Title: My mom wants to use my inheritance to buy a house (x-post /r/personalfinance)

Question:
So yesterday I let a friend use my account to post the following on /r/personalfinance and the mods pointed us here. I and the folks at /r/personalfinance told her it sounds like she needs a lawyer, but of course nobody wants to go suing their mom. Anyway, here's her situation:

2006 - Paternal grandmother died; left $50,000+ to my sister and me. We were 15 and 16 at the time, so our father invested money into different accounts.

2008 - Father began showing signs of dementia. In the years that followed, he became increasingly paranoid and secretly moved large sums of money around many different accounts. The disease rapidly progressed; he soon had no idea what he did with any of the money.

2013 - Father is living in the Twilight Zone, with no short term memory and long term not fairing much better. Mother took over all finances a few years prior. While I am worked abroad, mother transferred amount sister inherited into a MetLife account to be invested. When I returned, I asked her every few months to do the same for me. She never did. At this point, it is likely due to her laziness and tendency to procrastinate.

January 2015 - I finally convinced her to meet with a MetLife agent so that she could transfer the amount of my inheritance into an account with my name on it. Papers are all ready. All she needed to do is send the check.

May 2015 - After asking many more times for her to send the check, I don't know what to do next. She says she needs to spend my inheritance to buy a new house, claiming she needs the cash and will repay me after her current house sells. She did not ask my permission. She gets hysterical when I ask to be able to invest my inheritance, saying I am selfish and obnoxious.

I don't want to take legal action against my mother; I am unemployed living at home as I search for a new job. It's pretty terrible, if you haven't guessed. I do not want to be stuck in this town, taking care of my father and pets if she goes to jail. Further complicating this is that she abuses my father through neglect. She coerced me into not reporting her, claiming she does not have the money to put him in a home. I know this to be a hyperbole. My parents have nearly 800,000 invested in various accounts.

It is not safe for him to be left alone 10 hours a day (I am usually out studying while mom works. Once I get a job, I will not be there at all). He can feed himself, but is stressed, lonely, angry, and sad. He invites anyone on the streets into our home and would give them anything they ask for. He will give anyone who calls his personal information if only they ask. He tries to chase one of the cats out of the house, thinking it is a replacement. He tries to beat the animals when he is in a bad mood; thankfully they move faster than him. There is nowhere I can move the animals until I have a job and a place to live.

All I want is: 1. to invest my inheritance 2. to move away from this mess 3. to put my dad in a home where he can get the care he needs.

What should I do?

Edit: I'm in Florida, inheritance is from Washington state. Most other information is unknown due to dementia.

Answer:
 If you are not willing to take any legal action against your mother for stealing $50,000 of your dollars I'm not sure what legal advice any of us is going to be able to give you. Demand it from her again, don't back down when she starts accusing you of being whatever.
If you feel you father is living in an unsafe way call the adult protective services for your state. You should be able to google that.


Title: Is it legal to just survive in the woods for a week?

Question:
I am super stressed and love nature, and have been considering taking a few days to a week break from life to just survive in the woods. I have a great deal of survivalist knowledge and the resources I would need. First: could I just survive on state owned woods for this short amount of time legally? Second: is there any "public land" that I could do this on?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: Go to a National Park that allows back country camping. Usually you'll have to pay a nominal entrance fee, and maybe a permit fee for the camping. At least then you'll be registered with the park - if you never come back, they'll know where to look.


Title: [El Paso, TX] My 3 weeks old, ASUS smartphone, exploded while it was lying idle on desk. The explosion was big enough that it placed a dent on desk. Although there was very minor damages, can I take any legal action ? As it could have killed if I were using it at that moment.

Question: Original battery, no modifications.

Answer: You can probably get the value of the phone + cost to repair the desk. You don't get money for things that could have happened but didn't.


Title: Cigarette butt led to a small fire in the balcony of my apartment today ( apartment is a leased, not owned)

Question: Was able to extinguish it before it got big enough. However, the wooden rails in the balcony is significantly damaged partly due to the fire and partly due to the Fire fighters tearing it down with an axe to ensure that it wouldn't spread. Anyway, I was wondering if this would be covered by insurance and classified as an accident, or if there would be any financial liabilities on the grounds of negligence? Your responses would be appreciated. Location: Texas

Answer:
 Do you have renter's insurance? If so, call them and ask.

If you don't, or they don't cover it, you will likely be liable for the damages.


Title: I won a small claims (default) judgment against Home Depot. Looking for advice on how to collect [AL].

Question:
One option we're considering is sending a demand letter to their Registered Agent in this state (Alabama).

But also looking for advice in general, particularly for a way that's not going to cost us more than the amount of the claim.

Answer:
 Wait until enough time has passed that HD can't appeal.  Then call HD's General Counsel's office and ask to speak to one of the company's in house lawyers.  Say you have a judgment against the company, and rather than go through the song and dance of executing on the assets of a local store, you'd really rather they just cut you a check.  If you're not a dick about it, you'll almost certainly get the check.

If they blow you off, you'll need to go back to court to get a writ of execution issued that you can then take with a sheriff down to their store to physically execute on their property.  Or you could go back to court, get the court to issue an order identifying their operating bank account number, get a writ of execution for the bank account, then go to the bank with a sheriff and freeze the account or have a check cut there.

EDIT: How much is the judgment?


Title: Personal who filed restraining order, which is still in effect, now works at the same company with me, on the same floor. I ran into her the other day. Should I be worried about this?

Question:
This girl I used to date filed a restraining order against me a while back. It's a long story and kind of dumb, in addition to being really embarrassing. Don't want to get into it. Anyways, she knew where I worked prior to the restraining order being put in place. I was ordered to not contact her and to not go within 200 feet of her work or residence. Earlier today I went to take the elevator in my building down for a smoke break and ran into her in the lobby. I immediately turned around and took the stairs. Looked her up in our company's directory afterwards and apparently she works there now, on the same floor as me no less. I have no idea why she decided to apply for a job here, it's super annoying, but I'm posting because I'm worried about how this might affect my job or standing with the courts. Technically, I'm now in violation of the restraining order. I have no plans on contacting her, but should I be worried? I image, even though I'm technically in violation of the order, the courts wouldn't hold that against me? Also, my job requires me to call and email a lot of our programs about accounting issues and it looks like she may be one of the points of contact for her unit that I would have to send notifications to for certain items. If I was directed to send her an email (no one I work with knows about the restraining order), I would once again be in violation of the restraining order. Should I be worried about this too?

Is there anything I can do to help the situation? I assume since she decided to accept a job there that she isn't worried about me and wouldn't go running to the courts for showing up to work and doing my job, but it's not like I can simply ask her about this.

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Thank you in advance!

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Answer:
 Talk to a lawyer about filing a motion to dissolve or modify the restraining order. Answer #2: I’ll bite since no one has asked this yet.

Have you considered talking with your company’s HR rep and explaining everything to them? Maybe they can get one of you moved to a different floor or department so that the order isn’t being violated? If they hired you while you already had the restraining order on your record I don’t imagine they’ll fire you for it now - just speculating though. Answer #3: You should go to HR.  It may be wise to also call the court house for assistance to see if you can request a modification to the restraining order.

In this old post the person who had the restraining order got fired

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2gly2e/being_fired_because_i_have_a_restraining_order/?st=JOJ59O9P&sh=1f6172c6

It would be best to be honest with your HR. Answer #4: If you're in violation of the order you're at risk of being arrested and charged for it.

Do not, under any circumstance, violate the order. If that means quitting your job, then that may be what you need to do.

Consult with a local attorney immediately. Answer #5: First, when was the restraining order filed and when does it expire?


Title: [Californnia] I have a mother with paranoid schizophrenia. Due to no income and terrible credit, she can't be approved for a housing lease. How can I utilize my good credit to help her while limiting my liability?

Question:
As title states: my mother is 56 years old with paranoid schizophrenia. She has persecutory delusions, violent tendencies, and is in poor overall health. She refuses to recognize her illness and refuses to seek any treatment after countless attempts by myself and other family members to get her to do so.

She has violent tendencies including breaking furniture and walls. I can not live with her and for various reasons she must live alone. Only problem is she has no income and has terrible credit. I have good income and good credit. Can I act as guarantor and limit my liability only to rent due and not to any damages caused? If so, do landlords go for this sort of thing?

Answer: I would look into some kind of assisted living for someone with her condition. Anything else is opening you up to a world of hurt.


Title: Bogus marriage annulment - USA/Cyprus

Question:
13 years ago - I was 16/17 years old - I married my first cousin in Cyprus. We are not from Cyprus, and it was not a real marriage. We married because it was somehow financially beneficial for my uncle, I don't know any of the details, and I didn't have a choice. I was young and from a sheltered home, and I had no idea what was going on. I don't have any forms or dates. I only vaguely remember this.

I went on to get married again - an arranged marriage - without first divorcing my cousin. I had no idea that it was illegal (I was barely 18, and again, I didn't have a choice). My cousin remarried too. I divorced my second husband, and now I want to get a divorce/marriage annulment from my cousin. How do I go about it?

According to a simple google search - one of us needs to live in Cyprus in order to apply for a divorce in Cyprus. I currently live in the U.S. and he lives in the middle east. We are not registered as married anywhere other than Cyprus. What to do?

Answer:
 You can file for divorce in the U.S.  That said, the hard part is going to be service.  You have to serve your cousin wherever he is, in most cases.  I'd really advise a lawyer for this.Answer #2: You're going to file where you are. If there is a marriage certificate or record, this is reason enough to get divorced. If your cousin or your uncle are able to produce paperwork you are married, then there is a chance this could come back to cause you problems -- your cousin could seek to apply for US residency based on that, for example.

Can you obtain the paperwork or copies of it? Is there something that doesn't otherwise make it a 'real' marriage? If it was just a religious ceremony without a certificate or anything legally binding, that might be less of an issue.


Title: Texas - Apartment Complex Leased Out Unit to Myself and an Entirely Separate Party for the Same Dates.

Question:
Hi legaladvice,

I'm a recently separated Veteran that has just moved to Dallas TX and signed an apartment lease early this month. The apartment complex sent me a copy of the lease with both my signature and the apartment manager's signature for a scheduled move-in at the end of this month.

Today, (two weeks before move-in) they called me stating that the apartment was leased out to someone prior to me and they didn't say anything else. They then tried to up-sell me on a larger, more expensive unit. Currently, all my utilities (Internet, Electricity, etc.) are all scheduled for my move-in date.

Is it legal for them to completely nullify my signed lease two weeks out? I have a hunch that at the bare minimum I should be allowed an amendment to my current lease to change to an available unit at the same price of my current lease. With this being Texas though I'm betting everything is in favor of the property.

I will review my current lease which is stamped with the Texas Apartment Association on it and update this post shortly.

Thank you for any help.

Answer:
 This is general, national law, and not Texas specific:

You and the other, supposed lessee will battle to the death, with the winner getting the apartment.  Good luck.

All kidding aside, you've got yourself a general breach of contract.  You need to show damages, which will be tough.  If you can't find any other comparable, substitute housing and you need to pay for something more expensive, then you may be able to pursue for difference between new housing and cancelled housing.  This is pretty unlikely unless you have a tight rental market. You'd pursue in small claims court.

The nice thing for them to do would be to put you in the more expensive apartment, but people aren't always nice, and they don't have to do that.

My advice is to get moving and find a new place, and use this story at parties when talking about how shitty landlords can be.


Title: [PA] Landlord requires notice to vacate at least 60 days prior to the end of the lease. I gave it, but they're saying they can't accept it and my lease will renew.

Question:
Current lease is up at the end of April. My roommates and I have reached a point of irreconcilable differences, and they told me to move out when our current lease ends.

I found a new place to live and, since my current lease has an autorenewal feature that requires at least 60 days notice of intent to vacate, sent an email to the leasing office letting them know.

I'd like to point out that my current lease has an acceleration clause.

Anyway, current landlord refused to accept my notice. I sent them an email (current lease only says "written notice") and they responded by demanding an exit interview with me in person.

The current office hours are impossible with my schedule, so I declined and told them I would be moving out.

They responded by telling me that they cannot accept such notification without also receiving it in written form from both of the other adults on my lease.

Currently, my roommates are still deciding whether they want to continue renting without me or move into a larger place. They would have more space without me, but the full rent is at the upper limit of their budget. They could almost certainly get a larger place for less money, but then they have to deal with the hassle of moving.

Our deadline for opting out is less than 5 days away. Current landlord has continued to refuse my intent to vacate notice and are now threatening me if I try to leave without getting my roommates to sign off on it. Due to the acceleration clause, they are claiming they can and will sue me for the entire amount, nearly $20,000, if I try to leave without my roommates' approval.

Do they have a leg to stand on? I've saved my emails from their office, complete with replies that prove they've received my notice.

I'm concerned that email may not qualify as "written notice" or that the concept of refusing my notice might be legally valid. It seems absurd that one person could refuse and trap us into the autorenewal while all leasees must be unanimous in order to opt out, but I'm not a lawyer. I don't really have the money to find out the hard way whether they're bluffing or not.

Answer:
 Just for the sake of clarity here

Is your landlords issue here with the fact that you provided your written notice via email?

Or is their issue with the fact that your offer two roommates having provided any written indication of their intentions?


Title: [CA] Would the download of Windows 10 onto my computer without my consent constitute Computer Fraud and Abuse?

Question:
18 U.S. Code § 1030 (a)(5)(C) states

"whoever ... intentionally accesses a protected computer without authorization, and as a result of such conduct, causes damage and loss ... shall be punished as provided in subsection (c) of this section."

Many are hitting data caps/getting charged and therefore incurring losses because of this download. As and end user I know I've authorized Microsoft to install updates on my Windows 7 machine but I don't recall authorizing the download of a new operating system. Did Microsoft exceed their authorization here?

Answer: Read your TOS. They are authorized,  and you agreed to arbitration. Have fun dealing with that.


Title: 5:30 construction next to residential neighborhood until mid 2016

Question: I live in a residential neighborhood in California.  The empty lot next the neighborhood is being developed into a large complex for a business.  The construction starts every day (Monday-Sunday) between 5:30-6 am.  It is heavy, large scale construction, even with all the windows closed, and living far away from the construction within the neighborhood, the noise is very loud.   Even though our city had noise ordinances before 8 am, the city has granted permission for construction to start early.  This is going to continue until mid 2016.  Can anything be done or since the city granted permission for the early am work is it not even worth fighting?

Answer:
 I'd gather as many neighbors as possible, go to all the town meetings, and complain as loudly as possible. Pitch every news outlet you can think of. You might be able to make some changes. Answer #2: Just because the city has allowed construction outside normal times doesn't necessarily mean that normal noise ordinances have been waived (ie they may be allowed to use a hammer but not a jackhammer at 6am). I would check city ordinances with a fine toothed comb and see exactly what is permissible.

You could also look into having your neighbors file objections to the extended hours, start contacting councilmen to see if any are sympathetic to your issues, contact local media, and try and speak at open council meetings.Answer #3: I suppose you could get a lawyer and try to sue the city, but they have a lot of power with waivers to their own ordinances. Likely the developer convinced them that the sooner construction is done the sooner taxes can be collected.


Title: [Ontario] If I give birth to a baby, can I take both pregnancy and parental leave, even if I adopt the baby out to another couple?

Question:
This is more for arguments sake. I read [Ontario's laws](http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/guide/pregnancy.php) regarding leave. If I give birth, it would seem I am eligible for pregnancy leave regardless. However, if I were to not keep the infant (or be a surrogate) can I take the additional 35 weeks?

Also curious as to how most employers might interpret adopting the baby out for paid leave that would be available to me if I kept the infant.

Edit: [This sections](http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/guide/pregnancy.php#parental) states that if a stillbirth or miscarriage occurs, there is no parental leave available. But it defines an "eligible parent" as a *birth parent*.

Answer:
 If you give the child up for adoption you have relinquished your parental rights and aren't entitled to parental leave because you aren't a parent.

The Ontario legislation says you have to be a parent to a child and you won't be. You may have given birth but you aren't the legal parent once the child is adopted.


Title: [NJ] My wife and I got married last month and her very religious, homophobic family have disowned her until she leaves me. She wants an annulment but I can't find a clear answer as to whether or not we are eligible.

Question:
We are both 19 and have only been married for a month. I am active duty military, she is not.

Could this perhaps fall under religious differences? From what we understand, divorce would be much more difficult and NJ would require spousal support etc so we want an annulment if it's possible.

Answer:
 If she is choosing these assholes over you, you need a divorce.  Answer #2: >NJ would require spousal support

Very very unlikely if you've just been married for a month.Answer #3: I don't see "because my parents don't like it" as cause for an annulment. So no, you need to get divorced. Talk to an attorney

>Code Sections2A:34-1, 20; 37:1-1Grounds for AnnulmentPrevious marriage undissolved; incest; impotency; lack of consent due to alcohol, understanding capacity, drugs, duress, fraud; underage
Answer #4: You're not getting an annulment for that reason. You will need to get a divorce.Answer #5: If you are active duty military, you likely have legal services available to you. Speak with your CO about talking to a lawyer at the base.Answer #6: You're firmly in "need a lawyer" territory here.


Title: [WA] Native American summed to US courts.

Question: Does a Native American have to show up when summoned to a US court. Civil. Washington.

Answer:
 Probably. We don't have enough info to know. But if the subpoena was properly served, you have to show up unless the court grants a motion to quashAnswer #2: By US court do you mean a District Court of the United States (federal) or a Washington state court? You *might* be able to get out of going to state court on the basis that the subpoena does not apply to you out of state and they would probably have to go the tribal court or possible federal court and get the subpoena approved, but that would only be if you are a tribe member residing in a federal Indian reservation. This is a complex area of law and you should consult with a lawyer experienced in tribal sovereignty before determining that a state court order does or doesn't apply to you.

edit: it appears you are a non-Indian trying to sue an Indian. Your question isn't whether the subpoena will be valid, but whether state or tribal court has jurisdiction.


Title: [WA] I want to evict my lessee. I want to give them 30 days notice first. But they are not accepting. I tried to send it via post, but they denied the package and returned. They won't even allow me to stick the notice in front of my own house. What the hell do I do?

Question: I made a mistake by renting my house to a shady guy.

Answer:
 Read the rules of service for the court that you will have to file your eviction proceedings in.  In some courts you can (or are even required to) have a third party serve them (such as a process server or the Sheriff).  In some courts you can motion the court for alternative service - like a notice in the local paper or whatever.Answer #2: They cannot stop you from walking up to the front door. Tape it on. Take a picture and leave. Answer #3: Clarify what "they won't let me stick the notice to my own house" means....
In many states notice is notice- as long as you can latter prove it was given. So verbally may be an option (recorded if the law allows or with witnesses).

Your tenant seems to be using the "nananananananana I can't hear you" approach- so be prepared for the rest of the long drawn out eviction process.


Title: USA, CA, Manager told coworker to kill himself in front of children and customers

Question:
TL;DR at bottom. I'm sorry this is so long but I want to outline the situation as best I can.

I work at a fast food company and recently one of my shift lead managers "snapped". There have been complaints about her to corporate before about how she verbally abuses employees and constantly slams doors, but nothing ever happens. The problem is the head manager of the store is very good friends with her family, and she doesn't act this way around him. He's "talked" to her about these complaints before, but of course to her all that means is she needs to hide it better.

However yesterday I feel like was too much. I was ten minutes late to work, I know that's bad but it wasn't too bad, but upon entering the store she yelled from the kitchen *"what the fuck is wrong with you"* and walking in to clock in I was greeted with *"you fuckin retard why do you always do this shit every fuckin day answer your god damn phone"* I pull out my phone and there was no missed calls or anything, which I probably shouldn't have pointed out but I did, and she responded with *"whatever you're just a little bitch, don't lie about your shit get a new phone you're fuckin ridiculous"*

Having dealt with a verbally abusive parent this was hardly enough to phase me, but it definitely got some looks from the customers. My coworkers were silent during this.

However, when my coworker entered the store, an hour and a half late, that's when hell broke loose. She was YELLING, very loud and clear now. The store was packed. There were kids waiting to be helped, less than 10 years old, mothers and families waiting. She was yelling *"You're SUCH A LITTLE FUCKING BITCH, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? You're fucking WORTHLESS just fucking KILL YOURSELF. You're not useful for anything you little bitch, the only useful thing you could do is kill yourself"*. This went on for about 5 minutes.

At this point I put down everything I was doing, went into the bathroom, and contacted the head manager. She was gone when I came out, and the head manager talked to me in private. He made it clear to me that what she did is in no way excusable, and he's glad I contacted him about it. He told me she would no longer be coming to work here.

The next day, today, however, she was still working. Even after the head manager got there and talked to her outside, she continued to work. They were smiling at each other walking back in, and talked about how next weekend their families would be hanging out in a road trip or something.

Word got around that I was the one that reported her, and when I walked to the back of the store I heard my other coworker say "yeah she just got mad yesterday and then [my name] reported her I guess to try and get her fired since he was late anyway" (something along those lines).  Every one of my coworkers now except the one that was yelled at thinks I'm just butthurt trying to get her fired. She put in her two week notice yesterday as well and already has another job.

I'm worried because I've applied to other jobs and just can't get one. If I stay here I have a horrible reputation. I have absolutely no proof she did these things, and all my coworkers except the one that was yelled at don't think she said those things, even the ones that were there to witness it. Even when the head manager contacted my abused coworker, all he said was "oh, yeah, she was just trying to pick a fight, it wasn't anything serious" and wouldn't talk more about it.

**TL;DR Shift leader tells coworker to kill himself in front of children and customers. I report it to head manager who says she's getting fired, but then she continues to come to work to finish her last two weeks because their families are friends. My coworkers also spread around the rumor that I was just trying to get her fired or something and none of them seem to think she did anything wrong.**

Answer: There's nothing illegal here. You should look for another job.


Title: I hired a sex offender to do my yard and I didn't know it

Question:
Obligatory throw away account cause I don't want this to be tied to anything.

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My question pertains to what to do in the terms of letting someone go and if I am legally allowed to do this. I recently bought a home close to my new job and excited to be starting my new life there. I will be moving there in August and need someone to take care of the lawn over the summer. I had gotten a recommendation from a guy at the real estate office who was a friend of my realtor. I also got a recommendation from my new neighbor. I got quotes from both and the guy recommended from the real estate office was about $100 cheaper and so I had him come over and go through everything with me one more time just be sure that I knew what he was going to be doing. He seemed like a nice guy just a little bit older than me. I told him that I would be back in 2 weeks and I would like to pay him to do the front and back yard one time just to see how he does and we could go from there. So I give him a check for the one time test run and told him Ill be back to see how things go. Heres where my issue comes in... on his way out I notice on his ankle is one of those tracker devices that people on parole get. After he leaves I get on my computer and google him. It turns out that in 2014 he was arrested and convinced for trying to solicit sex from a minor. This is a huge red flag as ill be having some renters over the summer and I don't want to do anything to make them uncomfortable or put them in harms way. I have already paid him for the one time and no one will be there at that time but I am sure that my renters would not be happy to know that a registered sex offender is doing our yard. How should I proceed with telling him I no longer need him after I get back? Could I get sued for letting him go for this reason? He did not tell me up front and I had no idea.

&#x200B;

tldr; I hired a sex offender to do my yard without knowing it. Can I let him go for this reason?

Answer: Unless you have an employment contract with him, you can just let him know his services are no longer needed.Answer #2: If he's a contractor or if he's at-will like most people, you can let him go for no reason. Giving a reason often leads to trouble.


Title: Father wants me to put money in a joint checking account so social security can't find it.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: So basically you want to know if it's ok to defraud the government. (and the taxpayer). No it's not ok. They can find out about any account he is on. Don't just tell him no; tell him *hell no*.


Title: Solicitation of a minor, child pornography? Girl on dating app claimed to be 18 but wasn't. Help!

Question:
I used a dating app which requires members to be 18 years of age. A girl initiated a texting conversation with me and requested "naughty pics." She sent explicit pictures first, and I responded with similar pictures. About 3 hours later, a man calls me from her number claiming to be her father, threatening to call the police with charges of possession of child pornography and soliciting a minor. He hangs up and calls me back saying he was talking with his wife and that they are willing to forego legal action, but "as punishment," I will have to pay for the girl's phone deactivation fee and a plane ticket for her to return to California, from which she recently moved. Later he said he would instead get her a bus ticket and quoted me an exact dollar amount, something around $1200. I told him I would pay him starting next Friday in a "payment plan."

My first thoughts are that this is a scam, but I want to be careful and decisive in my response.

In the case that this guy is genuine, I want to get a reasonable idea of whether or not I could actually be legally prosecuted for these charges in the state of Alaska.

Thanks.

Edit: I am much relieved and appreciate the thorough advice on deleting my accounts, etc.

Answer:
 Common scam

There was no girl. Block their number. Delete the app and move on with your life. Answer #2: **IT'S A SCAM!!!!**

You are currently in the midst of one of the most common scams on the internet. So common, in fact, that we are starting to see this same scam on a daily basis here.

There is no girl. There is no father. There are no police. There is no phone or trip to be taken. There is only the scammer -- who likely lives in another country, works in a call center, and performs this scam for a living by using the internet to spoof numbers to make them look like they're coming from different people.

If you haven't already done so: Block anyone who has contacted you. Do not engage in any communications with them ever again. Wipe your phone or computer cache & browsing history clean of anything related to this. And place appropriate privacy guards on your social media sites. I also recommend taking it one step further and deleting whatever profile or apps you used to initiate contact, as well as the e-mail account used to sign up with.

Then be thankful that you narrowly avoided getting suckered for a lot of money.

But don't take my word for it. Here is just a sample of posts and articles about this exact scam, or variations on it:

http://www.thedailyscam.com/underage-girl-sext-scam/

http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/--urgent-------underage-sexting-scam--can-my-frien-2317988.html

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/dating-scam-tricks-men-thinking-theyve-been-talkin/nhf3q/

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130724200617AATDXM1

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2299895/James-Arnt-Aune-death-Blackmailer-university-professor-leapt-death-pleads-guilty.html


Title: Work pushing off my return after Injury, need advice/help.

Question:
Just over 6 months ago I was in quite the car crash. The resulting injury was a stroke and fused spine. I needed about 4 months of recovery, which I told my place of employment. They said that was fine and would they have work I was capable of doing on my return until I could really get back to heavy duty work on the roof. On December 1st I informed them I was ready to come back. They said benefits needed to clear me. Ok.

Since then I've been trying to contact the benefits department constantly through e-ail and phone. Its been over 2 months and I get the feeling they are actively ignoring me, and I get the feeling they told my home office/warehouse they are not aloud to talk to me.

I now haven't worked for 6 months, no work, no income,  and medical bills, and if I cant find some other source soon I wont be able to pay my mortgage soon. If they let me come back at the 4 month mark I would have been fine, and I believed them when they told me that, but now it looks like they are just trying to get me to leave/ find work somewhere else.

Is this standard happenings for large companies? Is there anything I can do other than giving up and finding another job?

Edit: Also I live in USA, Connecticut.

Answer: As annoying as those commercials are, this is exactly what Aflac and related companies cover. Regardless, what is your place of employment? Did you take FMLA leave? Are you even covered by FMLA?


Title: Not sure what happens next; picked up a possession charge at Border Patrol checkpoint in West Texas

Question:
Hi guys,
The drug dogs hit my car at a Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 10 in west Texas somewhere around Fort Hancock.  I was waved to the side and asked to step out.  I told the officers straight away I had pot and a pipe in the car and where it was located.  They told me that was an arrestable offense and took me inside.

I was read my rights and declined to have a lawyer present to answer questions.  Signed a form in two places that said the rights were read and a lawyer wasn't needed.

90 minutes later they took my picture and took my fingerprints and sent me on my way.  I was informed the D.A. and sherriff haven't been coming out much lately and unless they were told otherwise, I'd be free to go shortly.

Keys were handed back to me and I was not given any paperwork of any kind.  I didn't have to post bail or anything like that.  Just sat quietly on a bench until I was released.

So what's next?  This is 9 hours west of where I live.  Do I need a lawyer?  Are they mailing me a citation or a summons to appear all the way out there?  I've got no priors and no clue what to expect.

Thanks so much.

Answer: And the award for most ironic username goes to...Answer #2: Get a lawyer and stop talking to the police.


Title: Sold my car to a “poor guy with a young family” at a discounted price. Turned out to be a used car salesman who marked up and flipped my car instead. Anything I can do? Oregon/Washington.

Question:
I realize that lying and taking advantage of me isn’t a crime, but I’m still seriously offended by this and want some justice.

Story is pretty simple. I had my car up for sale on Craigslist. It’s a very in demand vehicle at the moment and get a premium. I live in Washington. A guy calls me and is already giving me a believable story about kids and everything. He was really super convincing. He puts down a refundable deposit and want to come look this weekend.

So he shows up, likes the car and is telling me about his young family and how they are going to really get a lot of use out of the car etc etc. he’s very articulate and genuine. He decides he wants to buy it and asks me if there’s anything I can do on the price because it would really be straining his budget. I’m an older person who made good financial decisions in life, I know how it goes with a family. So I knock $1000 off for him. He’s extremely greatfull, pays cash, and leaves.

Two days later I’m browsing cars on Craigslist, feeling happy that the car I took immaculate care of for so many years is helping someone else out now. And I see it. My car, marked up $5000, being sold by a used car dealer in Oregon.

Turns out his guy is a used car salesman and doesn’t even have a family. Is there anything I can do?  And agencies I can report him to?  I know that I sold is and he can probably do whatever he wants with it. But taking advantage of other people’s kindness for profit is just horrible.

Answer:
 > But taking advantage of other people’s kindness for profit is just horrible.

Indeed it is, but not illegal. Adding a sob story to get you to lower the price is not illegal. He didn't force you to sell it to him, he took advantage of your empathy.


Title: What do you do when your roommate files a false police report against you and spends your security deposit? [NYC]

Question:
Hello fellow redditors,

I never in my life thought I'd find myself in this situation, but I would appreciate any advice on the matter!

**Situation:**

It's exactly what the title says folks... so feel free to read the TL;DR if you don't have the time!

**Preface:** ***for those with time...***

So I was subletting a place on a month\-to\-month basis. My roommate's lease \(who is technically the "landlord"\) ends on May 31st, but she wrote my sublease contract to end on on the 1st of May instead... meaning I only had to give 30 days notice if I left before that point.

Interestingly, we've always gotten along *aside from the few messages I send asking her to clean up occasionally*. So I originally intended to stay through May as I searched for a place, but after the incident last week, I decided to leave on the 1st of May unannounced and here's why...

**Context:**

A week ago, my roommate got upset when I turned the central AC on cold on when she wasn't home \(it's warming up & I get pretty sweaty\). When she arrived home, she turned on the heater to 79F, to which I turned on auto heat at comfortable 71F. After a back\-and\-forth of toggling the heat between on and auto, she banged on my door and yelled at me to not touch the air conditioner. When I replied, that it was easier for her to warm herself up than for me to cool myself down, she threatened to kick me out. Right afterwards, I told her she had no right to evict me \(there's not even an objectionable behavior clause in our lease\) and she threatened to call the police...

Now... maybe it was because I laughed at how ridiculous the threat sounded...

but she actually called the police, faked cried, and blatantly lied stating I threatened to assault her. Since I'm a black man in 2018, I acted quickly and recorded as much video footage of the call as possible. After, I immediately filed a police report as well and asked a friend to come over to be a character witness. I showed the cops the video of her terribly fake crying and they believed me and left after telling her what I did wasn't criminal activity.

I was scared shitless afterwards but spent one night in my apartment with a friend then left then slept over somewhere else.

**This week:**

I quickly closed on a new place and moved\-out on the 1st of May since she could easily kick me out. I took videos and photos of my room and all common spaces with the final video showing me leaving my keys in the apartment and locking it/jiggling the handle to show I couldn't get in.

After informing her I moved out via text, she freaked and told me she wouldn't give me my security deposit back because I moved before 30 days notice \(she assumed I was leaving on the 31st with her\). This prompted me to send a photo of the lease in which she wrote I had to move\-out by May 1st . She then replied back that she wasn't giving me back my deposit because I was bad tenant \(nothing to do with damages to the apartment because I was a good tenant and there are none\). I of course told her she couldn't and that I expected my security deposit back in full..

She replied today saying: *"Living arrangements on my behalf had to be sorted with limited notice. So funds that would have been immediately reimbursed are not available..."*

**TL;DR:**

* **Last week**, my roommate called the police and lied stating I threatened to assault her because we disagreed on the temperature of our apartment... I a video showing her hysterically fake crying so they believed me and left.
* **Two days ago,** she told she wouldn't give me my security deposit \-\- on the basis that I didn't give her 30 days notice before moving out... but my lease \(that she wrote\) legally ended on May 1st so I didn't have to.
* **Today,** she told me that she spent my security deposit  \(I never even received the original deposit information after asking for it\)

**Questions:**

What are my legal options about the security deposit and the false criminal report?

How could she spend it? Shouldn't it be in an escrow account or something?

**Additional detail:** The property manager told me that she owes like $3,900 in back\-rent already so I'm not sure if my security deposit was even deposited

Answer:
 >What are my legal options about the security deposit and the false criminal report?

For the security deposit, you can sue her in small claims (no attorney required). Since she is withholding the deposit from you, you are eligible to receive treble damages from her if your suit is successful. This means three times the amount of the security deposit.

The fact that she texted you that she wouldn't return your security deposit and in fact had spent it makes this a slam dunk for you, honestly.

The false report is up to the police to do something about. You have no say in the matter.Answer #2: Personally, I wouldn't agree to the payment plan. Provide her with an address to send your security deposit and if she doesn't after 60 days then sue her in small claims.

In fact, I believe the attorney general will reach out to her before any civil procedure, and remind her of the obligation to return the deposit which might scare her into paying up before trial.


Title: [Burnsville, MN] My cousin's employer is breaking child labor laws. What can I do about this?

Question:
I'm my cousin's legal guardian. He is 14 years old.

He works at a restaurant where he seats people and busses tables. The child labor laws are very clear. They are not allowed to keep him after 9:00, for more than 8 hours a day, or for more than 40 hours a week. Yet, night after night, he's not out until 9:20 or even as late as 9:50.

He had 10 hours of overtime on his last paycheck.

Cousin says that his co-workers and managers tell him he needs to keep helping customers until the next employee is ready to work at 9:15, then clean the toilets and mop the floors before he can leave. I've called his manager, and he said that Cousin is supposed to leave right at 9 no matter what, but that is obviously not being observed.

Is there an organization I can file a complaint with about this, or should I go to the police? He's starting high school soon, and they can't be keeping him late like this on school nights.

Answer:
 http://www.dli.mn.gov/OSHA/FileComplaint.asp

There is where you can file a complaint.

Good money for a kid, but not legal. They need to improve their scheduling.Answer #2: Start with the Minnesota department of labor (whatever they call themselves). If they don't handle child labor issues they can tell you which agency does.


Title: Dog trainer didn't train dog

Question:
Hi folks,

Back in January I hired and paid a local dog trainer $900 to help teach my dog the basics (Sit, sit-stay, come) with an emphasis on walking. My dog is a pitbull type and is a very strong puller while we are walking and as a new mom, I wanted to be able to safely walk her and my son in his stroller at the same time.

She presented it as it being unlimited lessons until the dog learns and that there is a lifetime guarantee - that if at some point my dog picked up a new weird habit she'd come back.

It's April now and she came a bunch in January, a little less in February and basically not at all in March (without us begging her via text). My dog still is a terrible walker and I'm so frustrated.

Do I have a case that I can take to small claims court? Should I contact the trainer again? Any advice would be great!

Thanks.

Toms River, New Jersey

Answer:
 I thought those dog-training services required significant participation from the dog owner. I was under the impression that dog owners had to practice, be consistent, etc. If that is the case, you might have an up-hill battle trying to claim the service didn't do its job. They would just say they did, but you did not do your part, and blame that for the still-untrained dog. Answer #2: Dog Law specialist here!

Did you have a contract with the trainer spelling out obligations on both sides?


Title: Could my HS withhold my High School Diploma ?

Question:
Basically there's this rule in my county or state (Miami-Dade,FL) called the 10, 20 rule which if you get more then 10 School day absences or 20 daily tardies you cant attend Any class sponsored events, School sports, or graduation. What i want to know is if i break this rule do i still get my High School Diploma or can my school hold my Diploma. I say this because usually from sophomore to junior year I've gotten between 40-50 School day absences and I've passed all my classes I have all my credits and then sum and never had a problem. Recently they stopped doing this thing for Seniors who broke the rule where they would "re-do hours" by doing community service or Saturday detention but now they're not allowing any seniors this year to do that since last year so many seniors abused that system.

TL:DR - If i break this dumb 10,20 rule in placed by (Miami-Dade,Fl) do i still get my High School Diploma or does my HS withhold the diploma.

Answer:
 The policy you cited has to do with attending school events, but the question you are asking has to do with graduation requirements.

Yes, it is legal to have minimum attendance requirements in order earn a high school diploma.    It would be reasonable for a school not to grant a diploma to a student who had 40-50 absences in the year leading up to graduation.

Go to school.


Title: 10 year-old wedding official?

Question:
Illinois.  My sister wants to have her wedding officiated by a 10 year-old relative.  The key players all understand that this isn't actually legal, so the plan is for the child to perform an official-seeming wedding ceremony in front of the full audience, followed by a private, brief, bare-minimum ceremony performed by legally-qualified adult.  The intent is to give most guests the impression that the 10 year-old performed the actual wedding.

The quick legal-compliance ceremony will be private with just the official, the couple, and a few witnesses.

Might any legal problems arise from this?

Is having a *fake* ceremony right before the real one something that could come up in a divorce, or whatever?

Is it a problem if most of the guests are not explicitly told that the ceremony performed by the 10 year-old isn't the *real* wedding ceremony?

Is it a problem that the couple openly state - before and after the wedding day - that they consider the 10 year-old ceremony their "real" wedding, and the ceremony with the qualified-official just a necessary legal annoyance?

Answer:
 Well, this is certainly a first for legaladvice:

A souvenir wedding.


Title: I let a friend move into my spare room to help him out, now asking him to leave, I need help with some legal issues.

Question:
I'll put a TLDR at the end, some small story involved.

A friend of mine got a DUI back in November of last year, lost his truck, and asked to move in to my spare room in an effort to save money to get back on his feet. I never really had a problem with him living at my house, but lately things have gotten out of control, and now hes late paying me his "rent" (very small amount each month, basically to just cover increase in my bill's and what not). So apparently he hasn't been saving any money, and I want him out. But before I talk about establishing when I want him out by, I was wondering if anyone here has had a similar story where they've had to get lawyers involved. His mail comes to my address, and has his possessions in my spare room, I never made him sign any kind of lease, but does he have any kind of squatters rights? (Florida) Also I'd like to set up a camera in my bedroom (he shares my bathroom), it's not for any creep thing, I just own a few firearms that are stored in my closet (in locked cases) and other possessions he has regular access to, and want to cover myself if he does anything stupid. I know it's illegal to film in a bathroom, but is it still legal to record your own bedroom? (As long as it's not aimed at the bathroom door?)

TLDR Want to kick friend out of my house that's been "crashing" there almost 10 months, has mail coming to my address, and did not make him sign any kind of lease. Also legal rights to use a hidden camera to record in your own bedroom (firearms stored in closet) as long as it doesn't see the bathroom? (He shares my bathroom).

Answer: You've been accepting rent. You need to give him ~~30~~ 15 days to leave, and evict him if he doesn't.


Title: Indiana, Town of Lowell. Cops just told me it's theft to take food from garbage cans or dumpsters.

Question: I've been dumpster diving for food since 2009 in my town. Some of the food I use, and soime I feed to animals at a local park that has horses, cattle, sheep, pigs etc. I've been stopped by the local cops from time to time. We have a local ordinance against taking recyclables from dumpsters, even if the recyclables are not going to the recycler. And they are really anal about that ordinance. But when they see I'm only taking food, every one has said oh, no problem. Till tonite. Now three cops show up while I'm gleaning food from a dumpster and all three tell me it's theft and if they see me doing it again I'll be arrested for theft. So what gives? Has Indiana passed a new law on taking food from dumpsters or are these cops just giving me a hard time for no reason?

Answer: I'm assuming the dumpsters are on private property. You can't take stuff from someone else's property, even if they're not using it, because that's theft.


Title: [NJ] I stole something ten years ago and I would like to give it back.

Question:
Okay so,

&#x200B;

Ten years ago (2009) at a house party I stole a autographed baseball on my way out the door. I have held onto this thing for 10 years as I have had an extreme amount of grief about this situation. I did not realize what I took when I grabbed it, just that it was a box.

&#x200B;

I was a terrible person at that time of my life. I have since grown up and am trying to make amends with my past.

&#x200B;

I am planning on giving the ball back to the daughter who is a mutual acquaintance.

&#x200B;

Obviously I am trying to make sure I am in the clear from a legal standpoint. Is this timeline of 1-5 years on theft/robbery relevant?

&#x200B;

[https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/criminal/criminal-law-basics/new-jersey-criminal-statutes-of-limitations.html](https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/criminal/criminal-law-basics/new-jersey-criminal-statutes-of-limitations.html)

Answer: Just send it back to them in such a way as it cannot be traced to you.Answer #2: Send it in the mail without a return address.


Title: USA - Grandfather was in the Army and OSS during WWII. My basic understanding is at this point in time, a majority of his service records, including his missions may be declassified. How do I go about obtaining these records?

Question:
For the LocationBot, I am in Virginia, my mother (her father) is in CA, which is where my grandfather lived a majority of his adult life, including during his service time, and he retired/died in WA.

He served in Germany during the time of the war.

My main goal here is to get an understanding of what he did during the war.  He never talked about it, and I would like to know more.

Where do I begin?  I am sure that this will cost me some money, which is fine, but again...I have no idea where to start...

THANKS!

Answer:
 If they still exist, then you'll need to go through the National Archives. The problem is that there [was a fire](http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/fire-1973.html) in the military personnel records section in 1973, and millions of records were destroyed (especially the Army section).

For example; my wife's grandfather served in Italy during WWII and received the Silver Star Medal. I found the medal while helping her go through his items after he died; but he never talked about his time in the war with anyone, even his wife. We applied to get a copy of his records to see the citation, but they had all been destroyed in the fire. The only thing we've been able to find was the G.O. authorizing it and the date awarded; but not the actual citation. Answer #2: [This](http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/standard-form-180.html) might be a good place to start if you have not done it already.


Title: Question about dress code/regents in my school. NY

Question: I go to a school in NY and they have a dress code, I came in clothes that violated it (t-shirt) and they threatened me by not letting me take the regents. Is this allowed?

Answer: of course it is. public school officials have broad authority to maintain safety and discipline.


Title: In a weird situation. My bicycle is impounded. I need advice/help

Question: So my buddy and I were chilling in my garage a few nights ago. I gave him a ride there, then I decided to drink when he told me he was just going to walk home. Time comes for him to leave and I offer him my bike. He took it and on his way home he got pulled over by the police because my bike didn't have any reflectors. They found out he had a a warrent for his arrest which neither him nor myself knew about. Long story short, he's in jail, my bicycle is impounded. I know the maker and the frame type, but that's it. Idk how to even find out what impound my bike is at. This thing is a Bianchi timbereolf. Its over 23 years old. Its older than I am, 21. It was my fathers. He has alzhimers now and this bike was his baby and he gave it to me and its extremely sentimental. I really would like to get my bike back. Please help. Where do I start?

Answer:
 The police may have impounded the bicycle at their station. Collect any pictures you have of the bicycle or any recipes for work you've had done on it. Go to the station and explain the situation to the desk sergeant. Hopefully they can release the bicycle to you.Answer #2: Police reports involved in his arrest should have an inventory number, documentation.

Go to police station. Ask for it. Nicely. Ask your friend for his paperwork.

That  department probably has one room that they put bikes in that they've inventoried. Answer #3: Hey not legal advice but my dad had a form of dementia as well (he died when I was 17) so if you wanna talk about it shoot me a message. He also gave me his (30 or so year old) bike.Answer #4: Locations are useful to offer advice :)


Title: How to annul a contract if you're a Little (i.e. minor) Mermaid

Answer: This makes so many possibly erroneous assumptions about undersea law. For one, fish generally have much shorter lifespans than human, so how do we know Ariel wasn't legally an adult at 16?


Title: School searched my phone without consent.

Question: Eight people and I recently got in trouble with my school. In a group message with 9 people including myself we all sent pictures of girls in our schools butts, non of which I actually took only got mine from other guys. The thing is when the teachers found out about it they asked to hand them my phone so they could search it, I replied no you don't have my consent at which point they took my phone from me and searched through it... they found that in the group message I sent two pictures the first being one I screen shotted from this girls twitter and the second I was sent from a friend. The thing is I know I was in the wrong for the second because I forwarded a picture taken without her consent, but the first picture she had posted on social media. I ended up getting in major trouble for both pictures were not nude photogrpahs. This texting took place outside of school. I am now suspended for a week and I want to know if they can do this. This happened in Minnesota

Answer:
 The school is not the police. They can search your phone if they believe it you violated school policy.

Easiest way to keep this from happening again is not to bring your phone to school. Also don't distribute possible child porn (you did not say if they were naked or not)


Title: What is the legal take of replacing a iPhone Lcd Glass as a business? Is it illegal?

Question:
Hi guys need some advice here.

We are from Singapore.

What is the take on cutting of say iPhone 6 LCD Glass when it is cracked and replacing it with a new piece of glass as a business.

We never claim that it is original and also explain to customers on the process.

As there is no logo on the glass, is it legal?
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: In the US this is done all the time by phone repair businesses, usually at shopping mall kiosks.  I have no idea as to what the law is in Singapore.


Title: Want to adopt a "homeless" cat

Question: I recently moved into my sister's old house, and there is a lot of "stray" cats that wander the neighborhood. One, in particular, my sister says belongs to someone down the street, but this cat has been sleeping in the treehouse we have in the backyard every night. I feed and water her every morning and evening because I cannot stand to see her hungry and cold. I have been letting her inside at night since the temperature has dropped in the past few weeks. Is there anything I can do to legally adopt her? My main reasoning is because I believe she may be pregnant and I want to get her spayed, but I know if I do anything like that I can get into legal trouble. I would just like some advice on any further steps I can do to help this cat out. She is very precious and the sweetest, most affectionate cat on the block, and does not deserve the treatment she has received from her "owners".

Answer: Contact animal control. They typically have some plan where you can bring the cat into them and then if the owner does not claim it you can adopt it.


Title: Canada (Quebec) Is it legal to photoshop a picture of my photo ID?

Question: Airbnb wants a photo of my drivers license before I can book. I never provide my true birthday online (I provide a consistent fake one), and in general make efforts to reduce the amount of information about me available to data companies. I've tried submitting a picture of my ID with DOB and licence# blocked either digitally or physically and Airbnb just sends me an email immediately saying it wasn't legible. Can I photoshop the numbers so it looks real with fake information? Could AirBnb report me to some mysterious government body I don't know about?

Answer:
 Just a heads up, but Quebec has some really strange laws that are different from elsewhere in Canada, so I'd be careful with the advice that you get here. Off the top of my head, I don't think we have any stars from Quebec (I could be wrong tho).

Photoshopping your ID is almost certainly going to be against AirBnB's Terms and Conditions, so you could lose the spot if they find out. Is protecting your age really that important?


Title: Backed into car while delivering for Jimmy Johns. Insurance won’t cover and guy is getting impatient.

Question:
Last week I backed into a car while delivering for Jimmy Johns. Since I was driving for commercial purposes, my insurance company says it will not cover the damages (about 1300) for the other guys car. I’m covered under an umbrella coverage for Jimmy Johns insurance and they needed a claim, so  I filed a claim under the main insurance company. It has been a few days since the claim and Jimmy Johns needs the claim denial to proceed in paying for it.
The guy is starting to get impatient as I keep telling him to wait another day because that’s exactly what I’ve been dealing with. He is threatening to do a police report through his insurance company if it is not repaired soon. I’m in Illinois. What should I do?

Answer:
 >He is threatening to do a police report through his insurance company if it is not repaired soon.

And he can do that. It won't get him anywhere or impact you but you can't stop him from trying.

What should you do? Wait.


Title: Do I have a leg to stand on, legally?

Question:
Someone was impersonating my ex gf by texting me and my current gf. The person who pretended to be my ex texted me a bunch of stuff and long story short I asked 'her' to send me nudes, and then 'she' sent screencaps of me asking that to my current gf. My current gf goes hysterical and calls me crying asking how I could do that, etc. We reconcile a few days later and all is well. Fast forward four months later and I run into this ex at a convention while she's visiting from out of the country (she lives in Japan) and she acts like everything's fine, so I eventually find out that she wasn't the one who sent my gf and I those texts. We live in the state of Illinois.

tl;dr: Could I go to the police and find out who was impersonating my ex and texting my gf and I after finding out four months after the incident occurred?
Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer: So let's get this straight. Four months ago you asked who you thought was your ex girlfriend for nude pictures. You get caught, and your current girlfriend, like the fool she is takes you back. Now, when you see the ex in Japan (was your current girlfriend there with the two of you? No of course not) you want to go to the police with this story and kick the bees nest? That's about the gist of it? Are you mentally challenged in some way? Does it  really sound to you like revisiting this crap will enhance your life or current relationship? You need to smarten up, your already dim bulb of a brain is fading quickly.


Title: Employer threatened to sue for breach of contract because of resignation

Question:
My sister currently works for a 2-person event planning company in DC. She is an event assistant/EA to the principal and started in May. She signed a contract that notes she must give 4 weeks notice. She submitted her resignation via email on Monday 7/24 and her manager told her that she would be lenient on the contract and would allow her last day to be 8/11. A few hours later her manager told her she changed her mind and that she needed to work until 8/18. At a meeting today, her boss told my sister that "she needed to work until the 18th and if she didn't, she would sue my sister for breach of contract, she would win and [my sister] would have to pay back all the money she has been paid."

My sister's contract is very sketchy and her boss is a terror. Among other things:
- she is salaried at $36,000 but gets no overtime. She works evenings and weekends as well as general M-F
- she gets no benefits or PTO

To me, she is working as an non-exempt employee but being treated/paid as a independent contractor.

My main question is - would it be worth if it for us to explore legal options or should my sister just suck it up and keep going to work until the 18th?

Thanks!

Answer: She should contact the state labor board about filing a wage claim for unpaid overtime, assuming that she works over 40 hours per week without receiving time and a half pay.


Title: Can i get in trouble being on the same bus as people with illegal drugs.

Question: Hello i’m a 23 year old female going on a wine tour. when you go to the wine tours you rent a party bus for the day and it transports you to and from, as the vineyard is almost 2 hours away from me. Some people on the bus dabble in cocaine and i do not. i was wondering if for some reason we got stopped by the police if i could be in trouble for someone else having illegal drugs on them? i’m an EMT and going to medical school so i cannot afford to be arrested over something like that. if anyone could give me advise i would appreciate it. thank you!

Answer: Can you? Yes. Realistically, no. No prosecutor would take that case


Title: Opening a bed and breakfast, Can I serve my own livestock? OREGON

Question:
I'm converting my home in to a small bed and breakfast. The bed part I have handled, it's the legality of breakfast I'm curious about. I raise cattle, poultry and rabbits. My question to you Reddit gurus of legality is can I serve my own livestock? Do my animals need to be inspected or is there some sort of claus I can opt' out of because of how small scale the operation is? I've looked everywhere on google and haven't come across any articles that directly correlate with my question.

THANKS GUYS!!!

Answer:
 Via: http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/pages/rules/oars_300/oar_333/333_170.html

>All food intended for consumption by guests shall meet the Oregon Department of Agriculture requirements as being obtained from an approved source. The use of home canned foods and meat and dairy products from unapproved sources is prohibited, and the storage of such food items shall not be allowed in any area where food is prepared or served to guests.

>Stat. Auth.: ORS 624.041

>Stats. Implemented: ORS 624.041

>Hist.: HD 6-1988, f. & cert. ef. 4-4-88;

 >PH 12-2012, f. 8-30-12, cert. ef. 9-4-12

Looks like you should have a chat with the Department of Agriculture.


Title: Company offers me "$X". I accept. Paycheck is less than agreed salary. Possible to pursue legal action? (CA)

Question: I received an email with supposed confirmation from the CEO & Co-owner about agreed salary. Paycheck is 3k less than the accepted offer. Is legal action possible? Worth it? Offered 39k & am making 36k. Started hourly & officially salary.

Answer: Instead of jumping right to a lawsuit, have you tried asking someone with authority why your pay is less than expected?  If so, what was the response?


Title: Murder at neighbors house. Bullets and casings on my property. Bullet marks in tree bark in my front yard. Any recourse besides getting the heck out of here?

Answer: recourse against who? for what?


Title: Landlord refuses to show HVAC tech's certification.

Question:
I live in upstate NY, and my HVAC unit has been through a few mold remediations. The situation started last December when I moved into the unit, and I noticed I was becoming asthmatic when the heat was running. Because the maintenance staff had never done a remediation before, they were incredibly disorganized, and apparently they didn't do it correctly the first time. They cleaned the vents and wiped down only the surfaces of my apartment. Then after a follow-up air test it was revealed the mold concentrations weren't low enough, and this time they had a representative from an actual mold remediation company (Ambient Environmental) who said they didn't do a thorough job. During remediation #2, the entire furnace was pulled and cleaned, and the drywall with the dark green mold growth was torn out and replaced. A truck was hooked up to the vents and sucked out any remaining mold at 3500 PSI. Additionally, an independent cleaning company was hired to clean every square inch of my unit. After this remediation was finished in mid April, the mold levels had reduced to what AE considered habitable levels.

Fast forward to two months ago. I started using my AC, and I immediately noticed the air was moldy. Upon inspecting the HVAC unit, I saw the condensation hose was filthy and had a valley where water could stagnate. The maintenance manager for the apartment complex visited to inspect it, and he concluded his tech never finished the job correctly. The ceiling was left open which according to the HVAC tech (Josh) he did intentionally to prevent moisture from accumulating. However, his manager said that was wrong. Furthermore, the condensation pipes were not insulated as they should have been to prevent water from dripping on top of the unit. Finally, the condensation drain hose should have been replaced. Josh came over to supposedly seal the ceiling, but there were still large gaps, so I brought this to my property manager's attention. The maintenance manager came over with Josh and properly sealed off the ceiling. However, the condensation pipes still weren't insulated, and the drain hose still hadn't been replace. Josh came over once more and replaced the drain hose, but the pipes had yet to get insulated. I brought this to my property manager's attention again, and after a third time the pipes were insulated. Now, my problem is that drain water is stagnant in the new drain hose because it's mounted the same way with a valley. My property manager claimed it's supposed to be like that upon receiving input from the maintenance manager. I took more pictures recently of the new drain hose, and it's already growing new mold.

Because this AC job was repeatedly fumbled several times, I also asked my property manager for a copy of Josh's EPA 608 certification which he is required to have to do any HVAC work. My property manager's reply was, "We are not obligated to provide this information." I feel he should be since the maintenance is part of my lease, and in order to keep the Warranty of Habitability in good standing, it is a contractual obligation. Moreover, I have consistently paid my rent on time, and I am paying for this maintenance through that rent.

Is there a statute or some form of legal recourse I have to demand a copy of Josh's certification?

Answer: Based on the information you gave the work that the technician did does not require him to posses that certification. It only would apply if he was handling refrigerant. Answer #2: He doesn't have one.


Title: 18 year old high schooler kicked out of her house. Phone canceled and car taken. Anything we can do?

Question:
She has an alternate place to stay fortunately, so the car is our main issue. She paid for the car herself, but it's in her mom's name. Mom has threatened to report the car stolen if not returned to her, so now Friend is without a car.

She's is over 18 but also still in high school. Is there anything that can be done legally to support her? Any action to be taken against the Mom?

Answer:
 If the car is in moms name then it is moms car.

She can sue her mother for the money paid for the car, depending on the deal.

She is an adult. She supports herself.

She can contact welfare to see if she qualifies for any assistance.

She should talk to her school counselor who may have other resources.


Title: [California] Is it legal to sex chat a 16 yr old over skype?

Question:
She's from Wisconsin if that changes anything.

No pictures or video. Just audio and text.

Answer:
 It is not child porn, but there are some things you should be aware of:

* [C.P.C. § 288.2](http://law.onecle.com/california/penal/288.2.html) criminalizes "seducing a minor", which includes sending "harmful matter" to a minor with the intent to both arouse them and to have sexual intercourse (masturbation does not count). The "harmful matter" can include simple text or audio, and does not require underage content. If you don't intend to ever meet them, you would not strictly be liable for this, but you are risking an overzealous prosecutor trying to imply that you did intend to meet them.
* It *may* fall under "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" in either state, depending on what goes on.
* As soon as you receive any pictures or video or attempt to get her to send any pictures or video, you fall under a cacophony of state and federal child porn laws.
* Chances are it may be a scam with the intention of blackmailing you into paying, as /u/swalsh411 points out.
* It is gut-wrenchingly creepy to validate a user named /u/Lovemylittlewhore asking if it's OK to sex chat a 16 year old girl.


Title: Local TN parole office will not allow my sister to bring her child(ren) even though she cannot afford/find a babysitter.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Completely legal.  The parole office is not a place for families.  Parole is not a right.  She is supposed to be in prison right now but the state has decided to give her a chance and let her serve the remainder of her sentence out of custody as long as she abides by the rules of the parole office.Answer #2: > What can she do? Is this even legal?

Sure.  Having children around makes the parole meeting far more difficult.  In addition, with the sheer number of criminals wandering around, the parole office likely doesn't want to take the liability of having to worry about your sister's children.


Title: Roomate has been stealing our money. Please help.

Question: [Minnesota] Hi reddit. So last week my roommates and I got a call from our landlord saying that we owe $9000 dollars in rent. Rent is $400/month split between 6 people. So $2400 dollars a month. We are all on the same lease. Let's call the roommate who is the designated contact with the landlord and who pays rent Bo. Bo claimed to be paying rent on time and knew nothing about having this massive debt. He took $3500 out of our housing account and paid that. So now were sitting at $5500. We pressed him to get the bank statements but kept he coming up with excuses. The other 4 roommates and I have cross-checked our payments with the housing companies statements and we are all fine. Yesterday Bo admits to not paying rent all year and using our rent money to pay off student loans as well. Besides the obvious fact that we should have been more diligent month to month making sure rent was being paid, what the hell can we do to cover our ass as much as possible and get Bo to pay?

Answer: Beg, borrow, and pawn anything and everything to pay the rent you owe.  Sue Bo for the money you paid him that he didn't pay to the landlord.  You might file a police report and see if it is a criminal matter for him spending the money on personal items.


Title: I took someone to small claims court and they didn’t show up. It’s been years of being dodged and I have yet to get paid.

Question: I run a small landscaping company in Bethesda Maryland. I was cleaning out a customers property one day when a neighbor across the street came out and asked us to clean out his property too. I told him my prices and he said he was happy to pay whatever it took. It ended up costing close to $500. I sent him a bill every month for a months with no response. They dodged my phone calls, immediately hung up on every phone call, and never responded to any mail. I decided the best option was to take them to small claims court but they didn’t show up. It has now been over a year and I haven’t seen any money or gotten any response. I send them a bill every month and still no response. What can I do to get my money? I’m afraid maybe I just have to accept that i have lost that money. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 You can force payment of a judgement by garnishing wages or seizing assets such as bank accounts or personal property.

The PDF linked at the bottom of this page gives more information on how to do so.

https://mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/collectingjudgment

E: tpyoAnswer #2: If you have a judgment against them from the court you can file writs of garnishment with banks where they have accounts.  To get the writ you need to file a motion with the court for the writ to be issued.  If they were not paying before a court order they are unlikely to voluntarily pay now.  You could also try to garnish pay checks, which would take a similar process, just a different form.  The forms you need are on the Maryland courts website.Answer #3: Check with a local real estate attorney before you try this but you may be able to put a lien on the property. If it's legal to do that in your state it is an excellent threat because no property owner wants that hassle.


Title: [UK] Can an employer refuse two weeks notice ?

Question:
Hey guys, not sure if this is the right place to post this or not but I'm trying to find out some information for a friend.

Basically, we both work for the same high-end retail brand. We recently had one of our full time sales assistants leave the company, so we're a person light as it is. Yesterday my friend handed in his two weeks notice to leave and today our boss called him into the office and basically said he can't accept his notice. He said that due to this other person leaving we're already short staffed and he can't let him go until July 5th (1 months notice) or possibly even until the end of July. Can he do that ?

We're only contractually obligated to give 2 weeks notice. We're in London.

Thanks for any help in advance, and if I should X-post this, or indeed delete and repost this, elsewhere please point me in the right direction!

Thanks in advance
Topic:
Non-US

Answer:
 Try /r/LegalAdviceUK

In general, I believe slavery is illegal in the UK and contracts can't be uniformly revised without both parties agreeing.


Title: Car Accident Advice NY

Question:
Crashed my car and went to hospital, few hours later, everything came out negative and discharge papers state MVA/Intoxication/Contusion.

Went back to scene of accident to retrieve some personal belongings and the police said it was under investigation since I had said I wasn't driving and didn't know the driver once I got to the hospital, I was afraid confused and in shock at that time. So I told the Officer to put it on me since it's my car (and I was actually driving) and they issued me a ticket.

The ticket is for leaving scene of accident with property damage.

What should I do? Do I need a lawyer or no?

No injuries and nobody hurt. Just a parked car which my car hit and telephone pole.
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer: You should find a criminal defense attorney and take his or her advice.


Title: Estate question - Name changes [IL]

Question:
Wife's uncle passed away. Bequest made to her in his will, but listed under her maiden name.

Executor says check has to be made out exactly as was listed in the will.

Bank says they won't cash it due to the amount even with proof of name change.

Who's wrong?

Illinois.

Answer: I am not a lawyer but I think the bank is wrong.  I mean, the executor might also be wrong, but I know that I wrote and received checks under both my maiden and married names even when they didn't match my current legal name (got married, changed my name, divorced, changed name back).  I just provided proof to the bank that I was the same person under both names and they had no problem with it.  Does your wife have an account at the bank where you are attempting to cash it?  If she doesn't, I'd try cashing it at her bank, since they might be more willing to do it for a verified customer of theirs.


Title: Need legal advice; so my daughters mother has a one bedroom apt in NOVA. She has a boyfriend whom spends the nights frequently while my daughter is with her also.

Question: I've heard that in Virginia if an unmarried couple share a dwelling with a minor that's not biologically related to both, then the minor needs a bedroom with a door.  Any help or insight is appreciated.

Answer: How old is your daughter? Do you have custody orders? There oftentimes is language restricting the parent exercising custody from having overnight romantic guests. Answer #2: Usually this has to be put directly into the custody orders.  I know a guy who has orders stating his ex wife won't have non-related people stay the night in the children's home while they are there.  They both have the same stipulation, though (both he and his ex).


Title: (KS) Fired "With cause" for a "negative attitude". Wondering about unemployment

Question:
Hello,
I was recently terminated "with cause" from a small startup.  My employer basically believes that I have been spreading discontent about broken promises and working conditions.  I hadn't been, I didn't grumble any more about things than any of my coworkers, but somehow they decided I was the problem.  They had a company meeting a few weeks ago while I was out sick where they described me as a "bad apple" that threatened to spoil the bunch by complaining about things.  The next day I had a meeting with my supervisor where I was told that I needed to curb negative attitude or I would be out.  I was also told that he had concerns about my performance, but he was unable to provide me with any concrete examples of where I had failed to perform.  My manager then sent me an email with a big list of things I needed to improve on.  This list was utter bullshit.  My performance was fine in all of the ways outlined and several of my coworkers have told me they are willing to back me up on that in court if they have to.  On Thursday one of my coworkers put in their two weeks notice, and management flipped out.  On Friday they made a counter offer to my coworker and then fired me.  During my termination I asked what cause I was being fired for, and my manager said "we don't have to say".  When I pushed he said "I have seen some improvement, but I know you still have a negative attitude about this company and we are trying to build a team that wants to be here".

As far as I know, having a "bad attitude" isn't proper "cause" for purposes of unemployment.  I am certain that my previous employer will claim that isn't what they fired me for (the initial meeting with my manager was just a way for them to establish cause), so what are my options here?

Answer: If they deny your unemployment claim, you just appeal. It’s pretty straightforward. Answer #2: Always file. The burden of proof is on them to show misconduct.


Title: So, my brother was arrested for driving drunk. This is his fifth DUI in 19 years. What's he most likely looking at? (US, Minnesota)

Question: This is his fifth DUI dating back to 1999. Only one of which he had in the past 10 years. I read that they only count that far back, so maybe other DUIs won't affect him? I don't know the extent of the property damage he caused, but there was some. I received this information from my mother and I'm not in the area. I think he's being held until the morning to see a judge. Is he likely to serve time? If so, how much?

Answer:
 Ho. Lee. Shit.

FIVE?!?!

jesus man.

First off get your brother some help. He is evidently an alcoholic. He is risking his own life but more importantly the lives of innocent people who dont deserve to die because he is making despicable choices.

We all make mistakes but 5 is unacceptable.

Unfortunately, a judge is going to see it that way too. Judges do NOT take DUI lightly anymore, and I'm frankly shocked he didnt do prison time after his forth.

You're correct that in many places there will be a cutoff for automatic enhancements. Many places it is indeed 10 years.

So he may well avoid automatic minimum sentencing.

BUT those prior 4 are still on his record and that's baaaaaaaaaad.

You're going to need a DUI specialist for your jurisdiction but more importantly, and I cannot stress this enough, get your brother the help he needs no matter how hard it is or what it takes.

He WILL kill someone and that will be an unspeakable tragedy for everyone.


Title: Animal shelter won't return my friend's lost dogs

Question:
UPDATE - My friend has gotten both of his dogs back safe and sound! Not sure what happened exactly (sorry for the lack of closure, will update if I find out more). Thanks for your concern and support. :)

---

I'm in Los Angeles, CA and my co-worker's 2 adult dalmatian dogs ran away 2 weeks ago. He happened upon an adoption ad featuring his dogs. He knows they are definitely his based on their appearance (i.e. their spots are identical to his dogs--one of them also has a microchip).

He contacted the shelter in order to get them back; however, they accused him of mistreatment and refused to return them (we believe they might have appeared to be in poor shape after being lost during the 2 week period). They also claim to have already found a prospective family to adopt the dogs. He has tried to contact them multiple times, but they ignored him. Our boss tried to call to the shelter to vouch for him (it is a dog-friendly work environment), but the shelter accused her of lying. They will not allow him to see his dogs at all.

What can he do to get them back? Who should he contact for assistance? Can he claim the dogs as his property?

---

@ edits for additional info - It does not seem to be a city shelter but a privately-run one; the photos in the ad look like they have been taken in a home. It seems odd because the shelter specializes in specific breeds of cats and dogs.

There is no physical address listed online where the dogs are kept, just a phone number.

This is the first time the dogs have ever gotten lost. At the time that they ran away, one dog was wearing a tag and the other one was not.

Answer:
 The dogs are his property. The shelter has taken his property and are refusing to give it back. Call the police. They are the only ones who can intervene and resolve the issue. Should do it as soon as possible before the dogs are given to someone else, since that will make it more difficult to get them back.Answer #2: Call the police.Answer #3: Dogs are property. Call the police, he will be expected to produce evidence that they are in fact his.

Answer #4: I believe some Animal control shelters have a deadline of, say, 1 week for the original owner to claim their dog (often you have to pay a sum to get your dog back). After this time, the animal is offered to the general public. Was this the first time the dogs ended up with Animal control? Some of them will not give the animal back if it was caught a third time.


Title: Getting citizenship soon and I was wondering if I should be worried about losing my job (Texas)

Question: I am in the process of getting my citizenship soon which I am very happy and excited about. The only thing that is making me worried is if I am going to be able to keep my job since I was illegal and using false documentation when I first started and if I am going to be able to keep it, how would I go about letting management know?

Answer:
 Letting management know that you committed a crime to get the job and that they've been illegally employing someone who wasn't eligible to work in the country is not only going to get you fired, it may get you arrested and/or deported.

You might want to consult with an attorney.Answer #2: Shouldn't OP be more worried that they lied to obtain their citizenship?Answer #3: Did you lie to your company when you started working there? Did you use false paperwork or documentation? Answer #4: Whose social security number did you give them? Someone you know or just the number of a random American who might then be stuck with a tax bill for your income?


Title: [MA] Is a site legally allowed to charge me when I hit "buy" however never hit pay on paypal?

Question:
Here is my situation:

I go to a japanese site, I try to purchase goods. Their shipping fee is not written at all or was very hard to find thus my logical answer was to "test out" their shipping fee by fake-buying an item (buying and then cancelling which is almost always available on similar sites of similar products I frequent)

I buy "buy" the item, confirmed, still could not find the shipping, and found instead that their policy is I cannot cancel orders, their policy is also to "calculate" shipping by hand, so I can not know the shipping right away

I thus have committed to purchase an expensive item which I had no intention of buying, however I have not been directed to any paypal site or similar and I said paypal was how I will pay. The address I entered was correct though so idk if they can bill me

I do not plan to pay this fee, I told them to cancel the order but if their policy is unshakable for them then I am making sure that I can safely never go on their website again and not get any mysterious, expensive bill in my mail in a month, as well as not get mysterious paypal fee from nowhere

TL:DR, can a site charge my paypal when I'm never on paypal in the site, or can a site send me a bill for something I said to use paypal for?

Answer:
 We have no way of knowing what you agreed to on a japanese site.  Or whether you have Paypal setup to not require login and independent confirmation.

However, if what you were saying were true at all, Paypal wouldn't have transacted.  So clearly you did authorize something.  Only you have that ability.  They didn't have some guy sitting around waiting for an incoming shopping cart to hit the buy button for you.  You had to have authorized it through some means.

Either way you're getting ahead of yourself.  You need to exhaust options to cancel it with their support, and you can take it to Paypal if that fails and explain it was an unintended purchase you want canceled.


Title: Need legal advice for my friend who received a letter "blackmailing" her about posting nudes if she doesn't pay via bitcoin

Question:
So a friend of mine just posted an anonymous letter that she received in the mail stating that this person had "hacked" her and has "nude photos" of her.  They go on to say that they have done this before and that "Lady1" did not pay and so they had published her photos all over the Internet, on her son's school FB page, on her job's GB page, etc...  And "Lady2" did pay and nothing happened.

They go on to say that they want anonymous payment via BitCoin and included an "anonymous BitCoin account". Obviously, just like in the movies, they say NOT to tell anyone or the cops, etc...

I just wanted to know besides going to the authorities a) is there anything else she can/should do? b) is there anyway that I can track his BitCoin address to find out who this is exactly and c) if there is a better subreddit I should post this to.

Thanks for your help!

Edit 1: Forgot the location.  She is in Southwest Florida.

Answer:
 Look, with any blackmail situation you have two fundamental options - pay, or don't pay. There's a common saying - you never buy silence, only rent it. If she pays; what's going to stop them from coming back a week later and asking for twice as much? Paying puts you down on the "suckers" list and busts gets you targeted twice as hard.

Unless you're a politician or school teacher where even the appearance of a scandal is enough to get you fired; it's better to just lock everything down tight; or preemptively warn your friends that some weirdo from online keep trying to photoshop your face into embarrassing photos and just ignore any odd thing that gets posted.

And one of the entire points of Bitcoin is to make it more difficult to trace; although it is possible if someone is being sloppy about how they access their wallet. Answer #2: Does she actually have nude photos that could have been stolen?


Title: Is forcing dataplans on all **smartphones** on the AT&T network by AT&T a **fair** business practice or can one argue it's today's equivalent of forcing callerid equipped landphones to pay for the callerid feature?

Question:
[USA - all states] I understand it's part of the contract that I signed etc etc so it's perfectly legal and all that (at this point) but I'm asking if that's a fair (and legal) stipulation to have on a contract?  In all honesty I probably would've signed even if they asked I wear white underwear everyday as well - my family has the plan and I don't believe there are carriers who don't force their users to have a dataplan so I don't know if that's even an option for somebody in the US (I might be wrong about this though).  If you still think it's up to the company what they put on their contract - I'm not sure if you would be equally happy to say this (and if they even could) stipulate that only straight, gay, men, women, college grads, no college grads or whichever other group you don't fit into, could sign a contract with them.

Why do I have an issue with this and what possible reason do I have for not wanting a dataplan?
1) Wifi-only that might simply be enough (kids, older people).  2) Having just one device, the same one for music as for calling people which from a technology point of view is possible (smartphone) but AT&T is making it impossible from their side.  3)  Smartphones are nice looking easy to use devices and provide nice big screens which can still be enjoyed even just for dialing and receiving calls(especially people with bad eyesight).  4)People upgrade and are left with great handmedown devices which would be cheaper and less wasteful if distributed among family members and friends.

I recently posted on a post by somebody else with this issue on the r/ATT and received a lot of hate there:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ATT/comments/3d4ih1/using_an_old_out_of_contract_iphone_without_a/?ref=share&ref_source=link

I wasn't completely nice either I suppose but not bad enough IMO to warrent threats of having my posts removed as SPAM.

More importantly, people (I suppose AT&T workers) were spreading misinformation stating that:
>You are simply refusing to accept that smartphones require data if you are using one on the cellular network.

Which is simply and absolutely not true.  Smart phones DO NOT require data if used on a cellular network. They do so in the US on ATT's network at this time but that is because AT&T is forcing this essentially arbitrary law on its customers.  There is nothing inherent in a smartphone that makes it need a dataplan when connected to AT&T; I've actually used my smartphone on AT&T's network without a dataplan some years ago (using only wifi) after talking to them for 10 hours and them caving in and **allowing** me to do so.

All I really wanted and continue to want is to see if this is legal and fair and how it defers from callid enabled devices to be forced into callerid plans.

Answer:
 This doesn't answer your question, but I just wanted to correct one thing:

> If you still think it's up to the company what they put on their contract - I'm not sure if you would be equally happy to say this (and if they even could) stipulate that only straight, gay, men, women, college grads, no college grads or whichever other group you don't fit into, could sign a contract with them.

Please do not use hyperbole.  It is illegal in the US for businesses to discriminate among their customers for being in a protected class.  It is not illegal in the US for businesses to require a customer to purchase service X in order to get service Y.  The logic is that if the customer doesn't want service X, the customer is free to go to some other business.


Title: [Question] Washington D.C. ammunition laws clarification

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 That law was relaxed somewhat: You still need to have a DC firearm registration to have have ammo, but the ammo does not need to match the gun you have registered. Having a gun registered in another state doesn't satisfy the law.

(7A) "Registrant" means a person who has registered a firearm pursuant to [Unit A of Chapter 25 of Title 7](http://law.justia.com/codes/district-of-columbia/2012/division-i/title-7/subtitle-j/chapter-25/unit-a/subchapter-ii/).

Note that if you don't live in DC and are simply passing through, there is an exception as well.