broken glass as long as I have people sign a sufficiently strong waiver?

Answer: I bet they have absolutely massive insurance policies, and take a great deal of care to try to prevent injuries. Answer #2: The broken glass probably wont fly with anyone.


Title: I fell down the stairs. Help.

Question:
I rent a house. I fell down the steps the other night because one of the steps are shorter than the others. I overshot and landed on my ankle. Went to the ER, $150 copay and they told me my ankle is sprained. I'm going to have to go see an ortho or some other doctor tomorrow to get my excuse from work extended so that's more copays. I can't walk on it so I'm going to have to go without pay from work. Question is, can I go after my landlords homeowner's insurance for lost wages and medical expenses? I live in Pennsylvania.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 Unless the stairs were recently replaced, I don't think so. Inconsistent stair heights is against most building codes, but code violations don't automatically translate to liability. In this case, assuming the stairs were inside your own space and have proper lighting, you don't have much of a claim.Answer #2: > Question is, can I go after my landlords homeowner's insurance for lost wages and medical expenses?

No - this is what you have renter's insurance and medical insurance for. And frankly, if one of my tenants tried this sort of tomfoolery on me, I'd decline, and then notify him/her that I will not be renewing the lease when it terms.

It's a $150 copay and a sprained ankle.

The only way this translates into landlord liability is if one of the following conditions is met:

- Landlord recently replaced stairs;

- You had notified the landlord of this issue or a secondary issue (for example, burnt-out bulbs in the stairwell) that would have contributed;

- Landlord had been notified of this issue during a certificate-of-occupancy or similar inspection

If you actually wanted to collect, you'd have to file in small claims, generally speaking, and prove that the landlord had some kind of burden of care to prevent you from tripping in a property you lived in.


Title: My PhD advisor let me go for requesting disability accommodations

Question:
(This is a repost from r/disability)

I've contacted HR. They're doing some sort of investigation or something? Everyone I told about this was really flabbergasted and evaded taking a stance on it. I was supposed to hear back from HR yesterday, but I didn't.

The worst part was that when my advisor first found out that I filed, she removed me from my collaborative projects and put me on new projects, which she has to train me on personally. Then, she refused to train me until my request had been processed. Since only administrators take winter break, I've been locked out of work for a month before she let me go.

I don't know what to do, so any advice would be appreciated. I will consider an attorney, but I am in graduate school and very broke from supporting myself and my disability entirely on my own.

Some other info:
- the student disability office at my school is not helpful and can sometimes be hostile.

- my university offers a free legal consulting service, but they will not help with anything related to the university. This is because the university attorney performs the service.

- I texted my lab ally about it and asked if she was on my advisor's side. She sent me a wall of text back in support of my advisor. It started with "don't bite the hand that feeds". I think that means that even if my labmate were aligned with me, she'd be afraid to stand up to my advisor. I told my labmate that I saw her opinion and thank you for sharing.

- I had my disability (PTSD) before I started graduate school, but I only suspected it and didn't know. When graduate school started, I lost all privacy. I was in shared office or lab space for ten-fifteen hours a day. The worst part was my startle response, which got me into a lot of trouble. I offered to take medical leave for a semester over it.

They accepted it, but only required me to affirm that I had a medical problem. They did not require any documentation, even though I could provide it. It was kind of hinted at that I needed to keep my diagnosis private. Looking back, I've been denied any consideration of my disability and I wonder if they purposefully ignored documentation so they could bury it?

I have been passed from advisor to advisor, all of them have denied my pleas for help in managing my startle response, like a private space. One time, I was having a panic attack in the bathroom (because it was the only private place I could go) and someone called the police to check on me. The police are not trained to be gentle toward the public.

The officer just kept taking the things I was telling her I needed to calm down (please back up, please don't drag me out of the stall, please don't handcuff me in front of my colleagues) and turning them into threats (I'm gonna handcuff you and drag you across campus for an evaluation if you don't give me your therapist's name, etc). I tried to run away from being cornered (people
with panic attacks are often encouraged to leave distressing situations), the officer grabbed me slammed me to the ground, and torqued my shoulder so tight I am permanently injured.

It was humiliating and it really changed me. I filed a complaint, but the police investigated themselves and found no wrong doing. Anyway, I mention this because I think it speaks to the level of need that I had. I needed PTSD accommodations, which usually include a private place to work.

EDIT: I am in Texas

Answer:
 Chemist here. I have actually worked with a student when I was in graduate school that had a service dog and panic attacks. A private space was asked for an deemed unreasonable. That is part of graduate school life. If you cannot handle that, graduate school is not the place for you. Answer #2: >I'm asking for advice because I was fired for initiating a reasonable accommodations request...

Frankly, none of your requests for accommodations sound reasonable.

If anything, your evasive responses--as well as your PhD program's reaction to you--suggests that you are out to cause your university trouble, and everyone (yourself included) *knows* it.

They are wisely distancing themselves from you to mitigate whatever damage you might cause.Answer #3: Start by contacting your school's mental health services.  You need mental health advice, and social advice, not legal advice.


Title: Friend living with an ex-boyfriend who is threatening abuse. I'm after some help for her.

Question:
Hi,

Long story short, a female friend of mine signed a year long lease with her boyfriend at the time  (now ex). She owns the double bed and he refuses the sleep on the couch, so she sleeps on the cough instead metres away from his loud gaming setup which keeps her awake until he goes to bed.

Recently she had enough of the couch and went to her own bed, locking to door behind her so he would sleep on the couch. When he realised she had done this, he broke the lock with force and threatened her with abuse if it happened again. He has posted some threatening tweets also that suggest abuse if it were to happen again. She is in legitimate fear and concern for her own wellbeing

What would be her best route IF something happened to her. I'm really worried about her. (shes my gfs best friend and a friend of mine also)

Thanks for any advice

Answer: She should call the police when someone breaks down doors and threatens her.


Title: Charging customer money for taxes 10 days after checkout. (AT&T iPhone) -Texas, US

Question:
I purchased a new phone from AT&T about ten days ago. During the check out process, I was surprised (but happy) to find that somehow I did not owe sales tax on the purchase. This was exciting because I assumed I owed $100+ for taxes, since the phone was ~$1200.

The phone arrived in the mail on Friday. On Saturday, I received an email saying that they had made a mistake during checkout, and they are now planning to add the tax onto my next bill. Here is the email:

“Your initial order confirmation showed $0.00 sales taxes due, but sales taxes do apply. We were unable to charge the taxes to your credit card, so you'll see the sales tax added to your AT&T wireless bill in the "Service activity" section under "Account charges". It could take one to two billing cycles for these charges to appear.

No action is required on your part. Your device will ship and arrive as previously communicated. ”

Is this legal? Can a company show me one price during checkout and then charge an additional amount after the fact? Since I’m on contract with AT&T to pay for this phone over the next 30 months, is there anything I can even do about it that would be worth doing? This whole thing is very frustrating...

Answer: Legally, the business is collecting sales tax FOR you. As you owe sales and use tax on items you buy. If you are not charged it, technically you are supposed to pay it with your income taxes. So no, you don't have legal standing here. They are just letting you know that they are handling it for you, and you don't have to pay it with your income tax filing.


Title: Can I protest my Yoga Studio?

Question:
I'm in Fort Lauderdale Florida. The hot yoga studio I go to squeezes everyone they can for all they can get. They use legal but deceptive tactics to lure people into unfair deals and lock them in unfair contracts.

I would like to be there during the day and hand out ice cold coconut water to the students. I would also like to have yoga mats I can lend out to students who forgot their's so they can avoid the mat fee, which is 1/2 the price of a new mat.

I contacted the Department of Health about the coconut water. My other concerns are that the things I would like to do are technically infringing on ways they make money. They sell mats for a period of one class and they sell coconut water. I would not be charging for any of my gifts.

I would be sitting... no signs... no chanting or anything. Maybe pass out a paper with my mission statement (to save people from being taken advantage of).

I would mainly like to know what departments to contact.

Any ideas, information or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

edit: word

Answer:
 Yes, you can do all of those things.

And they can tell you to leave the property and not come back.Answer #2: There is nothing at all unethical about selling drinks or mats. That's part of the revenue stream of a studio. Do you also want to go to the movies and hand out free popcorn?


Title: About to file a civil action pro se against state government entity, listed Respondent as "Name, Director of Entity" on petition. That director is no longer in office. Do I need to get a corrected petition re-notarized or can I cross out old name, add new name and initial and date?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Well this post sure went out of control quick and it doesn't appear you got any real answers. If you are only changing the name of the person in charge of the position you already have listed, they may have an available form you can file to make the change. If they do make sure every party gets a copy.

Again you'll have to check with the court in your area to know for sure. I would either check on-line, if your court has the forms on their site, or call the clerk's office and ask. They're usually very busy but helpful if you're polite and get to the point of what you need quickly. Good luck.


Title: How Do I Become a Licensed Attorney? USA-South Carolina

Question:
Hi! I am interested in becoming an attorney, and I know that there are lots of lawyers on this subreddit and I was wondering if some of you could tell me the different steps and degrees I would need to become a licensed attorney in South Carolina.

USA-South Carolina

Answer:
 Steps:
1) go to college
2) go to law school
3) pass the bar
4) question the wisdom of your decision makingAnswer #2: Step 1: Don't

Step 2: There is no Step 2.


Title: I moved out of my lease over a month ago and my security deposit has not been returned and my emails are ignored. [California]

Question:
College student living in Los Angeles, my lease ended on July 7th. I ended up leaving the country for several months right after the school year ended (end of May), but continued to pay the rent. When it came time to move out, I couldn't do an inspection with the management company, but told him that the room was emptied and cleaned and that he could go ahead and inspect it without me, but to email me the date and time he was planning on going, and to email me after it was completed.

He sent me a date and time, I told him that was fine. The date came and passed, and after several days he still hadn't emailed me to tell me if there were any concerns from the inspection. I emailed him telling him that the lack of email left me under the impression the room was fine, and told him where he could direct deposit or mail the security deposit to (CCed to the landlord as well).

No reply to that either, but I realized after talking to my dad that I wasn't giving them enough time, and a week after the landlord sent everyone that lived in the building an email asking for forwarding addresses for security deposit refund. Its been over 2 weeks since the request, and I haven't received it. I saw online that in CA, landlords are expected to either return the deposit or explain why it's being held within 21 days of the end of the lease, and was wondering if this is true and if there is anything I can do to get it returned swiftly?  If you took the time to read, thanks!

Answer: You can send a certified letter demanding to know what has happened to the security deposit. After that, if the letter is ignored, you can sue your landlord in small claims court as I'm sure this amount is below the limit in CA.


Title: What does this mean

Question: Critically analyse the legal situation, and examine the Adversarial system from the perspective of the accused


Title: How Do I Protect Myself Against My Siblings? [MD]

Question:
Hello!

I am 20, female, and live with my ill father who is 75. My mother passed when I was 15. I have 9 other siblings and I am the youngest.

My father has already confirmed that when he passes, everything he owns goes to me. The house, the cars, and all of his money. He has told me that this is written out in his will.

However, from listening to other people and even my father who has experience with inheritances, my siblings could argue this will and force me to fight for years to get even a fraction of what I am supposed to get. Even if the will seems airtight, some people said.

My siblings are mostly drug addicts and thieves. They probably do not have the money for a lawyer but one, who lives in KS, does. I’m not sure if he will fight me on this.

Anyway, I was wondering if there’s anything I should do to prepare for this. My father’s health is declining rapidly and this is weighing on me. Should I get a lawyer now? Have the will looked at?

Thank you guys and have a great day!

Answer:
 A consultation with a probate or family law attorney would likely be your best bet.  They will be able to tell you what the will says, whether or not it may be contested and in what ways, and how best to move forward.Answer #2: If you haven't seen and do not have a copy of the will I would assume it does not exist. Many accounts, like brokerages and bank accounts, may not be controlled by a will. Many are controlled by beneficiary designations in the account.

The fastest way to protect yourself is to get accounts that can avoid probate (eg life insurance and retirement) to go directly to you.


Title: Paying for an apartment I no longer live in

Question:
Hello,
I’m seeking legal advice since I have no other options at the moment.

My roommate and I have been living in the same apartment since September of last year. Our lease is up in October.

We recently had a falling out in which my roommate threatened me and I no longer felt safe living in the same apartment. I have texts to probe. He went into my room, emptied all of my dresser drawers and took my dresser that he gave me. I made the decision to move out for my safety on March 31.

I let him know I was moving out and that I would be willing to pay my portion of rent for the next two months so he could find a new roommate (We signed the lease together; both of our names are on it) He agreed to this and texted me saying he would allow me off the lease after I pay May’s rent (which I did last week).

He is now holding me hostage making me pay for my portion of rent until the lease is up in October. Keep in mind I left the apartment for my safety and surrendered my keys to him. I no longer have access to the apartment that I’m paying for.

My question is... Is this worth pursuing in civil court? I would be responsible for paying over $2700 in rent now thru October. Do I have grounds to sue my former roommate since I did sign a lease and would it be worth the possible court costs and attorney fees?

I no longer feel safe in that apartment can’t possibly resolve this with him personally since he already broke his promise that he would remove me once I paid my portion of this month’s rent.

Answer: You're on the hook for the rent according to the terms of the lease you signed. Your relationship with your roommate is irrelevant.


Title: Can a witness not testify on religious or moral grounds?

Question: For instance, if the death penalty were a possibility for a defendant, and a witness is a member of a religious group that opposes killing, could the witness be compelled to testify?

Answer: Yes, the only time you can't be compelled to testify is if you enjoy some type of privilege or it's a 5th amendment matter.


Title: [Orlando, FL] My ex-husband has stopped paying me child support. He is claiming that he has come out as transgender and is going under mtf transplant next week. So, legally now he isn't male anymore. So, he is claiming he can't be my son's 'father' and so he would not pay money. What to do?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 There's a troll around here and this sounds exactly like something that the troll would come up with.

On the off-chance that this is real, he's obviously wrong, and he (or she) will still owe you child support. You can't end your legal obligations to pay for a child you fathered by cutting off your penis. If she doesn't pay, go to court.


Title: Santa Ana, CA - Advise regarding a video recording on private property.

Question:
Hello, this is a post mainly regarding something that happened in a private property my dad manages (Apartment complex). He took out his phone when a non supervised child was forcefully hitting roses that were installed on the property. The roses were installed and then tenants were notified that they must be careful with regards to what their children did to them. Well my dad took the video of the child hitting the flowers and showed the video to his grandfather (one of the main people on the lease). The tenant walked away simply to later call my dad and state that what he did was illegal as he recorded a child. Our argument is that first he did not record the child to intently affect the image of the child, second the child was not under direct adult supervision and third he was hitting the roses that the tenants knew should not be harmed.

Is there any law that relates to private properties on video recording. We are concerned with the fact that they might make this a bigger issue than it should be. In all honesty they are not pleasant tenants and constantly challenge the rules.

Any advise?

Thank you.

Answer:
 I am not aware of a law which prohibits recording people in public, even if they are children.

There is no reasonable expectation of privacy in a public place.Answer #2: In California there are laws regarding *audio* recording someone in a conversation without that person's consent, but aside from that these tenants are blowing smoke, they have no idea what they're talking about, and you should not bother with debating them on the three points you mention (or any others) because such debates are obfuscating the actual issue: the destruction of private property.


Title: Need my social security card. Can’t get it without ID. Need ID. Can’t get it without my social

Question:
Not sure what to categorize this as but I’m 16 years old living in Maryland. I was born in Oregon. My mom is an immigrant from Mexico without proper documentation.

I have my social security card photocopied and my original Oregon birth certificate. A few months ago I tried to get my permit at the MVA but said they required me to have the original copy of my social. But I can’t get the social because I don’t have an ID. Not a school ID either because i was late to enter school and never got my picture taken or ID ordered.

My mom might have trouble getting the social security card too because she doesn’t have the proper documentation they need (her passport expired in 2015).

What can I do in this situation?
Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 Have you tried talking to the school about getting an ID? Just because one wasn't issued doesn't mean you can't get one and if you can get one that's probably the easiest option. Answer #2: If you’re a minor, your parent needs to provide their ID and proof of custody/relationshipto [get you a replacement SS card](https://faq.ssa.gov/link/portal/34011/34019/Article/3873/How-do-I-replace-a-Social-Security-card-for-a-child). So I think you need to first focus on getting her passport renewed at the closest Mexican consulate. The closest is obviously the one in DC.

You should also look into getting a US passport for yourself. If you were over age 18, all you’d need is your birth certificate and a US citizen who has known you for two years that would be willing to go with you and sign an affidavit. (And anything else you can bring to help back it up). But since you’re still 16, you have to show parental consent; which again requires your parents to have ID.


Title: Is my apartment management allowed to send packages back to the shipper if it's not in my name?

Question: My girlfriend lives with me, however she is not on the lease. My apartment complex management caught wind of this and has decided to start returning all packages she orders to my address back to whomever she ordered it from without my consent, and without my knowledge of when they do it.  I know they are doing this because they told her they would when she went in to try to get her name on the lease. Also, I had 2 notifications in my mailbox that there were 2 packages in the front office for me to pick up, however when I went in there to retrieve them they only had one. While I was waiting for them to grab the boxes from the back I overheard them whispering to each other that there was only one box and that they returned one of them. Then they came back out, said they only had one package, that they didnt know why I had two notifications and that "it would help if we wrote dates on these notifications... haha".   I said "yeah it would" and walked out and discussed it with my gf. Does any of this fall under the whole "felony for fucking with my mail" law? I'm looking for additional information to fall back on if the whole "hey you guys are being dicks, please knock it off" approach doesn't work...  thanks for any and all responses.

Answer: They are entitled to do that, and should, because having mail sent to the address could establish a tenancy they are refusing to allow. They aren't fucking with the packages, they are merely returning mail because it's addressed to someone who doesn't live there.


Title: Evidence tampering in The Loft

Question:
This has to do with the movie The Loft which I just saw and cannot get over the ending (spoiler alert).

If you haven’t seen the movie I’ll summarize it. 5 friends share a loft in what may be New York City so they can cheat on their wives. They find the body of a woman who committed suicide in the bed and try to figure out who did it amongst themselves. They all talk about ways to dispose of the body but it was a charade by 4 of the friends to frame the other guy for sleeping with their wives/sisters/lovers.

They are all interviewed by the police and try to say it’s the one guys fault because he was there when she committed suicide, it’s his place, and they’ve never cheated. It comes out though that one of the friends was actually in love with the woman, attempted to kill her with an OD of insulin, fails to kill her, and one of the friends slits her wrist (thinking she’s dead) for dramatic effect which is what actually kills her. The one who attempted to OD her kills himself when he realizes he’s been caught.

At the end they say that the one who slit her wrist is awaiting trial while the other three friends seem to get off scot-free.

I haven’t been able to let this go since I saw it. Wouldn’t the three friends be arrested for tampering with evidence? Even the one who was framed because he also moved things before the police arrived? The ending left me so confused and if anyone could explain what would actually happen in that situation I would really appreciate it.

Answer:
 I had the same thoughts when I saw this movie.

It all depends on what the prosecutor thinks they can prove and decides to pursue. I thought it was crappy that the prosecutor wasn't busting them for evidence tampering, but if there's no evidence of who touched what (it's been a while, idk what evidence might have been left besides the video that was already heavily edited if I remember right) they probably wouldn't even bother.


Title: [US] [Military] Changing a discharge

Question: Hello liars, err... I mean lawyers. About 6 months ago I accepted defeat as my chain of command in the military decided against keeping me for a DUI. My service record up to that point had been squeaky clean. However I was still given a GD with a renlistment code that allows me to get in with waiver. Since my time out iv quit drinking, my incident really made me evaluate what was important to me. Now after my time out I have decided I wish to attempt to rejoin my fellow family in green. I was told by JAG before transition that getting back in wasn't impossible and would need my discharge colbert bumped to honorable by the VA before the Army would consider it. I live in WA and I'm not sure what kind or lawyer or legal expert would benefit me, or what things I will need in my quest to obtain membership back into uniform.

Answer:
 > Hello liars, err... I mean lawyers.

Great way to start asking people for advice.


Title: What happens if the police searches your house for child pornography but finds nothing?

Question: Do you go free? Do they search more? Do they continue to charge you? I'm curious on this as I always seen articles of people getting convicted and I could never find a detailed articles on everything that went on with the investigation. I took a forensic class once but again they don't really go into that much detail.

Answer:
 I had an experience like this. I was “busted” for stealing credit card data and buying equipment online and having it shipped to a vacant house. Plainclothes officers had a search warrant and took all my computers. I had nothing to do with this - the police got my IP from the ISP but it turned out to be someone else using my WiFi (this was in the days when some wireless routers were difficult to set up so I left mine open). In the end I went out of business because my client’s work was on the computers. The cops asked if I had any illicit data on my computers. Of course not.

I had to call multiple times to get my shit back from the property room. No apologies from anyone, nothing.

Literally nothing happens.


Title: My mothers pay is being “garnished” because my father (separated) hasn’t paid his state taxes in Pennsylvania

Question:
Long story short my mother has been separated from my father for almost 16months.  Recently his state taxes, which have gone unpaid because he is self-employed, are now being garnished through her employer.  My father has a history of drug abuse and does not intend to do anything about the situation.  He is almost using it to still keep her in his life because she has been his “lifeline” and he needs to have some sort of control over her life since he blames her for leaving him.  It’s a nasty situation.

My question is, is there anything that can be done in her end so that she is not punished for his mistakes?  She has worked hard and struggled to get back on her feet since he ruined everything (credit, Home-life, financials) due to his drug abuse.  She has approximately $133.00 taken out of her check every two weeks which works on a percentage base as the more she makes the more is taken (roughly 10%).  Is there anything legally she can do to stop this madness?

Answer:
 She can divorce him.Answer #2: Your mother should be looking into a divorce to separate her finances. Separation does not free her from financial obligations. Part of a good divorce decree includes a separation of finances, establishing responsibility for debts, and recovering her credit.
Answer #3: Divorce him quickly. He is a leech and will use your mother maliciosly like this until she does.Answer #4: The bad news is that your mother is going to need money for two attorneys, one for the divorce she desperately needs, one for a consultation with a tax attorney to see if she could file for Innocent Spouse status (they're different specialties so she almost certainly can't have one attorney do both).  Even if it doesn't get her off the hook entirely it might get the garnishments reduced.Answer #5: Are they just separated or divorced...?


Title: How to get compensated for wrongful out-of-state tuition

Question:
So, my girlfriend has been going to this run down, barely functioning community college in Nevada City, California, and this past semester, she decided to take classes online.

Here’s the deal:
1. She’s had in-state tuition as well as a California address the entire time up until this point. She’s lived in California for almost 10 years.
2. Her brother has in-state tuition at the same university.
3. She dropped her apartment and moved in with her dad (in-state), with the plans of occasionally visiting me at my place (out-of-state) while she did her online courses.
4. She decided to give the school my mailing address so she could get documents sent there, and because of that the school started charging out-of-state tuition based on a house that isn’t even hers.
5. This entire semester we have been trying to get this changed back to in-state tuition, sending them emails, leaving voicemails (no responses or call backs—it’s a terribly run school that I’m becoming increasingly more resentful towards), going in person with various paperwork, including car documentation, etc... it finally looks like we will be able to get things changed for this upcoming semester using a past lease agreement that we have to request from the landlord she used to have in a completely different city in California, since her name was not on any of the addresses she’s lived at here.

Here’s the issue:

The school is saying that, even though they will concede that she has indeed had in-state residency this entire time, they will not “retroactively” reinstate the in-state tuition for this past semester, which will be resulting in almost $7000 of additional charges, which are only there by their own mistake of changing her resident status without reason.

What can we do to get her compensated for this? I’ve been searching online for a while and found nothing to help us.

Answer:
 >which are only there by their own mistake of changing her resident status without reason

They changed it because she gave them an out of state mailing address. That is a reasonable thing for them to do. Has she proven to the school that she lived in state for the period required to be an in state resident before the semester in question?


Title: My flight left early without me and I was not compensated by the airline.

Question:
I was scheduled to fly on an international American Airlines flight leaving at 6 PM from a American city. I received a message that the flight was delayed until 9 AM so I went to the airport lounge. At 8 PM I received a phone call that the plane was about to leave without me. I ran to the plane, boarded, and realized I had left my computer in the lounge. I then deplaned and asked politely to hold the plane (knowing they would not likely do so). I returned to the gate at 830 PM and the plane had already pushed back (still 30 minutes before my last received update of departure time). My bag was not pulled from the plane and I was told it was my fault for deplaning and offered no compensation.

I recognize it was my own fault for leaving my computer but the plane still left 30 minutes before its last updated departure time. I also left my computer due to the fact that I was rushing to make final boarding that had been advanced an hour without me being notified.  I doubt I have any legal recourse here but appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Answer: The lounge would have mailed your laptop to you without any complaint. You walked off a plane knowing they weren't going to delay it and appreciating that they were likely to take off. What more is there to say?


Title: [MA] I was misinformed on what a 'dependent' was and accidentally told my (then-future) employer the wrong thing.. Am I in serious trouble???

Question:
Hello, Im 18 and recently got a new job at a grocery store as cashier.  It was my first time having to handle the application and going in for an interview without my mother.  I expected him to ask "0 or 1" on taxes but did not and asked if I was Dependent.  I said "I dont think so? But live with my mom" because I thought it was for under 18s, or had to do with welfare or benefits or I dont know.  But Ive worked 15 hours already and just figured out that it was wrong.

Im so scared that this is considered lying on taxes or something, and they'll fire me or arrest me for fraud or something and Im so scared.  What does the misinformation affect, is it easy to change that since I havent gotten my first paycheck yet, what do I do?? Is this a big deal or am I panicking for no reason?

So sorry Im just young and ill-informed on how taxes or jobs or anything really works and am scared Ive just really screwed myself by accident in the first week.. thank you

Answer:
 > what do I do?

Go back and tell them you are a dependent.

> Is this a big deal or am I panicking for no reason?

You are overreacting. People make mistakes on their tax forms all the time. Just go back and tell them you made a mistake.Answer #2: This is not the kind of thing you get in trouble for. It doesn't change how much tax you owe, just what is withheld from your paycheck.

You can tell your employer you think you gave the wrong information and ask to amend your W-4.

I suggest putting some of your earnings in a savings account so if you do end up owing the IRS when you do your taxes, you will have the money ready to send them.


Title: A speeding ticket in my name that's not mine, from out of state. Some advice would be helpful.

Question:
So I live in PA. So I received a notice of impending suspension from NY state for a ticket that was received a few months ago. I was not the individual who received the ticket but for some reason received the ticket. I did call DMV and they noted to send a letter noting it was not me. In turn I received another letter noting that I need to plead not guilty and show up in court this time with a copy of the ticket. It's of a car that I don't drive or own and registered in NJ. I'm sending them some more documents, to try to settle this by mail. Not sure if that's really going to be helpful based off the tone of the recent letter they sent to me.

The ticket they sent says that the photo id was shown which I assume the car was pulled over not caught by camera; "the owner is oper" which I assume is the owner of the vehicle was operating it. Further it has a license plate and other information. All the while the license used seems to be a copy of my license. I assume this is id theft.

To travel to NY for this would be a days trip, I might even have to stay over night. It seems ridiculous to have to go to NY for a ticket that is not mine. I plan on calling some hotlines on Monday but for now I was hoping to get what I could get for advice on here.

Also, I have jack shit for money (grad school) so hiring a lawyer is not really an option unless I get one for free. The one idea I had was to go up there, plead not guilty and ask for a public defender. However I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not.

EDIT: Thanks everyone for the advice. I really appreciate it. Looks like I have my work cut out for the next few weeks.

Answer:
 First off whats the ticket for?  Second there should be an option to call in since your fighting to dismiss on grounds that you weren't in the state in the first place.  Let alone you don't even live in the state.

Next I would like to notify you that you that in this case you most likely wont be assigned a public defender if the punishment for the crime is under certain amount of jail time and/or a certain amount in a fine.

Lastly do a credit check with the three major credit companies because there is a good chance you're a victim of ID theft.  If you have this proof then it should be a slam dunk dismissal. Answer #2: I had nearly this exact same scenario happen to me about 8 years ago when I was living in Berkeley, CA and for a traffic ticket from LA.  I'd never even been to LA.  They ended up having me talk to a detective (I don't think he wrote the ticket, but he ended up investigating it.). It looked like someone had my drivers license number, address, and name, but only my middle initial as they gave a name that started with my MI but wasn't my actual name.  Car wasn't mine that was ticketed, and I had records showing I was in San Francisco at the time of the incident.  I ended up having to write a letter to the judge and included evidence it wasn't me, and the detective provided the details from the LAPD end.  Took me about 2 weeks of phone calls, but I got everything dropped without having to drive to LA , which was what they insisted I would have to do until I was persistent enough to get to a detective.


Title: Not able to take full breaks

Question:
Not going to go too much into detail (names) considering I still work for said company and fear retaliation.

So I worked for this company as a teenager but left in 2014 to run rental properties. March 2016 my spouse and I were in the process of purchasing a house and I needed a new job that offered longer hours for night shifts and weekends.

My general manager messaged me and informed me that she would love to have me back and I quickly agreed.

During my interview when I asked about breaks (I had just had my daughter 8weeks earlier and was breastfeeding/pumping) I was informed to “Go ahead and clock out at my scheduled time for my break because I am able to sit down for a couple minutes at a time throughout the day while I work and that adds up.”

I feel like this isn’t right morally or legally. There are days that I clock out, work through my break and never have time to actually sit down. (I work in a fast pace customer service/entertainment industry 8-12hr shifts).

I was told this because our breaks are scheduled on our time clocks and if we do not clock in and out at the scheduled times we will not be able to clock out at the end of the night.

Due to the inconsistency my milk supply ended up decreasing and I stopped breast-feeding months before I actually wanted to.

There have also been days that I’ve ended up having panic attacks because of the fact that I’ll be working a 12 hour shift and not be able to have time to go to the restroom or eat something.

Whenever I talk to my general manager about it she gets onto me and says that I have to be able to find time for myself to take a full break.

This is literally impossible considering that I would be the only manager on duty and not have anyone to cover for me so I could go on a break.

I know labor laws are different with each state but any advice on where I should start looking to see about filing a complaint? Does it sound like I actually have a valid complaint.

These are 30 minute break I’m not getting paid for but still working.

Im located in Arkansas.

Answer: If you're still working then don't clock out. Or, if you're clocked out, refuse to work until your break is over. Did you request bumping breaks and were you provided a private room (not a bathroom) to pump? (that is probably water under the bridge at this point)


Title: Do I have a potential lawsuit?

Question:
I received a letter from the IRS saying that I underreported my income in the year 2016 and now owe approximately $2,000 in back taxes, dur within 90 days of the letter bei g received. Naturally I freaked the fuck out because there's no way I made such a hige error. Turns out I didn't.

Upon gurther investigation, a company I worked for many, many years ago made a massive error and sent a W2 with my information on it to the IRS saying they'd paid me roughly $7,000 in 2016. This was a job that I quit...all the way back in 2008.

Long story short, I got should of them and after being jerked arou d regarding trying to find a supervisor to call me back for the next 3 days, they finally said "oops our bad lol" and will be sending a corrected W2 to the IRS. Needless to say this wasted hours and hours of my time and had me shitting bricks for days. Also, why the hell do they still have all of my information so readily accessible that this type.of.thing can even happen over a decade since I quit a college part time job??

tl;Dr- IRS is pissed at me for an error completely out of my control that I had no part in. Do I have a suit of some sort? I'm extremely irate about this. Who knows what I'm flagged with as of now in the IRS database...

Answer: You have no damages.