Title: [Ontario, Canada] Grandparents have owned their cottage for 50 years, now their neighbours are trying to dispute the property line

Question:
Hi all,

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My grandparents own a cottage here in Ontario, purchased in 1971. They have neighbours on either side. One of the neighbours has decided to tear down the existing cottage and build a larger building in its place. Because of this, my grandparents were notified that the survey and hydro lines are not what they thought, and that the neighbours actually own several feet of what my grandparents believed to be their property (for the past 48 years).

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A few complications have arisen because of this. Hydro One came in and ripped up my grandma's garden to install new underground lines. My grandparents were not given an option to put the lines anywhere else, apparently.

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The second complication is a large wood shed on my grandparents' (former??) property. Apparently, it is mostly on the neighbours' newly surveyed land, and will have to be moved. It has been in its current location for about 25-30 years without issue.

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Another important detail is that my grandparents have not seen a survey or any proof that the land actually belongs to the neighbours.

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I have a few questions about what's going on here:

* Even if the survey is correct, is there any recourse for my grandparents to retain ownership of the disputed land? It has been used by the family as our property, and built on, for nearly 50 years without any disputes until now.
* If my grandparents do lose the land and are required to move the shed, is the onus on them to pay for it to be moved (or destroyed and replaced if moving it is not an option)? Is this a cost that could be recouped in part or whole from the neighbours?
* I am concerned that the neighbours are bullying my grandparents a bit. Should we get our own survey done? Or is there other documentation we should know about? I don't want my grandparents to lose their land, pay to relocate their shed and lose their garden if there are legal options for them.

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Thanks so much!

Answer: Your grandparents should get their own survey, and hire a property lawyer to deal with any dispute.


Title: Upstate New York - Girl is spreading rumors that I date raped her, despite us never having had sex. What can i do?

Question:
One night 7 months ago a girl and I got caught by her boy friend while we were making out half naked. We were both on a lot of drugs and alcohol.

He got pissed and they started arguing and i sat there on the couch until they both left. the next morning i went home and then later that day her boy friend messaged me claiming that i date raped her. cut to the present 7 months later, I'm still getting harassed and threatened with legal action against me for "what i did".

If she decides to take it to the next level and press charges, what evidence would they need to convict me?

Is there anything i can do about the people harassing me for a crime i did not commit?

Is there anything i can do about her destroying me reputation among a large group of people?

Should i have a lawyer on hand just in case?

Answer:
 Yes, speak to a lawyer!

I've told this story before, but I was once in a situation extremely similar to yours. I was extremely lucky that I was in a place with video cameras that caught the "incident" on tape, and proved my innocence.

You want to make sure you're protected. I seriously doubt there were cameras there, and you may not have witnesses, etc. Talk to a lawyer, determine what things you can do to protect yourself. You would be surprised how far some people will go to not look "bad" in their relationships, even if it means destroying someone else's life.


Title: Having trouble getting out of my lease. (Virginia)

Question:
I share a 1 year lease on a 3 bedroom apartment with 2 other roomates.
About three months ago I moved back into my parents house because  I wasn't making any money and had no transportation. I told them I would pay them for the next three months while i was working back home and they said they would find someone to take my spot on the lease. every extra cent i had went to paying those 3 months and now February is coming up and they're demanding that I keep paying my share of the lease(until july) but I thought we had worked something out. They want to take me to court over it and I realize that i am in the wrong here since i just took their word that everything would be fine. i now have another place and just do not have the money for this. what will the penalties in court be for me? could i technically just sublet any random person into my room?

Answer:
 You are responsible for your portion of the rent until the lease expires. They can take you to court and recover all rent & utility costs up until the end of the lease.

You cannot just sublet to a random person. Your roommates and landlord will have to agree to the sublease. It also depends on whether your lease even allows subleasing in the first place.


Title: I'm experiencing complications from a medical procedure and am being told I should sue. I'm not sure I feel right about it. Can someone help?

Question:
I'll try to make this short and sweet. I am located in California.

On Tuesday (the 14th) I was scheduled for a surgical abortion at the women's health department in our local hospital. I went in and completed all the preliminary steps (counseling, blood testing, ultrasound) successfully. They used the laminaria method of dilating the cervix (which takes several hours, which is why the initial part of my appointment was in mid-morning and the actual procedure was in the afternoon). I took all the medication I was prescribed (codeine, Phenergan, doxycycline, and Valium) at the right time. So far, so good. By the time the procedure had rolled around I was pretty drowsy (at least two of these medications have drowsiness as a side effect) but fine.

The actual procedure is where things went wrong. The procedure was meant to be a vacuum aspiration, which are not supposed to be very painful. They also gave me one shot of a local anesthetic for pain. However, their first attempt with the vacuum was very, very painful (sharp stabbing pains), enough to make me cry out. The doctor then stopped. I had mentioned previously that I don't always respond well to local anesthetic (which is true) so they gave me another. Then the doctor moved me to a room with an ultrasound machine so they could look at my uterus while they did the procedure. The second part was much less painful and over quickly.

After this the doctor let me sit up and explained what had happened. What they saw on the ultrasound was that my uterus tips backward toward my spine rather than straight up and down. The doctor said that because of the pain I experienced, and because that first attempt didn't remove any tissue, she was afraid she had perforated my uterus with an instrument (I am not sure which one) and possibly caused damage to other internal organs. They sent me in for a laparoscopy to look at the uterus and surrounding tissues and did, indeed, find that the uterus had been perforated and that there were abrasions on my large intestine (obviously I was not "there" for this as I was under full general anesthesia...but it was explained when I woke up afterwards). They closed both the perforation and abrasion with a single stitch each. I also have three incisions from the laparoscopy. I have been hospitalized since Tuesday night and will be here until Friday morning if I recover well.

So, I guess I'm just trying to sort out my feelings about what to do next. Obviously this is not an expected complication of this procedure and I feel like it could have been avoided (in fact, if they had asked I would have mentioned about my uterus, because I know it is not configured normally--but I assumed they could see this on the ultrasound, as that's how my family doctor found that out in the first place). Furthermore, I'm afraid it will cause problems for me unrelated to my health. I'm a graduate student in the middle of a very, very challenging quarter in a competitive program, which has only ten weeks per quarter. Because of this I have missed one of those weeks and am very concerned about being caught up. I'm also really worried about costs (again, graduate student--I take home less than $500 a month, and we do have health insurance but it will only cover about 80% of whatever hospital bills I am racking up).

Money and costs to career aside, I don't think there's any denying that the doctor DID screw up. But I feel terrible hurting someone's career over a mistake like this. Yes, I know this is what malpractice insurance is for, but it just doesn't feel right to me. I'm also worried it will just take more time out of my schedule, which I'm already really concerned about. I don't have to decide now (I'm still in the hospital, for chrissakes) but I was hoping someone could tell me what the process would be like if I did sue, how my doctor's career would be affected, and anything else I could expect.

Thanks everyone.

(PS, the doubly ironic part is that I actually tried a medical abortion for the same pregnancy about a month ago that not only didn't work, but made me sick for at least a week afterwards due to my inability to tolerate the medication. So it's been fun times.)

Answer: You don't have to jump right to a lawsuit. You can always approach the doctor/clinic and make a reasonable request for fair compensation (i.e. any actual expenses you incurred).


Title: Cop followed me into my driveway before turning on his lights. I got out of my car and received a ticket for not wearing a seat belt. Is that totally above board? It was the only reason he stopped me.

Question: I'm in Minnesota. It just seems odd to me that he would wait till i arrived at my destination to turn on his lights and ticket me, since not wearing a seatbelt would be legal in my driveway. The drive itself was only three blocks. I'd love to contest it if I have any good reason to.

Answer:
 Looks like Minnesota's seatbelt law is a primary offense, so the ticket's fine. He's not required to pull you over immediately. There are multiple possible reasons for not doing so.Answer #2: Not wearing a seatbelt _would_ be legal, for as long as it takes to turn your car off and get out. However, if the officer witnessed you without a seatbelt during your trip, they can absolutely wait until the end of your trip to ticket you - or even send you the ticket by mail after the fact.

Were you wearing a seatbelt for the whole trip, or was there any time between when you started moving at your point of origin and when you stopped at your destination where you were not wearing a seatbelt?Answer #3: Were you wearing your seatbelt for the duration of the trip?Answer #4: Often times they follow someone while they run the license plates before pulling them over, especially at night.  I wouldn't want to walk up a wanted felon's door without knowing it.  He also could have been trying to see if you were swerving or otherwise impaired.


Title: My sub-tenant wants to back out of sublease he has already signed. I don't know how legally binding (if at all) the sublease agreement is.

Question:
I am a student renting a room in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I found a guy to sublet over 4 months, and he signed a contract I put together, seen here:
http://imgur.com/xgdVQZj

The sublease has already started, but he has not paid anything (I made the mistake of not requesting a down payment), and he now wants to back out of the sublease. Is there anything legally binding about the contract he has signed? Would there be any point in bringing it to a small claims court? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Yes that's a legally binding document. You can sue him and also file an eviction notice in court as you're technically his landlord.


Title: I work at a startup, my company of 60 employees do not have a employee handbook, or company policy book, i m powerless to let go of two unproductive employees.

Question: I honestly don't know what to do, we're a company that grew faster than we expected and we don't have a legally Bindable employee contract or rule book, I feel like I can't fire anyone for rules that don't exist. [Westminster, Co]

Answer:
 If they are at-will employees you can legally fire them for any reason except one specifically prohibited by law. So just tell them they are fired. Here is info on when you must issue their final check.

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/final-pay

> I feel like I can't fire anyone for rules that don't exist.

You can. You have no HR person? If you have 60 employees you need to have somebody who at least has some HR experience.


Title: GF Fired for something she wasnt taught

Question: My girlfriend is a director of Social Work at an assisted living facility. She is looking at getting fired for failing a "fake call" to check how she answered an admissions call. She was informed that they couldn't fail the admissions call but never taught her how to properly take an admissions call. What are her options if she does get fired for something she was never taught to do?

Answer: She should look for a new job and file for unemployment. They can fire her for almost any reason they'd like, aside from a few niche reasons that don't apply. Failing a test call is certainly one of them, even if she wasn't taught.


Title: Former Employer Withholding Final Paycheck

Question:
I resigned on good terms from my previous employer, which was in Nashville, TN and took a job in Rochester, NY in another industry. No shared clients or conflict of interest exists, and no NDA was signed.

My former employer found out about this new job, and has accused me of overlap. They have asked for proof of a start date and have threatened to withholding some or ALL of my final paycheck, which should be paid out in five days.

I don't see this being legally viable? My thought is if they found out ahead of time they obviously could have fired me (and yes, I had a few days of overlap - but our client at my previous job had fired us and was SUING us, so there was no work, and my start date was bumped up for administrative issues). But this did not happen, and I received nothing but praise during my exit interview.

To add to the situation, I experienced sustained and serious sexual harassment from a superior throughout my employment. I broke down and disclosed this to my boss, and no action was taken.

When they threatened me with legal action, I was encouraged to contact the EEOC and look into if my rights were violated. I expect no advice related to that. I indicated this to my former employer, and I feel like they would be scared shitless to provoke me. Not that I would ever pursue litigation out of spite, and truly wish to avoid it.

What are my rights here? Should I be concerned? Any input is appreciated!
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 You're owed your pay for the time you worked. If you're salary, that's every day you showed up - even if you left early. If you're hourly, that's every last hour you worked, even if you worked somewhere else on the same day. "Overlap" isn't illegal, even if it might be grounds for termination of your employment.

You don't need to give him any proof of anything relating to your new job. If he doesn't pay in full, on time, and won't pay promptly in response to a demand letter, [contact the Labor Standards Unit](https://www.tn.gov/workforce/topic/wages-benefits-breaks) about pursuing your unpaid wages.


Title: US Cellular and Return Policy

Question:
Thank you for your consideration and thoughts.

I am currently a US Cellular customer. I purchased a new iPhone from them with a 15 day return window.  Then I returned the iPhone in exchange for a Samsung Note.  When I ordered the Samsung I was told I had another 15 day return period.  I've had major difficulty with the Samsung because I am not tech savvy, it is NOT user friendly. So I called yesterday to return the Note and Keep the iPhone.  Apparently they only have one 15 day return period, one time, and I used that with the iPhone.  Apparently I bought a $1250 Samsung with ZERO-day return policy?!  They say I have no choice but to keep the Samsung.  Is there anything I can do, other than keep this android phone that requires a tech support on a daily basis?  I threatened to leave the company but they did care about my retention even though I've been a customer for almost 20 years.  Any advise?  Am I stuck with this phone? Also, apparently to leave US Cellular I have to pay off the Samsung.  All I want is to keep the iPhone.  Ugh.... thank you so much for your consideration.

Answer:
 It's outlined here that you can only exchange it 1 time:

https://www.uscellular.com/return-policy/guarantee/index.html

You can try to escalate wiyh customer service, but aside from that, you have no claim against them.


Title: Bank of America ATM stole money

Question:
7/14 Deposited $600 at an Bank of America ATM.

machine took money spit out receipt saying $300 processed and "sorry some of your items could not be processed or returned. Please contact financial institution

Contacted bank. Opened claimed. Credited 300$ for error.

8/7 get claim letter saying "we've concluded our investigation and determined that the disputed transaction amount should've been $16." "We were only able to locate $16 unfortunately we couldn't locate the rest." Now they are going to debit $248 from my checking account.

I have the receipt from the ATM and the letter. But what am I supposed to do? Is there anything j could do? Yes I'm sure I deposited $600. No there was nothing wrong with the bills BUT previous times when the bill was bad it spits it back out.

Any help would be appreciated.

Answer:
 What evidence do you have that you deposited $600?Answer #2: This sounds weird.

Here is how my envelope-less ATM works:

I put $600 in.

ATM says "Hey I counted the cash you gave me.  It's $316.  Want me to proceed with the deposit, or return your cash?"

And then I push the button for "fuck no, give me my money back, you're counting it wrong."Answer #3: Pretty sure every time I deposit cash in my BoA ATM, it tells you exactly how much, in what denominations, you've deposited. I verify this is correct, and it gives you an option to return whatever you deposited back to you before you confirm. Not sure if this option was present to you, but I would have definitely tried to get it back instead of agreeing with the machine that I was depositing $300.


Title: [Alabama] I told someone I was going to sue them, am I legally required to follow through?

Question:
Last night I told my neighbor I was going to sue him. He's been using his lawn mower every other day and his grass is fine. I told him it was noisy and bad for the environment and asked him to stop.

He said no and I said "I am going to sue you!".

I do not care if I am allowed to sue over that, I just don't want to have to go to court. Can I just ignore that I said it and go on dealing with the noise?

Answer: For real? No. You are not obligated to sue just because you threatened to sue. For the love of god, though, don't be that dick who tosses out threats of litigation. Nobody likes that guy or takes him seriously. And he never gets invited to parties.


Title: My sibling got banned from 4chan for CP

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > I am very concerned this could be serious and was wondering if anything might happen. like jail or a fine could happen

Non-nude photographs of children are rarely pornographic.  It's likely that the image wasn't illegal.  4chan is well within their rights to ban him, of course, but it's likely not illegal.

However, if he continues posting questionable images, and continues asking for child pornography, he'll likely cross that line before too long.


Title: Extent of Parental Power while in College?

Question:
I have a friend who is currently attending college in Oklahoma. He is 19 and is dating an 18 year old girl. The problem lies with his girlfriend's parents. My friend had a previous relationship with this girl that started when she was 16. Long story short, her parents and him didn't get along, and by the time he turned 18, they threatened to charge him with lewd conduct with a minor if he did something they didn't like (very religious parents apparently). At the time, he had just turned 18 and she was 16. He broke up with her over that threat (even a false charge could mess up his college chances), and two years later they are back together in college as adults.

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My friend isn't sure of what the parent can legally do now that they are both legal adults. It's been slowly eating him up with worry and I don't want him to become paranoid over this.

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Details (as I know them):

The couple are living on campus in Oklahoma, both born in Texas.

Her parents currently live in Texas.

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I'm not sure how to flair this post, since they are both adults but this all started with them as minors.

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Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 >My friend isn't sure of what the parent can legally do now that they are both legal adults.

Nothing.  Beyond something like cutting off support for their daughter while she sees him which would be within their rights and prerogative.


Title: Computer virus scam

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > was wondering if the document is binding, even if there was no service provided

No, they are scamming her.

>There is a clause that states that even if there is no service provided the company is still authorized to charge the customer up to the full amount agreed upon. This is in New York. Any help would be appreciated.

Is your boss dumb? She shouldn't' pay them ANYTHING and should instead reformat her computer...


Title: [WA] Parenting Plan advice where father exhibits traits comparable to sociopath?

Question:
Background: My daughter is 3-years old and spends 70% at my house and 30% at her dad’s. There is no known mental diagnosis for my daughter's father, but he has exhibited traits comparable to a sociopath (i.e. gas lighting, manipulation, pathological lying, irresponsibility, paranoia, sense of entitlement, superficial charm, etc.).  My concern is that he has started acting out in front of our daughter by treating care providers poorly, slamming doors/throwing belongings when I am at his house for pick ups, and manipulating our daughter by telling her sentimental items “need to stay” at his house and then lying about its whereabouts.

Now: My attorney and I are finalizing a proposed parenting plan. Though he has not abandoned, neglected, or assaulted our 3-year old… I am concerned his behavior will result in mental abuse and have long-term effects on our daughter. Our time is split 70/30 and I am trying to get more time with her. He does not have the funds for mediation or an attorney so we are trying to settle this by coming to an agreement, but I don't think we will settle without going to court.

Question: Is there anything we can do legally regarding his behavior? Advice?

Answer:
 If you have objective evidence that his behaviors pose a risk to your daughter and her well-being, those are things you should bring to your attorney to discuss if you don't get the parenting plan you believe is best for your daughter.  But your arm-chair diagnosis of his personality or how he's interacted with you aren't of much relevance here.  How he interacts with his daughter, or things that might make him objectively incapable of caring for or supporting your daughter areAnswer #2: There is not going to be a whole lot that can be done.  And, your attorney should be driving the process.

To be honest with you... the traits that you are describing are typical characterizations of an ex in a divorce.  I am not trying to minimize your concerns, which may be legitimate.

But... coming from you, they will not carry a whole lot of weight.

If you want the courts to objectively evaluate his (and your) parenting capabilities, then it would be appropriate to have a GAL assigned.

BUT...  Right now, you are the only party represented at present.

This gives you a huge advantage.  And, given what you described, 50/50 custody would not be unreasonable.

70/30 seems VERY fair.  I would not expect more.

If you wanted to go for something like supervised visits, and have him spend all his time with the child at the Indaba Center, that is probably not going to happen, and would be very expensive to try.

I think you need to let your attorney drive.


Title: [NE] Is it legal for apartment complex to prohibit "things" that aren't explicitly prohibited in the lease?

Question:
So, this isn't a huge deal but I just wanted to ask for the sake of knowing. I live on the 3rd floor of an apartment complex in Nebraska and I recently installed a bird feeder, mainly for my cat to have something to do when I'm at work all day. Just the other day, I received this letter in the mail:

>Dear throwaway3248798723,

>It has come to my attention that bird seed has been falling down from your balcony. While I know it is nice to experience wild life, bird seeds often attract other pests such as insects and rodents. In order to reduce the chances of a pest problem I am asking that the bird seeds be removed.

>Thank you,

>Signed

>Community Manager

So, I know it's not a huge deal and honestly, I'll probably just get something to hang underneath the feeder and catch the seeds. And I don't even know what or who this Community Manager is...but, so far, they've asked me to remove it...provided I don't create a huge insect/rodent/pest problem, can they tell me/demand that I remove it?

Thanks!

For extra credit: They recently told everyone in the entire complex that they had to remove their grills from the balcony and that they were no longer allowed. They said that you cannot store the grill, with or without the propane tank, anywhere in your apartment, including on the balcony. Charcoal grills are explicitly prohibited in the lease. Is this allowed?

Answer:
 He's *asking*. If you don't comply he can either let it go or escalate. If you are creating a nuisance for other residents that can absolutely be grounds to evict you if you refuse to do anything about it. And he's asking you to remove the bird seed not install something to catch it. Maybe that will satisfy him maybe not.Answer #2: >> For extra credit: They recently told everyone in the entire complex that they had to remove their grills from the balcony and that they were no longer allowed. They said that you cannot store the grill, with or without the propane tank, anywhere in your apartment, including on the balcony. Charcoal grills are explicitly prohibited in the lease. Is this allowed?

It's a fire-code violation in most areas to have a grill (Charcoal or Propane) on a balcony.  One and two family dwellings are exempted, more than 3 apartments/condos are covered.  You and/or the complex could get fined if a grill is found.


Title: [Australia] My parents are trying to adopt a kitten from the RSPCA, but they have a history of being terrible pet owners. Is there some way I can contact someone so their adoption is unsuspiciously rejected?

Question:
Things they've done to just one of our old pets (it was a stray that they decided to 'take in', it ran away after a week).

* Left it outside in 3 degree Celsius weather
* Threatened to kill it
* Wouldn't let it out of a tiny cardboard box
* Screamed at it repeatedly

Answer:
 NAL.

Call the RSPCA and tell them about your parents' actions.

RSPCA can make their own decision, but they can do so with the information you give them.


Title: [FL] Neighbors water pipe burst and flooded my house, their insurance is refusing to pay for damage.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 #DEAR EVERYONE,

#THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE HOMEOWNER'S/RENTAL INSURANCE.

Answer #2: What about YOUR homeowner's insurance? Call them to explain the situation and have the damage assessed, and their attorneys will help the other person's insurance company decide whether to pay or not.


Title: [Omaha, NE] Can I stop liquor stores from enabling my sister's alcohol addition?

Question:
I have a sister in Omaha, Nebraska whose alcoholism has made her a danger to herself and her family. The liquor stores in town have knowingly or unknowingly sold my sister alcohol while she was intoxicated. I want to exercise whatever legal channels I have my disposal to protect my family.

Is there a way I can stop liquor stores from selling alcohol to my sister or her husband?

Can I hold the liquor stores in town accountable if/when my sister's addiction kills her or kids?

Answer:
 Ask them to? Sure.

Force them to? No. It's a legal product they are selling to a consenting adult. If your sister wants to drink herself to death that's her choice.


Title: Pennsylvania (?) Need help finding actual law regarding sending RX drugs through USPS. Wife plans to have her friend in PA send RX drugs to her in Grenada via USPS, insists there is some kind of exception because the drug isnt available in Grenada

Question:
Im going to try and keep this semi vague so as to not include any personally identifiable details, but also include enough detail so the nice people of LA can actually provide some advice.

The situation is this: My wife is currently in Grenada. She will be returning to the US (PA, specifically) in a month or so, and then she and I will both be going down to grenada for an extended period.

My wife has been having some issues and wants to get a prescription to help with it. However, none of the meds she might be prescribed for this are available on the island. She's told me that shes going to see the doctor when she comes back to the US in a month, and try to get a prescription for the issue. However, since the meds wouldnt be available at all on the island, she intends to have a friend of ours pick up the prescription for her here in PA, and then mail it to her on the island via USPS.

Ive told her over and over that this is illegal. Ive shown her multiple places that explicitly state that its illegal to send RX drugs through the mail unless youre a pharmaceutical company or otherwise registered with the DEA. Ive shown her several different sites like Quora, yahoo answers, legalbeagle, etc, where people have asked if this exact thing is legal, and every single answer has been no.

Despite all of this, she still believes it is legal, because someone working at the local college on the island told her that there is an exception in the law. Something about how, since shes an American, and she'd have a valid prescription, and that med isnt available in Grenada, that would make it legal for her to have her friend send RX drugs through USPS.

Ive shown her the USPS website pages about restricted substances and such, but she still insists that this exception exists.

*Does such an exception exist?*

And whether it does or not, could anyone possible give me a link to the actual law that governs this stuff? Ive only been able to find sits *referencing* the law but never anything that just allows you to read the relevant law directly.

Answer: Is there a reason your wife isn't buying directly from a US-based mail-order pharmacy? They'll be much better equipped to ensure that they, and she, comply with relevant laws. Her doctor may be able to recommend one.


Title: If someone stole or committed a crime on an Indian Reservation could they get prosecuted off of the reservation?

Question: CA - Sorry if it is a stupid question.

Answer: Yes.


Title: (WA) I worked for Sprint for 5 years and was recently terminated. I believe I was wrongfully terminated, need some advice

Question: The manager who fired me will not give me any reason as to why I was terminated other than "attendance issues and a customer escalation." Sprint has a write up policy that requires a verbal,  written,  and final write up before a Rep can be terminated. I was never advised on only one of these write ups and yet I was informed I was on a final.  I only signed the one document for the one write up as well.  When I questioned the manager in regards to the lack of paper work I was advised that I needed to contact HR and refused to give me any other information,  or the contact information to his boss when I requested it. When I contacted our HR department I was advised to fill out an "ADR" form (a kind of appeal)  which I was denied because I didn't state what policy the manager was breaking ect ect.  I was a model employee,  my sales numbers were great,  and I was termed for ridiculous reasons.  Is there anything that I can do?

Answer: Unless you had an employment contract, you were an at will employee and could be fired for almost any reason. They aren't bound by their policy unless you both signed a contract stating that. File for unemployment and find a new job, those are your only real options.


Title: Hello, I just want to ask what's the worst thing a person can do with the details of your complete name, address,phone number,email address,and mother's name.

Question:
I recently signed a contract about a MLM stuff because a friend demonstrated and made a presentation about it. Idk why but I ended up signing their contract. However, I woke up the other feeling I've made a big mistake so I messaged her saying I'm backing out and that I don't want it. (I know it's very stupid of me to put my details just because a friend told me so).

Sadly, she's the only who got a copy of it and I feel awkward to ask if she has destroyed the paper.

What's the worst thing that could happen? Can they use it for illegal stuff with the details I put in there?

Thank you everyone!

Answer:
 The worst thing has already happened: you've been signed up for a MLM.

Everything you listed is public information, there's not much anyone can do with that info.


Title: my boyfriend’s backpack was taken during a sting

Question: so long story short my boyfriend got into a car with someone who had apparently been watched by the drug task force for selling weed and as soon as the guy handed him some, undercovers swarmed the car and forced my boyfriend to the ground. he was let go without any tickets in his possession, but they kept his backpack which has his class materials in it and probably some weed because he said he panicked and threw everything in there when he saw the unmarked cars pull up. one: how much legal trouble should he be prepared for? two: how can he get his backpack back? the other guy in the car already had a record and is willing to take the fall, but i’m not so sure how much i trust that. thanks in advance! we are college students in mo, he plays college basketball, no prior record, 3.8 bio chem student with plans of getting a PhD

Answer:
 He doesn't need an attorney **now**. He only needs one if he's contacted by police. It's possible (perhaps even likely), that he'll never hear from police regarding this incident. If that's the case, he should consider himself lucky.

However, if the police contact him, it is **essential** that he not answer any of their questions, especially ones that sound "innocent". If they contact him, they would probably first try to trick him into admitting the backpack is his.

Even if they simply say, "We have your backpack, you can come pick it up. The backpack with schoolwork with [boyfriend's name] on it, that's yours right?": that's him admitting the bag is his, which is a problem. Don't agree to pick up the backpack, don't acknowledge knowing the backpack even exists, and instead say "I'm going to have my lawyer call you. What's the best number for him to call to reach you?"

Then hire a lawyer and only the lawyer should talk to the police. Never talk to them directly. Any explanation about a backpack should only come out of the lawyer's mouth.Answer #2: He needs to get an attorney, and plan on replacing those class materials. It most likely won't be quick to get the backpack released.


Title: Is there any way to obtain a copy of the court records relevant to my parent's divorce?

Question:
My parent's divorce was nasty and there were all kinds of court battles from when I was nine right up until I was around sixteen. Both of my parents claimed the other made up all sorts of ridiculous lies to try to gain an edge in court, and while I suspect my father is the bad person here (because I have first-hand memories of a variety of abuse), I still don't really understand what happened.

Is this type of thing public record that I can request, or would I have to get copies through my parents? The divorce was given in California, but a lot of the custody battles occurred under Oregon's jurisdiction.

Answer:
 You could probably get copies of orders and other documents the court issued, but they probably wouldn't be all that interesting.  There might be a "statement of decision" in the California file that explains why the court did what it did.  It might not be cheap to do if the records are non-computerized and in storage.

If you want actual trial transcripts, assuming there was a trial, those are hard to get, at least in California, and usually very expensive to obtain.

Non-legal advice -- I suspect you'd be better off spending your time and energy in some kind of therapeutic setting to work through how the divorce and subsequent behavior of your parents impacted you, rather than trying to figure out who was "good" and who was "bad" years ago.  In all likelihood, nobody was 100 percent one or the other.


Title: Pulled over for traffic violation and stacked with tickets

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 How is it a quota when you admit you're guilty of the offenses?

In any event, you can contest as many of the tickets as you want but you need to present an actual legal defense to have a chance at being successful.


Title: Someone broke into my car, and stole my pass-port and my birth certificate WHAT DO I DO?

Question: Some piece of shit broke into my car, and stole these identification forms. I had to bring them with me for my college, and they were placed in the glove box, I woke up the next day and some ass-hole stole them. I called the pass-port agency and they listed it as stolen or lost so they can't use it against me, but they have my birth certificate, what the fuck do i do. i'm freaking out. someone please help. thank you. My birth certificate and my passport are both from Jordan, I'm a legal us citizen Been here since 2002. I live in ohio

Answer: Contact your embassy. if you have family in Jordan, see if they can get another copy of your birth certificate. And call the police


Title: My wife and I had a domestic violence incident happen last night. I fear I may go to jail and lose my job/family.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Well technically both of you were in the wrong but since she is the only one who spoke to the cops only her side of the story was heard.

Your best bet would be to call a lawyer and do what they say.

Fairly sure she can't lock you out of the house, but it might be best to go through your lawyer and eventually the cops to be let back in.


Title: Caught after curfew in Arizona. Issued a misdemeanor citation. How bad is it?

Question: Hi, my name is Colton. Last night I decided to go on bike ride because I needed to clear my head and because I couldn’t go to sleep. I snuck out of my house at about 11:30pm and the citation was issued at 12:54am. I’m wondering what’s the worst I’ll get. I’m an honors and AP student. Will this go on my record and effect college/job opportunities? I’m 16 years old.

Answer:
 Don't panic. You are a juvenile, it's a pretty minor offense. Should be just a fine.

Also, seriously Arizona, WTF? On what planet is it ok to give kids a misdemeanor citation cause they are out late at night. That's ridiculous, and offensive.


Title: My landlords are playing headgames and I'm worried about being tricked and evicted [US, MO]

Question:
Yesterday I was awoken by the female half of the couple that owns the apartment building I rent in. Right from the start she was hostile, telling me I had to stop sending “snotty letters”.

The letter of mine that she showed me was my response to two letters that had been left on my door by the apartment manager. One of those letters was a handwritten one, the other was a printed form threatening legal action for not having my rent paid on the first. In my lease, it says I can pay my rent up to the 2nd or 3rd   (some non-1st of the month day anyway) without any penalties. The first of the month was on a Saturday that month.

- The reason I’m not sure how late the rent can be in without penalties is that my lease is largely illegible. I was given a very poorly printed lease to sign and my copy is just as bad. Whole sections of it I can’t make out at all. I have no idea if that has any impact on things legally.

- The female owner has previously also told me that maintenance has every right to come in to my apartment without notice, and they only have to give notice for routine maintenance. This was an issue because I’d woken up to a strange man in my kitchen before with no warning, and freaked the hell out. It turned out to be the apartment manager.

- She reiterated yesterday that I have no right to tell them what hours they can and can’t come into my apartment. (Which I’m not disputing, because I’ve never told them they can’t come into my apartment during certain hours.)
Because of all this and her extreme hostility and weirdness, I told her  I wanted to move out. My lease is up May 1st, but it says it automatically renews unless I notify them 2 months before it’s up. (That would’ve been by March 1st) She tried to tell me first that I couldn’t leave, then that I’d have to be out May 1st.

I got a visit from the male owner of the apartment building shortly after his wife left. He left a handwritten notice of their non-renewal of my lease. The notice the male owner brought me was backdated to the first of April, which would give me less than a month’s notice to find a new place. I noticed the backdating after he left and complained to the apartment manager.

The male owner came back and we talked some and he told me and my mom (who talked with him on the phone) that I could stay til June 1st, to call him Friday afternoon (4/5/2019) and let him know my decision regarding moving out.

I called the apartment rental number today and got his wife on the phone, and she wouldn’t let me talk to him, and claimed I’d never talked to him, and that she was the one who’d brought me a notice of non-renewal of lease. I hung up because I knew I’d get nowhere and this woman has been crazy hostile to me.

I know recordings aren’t always admissible but I was recording before the male owner knocked on my door yesterday and it caught my conversation with him and even his conversation with him and my mother. So I know I talked to him. From what I can see, Missouri is a 1-party recording consent state.

I had my mom call the rental number and she talked to the wife, who agreed to me moving out on June 1st.
My concern is with all the crazy headgames this female owner is playing, and how personal/emotional an issue she’s making of it, that the agreeing with my mom was just a trap. What with them already trying to back-date their notice of non-renewal and the wife claiming I’d never talked to her husband. Do I need to get some kind of paper agreeing to my June 1st moveout, or consult with a lawyer?

My mom says not to worry because they won’t be able to force me out before June 1st anyway, but I don’t want an eviction on my record if they decide to go back on their word and claim I need to be out May 1st once that rolls around. I would feel better having some kind of evidence because right now the only paper is an (illegally, surely?) backdated notice of lease non-renewal telling me to be out by April 30th.

Sorry this is long but the original write-up was 1100+ words. There have been all kinds of crazy shenanigans that have been cut.

Answer: On the issue of agreeing to a move out date it would be best to have it in writing. If there is a disagreement in the future it is hard to prove what was agreed to on a phone call. This does not need to be a formal agreement. Text or email is fine to prove that you both agree that you are moving out June 1st, and that the previous notice(that was backdated and not valid) is no longer valid.


Title: A question about freedom of speech and such, and potentially threatening photography with a potentially threatening caption.

Question:
**Location: New York**

Okay. This is going to be really dumb. A lot of it doesn't pertain to legalities, but moral things, I will leave that at the end of the post if someone feels like they want to give their two cents on the matter. **Let's start with legal stuff:**

Alright, so I took a picture on my phone with my turtleneck flipped up on my face, looking like a ninja with a bored face. I captioned it "Just tell me who I need to kill" It was merely a stupid joke, admittedly in poor taste, but that is my sense of humor. I showed my mom (big mistake) and she FREEEEAKED out. **Here's a summary of the legal things she or other family members said that could happen:**

1.)  Although we have freedom of speech, not only can what I wrote be considered a threat, but because we are also in a "time of war", I am not allowed to say or write such things without getting in trouble. To clarify, the picture was sent to a friend as a joke, with no other even vaguely threatening statements. With no other statements, and just the picture, could it really legally be considered harassment/a threat?

2.) Such a thing, if "found out", would go on my "record" in a form that can be interpreted completely differently, like something along the lines of "threatened to kill people" or even more cryptic and open to negative interpretation.

**Now here are the not necessarily legal things:**

1.) If posted online, people would talk about it and our family name would be besmirched.  I would be judged on a long-term scale and people will remember me as a foolish person. I'm basically asking, would people find it a big deal, besides just something to shake their heads at?

2.) People will be afraid or at the very least intimidated. With all the things going on in the world, all the terrorist acts and such, people would be afraid upon seeing such a picture, with or without context.

3.) It is wrong to have that attitude. To elaborate further, the main thing in mind I had when captioning the picture was fantasy/fiction. I was pretending to be some kind of bounty hunter or something and got all in character for a moment there. Should I really feel bad for enjoying something like that? What about both enjoying it and "reflecting" such media such as taking pictures people can misinterpret? Please be honest, I really can't think straight. My family wouldn't stop harping on the violent games I play and other morally-questionably pieces of fantasy I indulge in (such as corrupted fantasy worlds made by artists and writers online)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Are they freaking out way too much? I can't believe how much this was blown out of proportion. My mom for the first time actually threatened to kick me out if I behave like this. Keep in mind that I am 18 and I have a brother who is almost 30 and still living at home. So she really is upset. Are they just completely misinformed? Do they have a poor view of the world and legalities? Or is it me?

P.S. Really stupid question.... They keep talking about how even if I didn't send it to anyone, the fact that it is on my phone at all means the government has access to it/is going to look at it. If this is true, could it really be used as evidence or whatever if I actually went to court for this? I really don't know what the government can/can't is/isn't doing, I'm too young and I hear too many people saying different things. I really am naive.

Answer:
 In this context, you did nothing illegal. Answer #2: Not going to bother with the moral stuff. That's your problem to solve and decide whether it's worth dealing with.

1. The "time of war" thing is nonsense and has no legal impact on anything people say. The statement and picture itself is very, very unlikely to be considered a threat unless the picture or statement was somehow directed towards someone.

2. No. Unless there were an investigation performed, it would not "go on your record."

3. I'm not an expert on the government collection of data but from my understanding is that it is mostly meta-data. Meta-data can be equated to the outside of an envelope. The government can see who sent the message, to whom, and when but they can't see the message itself. Obviously there are probably some other programs that can gather the content but most of it is just meta-data. So your parents are just overreacting. As for whether it could be used in court, probably yes if the government bothered.


Title: I went to what I thought was a school counselor to discuss a developing drug problem, and they used everything against me and kicked me out of school. I had A's and B's in most of my classes. Denton, TX

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This is a scenario where reddit advice likely won't be enough. You need to contact a lawyer. If you are low income see if a law school has nearby has a legal clinic that does academic integrity matters. Try to calm down and not be confrontational- you don't want to give them a legitimate reason to expel you. Good luck.


Title: Can you brandish a weapon in texas?

Question: My husband's sister is coming here to move her daughter out of my house. The mother is a loud mouth and has told me, my husband, her daughter and grandmother that she will beat my ass and harm me. If I feel unsafe in my own home because of her could I flash our 45. Or not? I have a 2 year old and dont want to go to jail but she is from what I gather a bully. I have never met this woman.

Answer:
 Can you whip out a weapon and wave it around with the sole intention of intimidating or scaring someone?

Of course not.  Not anywhere in the USA.

You brandish a firearm when you're ready to kill someone with it, under the proper legal circumstances, and at no other time.  This is common-sense, gun safety 101 kind of stuff.Answer #2: Why would your husband allow someone like that in your house?

No, you cannot flash your weapon at her. You can call the police if she attempts to harm you.Answer #3: No.  Do not brandish your weapon.  It is illegal.....even here in Texas.  It is especially bad when there are children present.


Title: Separating with kids

Question:
(25f)A few months back my husband(25m) decided it might be good if we separate and he said I have three months to prove to him that I can be a motivated partner. Which was confusing because I was being a full time mother and our previous plan was I'd go to work after they (4 and 2) were in school. So I said fine I will show him and got a job looked into going back to school because this is my family and I wanted to fight for it. He decided that he was mad so made a tinder account and started talking to women. Completely crushed me. So I brought it up and we'd argue and then we'd be fine for a while so I thought things might go back to normal and then when I'd confront him he'd say he was just pretending. Overall, he says he wants me to move out and he'll keep my daughter's and I can visit them and maybe have them on weekends. However I have nothing and all my money is going into a joint account because he wants me to help pay off our credit card so his score is better which leaves me no money to move out. So I'm stuck living with him while he talks down to me and degrades me and tells me Im not a good mom. (I work full time and he just goes to school and he just gets paid BAH through the GI bill) Even though they are my world, I love my children, constantly spend time with them and teach them, but now I feel like I have to ask permission to do anything because it might not be how he likes it, weather it's putting them to bed or if it was an appropriate situation for a time out, or if I can make them food or if he'll he mad because it wasn't the time he wanted them to eat or because he didn't make it for them. Which I know all these things and when it's approprpriate for a time out when to feed them, it's just my whole confidence is shaken and I don't know what to do.

How can I ensure he won't get full custody? How does that work?

Apologies for the long back story. Please help.

Answer:
 Firstly, get your own bank account and stop giving him all of your money.  Second, call some lawyers and sit down for a free consult.  In most areas, 50 50 custody is standard.Answer #2: Lots of people try and do this... dictate the terms of the divorce beforehand. That's why there are LOADS of laws protecting people. If you search online you'll find the default situations (50\-50 custody, person with greater income paying child support to the one with lower income, alimony depending on years of marriage, etc, etc). But get a lawyer because it sounds like he wants to screw you over.

Also, he sounds pretty abusive. I would look into women's aid in your area as well. They would likely  have lawyers to recommend and might help you get out with your daughters.


Title: Fired by UK company for 'being American' (words of the company president when he fired me)

Question: Couldn't make this up, who would be so racist? Well, apparently the Brits. I'm actually in Asia where I've been teaching, but the wages are so low, I started looking for remote work. Found a job with a UK-based company, and they INSISTED I start immediately, so I burnt bridges within the very small expat teaching community here to take that job, as I was tired of struggling to eat on my third-world wages. After a month, just last night (at 10:30pm, no less) the company president got in touch and told me he it was his fault, not mine, he 'never should have hired an American.' I was told it's "cultural differences," but he flat out said it was a mistake to hire an American in his 'we have to let you go' spiel. After I worked 60 hour weeks for less than minimum wage on promises of a large pay increase after the first month. I was hired as an independent contractor, so I may not have grounds to complain over the wage, but can a company really fire you for 'being American!?'  This seems pretty messed up to me.

Answer:
 > can a company really fire you for 'being American!?'

Depends entirely on the laws of the country you're in.Answer #2: *


Title: [Alabama] Logged in to pay rent online this AM, amount due went up by 75 dollars (month to month), but no notice.

Question:
I live in Alabama.

Right now I am month to month in an apartment (for the last two months) and am moving at the end of this month. Rent the last two months has been the agreed upon month to month rent, but on logging in online to pay my rent, I discover that it's increased another $75. I received no notice, written or otherwise, that this was the case.

From what I can find online, it seems Alabama requires a 30 day notice of a change in rent? My old yearly lease states 45 days notice, but that may have changed when I signed a month to month agreement. I will have to check to see if I have a copy of that paperwork at home, but i can't recall having seen anything that stated they could raise rent without notice.

So is what they did acceptable? I can pay the 75 dollars no problem, and I will if I have to so that they don't screw up my future move to a new complex.

Edit: Finally got the apartment office on the phone - they just had a screwup with their online system. They said to pay what I my normal rate is and they'll correct it.

Answer: Call the landlord and ask whats up.


Title: Cop wrote ticket for my dad instead of me. Should I fight it? Will it get automatically thrown out?

Question:
Ticket was issued in MI and both of us reside in MI. Not sure how the officer managed to do it. But my dad's middle name is the same as my first name and his first name and my middle name start with the same letter. Also, our cars are on the same insurance policy to save some dough. I wanna say the license plate on my car may have come off his old car. Pulled me over for 58 in a 45 but wrote it up as impeding traffic. The officer was very nice. What do?

[UPDATE]
Went to the courthouse this morning and they gave me a two week extension to pay the traffic ticket. They are going to have the officer make the correction. Thanks for the help, all.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: Clerical errors do not invalidate tickets.


Title: [US-TX] Hired a lawyer when sewage backed up, Paid Fees, now he wants part of settlement

Question:
Hello reddit, long time lurker, first time poster.

A bit of back story:  So about 2 and a half months ago, there were major storms in my city, which caused sewage and rain water to backup into our house flooding the whole house in inches of black water and rain water.  The overflow came from the toilets, and shower drains, for about 2 hours straight the flow did not stop.

My city's utilities company actually came out and came onto our property, unprecedented.  They helped start the water mitigation, and eventually hired a proper company.  The water mitigation company was paid for by the city.  They tore up the house and removed about 1 to 1 1/2 feet of sheet rock along all the walls of the house, and tore up all the carpets in about 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms belonging to my children.

As a bonus, my insurance was not paid for by my mortgage company due to a glitch in their system, and they were forced to put their own policy, which did not cover anything anyway.

So long story short, too late...The city decided their end of the responsibility was met once the water mitigation was complete and it was our turn to take care of the repairs.  So we hired a lawyer to fight on our behalf to get some restitution from the city, since they basically were at fault, and had already paid for the water mitigation.  We were not looking to profit, simply get our house back to normal living conditions.

We asked the lawyer if he would file suit on a contingency fee basis, because we did not have much money to pay for court fees, court reporter fees, expert witnesses, etc.  But in Texas, city entities are only liable for $250,000 as a max, due to some bill that was passed, so he was afraid after all the fees, etc, that no money would be made and that perhaps negotiating would be better.  We said ok, he agreed to charge us per meeting, instead of an hourly rate, to cut us a break.  So for every meeting he had, no longer how long, he asked for $150.  This was the only mention of money.

After some time and many meetings, he asked for a $1000 retainer to research if a suit was even possible.  We handed this over as well as $850 dollars for prior meetings.  After this, I asked him to provide me with invoices for what we had paid, and a written agreement.  I asked him at least once over the phone, and at least twice over e-mail, which he did receive because he responded he was out of town. He finally was able to get an audience with the mayor of our city, to have as an ally for us, etc.  After this meeting he mentioned in passing that he would not charge us the usual 33.33% to again, cut us a break, because we were distraught, without a house, etc.,  which confused both my wife and I, because we thought we were paying him on a per meeting basis.

So finally the city caved in a bit, and gave us some money, which is not going to cover all our expenses, but it is better than nothing.

So we pick up the check, and the lawyer calls us, telling us we have to meet, and we owe him a part of the payment the city gave us.

So here is the question, even though we asked for a written contract and invoices on multiple occasions.  And, it was our understanding that the contingency fees would only be if we actually filed suit.  The lawyer, never mentioned anything about settlement fees, nor did he give us any paperwork to sign as an agreement with us.  He is basically saying, you owe me a percentage, I will decide what it is, but I am such a nice guy, I am not going to charge you the usual 33.33%.  Of course he only mentioned this after there was some money on the table, and is now saying that it is a standard fee?

I asked my brother in law, who is a contract attorney, and he said if there was nothing signed, and we have paid him for his time (meetings) and the retainer, then he is not entitled to a piece of the settlement.

We are not trying to stiff the guy, but the fact that we asked for an agreement, and he never mentioned a percentage or anything until some money was on the table, is a bit shady.

What are your thoughts, lawyers of reddit?
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 Texas bar rules require a written fee agreement in contingency cases, so your attorney is on very shaky ground demanding a percentage. Simply tell him that any such arrangements should have been worked out in advance and documented in writing, and that you don't believe you owe him anything. If he persists, let him know that you'll file a complaint with the bar.Answer #2: Your brother would be a better resource, but I agree, if you never signed an agreement and paid him the per-service fee he asked for on multiple occasions, then you've paid him his due. He is an attorney and should have no excuse for not contracting his services in writing if he expected a contingency from your settlement.Answer #3: If you can't work it out with the attorney the Texas bar may be able to help. (sorry for the link format, on mobile)

https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Problems_with_an_Attorney&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=23755


Title: My brother has cancer and his doctors have (in my view) endangered his life on three separate occasions. Should we get legal counsel for medical malpractice?

Question:
My brother (26) has a rare type of cancer, which he's been fighting for the past two years. On three separate occasions, his life was needlessly jeopardized by the oversight of his doctors. This is my opinion. Before you ask why we didn't take him to another hospital after the first incident, it's because his condition is rare and there are few places where he can be treated. He also can't travel well. Here's what happened.

*Bro goes in for a routine blood draw and labs. Nurse can't find a vein. Bro complains, nurse keeps digging, and bro becomes faint. Nurse will not let him sit down due to "protocol." Bro starts exhibiting seizure like symptoms and after a half hour of inaction, is taken to the ER where he recovers. I don't know if the incident was life threatening, but Bro's condition is very fragile. He doesn't need any other problems on top of the cancer.

*Bro is administered chemotherapy and has an unexpected neurological reaction. This reaction is addressed but not taken seriously. His condition worsens for several days until one nurse comes in, shocked to see him in his condition, and rushes him to the ICU. The doctors there said he could die or have permanent brain damage. Miraculously, he recovers, but their days of inaction could have killed him.

*We get a second opinion, and the doc says Bro needs a scan to ensure he doesn't have blood clots. We pass along this recommendation to his primary doctor, who shrugs it off, says it's not necessary. We get a third opinion several weeks later, they do a scan and find a massive blood clot in his lung. They say, on the record, that the clot had been there for at least two weeks, meaning Bro's primary doctor should have caught it. This blood clot, if not treated, would have killed him.

We're very frustrated with this hospital. Our primary concern is my Bro's well-being, but I'm angry at this hospital for making his situation worse. We're looking for another primary doctor for him now.

So, do we have a case? Should I pursue this? If so, how? At the very least, I want to prevent these doctors from endangering other patients with their incompetence. We live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Answer: "Would have" and "Could have" died is not a viable damage to sue for under malpractice laws. You can report the doctors if you feel they did not do their jobs properly. [How to file a complaint.](http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-35299_63294_27647---,00.html)


Title: Am I responsible for my (adult) daughter's medical bills?

Question: Short story is my 24 year old daughter is still covered under my medical/dental insurance. She recently had some dental work done which exceeded the yearly maximum per person. The insurance company has paid the dentist the maximum annual benefit ($1500), and the dentist has sent me a bill for the remainder, around $1400. Isn't a 24 year old adult responsible for paying their own bills if insurance doesn't cover an expense completely? I personally would have expected the dentist to consult the insurance company before doing expensive procedures, and then to advise the patient about potential uncovered expenses. Do I have a leg to stand on here? Can I negotiate the bill with the dentist? Can I tell them to send the bill to the daughter? The daughter won't be able to pay, but I'm thinking maybe this would provide some leverage to get them to discount the bill. Thanks for any advice. I'm going in to talk to the dentist later today to see how we can work this out.

Answer: Unless you have signed something regarding financial responsibility at the provider, your adult daughter is responsible for her own medical bills even if she is covered by your medical/dental insurance.


Title: Minor (almost adult) child went on service trip out of the country. Came in accidental contact with hypodermic needle; trip leadership did not seek proper medical attention or advisement. MORE DETAILS BELOW

Question:
-Parents were not informed.
-Site where this occurred was not part of original/documented trip plan (signed waiver, but again, not an approved part of the trip where occurred)
-Possible ongoing PEP treatment (post-exposure prophylaxis) necessary.
-Researched organization prior to trip-- glowing reviews.
-Documented all conversations with organization leadership after learning about incident
-Taking child for medical treatment as soon as plane lands
-Seriously concerned with inadequate site prep, protocols not in place/followed, possible ongoing medical treatment, and other people having same experience putting minors and young adults in harm's way.
ADVICE?  Please don't be snarky. This is an unforeseen possibly life-altering nightmare. *throwaway account*
edited to include: residing in California

Answer:
 Medical advice, not legal:
As I'm sure you've been told by your physician, the risk of transmission of HIV or hepatitis is very low. The risk for HIV transmission by needle-stick is around 0.3%, which is already very low. Furthermore, you have no indication that the needle was used by an HIV/hep positive person before, further reducing the risk significantly. Also, it's likely that the needle has been around long enough to not have any active HIV on it anymore. I understand this is stressful but I wanted to give you an indication of how rare infection is. Needle-sticks happen in the hospital all the time and are naturally stressful but well understood.


Title: 17 y/o On the Verge of being homeless

Question:
Hey guys, I would really appreciate some help right now. My dad is gonna kick me out at the end of the month if I don't give him $300, but I'm currently in high school and I've been without a job since the summer.

I was curious as to if he can even do that? I know I'm allowed to be on my own, but I'm not sure if he's allowed to leave his 17 year old son on the street.

I have had some issues with attending school in the past, but I'm on track to graduate in June and I have like 4 courses left to do until I'm finished.

I've been trying to find a job for only 2 weeks now, as he gave me a warning at the beginning of the month, but so far I got nothing. I live in Alberta, Canada, where minimum wage just went to $15/hour, so in reality most people were laid off because of the huge jump.

Basically I'm just stuck right now, I'm limited on places I can stay because most places are way too far from school. And I'm not leaving everyone I know for the LAST semester of high school before grad.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I've left home in the past because of the way things were with my mom. But it was only temporary until things calmed down a bit.

Now I'm with my dad and he's just a complete asshole, he did grab me and hold me down back in April because we were arguing, just bruised a few ribs, which really doesn't help my multiple mental health issues.

Please help, I don't wanna end up in the homeless shelters in my city.. I've heard how fucked up they are.

Answer: IANAL but according to an article from the Edmonton Community Legal Centre your parents have an obligation to care for and provide for you until you're 18. If your father neglects you/kicks you out, you can be taken by Children & Youth Services (which sounds like CPS here in the States). [Article here](http://www.eclc.ca/programs-services/dial-a-law/parents-obligations-to-their-children/)


Title: Questions about a matter making me sick to the stomach

Question:
I am attending a public community college for nursing and I was failed out by a lab instructor for a highly subjective test. Additionally she has been lenient over sterile techniques with non-minorities and much more supportive and lenient in passing them for their lab skills with extra hints and tips for their check offs. I have gathered data on who she has been failing and it is disproportionately a minority. Of the 3 that failed in my class, all three were of the same ethnic minority descent. During the first semester she was teaching (last semester), the three that failed were also of minority  descent. These are the only two semesters she has been instructing lab. This instructor is also anti-immigration, and I have always experienced intimidation and inappropriate behavior with her all throughout the semester.

A few of my classmates that were not minorities have mentioned her leniency towards them in matters that I have failed otherwise. This instructor acts as a gatekeeper using these subjective testing techniques and the program always ends up with all-white cohort for these 2 semesters. Everyone is very terrified and they are in fear of retaliation. I am not sure of what to do? Or what steps to take (if any)? Thanks for listening.

Answer: What’s your question?  If there is discrimination based on race in education (assuming you are at a school in the United States), that discrimination is illegal.  Your first step should be with the school but you may want to consider talking to an attorney to help present the case.


Title: My gf brother tried to hurt his niece and went on a rampage breaking everything in the apartment.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 That's a nice story. Did you have a legal question.

The answer is to call law enforcement.


Title: Charged with child endangerment in iowa

Question:
Edit: Please read the entire thing before passing judgement

Hello, yesterday I was arrested for child endangerment because I took the keys out of the vehicle so we could stop arguing and to make sure I didn't go to jail for domestic abuse. (I was really pissed, it's a long story) yes, it was hot, but my wife was in the vehicle supervising my son. There was no harm to my son, this all happened in 5 minutes give or take. I got back in the vehicle, and offered her the keys, she told me to get out, so I got back out, and was then arrested for child endangerment. I looked at what the statutes are and my son was never unsupervised, and wasn't hurt in any way. (Less than 5 minutes in a vehicle, the AC had been going for a while, and at any time my wife could have taken my son out of the car) and I'm curious why I was arrested?

Answer:
 >  yesterday I was arrested

Didn't have to read any more. Today you get an attorney. Answer #2: Because it was the only thing the officer could plausibly justify to arrest you on in order to diffuse the situation.

Have you been charged?  Have you contacted an attorney?Answer #3: Probably because they wanted to arrest you for something, and that was easiest. Now it's time to get a lawyer.Answer #4: You need a lawyer, but I'm sure you know that by now.

IANAL, but from what I've heard, taking keys is akin to preventing someone from leaving the scene. You could have left the keys with her and let her leave, but taking the keys prevented her from leaving. I'm not sure if there is anything they could charge you regarding that specifically, so they might have arrested you on child endangerment as a placeholder to some other charge.

Best of luck.


Title: Netflix's Daredevil

Question:
In the show Matt Murdoc and Foggy Nelson run a small practice. Early in the show they recruit Karen Page as a secretary type.

In season 2 she is shown asking questions to Frank Castle about the case. If she isn't a lawyer, or licensed at all, how is this legal? Does this happen often? Is this just a poor portrayal of a legal practice?

United States, Virginia

Answer: Paralegals and legal secretaries (not infrequently) also ask questions of the clients on behalf of their bosses (the lawyers). It is not abnormal at all. It is not dissimilar to nurses asking you medical questions before the doctor comes in to examine/treat you.


Title: Can my car get towed from a public street with this sign?

Question:
https://imgur.com/cw6LPif

I'm staying with a friend in San Diego, I've been parking on the street outside another house. Today I found this in front of my car. No markings saying it's from the city, just the name and number of a towing company on the back. I'm not sure if I should actually move my car or if this is just a case of affluenza thinking they can control who parks on the street.

Answer: It's probably not legally enforceable. A lot of construction and landscaping companies will put these up when they know they will need that space to work. Either way, is it that big of a hassle to move a house or two in either direction? If it's legally enforceable you save yourself being towed, and if not you may be making a day of work more convenient for someone. Seems like a good outcome either way if you just move. Since a date is listed it seems unlikely it's just an angry neighbor.


Title: [Canada, AB]Condo Board considers my girlfriend an "occupant" and ticketed her for using visitor parking.

Question:
Hi,  Recently, the condo board has made the claim that my girlfriend who visits my place is considered an occupant of the building, despite the fact that she doesn't live there. As a result, she is no longer allowed to use the visitor parking spots.

After a few warnings, they had the city parking authority issue a parking ticket her for parking at the visitor parking spots on the basis that because she used the spot more than 30 times in a calendar year, thereby she meets the definition of an occupant of the building.  She visits me about 3 times a week and she leaves before the end of the night most times.  She'd occassionally stay over at my place \(around 3 nights a month\).  This hardly meets the definition of a resident in my view.

I had a chance to go into the bylaws, and she does not appear to meet the definition of an occupant, as defined as below.

*Occupant: means a person present in a Unit or in or upon the real or personal property of the Corporation or the Common Property with the permission of an Owner for a period of thirty days or more in any calendar year;*

The specific bylaw in respect of the use of vistor parking is as follows:

xvii\) in regard to parking and operating a Private Motor Vehicle on the Project:

*\(G\) allow a visitor to his unit to park his Private Motor Vehicle anywhere on the project except in a stall designated by the Board for Visitor Parking; and*

*\(I\) park or store any Private Motor Vehicles or allow any member of his household to park or store any Private Motor Vehicle on those areas of the project designated for Visitor or Handicapped Parking other than overnight parking during the hours not anticipated to be used by visitors being 11 pm to 8 am daily or without the prior written consent of the Board;*

I have already submitted the ticket for review with the city, but unfortunately they can't appeal the ticket unless the condo board initiates the appeal process. I am disputing the above interpretation with the board, to which they have simply ignored my requests to meet with them, and have had the condo manager threaten to tow or ticket my girlfriend's car next time she uses the visitor parking spots.  I am fairly confident she doesn't meet the definition as she factually doesn't live in the building, nor has does the use of the spot for more than 30 days constitute her becoming an occupant of the building. At this point, I have to fight the parking ticket in court, but I'd rather not have to go through the trouble of it unlesss it's necessary.

Any advice is appreciated here. Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 Does your girlfriend visit more than 30 days in the year?

If so, she's an occupant, under that definition, and you follow the occupant rules for her.


Title: [Texas] How to get rid of the responsibility to pay child support, if you are not the father of the child?

Question:
I came across [this article](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3010327/I-went-without-electricity-days-didn-t-eat-Fury-man-forced-pay-child-support-13-years-girl-s-never-met-despite-DNA-test-proving-s-not-his.html). Basically he was named as the father on the birth certificate. Proved with DNA tests, that he is not the father. But he had to pay child support for 13 years, and still owes $21k to the state of Texas.

And he never even saw the child.

Answer: And this, kids, is why we don't ignore a summons to child support court.


Title: (Indiana) My dad died. How does the house get split?

Question:
Apologies for a vague title, I couldn't think of another way to phrase it without making it super long.

When my grandmother died a few years ago, she split her assets down the middle and left half to my aunt and half to my dad. My aunt has been living in the house for years. My dad had struggles with addiction, so when he lost everything, he moved in with her, and there didn't seem to be a legal way for her to get him to move out without also having to move out, since legally, he owned half of it as well.

A few days before he died, he had agreed to sign a quit deed, but when my aunt took that paperwork to wherever you take that paperwork, she was informed of a lot more hoops they had to jump through. The day he died was the day she was going to jump through those hoops.

As far as we know, my dad had no will. He wouldn't have written one in the past two years because he just hasn't been all there. He has said that when he dies, I get all of his stuff, as I am his only child and my parents divorced a long time ago, and my aunt is totally fine with that. We're a pretty chill family, and now I am my aunt's closest relative. If she wants something specific of his, she's asked so far, and I've been fine with it. She has also said when she dies, I get everything, so right now I'm not really concerned with battling over who gets what as much as I am concerned about getting these ducks in a row for tax purposes and stuff. My aunt is also not super rich, so we'd like to figure out the effect his death has on his debts: are they transferred to us/me? Would anyone be able to take the house as debt payment and force my aunt out of it?

With no will, does she now own the whole house? Or am I suddenly the owner of half of a house?

Edit: Called my aunt, she found the title, and it's Tenants in Common.

Answer:
 > Or am I suddenly the owner of half of a house?

It's a bit more complicated than that, but once everything passes through probate, probably, based on Indiana intestate laws. You should consult with a probate lawyer. There are few possibilities and a lot of options here.

> She has also said when she dies, I get everything

Maybe. Is she willing to put that in writing? AKA in a will or a trust?

Sorry for your loss.Answer #2: Debts are not transferred to heirs.  The only time an heir becomes responsible for the debt is if they co-sign or otherwise voluntarily take responsibility.

Your dad's estate will be liquidated to cover your dad's debts.  You don't inherit *anything* until his debts are covered.  If he has more debts than assets, then you don't get anything.

With regards to the house, your father's ownership share is an asset, one that could be liquidate to pay debts.  If it is, then you could buy that half.  If the asset doesn't get liquidated, then it passes to his heirs - based upon your note, that'd be you.


Title: Home Owners Insurace claim for bad injury

Question:
A couple months ago my girlfriend and i were in an accident in an ATV we both were not driving, for the sake of this post lets call the driver Jeff. Jeff was driving the mule pretty crazy and my gf was in the passanger seat and i was on the bed of the vehicle. long story short he tried to do donuts while going full speed and rolled the mule 3 times. i flew off of it, he somehow didnt get a scratch on him, and my girlfriend was left paralyzed from the belly button down from breaking her back and neck. we filed a claim against the homeowners insurance and they said that the max payout is 300k and are pushing to just settle. is there anything seeing a lawyer could help getting more? 300k seems like them throwing us a $100 bill and saying good luck, like this accident basically ruined her life. She was 2 weeks away from starting her new nursing job, graduated nursing school 3 weeks before the accident. Taking action against jeff isnt possible because to be honest, he doesnt have anything, his land isnt worth shit and nor is his "house" (trailer).

&#x200B;

Basically my question is are there other avenues to get more money for my gf by getting a lawyer? like going after the insurance company or something, 300k just seems low.

Answer:
 If the maximum payout on his insurance is $300k then that's all you're going to get from them.  You can't force the insurance company to pay more than his coverage.

You can sue Jeff and garnish his wages for the rest of his life.


Title: Landlord claiming she can’t renew our lease because there are new roommates, but rather saying it is an entirely new lease agreement. CA

Question: Been in the same four bedroom house for two years with four occupants total. All four of us signed the lease, and two of the original roommates moved out at the end of the second year. We now have two new roommates (four total still) and two original, and the landlord has told us we are not renewing the lease, but rather signing a new one. Is this accurate info from her regarding being unable to renew since there was a change in tenancy? Also can this lead to any sticky situations at the end of our lease? For example: normal wear and tear usually doesn’t count against occupants after two years (wall paint, carpet cleaning etc..), does this situation somehow restart that two year time frame?

Answer:
 >landlord has told us we are not renewing the lease, but rather signing a new one.

Reasonably so.  That is, the contract that exists no longer applies and you need a new one.

>does this situation somehow restart that two year time frame?

Maybe.  But in that case you're likely entitled to a move out inspection, a refund of your existing deposit, payment of a new deposit, and a new baseline condition to be considered for future damages.


Title: Was my car stolen?

Question:
I’m trying to figure out if my car was stolen and how I should address the problem with the dealership.

I posted this same question in car sales; but some people advised I step in here for your thoughts.

Backstory. I was married but separated from my ex-wife at the time (2012).  We owned a car together that was fully paid off and the title was under both of our names (State of PA in the US).

A few months after I moved out, she used the car as trade in value for a lease she took out on another car.  At the time, I didn’t know that in order for a title to be transferred, everyone who’s name is on the title needs to present a driver’s license and sign off. My ex-says I signed papers, but even if some papers were pushed in front of me and I signed (unlikely) but I KNOW I didn’t talk to a notary or go to this dealership and present my identification.

Anyway, as we’re in the process of finalizing the settlement agreement. the topic of the car came up again and she said she traded it for $500... I said to her; that’s not what the value of the car was (it was closer to 5k) but she insists it’s that and challenges me to try to obtain the paperwork for it.

But that got me into thinking more about this. There’s no way I would’ve signed off on that amount and now I’m wondering how the car was traded, if my name was on the title, without me approving it.  After some minor thinking, this is my best guess on how this was transferred.

My ex-mother-in-law, who has been the title clerk for this same dealership for 30 years, assisted in getting the car transferred out of my name, without me being there.

So today, I’m going into the dealership and am going to ask for this to be investigated. A few questions I have are;

1.) Is this illegal or is this just poor work ethic and  something that can be handled with a reprimand?
2.) do I still have any recourse since it’s been so long?
3.) What kind of terminology should I use, so as to not be bullied out of a valid complaint?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and any advice you’ve got.

I do have a divorce attorney, and I was considering bringing this to his attention; but the guy is a total bulldog and is all about father’s/husband’s rights and hates this kind of tomfoolery; but if something illegal happened, I don’t want him to feel obligated to act, when I’m not looking for the mother-in-law to be fired. I just want what legally mind and maybe an apology for letting this kind of crap happen.

Answer:
 >I do have a divorce attorney, and I was considering bringing this to his attention

Do this.

He is navigating your divorce.  Last thing he needs you to do is to start dropping random anchors without his knowledge.


Title: Neighbor wants to know if she can legally evict am unwanted squatter

Question:
Neighbor (a) was an acquaintance with neighbor (b). (B) was arrested on drug charges and was in jail for awhile. (B) is now on community controlled arrest and put down (a)'s address without (a)'s consent.

(A) is a very kind woman so put up with (b)s antics. (B) is doing drugs again and her parole officer is MIA.

Only (a)s name is on the lease and (b) neither pays for anything nor has a key.

Can (a) kick her out?

The owner of the apartment gave the all clear for (b) to be there but again, she pays nothing and her name is not on the lease.

I am in Florida

Answer: (a) has to legally evict (b), as (b) is currently a tenant. We don't know the guidelines though, because you didn't post your location.


Title: This secret could destroy my family. How do I go about it?

Question:
Was told I should post this here (posted in r/advice already)

I (f27) was molested by my step dad from about age 9-12. The touching stoped when I confronted him but the perviness continued until I moved out at 19. I’ve kept this secret because at first I believed I was protecting my moms happiness as this was her first and new marriage. Over the years was just easier to pretend it didn’t happen. I would have probably kept this a secret forever but now I can’t. I’m married and have a one year old daughter. I do not allow him to be around her and I make excuses for when he’s home and I was supposed to visit or my mom was gonna babysit. I absolutely cringe when my mom refers to him at grandpa. I want my mom in my daughters life. Here’s the dilemma, my mom has not worked in about 20 years, doesn’t have a DL has never drove, she is completely reliant on him to provide even though they are poor and live paycheck to paycheck, and I have two younger siblings (his bio kids, my half siblings) aged 10 and 16. If I come clean about the abuse now, it can potentially leave my mom either homeless or continuing to live with my abuser. I don’t want the responsibility of taking them in because my mom chooses to not be self reliant. This secret will destroy that family. I know I must for the safety of my daughter. But this fills me with so much anxiety I don’t know how to go about it. If anyone has been in similar situation I would really appreciate some advice/encouragement. Thank you in advance

Answer: I don't mean this to around like an asshole, I really am so sorry that this has happened to you. But exactly what legal advice are you looking for? It sounds as though you need more of a family advice kind of thing or professional therapy.


Title: After cancelling fios internet, Verizon turned off all phones in the family by mistake. Mistake fixed, but my phone number is being held hostage "unless I buy a new iphone".

Question:
As the title says, after terminating Fios internet, Verizon wireless disconnected all 4 phones in the family erroneously. This mistake was fixed, but according to Verizon, one phone number linked to an iphone 6+ is not recoverable unless a newer model phone is purchased.

Phone numbers are linked to identity, as they are used in two step verification for many services including but not limited to icloud, banks, college logins, etc. Losing a phone number is a loss of a portion of your identity verification. And of course, contacts that have your original phone number saved can no longer contact you.

Is this kind of behavior legal? Using a phone number as leverage to force a consumer to purchase a new phone despite the initial problem being an error on the verizon side? Is there any precedent to this kind of issue? Can legal action be pursued?

Answer:
 I think you need to escalate the issue higher with Verizon's customer service to understand why a newer iPhone has to be purchased (the iPhone 6 still gets the latest iOS software updates, so this seems hard to believe) *and* why Verizon is requiring this after the mistake was made on their end. Answer #2: Without being able to say for certain, it seems much more likely that this is a commision-driven salesperson trying to convert an account issue into an upgrade, as opposed to there beiong some odd Verizon/Apple quirk that requires you upgrade your phone. I would advise you make sure that you’re working with an actual corporate Verizon store (franchises will vary, but are more responsible to their store/area manager than Verizon policies), or speak with their customer service number. Keep employee names and IDs for your notes. Again, I can’t say for certain but it seems extremely unlikely that your phone is too old to recover your number. Good luck. Answer #3: Can *any* newer iPhone be used with this phone number?

I suggest finding a willing friend who can bring their phone into the Verizon store with you and have the sales rep use that phone to establish the SIM with the number. Then insert it into your iPhone 6. Answer #4: Talk to someone who doesn't have a financial incentive in selling you a new phone.Answer #5: They still have the iPhone 6 listed on their website... CPO "coming soon" https://www.verizonwireless.com/smartphones/apple-iphone-6-certified-pre-owned-great-condition/#sku=sku2730247Answer #6: I'd try cross-posting this over to /r/verizon. They have a bunch of current and ex employees that may be willing to give some insight on how best to handle this.


Title: What are my options in getting a refund from matchmaking service IJL?

Question:
I'm currently located in the beautiful state of New Mexico. Currently living in the city of Albuquerque.

My problem started about 6 months ago when I made the mistake of calling the matchmaking service It's Just Lunch. I started off somewhat sceptical of the service and after a first phone call, I just decided to blow them off. But, this was the first mistake, now they had my number and they kept calling me after that. One day I finally decide to answer the phone. At the time I was having a really hard time dating and was not having any luck. So I got suckered in by their excellent sales routine into paying $2500 for a 4-date contract.

After sleeping on this decision, I realize that I was by no means in financial shape to pay for this. So I immediately try to get a hold of them the next day to try to cancel the service. They told me it was too late; they do not do refunds. So I was forced to follow through with their service.

At first everything seemed to be going by the agreement. I went through a phone interview. I got a half-hour dating advice session with a "coach" within 2 weeks of the signing. About 3 weeks after signing on I finally got a "match" and got a date set up. About 5 weeks after first signing, I got the first date. Things didn't proceed further with my first date.

This was the last time I heard from them for about 13 weeks. Then around week 13, so total of about 18 weeks from signing, I get some calls and emails requesting I get back to them to schedule a face-to-face interview. I politely ignore them for about a week because I was out travelling, at which point they proceed to send me this: "we ask our clients contact us back within 48 hours to keep their accounts in active status going forward." The irony is painful.

After about a week after my face-to-face, I politely send them an email detailing my situation. The jist of the email was: I am broke. I cannot afford to be dating right now, I am going to be out of a job soon.

I'm going to quote part of the email:
*"Now, looking over the contract agreement, I paid you a total of $2300.00 for 4 dates. Quoting one of your statements "If, despite IJL's efforts, IJL is unable to provide Client with the number of Date Introductions (as defined below) agreed to under Client's membership, then at IJL's election and sole discretion all remaining monies will be refunded on a pro-rated basis, less a Five Hundred
Dollar ($500.00) interview processing charge and this Agreement will be automatically canceled."
So that leaves $1800.00 worth spread out over 4 dates, so about $450.00 per date. You provided me with one date, so technically I still have $1350.00 worth in my IJL "bank." That means you guys have made a profit of $950.00. All I am asking for is what I am entitled to: $1350.00."*

**It has been a week and I have not heard anything.**

Do you kind folks have any recommendations on how I could proceed legally? I'm not even asking for a full refund here, all I want is a partial refund.

For them to be marketing my profile as "busy professional" is false advertising.

Answer: no, it's at their discretion, as you nicely quoted for us.


Title: Michigan man suing parents for 3x damage of his trashed porn collection. Is that possible? Will he recieve justice or will onlookers receive a justice boner?

Question:
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/04/14/parents-dump-porn/39344591/

Tldr, in Michigan, a 40 yr old man was living with his folks after a divorce. He moved to Indiana, and his parents carted his stuff down to Indiana... But they neglected to bring his 12 boxes of adult films and magazines along. They admitted to throwing the boxes away. He got real mad, reached out to the police, and they declined to press charges. Now he's suing them. He estimated they were worth $12,000. Now he's suing for triple damages.

Does triple damages apply to property damage like this? I've heard of treble damages applying to tree law but does it apply to porn? I'd get a real justice boner if this case got spanked in court.

Answer:
 It’s not really the type of property destroyed that controls, but rather the level of culpability of the offender.  Triple damages are punitive damages.  Punitive damages generally only arise when the harm done was intentional.

So this probably isn’t a case of “he destroyed my porn, and porn is special and unique and particularly worthy of a high price,” it’s a case of “he intentionally and purposefully destroyed my property, it wasn’t an accident and that’s worth punishing for more than the actual cost of replacement.”Answer #2: porn (assuming it's not illegal) is property like anything else.Answer #3: It's only tree law if he got wood.

I'll show myself out.Answer #4: Wouldn't porn depreciate in value over time?Answer #5: The diacovery on this case is going to be fun.Answer #6: Treble damages apply only when there is a law that provides for it and, generally speaking, such laws only exist in cases where the creators of the law felt the offense is such that punitive damages are needed to help deter people from breaking that law.

Whether it applies here or not depends on the existence of both applicable law and facts of the case beyond that being presented here.  So right now it's hard to say whether the triple damages apply or whether it's just some made up over-reach by the son.


Title: filmed without consent

Question:
Hi everybody

Sorry if this is a bit of rant i understand that i am overall probably in the wrong.

So I (21M) live in low community housing with my parents in california and in our building we have a room a community room. This room is usually used as a study pace for kids in the building. But as tenants of the building we are also allowed to reserve this room for private events. Before you do we have to sign an agreement(contract?) that stays we will leave the room by 10 pm and that there will be no drinking of alcohol. But nowhere on this agreement does it say that we are being recorded or that there are cameras in the room. So a couple of weeks ago i threw a party and there was alcohol and we stayed a lot longer than 10 pm. So one of my neighbors sees me leaving the room much later than 10 and reports me .To the supervisor. Because of this the supervisor said  we  are not allowed to rent out this room ever again. Which is totally fine we broke the rules and thats fine but they mentioned that they have cameras in the room and saw the footage and said that I abused the room. Because we played alcoholic games. Now i want to ask them to delete all the footage because I was never aware of being recorded. However they said that there are cameras in the building that have signs that say recording. But there are no sign that say recording inside the room. So my question is he allowed to keep that footage or what can i do to get him to delete.

Sorry if this is a rant and a bit disorganized

Answer: There is no practical legal recourse available to you here, even if the manager did something wrong, which you haven't come close to establishing.  A common room is not a place where you have an expectation of privacy, and there were signs in the building disclosing recording.