Title: Former employer keeps making my life hell! I need help

Question: I have been working for my company In Minnesota now for close to 2 years. I have been promoted twice since being here. I started in the warehouse then moved to outside sales and then inside sales. About a month ago Monday I got called into the HR office and I was told effective immediately that I would no longer be able to work in inside sales and that I could go back to my old outside sales job or quit. Obviously, I had little choice so I started working back outside 2 weeks later I am about to take a vacation and I'm told when I get back that I won't be apart of outside sales and that I can go work in the warehouse or quit. So I come back from my vacation and I get an email that says I won't be working in the warehouse and that I can go ahead and apply for unemployment. At this point, I'm to just know that its over and I don't have to put up with them anymore. Then today the HR person emailed me to let me know that they do need work in the warehouse after all and if I don't except then I'm quitting and won't get unemployment. Can they do this? They keep throwing me around and changing the pay and job that I'm working. I just want to get unemployment for a week or 2 while I find a good company to work for. please help.

Answer:
 Ex-employers do not get to decide whether or not you qualify for unemployment. If your application for unemployment is denied over this, appeal that and provide copies of any messages indicating that you were let go.

No need to reply to the HR person. You don't work for them anymore.Answer #2: Well, from what you've said, it sounds like you can't be quitting because you were already dismissed ("an email that says I won't be working in the warehouse and that I can go ahead and apply for unemployment"). You can probably collect unemployment starting for the time when your employer effectively dismissed you. However, if your old employer later contacts you with a bona-fide full-time job offer that is 'suitable employment' (and the job you previously held before you were laid off would almost certainly be considered suitable, assuming the pay and benefits remain about the same) and you refuse their offer, you may lose your unemployment benefits from that point on.


Title: Living With a Wrongful Misdemeanor Conviction: My Brother's Desperate Situation

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 TL;DR My brother and mother got into a fight and he was convicted of some form of domestic violence. I do not have a legal question.Answer #2: You need to break this into paragraphs and shorten it.

Very few people, if any, are going to attempt to read this poorly formatted novel and offer you advice.

Also include a TL;DR.


Title: A girl was raped in our study group. Now someone is threatening us with text messages and troll accounts

Question:
This happened in November. She went to the police station, got a kit done, and basically disappeared (which is understandable). The police said they were all over it, and assured her they would find the guy who did it.

This past December however people have started to get sexually  threatening messages from unknown numbers. They would block them, only for another one to pop up in about a week or so.

The thing is, we all had our numbers together in a group chat. So its someone in the group but we dont know who. Its with about 8 people, and everyone has gotten a text. How can we figure out whos sending the messages? Should we tell the school or the police or what? This is creepy and quite frankly, Im scared.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Generally when people threaten you you go to the police. Answer #2: If you have reason to believe it's related to the case, contact the police department handling the original case with the information. If they think it's related to the rape case, it's good information for them. If not, you can file a police report for the harassment.


Title: What should I do about an apartment complex in PA asking me for my kids’ birth certificates?

Answer: Why are they asking?


Title: Bartended for a charity event. 100% of tips went to charity. Paid for only four hours. Worked 2-9pm.

Question:
Please note this is not a volunteer or benefit gig. I bartend at a restaurant and the owner decided to host a charity event the day before.

Bartended a charity event in Wilmington, DE. 100% of the bartenders' tips went to charity. The bartenders were promised to be compensated. The event was from 5-9pm. We came in at 2pm to setup for the event and at 9pm we ended the event and everyone tipped the bartenders normally.

The thing that really makes me mad is that we got paid $15 an hour for only four hours (5-9pm when the charity event was going on). But we came in at 2pm to setup, and had all of our tips from opening until 9pm donated to charity.

In my mind, I made $60 for working 2pm-9pm, which is well under minimum wage. Since 100% of our gratuities was given to charity, we should have been paid normal minimum wage ($8.25), not waiter's minimum wage ($2.25).

Am I wrong? What can I do? We have a staff meeting in 14 hours from now.

Answer:
 >In my mind, I made $60 for working 2pm-9pm, which is well under minimum wage. Since 100% of our gratuities was given to charity, we should have been paid normal minimum wage ($8.25), not waiter's minimum wage ($2.25)

At $8.25 an hour, your shift should have gotten you $57.75. You were paid more than that.


Title: [British Columbia] - Can parents forcibly take me out of school until I'm 19?

Question:
Hello, I am a high school student living in British Columbia Canada under two emotionally abusive parents who have been brainwashed by the Jehovah's Witness cult.

I have dreams of becoming a geneticist, and have been making plans to get the right prerequisites to attend my University of choice. Unfortunately my parents are highly erratic and opposed to any higher education as per JW doctrine.  The situation at home is very tense, but they have been taking a "we can't really stop him" stance. Until today.

They inform me that they have been told that they are my legal guardians under BC law as far as education goes, and they have the right to make decisions over my head, including pulling me out of school.  I thought that as an 18 year old I had (almost) full autonomy over my choices.

So I put the question to you all: Can I be pulled out at the age of 18 before I get the prerequisites required to attend university and begin my life? Or is this just horseshit? How much autonomy over my own decisions do I *really* have? Is there any way to reduce the control my parents have over my life legally?

Answer:
 http://kidshelpphone.ca/Teens/InfoBooth/Money-jobs-laws/Laws/The-law-and-your-rights-at-home-work-and-school.aspx

Age of Majority is 19 in BC. Calling Kids Help Phone at the above link may be helpful.

YouthInBC may also help:
http://youthinbc.com

Other government resources:
http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/for_youth.htm

If your parents hit you, or don't provide adequate food or shelter, get out & call the police.

Common advice over on /r/atheism for people in similar situations is to swallow your pride, and attempt to get along with your family as best you can, until such time as you can organize your independence.  You'll need a job and a place to live, or apply for welfare.

Obviously your parents' actions will interfere with your education, but once you're independent you can start University on your own and seek scholarships/bursaries/student loans to help cover it. Work part time if you can.
Answer #2: Thank you all very much. Some very good resources here.

From what I gather, yes, I have to play politics with them so they don't pull me out (was already doing this, so nothing new).  If worst comes to worst, I can apply to become an emancipated minor and thus be free of any decisions my parents can make.  This is good.

I've also already built up a good rapport with a local social worker. We were in the middle of getting a "Youth Agreement" for me to move out and live on my own, but I've put a hold on that while conditions at home are tolerable and less complicated.  So in the event of an emergency, I can emancipate myself, move out, and continue taking the courses I need.

Thank you all for the support.  It's not the message I was hoping to hear, but I'm glad I at least have some backup options.


Title: Social Media Site Platform Denial

Question: Can a large social media website deny you use of their platform if you refuse to give personal information like your real name so they can post it for all to see? If your sexuality and subculture gets a lot of hate and discriminated against shouldn't you be allowed to use another name for your real life protection? Silencing people because they do not want their personal info out because of concerns real-life threats isn't fair. Location: USA, California

Answer: Businesses cannot discriminate against people on the basis of specific characteristics: race, religion (with exceptions), gender (with exceptions). "Not wanting to give up your personal info" is not a protected characteristic, and businesses are not public entities. They are private entities. You are free to use their service, or not, and they are free to allow you to, or not.


Title: In Texas, I didn't return renter's security deposit within 30 days so I believe I have to return it. Can I still sue them in small claims for the cost of items they took?

Question:
I have inherited a rental property that is a building divided into four units. My grandfather died in an accident a week after tenants moved out. The person in charge of the estate did not provide a written notice of itemized deductions within a month. My grandfather had actually already prepared it showing he was refunding none of it because they stole appliances, but the person in charge of the estate didn't find that until too late and it wa snever mailed to the tenants. The tenants threatened to sue and he ultimately refunded the entire deposit (before finding the itemized deductions letter that grandpa hadn't sent yet).

I have now taken possession of the property and started looking into the situation more. It turns out the reason my grandfather had not yet returned their security deposit was because when they moved in he installed brand new stainless steel appliances, and when they moved out they took the appliances with them.

I have receipts and manuals for the appliances and model-serial numbers from his records, their lease which says appliances are provided by the landlord. In addition my grandfather has a security camera that covers the parking lot and entrance to the building and he saved the segment that shows them removing the appliances from the unit and loading them into their moving truck.  Also he scheduled a move out inspection with them but they did not show up for it.  He was very detail-oriented about record-keeping for which I'm very lucky!

From what I understand, since we didn't provide the itemized list within 30 days they are entitled to the whole deposit.

But what I am unclear about, is can I still sue them in small claims for the items they stole?

Answer:
 Sorry to hear about your grandpa. Yes absolutely you can still sue them. Refunding their deposit doesn't absolve the theft. Let them raise it as a defense and see what happens. You have excellent evidence they stole.Answer #2: Probably yes.  You might also contact police.

In many states, failing to timely return a security deposit does mean that you waive claims for damage to the apartment that would typically be paid for from the security deposit.  I.e., if you don't return the deposit within 30 days, you can't then sue the tenants in small claims court for the costs of cleaning the carpet, fixing the dents in the walls, etc.

But you can still sue them for other costs - unpaid rent, unpaid utility bills, etc., even if you would have otherwise covered these expenses by using the security deposit.  Because they didn't damage the appliances, but flat out stole them, I don't think that your suit would be barred on these grounds.


Title: [NYC] Eviction notice served, court date on friday, not sure what to expect

Question:
I originally had to send my lease renewal agreement in March, and sent it beforehand in February. As far as I was aware, everything was great, and I paid my rent as normal. The lease was up in May, so I sent in the new rent and continued on with my life.

In early June, I get a call from the leasing company, asking if I vacated the premises. Turns out they never received my original lease statement, so assumed I was leaving. I asked if I could still send a new copy in, they agreed, and sent me a new lease statement via email, which I then proceeded to send in.

I was going on vacation mid-June, so the day before i check my mail. I saw my countersigned lease as well as two rent checks for May and June. They were apparently returned because the lease was not in their possession and thus they could not be cashed. I called immediately with no response, but left a voicemail explaining the situation and asking for instructions. Regardless, I had to cancel the checks and wait till it was deposited back since I have online banking.

While on vacation, I did not have phone access, and checked my mail once towards the end of the break, and saw 4 emails from the company - 1st and 2nd late notice, 1st and 2nd eviction notice. I emailed back immediately on the 22nd and waited for a response. I also called the next day once I was back state-side, still with no response and just voicemail.

On June 29th, I checked my mail late that day (around 9pm) and saw I had been served papers to appear at the courthouse at 2pm on the 29th. I continued to call the leasing company pretty much every day, and by this time the bank checks were canceled so I could finally send payment. On the 1st, I received papers from the courthouse stating I was in default on the hearing - of course I was, since I wasn't served papers until after the date of the hearing - but finally had a number for the attorney. I called the attorney, who directed me to deal directly with the leasing company, and I also got a new number for the leasing company. I called this number and got voicemail again, though this time the recording was directed towards legal. A few minutes later, I received an email (finally!) from the leasing company, stating the balance and the following:

> This is currently with our attorney’s office and has nothing to do with a unsigned lease renewal it has to do with rent that is due.

I emailed back and verified that as long as they received my money, then everything on my account would be set. Yay! I sent the full amount.

The next thursday I received a post-card in the mail saying that I needed to show up in court for my court date or if I couldn't make it, I should show up with the card for further instructions. I showed up the next day, was asked if I intended to pay, said I already did, and was given a court date of this friday.

Initially I wasn't freaking out but now I realize I have no idea what I'm doing. Other than printing out a copy of every email, all correspondence, phone records, etc. is there anything else I need/should bring? I've read the tenants rights booklet, and it sounds like they can evict me, so really what I want to know is:

- How likely am I to be evicted?
- Will I have to pay court fees?
- How long is this process going to take on friday?
- Should I try and find a lawyer to represent me, or is it basically a lost cause?

I honestly don't know what to expect, and if there's something that I can do to help me stay at the apt - moving is a pain -then I'm willing to do it.

Answer:
 is this non-payment or a 'holdover' eviction?  if it's nonpayment, just show up with your cancelled checks or other proof of payment (or, alternately show up ready to pay what you owe) and the eviction will be tossed.

if your lease was never renewed (can't really tell from your narrative) and it's a 'holdover' then you might be in trouble.


Title: (Texas) Dogs were left behind after family moved back to China and now want them back six months later.

Question:
Some backstory on this. My mom was a nanny for a Chinese family living in the states to go to school. They ended up going back to China rather quickly and left behind almost everything behind, including their two dogs. They told my mom that they want the dogs and would arrange to have them sent to China. After six months they never did and we assumed they just forgot about them.

Today we get a call from them saying they’re moving to California and they want one of the dogs.

Do we have any legal recourse or do we have to give her up?

Answer:
 Tell them you will be happy to have them come pick up the dogs.

They just need to pay the bill for boarding them for 6 months first.

My kennel charges $50 per day for in home, uncrated pet boarding. And I provide the food, so add any expenses for food, treats, vet, etc.

Answer #2: Well since dogs are considered property it should fall under abandoned property, especially 6 months after the fact. If they do really want to lawyer up then it would be on your decision but I doubt they would win. They’d probably have to pay 6 months of boarding and food first if they even won the dogs back. It would be thousands just in boarding cost alone so I wouldn’t worry. It’d be more of a bothersome going through it than anything else.


Title: If I leave a gas can filled with water and sugar in my driveway and it gets stolen, am I liable for the damage to the thief’s vehicle? (Alabama)

Question:
There have been a series of thefts in my region due to the reduced availability of gasoline.

A neighbor posted a meme about leaving a gas can filled with sugar water in visible place on his property and letting the thieves roll the dice on damaging their vehicle.

I understand that boobytraps and man traps are illegal, but is something like this illegal? Would there be a case against my neighbor in civil court?

Answer: Years ago some mischievous teenagers were breaking into this guys garage and stealing his liquor. He then proceeded to put antifreeze in one of those bottles and all three teenagers were admitted to hospital with one fatality. The owner of the garage won his case in court because they were stealing and trespassing onto his property. Super nice guy too btw


Title: Material breach (ks)

Question: Had a buyout agreement of an ex partner in a gym.  The terms were i to assume all debt and pay 12000 to seller.  Another provision was i was to allow him to workout for free as long as he followed rules.  2 years later he had been a pain in the ass for awhile so i kicked him out.  Now legal stuff of course but i need to know if this is considered a material breach because if so then i fucked up by not giving a written notice of breach. To me the exchange of money and property was the heart of the comtract.  Thanks in advance.

Answer: I think you need a lawyer. Sounds like you breached the contract by kicking him out.


Title: If a person grows up with debilitating health complications as a result of their parent(s) refusing to have them vaccinated, can they sue their parents?

Question: I suppose that each state may be different but I don't know, is this a federal thing that would supersede municipal jurisdiction? Is there a liability form that parents need to sign in order to assign responsibility to them if their child dies or gets a preventable illness as a result of them refusing vaccination?

Answer: No, children can only sue their parents when their actions rise to the level of child abuse. Refusing vaccines does not rise to that level. As much as we might want it to.


Title: URGENT: How many days does one have before they can no longer cancel a contract?

Question: I recently signed a contract for modeling and entertainment, but after signing and talking more withthe agent I'm not sure he's legit. I just want to cancel it before it's too late, and I want the law on my side so he can't stop me. I live in the state of Nevada and I signed the contract 3 days ago.

Answer: You can only cancel if the contract gives you the right to do so. There is no universal right to cancel that would cover this.


Title: My mom illegally changed my name?

Question:
I was born Matthew Jones. (Fake name for online purposes)

When I was 5 my mom married my stepdad who refused to adopt me, but she started writing my “NEW” last name Matthew Smith on all of my documents growing up.

Once I turned 15 and needed a drivers permit/license there was a conflict because my birth certificate and social security number were tied to Matthew Jones and all other documentation had Matthew Smith as the last name.

So I had to go to court and legally change my name from Jones to Smith. At this point my birth certificate and SSN all matched and I was able to get my drivers license.

Fast forward 15 years later I’m an adult and absolutely despise my abusive alcoholic step father and would rather kill myself than do good things in this world that promote his name. I understand I can go back to court and process another name change, but was that first name change my mom forced on me legal by any means?

Answer:
 Yes it was legal. A judge approved it. You were a minor. Answer #2: We can't know because we don't know what steps your mother took at the time.  I would guess probably no, but I don't know for sure.

At this point, it's irrelevant.  You legally changed it to Smith.  If you want to go back to Jones, then you need to go through your state's regular non-marriage process for changing names.


Title: Discrimination over work injury, women vs men. AZ.

Question:
Hi Reddit.

Over two weeks ago I got injured at work. The company I work for is very famous for being a grate place for employees, grate insurance, PTO and zero bias.

I reported the injury with the safety ( risk and compliance) department, and went to the doctor. I got restrictions and had to do physical therapy.  Because of my schedule and the clinic available appointments I had to schedule my doctors and PT appointments in my working hours ( one hour before my shift ending) and have to leave early 2 hours for 3 days in one week. Same restrictions and appointments for this week.

When I show my manager my restrictions and appointments he told me I should schedule them in my free time ( the clinic closes early and is almost impossible to me to do ) because it was going to affect my “ performance” and how they see me. They weren’t very clear about how was going to affect me. But they seemed serious.

My work is very physical. So I get to lift and push for 7 hours in a very fast retail environment. I’m not by any means a strong person, in fact I’m the opposite. There is suppose two be at least two people there in that area. But a lot of people has quit. We’re always told that they are hiring more people and things are going to change.

Anyways, another coworker got injure at work. his injury is “visible” as he has to use special equipment. I ask him is he got the same warning about his doctors appointments, he told me that everybody was nice with him loosing work hours. And that he has to miss up to 3 hours a day of work because of them.

Im a women and he’s man. English is not my first language either. I don’t know if they have a the right to tell me they are gonna be consequences for me but not to him.

Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: You don't have any evidence this is based on gender.


Title: [PA] Is a divorced parent entitled to telephone conversations with their child?

Question:
Feel free to browse my previous throwaway post for some context, but here's a summary of my situation:

I'm a divorced father of an almost-2 year-old ("Roscoe").  My ex-wife and I have 50/50 legal custody, on a flexible schedule:  We rotate every other weekend, with weekdays shuffled around whenever possible to meet each other's schedules.

Roscoe's mother likes to call to say goodnight to him.  I have no problem with this, so long as it doesn't interrupt his nightly routine.  Lately, she's been calling later and later in the evening: 7:30, 7:45, 8:10.  (His bedtime is between 8:15 and 8:30 at both our houses.)

Tonight, this came to a head when she called several times in a row, after 8:00, to say goodnight, and insisted that she be allowed to speak with Roscoe.  I declined, since he was in the process of going to bed.

During the (pretty heated) conversation, she accused me of denying her legal right to speak to her child.  Her significant other also mentioned over her shoulder that, "this is what they take away rights for," and that "we'll see what a judge has to say."

I'm pretty sure she has no legal ground to stand on, and I plan to ask my attorney, but I wanted to know what to expect before I do:

* Does she have a legal right to speak with Roscoe during my custody period?
* Could my actions be construed as obstructing her legal rights?

Thanks to everyone in advance.

Answer:
 Unless the parenting time agreement says otherwise, there is no legal right to talk to a child during the other parent's parenting time. However, you also can not unreasonably prevent her from doing so (you're not, from what you said).

She's just huffing and puffing.


Title: (TX) My girlfriend was recently divorced in January, filed taxes with her now ex-husband who refuses to split the refund. What is she legally entitled to, and what should she do from here?

Question: As was said ex-husband filed married for the year 2016 and is now receiving a refund. He refuses to tell her the amount as well as splitting it. She denies signing the return electronically or otherwise, I was just wondering what her options were. Thanks!

Answer: Is she entitled to the refund due to the terms of the divorce decree?  If so, have her file a contempt motion with the family court and move from there.


Title: Student Being Blackmailed by Escort

Question:
Hello everyone, I just created this account because I am freaking out.

I recently was blackmailed by an escort through the phone only. I did not meet up with her and we did nothing besides talking on the phone and through text message. Nothing in our conversations were explicit and she was angry because I wasted her time by trying to make an appointment for this weekend. She got really pissed and told me she was going to post all my information online with messages attached. She threatened to message my family and others. I am freaking out right now even though she hasn't posted anything bad online and I don't know what to do. All I know is when I post my phone number into google, you can see information with my student group and that might help her to find out more about me. I am a college student in the state of Michigan and the university offers free legal help, but their office hours are closed. I just want to get some advice on what to do moving forward. I don't even know if she is going to back off because I told her blackmail is against the law. I never solicited her into doing anything bad and she got angry because I was  apparently wasting her time. I am so paranoid and don't really know when or if she will ever post this information online. Can anyone please give me some advice as this might ruin my life forever. I am also above 21 years old.

I forgot to mention that she did in fact ask me for money and threatened to contact my family if I did not pay. She actually went on to say that she is hiring private investigators and that she contacted the police. I have trouble believing that as I told her what she is doing is illegal.

Answer:
 The specific request for a prepaid debit card and the threat to expose embarrassing details about you to friends and family are the hallmarks of any online scam.  I'll guarantee you that there's no escort and that you're simply being scammed.  The threatened legal claim is totally bogus.  Nobody is hiring a PI.  And, if this were real, do you really think a prostitute is going to call the police?  Seriously?

The best course of action for these sorts of situations is to block and ignore.

If you're *that* paranoid, go remove your number from the student group so it drops off of Google's search results, or simply change your number.


Title: Is it legal for my manager to charge cashiers 50 cents for to do her job?

Question:
I work at a gas station in Wisconsin, US. The owners own 5 in the county and I've helped out at one of the other ones and as far as I know none of the other managers have talked about doing this at their stores.

During our shifts we are supposed to keep every debit and credit receipt, in addition to some other ones and we add the amount on each one at the end of the shift and put it in whichever category it is. Sometimes we forget to print a copy for ourselves if the customer wants theirs and then our count will be short when we go to add them up at the end of our shift. if we are over or short a receipt we are supposed to go back and find it but if we dont or cant, the manager has to do it the next day when she goes through all the paperwork before sending it to the office. I dont usually miss any.

 So lately, one of the cashiers has been missing as many as 8 receipts a day and my manager has to look for each one because he doesn't bother to go back to look for it in the computer himself like we are supposed to. (His counts are always messed up because he spends too much time arguing with customers to actually pay attention and do his job, if anyone was wondering) She is fed up with his and some of the other cashiers counts being off so much lately that she told me she was gonna start charging us $0.50 per receipt missing that we don't go back to find. And the 50 cents isn't going to the owners it's going to her because we're "wasting her time" even though it's part of her job already to do correct our mistakes when we dont..like she'll make a note of how many we're missing every day and by the next morning we have to give her 50 cents per receipt for her to pocket and it can add up to over $4.00 for some of the cashiers. Aparently we're also gonna get a warning each time and 3 before we're fired. We're already understaffed and the only one being overworked because no one else will but at that rate they're gonna be out of employees in a month.

Again, I'm not usually missing any that I can't find so it's not gonna affect me too much but it's still an extra few dollars every month out of my pocket and into my manager's and the possibility of getting fired even though it's been like this forever and expecting us to be perfect every single time is a bit much I think because nobody is and nobody can be. Everyone makes mistakes.

All four of us are angry about this since we're the only store the owners have that are starting to do this. I'm not sure if the owners even know about this, I haven't had a chance to ask them and the new rule hasn't gone into play yet. I'm not sure if it was just a threat or not but I think she was serious...

TLDR: In addition to getting a warning and 3 before getting supposedly fired, we have to personally give my manager $0.50 per receipt missing on our count every day. It all goes straight to my manager's pocket because she is fed up with having to do part of her job which is correcting our mistakes. I dont think the owners know she is doing this.

Is this legal for her to do, especially behind the owners' backs?

Answer:
 That makes no sense, all these transactions are stored electronically and you can reprint receipts if needed. There's no need to even print yourself a copy.Answer #2: I live in Wisconsin and used to help run a start up company that debated docking employees for fuck ups. Before the owner started doing that I found out that no, you cannot take from the employees pay for things like that without the employees written consent for each deduction made. This obviously doesn't count legal garnishments such as child support or tax liens. Forgetting to print a receipt is not an allowable reason to make a deduction out of your pay without your consent.

If your employer does this call Department of labor wage and hour and report it. If you do though be prepared to look for another job as your employer will likely start writing you up for forgetting  receipts then and look to terminate you. That being said even with write ups and a termination it is still likely that you would get unemployment even if they fight it.

If you have any other questions feel free to pm me.


Title: Buying Chemicals Online?

Question:
SWIM wants to buy chemicals that he thinks are on the DEA Special Surveillance List for an invention. If SWIM buys such chemicals online and gets them sent to his residence that he's
moving out of very soon, what are the chances that SWIM could get in trouble or a "interview"? Technically, SWIM doesn't/wouldn't live at the address anymore so would
law enforcement bother to track him down and come see SWIM at a different location? The chemicals are not being bought in a large quantity, although,
to the average person or LE they could look suspicious. WONT BE USED FOR ANYTHING ILLEGAL, SWIM just hates coming into contact with law enforcement.

Answer:
 If you hate the police, don't break the law. If the chemicals are legal then likely, without other reasons, the police or LE do not care.

But if they care they will likely track you down even after you move. Answer #2: First of all, don't try to purchase the chemicals using bitcoins, and then post here asking if you or some governmental agency can bring the seller to justice when they take your bitcoins and don't send you the chemicals.  We've already been there and done that.

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3dpse5/us_research_chemical_company_that_sold_us_to_us/

Second, if you have the chemicals shipped to an address, then the DEA or law enforcement can come after anyone associated with that address and ask them questions about why the chemicals were shipped there, who ordered them, where they went, etcetera.

Often people who want to accept shipments of things that are being illegally or fraudulently shipped will set up a drop site to receive the shipment.  For instance, they will have the things shipped to a house that they know is currently unoccupied (and to which they are in no way connected).  Then they will monitor the tracking for the shipping, and show up at the house just after the shipment is dropped off and take it from the front porch.  Of course, I have also heard of law enforcement being there to watch that whole thing and arrest the people picking up the package.


Title: My parents say I have no rights, is this true?

Question: I am a legal citizen of the United States, I was born and raised here, but I am a minor in my state (Minnesota). Everytime I say something my parents don't like they tell me that I have no rights and I cannot say that. Is this true?

Answer:
 Depends.  In your parents' house your have very little rights; when dealing with the government you have rights.Answer #2: You absolutely have rights, especially as defined in the Bill of Rights.

Your parents have a duty to care and provide for you until you are of legal age to be expected to take care of yourself, but that does not make you any less of a human in the mean time.

You have a right to free speech, but, remember, the ability to say what you want (so long as it isnt hateful and inciting) doesn't protect you from the consequences.

As a minor you are *restricted* in many capacities, such as what jobs you can take, what kind of accounts you can have, and your inability to enter into legally binding contracts, but you have all kinds of core human rights.


Title: How to get away from Jury Duty

Answer:
 "Ask about Jews"

LOLAnswer #2: To quote Homer Simpson: "The trick is say you're prejudiced against all races."Answer #3: Unfortunately, the guy in this video passed away recently. A post about him was on the front page yesterday.Answer #4: Won't you likely be excused just for mentioning "jury nullification?"Answer #5: Hilarious!!! Loved it


Title: HS Student Selling and Producing Moonshine, was Also Nearly-Drunk in Class.

Question:
I am in HS in Texas, and during an AG class, I was offered a drink, it looked like a full water bottle, so I said yes. After smelling it it was whiskey! He said 100% alcohol. He offered me some, said his next batch be ready in about two weeks. I said no and ignored him the rest of class. We’re both 15. Should I report him? And who to?
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 It's not 100% alcohol. Heck, it's probably not even 90% alcohol. Alcohol forms an azeotrope with water, and it gets harder and harder to separate the two by distillation the closer to the azeotropic point they get. (It's at about 97%, but the effects are noticeable past about 70% ABV.) Odds are good the story about distilling his own is bullshit, and he filled the bottle with vodka, gin, or Everclear.

Kind of a moot point, though, since 5% ABV would still be illegal for him to possess. Tell the principal and tell your parents. If he persists and the school doesn't deal with it, call CPS and the police.

Much as whisky is good and fun, if he really is making moonshine, that stuff's a hazard. Badly-made moonshine can have significant amounts of methanol in it. Even if it weren't illegal I'd advise you not to drink any: I assume you like not going permanently blind from a bad batch.Answer #2: You can report him to the school or the police.

You should stop associating with him and refuse his offers.Answer #3: I'm going to contradict others here a bit.  This isn't legal advice, but life advice instead.

You need to think very carefully about reporting him.  If you are the only person he offered it to or the only person who refused, there's a likelihood he will suspect it was you.

You need to think about the cost-benefit analysis of reporting him.  Selfishly, reporting him has little to no benefit to you but a LOT of potential downside (being known as a 'rat', getting your ass kicked or tortured for your remaining time in school).

15 year old me wouldn't report him.  36 year old me wouldn't either.

Downvote away.


Title: Mental disability applying

Question:
Hey! I was just curious if anyone could help explain the disability system of the USA, I'm currently living in NC.  At my bi monthly doctor's visit I was asked by my doctor why I never considered applying for disability!
I struggled strong with trying to find the right area to apply or ask questions due to most sites being relative to physical rather then mental. If it helps at all a list of my current disabilities. These have been diagnosed! Not me just looking up on the internet and being like oh THATS ME:
Autistic
ADHD
Depression
Anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
PTSD
Hypersomnia
And mild case of Gilles de la Tourette's (I make a loud hiccup like sound at random. When I'm anxious I also develop a extreme head jerk and an EXTREME stutter))

I keep looking around but most ask if I have been unable to work for about six months to a year, and I have been able to work but at the expense of my mental and physical health. I haven't been able to properly take care of my self properly from cleaning my living space or myself.
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer: Contact the Social Security Administration and apply, that's all you have to do. If you have enough work credits you can apply for SSDI, if you don't, you can apply for SSI. SSI is a set amount, SSDI is based on your work income. You can even apply online.


Title: Boss Asked Abusive Ex Husband to Volunteer at Work

Question:
NY State
My friend was attacked violently by her ex husband and has had limited to no contact with him since. She works at a library in a small town. Recently, her boss invited him to teach a weekly computer class there. She is very uncomfortable with this. Her boss says that he won't be there during her shifts but it would mean that if someone needed to call out, that she couldn't cover and would lose the chance at extra hours. Her boss did this without asking her or even telling her. She learned of it by seeing flyers posted at the library. What should she do?

Answer: Does your friend have any sort of restraining order against her ex-husband?


Title: Someone stole my business name / merch. media. Accused of thousands of dollars of fraud! (Cali)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Its not really clear from your post but it sounds like your mom, as a business owner, has been contacted by several different Better Business Bureaus (BBB) around the United States letting her know that people have gone to them to file reports against your mother's business for fraud, correct? And your mother is also getting calls from individuals saying similarly that they have been defrauded by your mom's business?

If its not her business neither of those things merit a response or money from your mom. When the BBB contacts her she can say "that's not my business its another one with a similar name. Those are not my customers." Same goes for when individuals contact her. They're not her customers and she didn't do anything wrong so she owes them nothing. Just FYI the BBB is kind of a scam, see here: http://business.time.com/2013/03/19/why-the-better-business-bureau-should-give-itself-a-bad-grade/

The only thing you mom needs to worry about is a call from the police or an actual, filed complaint and summons for a lawsuit. The chance of either of these things happening is very small - it is doubtful these people will go to the police and even if they do, the police will likely either not be interested or will quickly figure out the business in question is not your mom's. The chance of these people going to a lawyer and getting said lawyer to file a lawsuit is even lower.

Contacting instagram (you should also check facebook) to get the other business shutdown is a good effort. If your mom is truly bothered she can talk to a local business lawyer about writing the other company a cease-and-desist letter for using her business name and pictures.

By the way the past-tense of "con" is "conned."


Title: Got caught torrenting

Question: The other night I downloaded a copy of TLJ off of the Pirate Bay. The next morning my internet had been turned off and I had received an email that Disney had notified them. The internet was turned back on and I removed the file from my computer. I haven't heard anything else but I was worried about the chances of potential legal action, and how long could it take before I hear anything else about it? Should I find a lawyer now or wait to hear something. And what are the chances of legal action being taken against me? How worried should I be?

Answer:
 If sued (unlikely), get a lawyer. If law enforcement questions you about it (even more unlikely) explicitly stated that you will not answer their questions and explicitly request a lawyer. Otherwise, don't worry about it and don't do it again.Answer #2: You downloaded what is called a “honey pot” file. Disney purposely put that on TPB to catch people pirating. It is very commonplace and I’ve never heard of the production company or ISP getting anyone in trouble unless it’s been a repeat issue.

So as long as this is the first time it’s happened, you’re likely fine but I would definitely stop pirating from now on.


Title: [CO/Westminster] Forced Marriage

Question:
Sunday July 20th, 3 days ago I was at my girlfriends home (she and her family are Hmong, very traditional and devout to their culture, I’m Latino) and a situation began to develop as I was there. It wasn’t occurring in front of me, but rather the family was talking about it over the phone. In short, there’s a 22-year-old girl from Thailand that came to visit her family here in the US across several states and her last stop was Colorado and had a flight to leave the state tomorrow, Wednesday July 23rd. This girl from Thailand, I’ll call Bri, doesn’t know English very well, and only communicates through her native language to her relatives.  There’s this guy, Nathan, early thirties, also Hmong, educated, good job, etc. He liked this girl and decided to ‘steal’ her and make her his wife. He’s not exactly a complete stranger, but rather a cousin of sorts of my girlfriend’s. As the story goes, he asked her to get into her car and she agreed, believing they were only going to do something else, and he took her to his home and told her she was going to be his wife. She was distraught, cried, refused, wanted to return home, but wasn’t allowed, etc. Again, this was all through the word of mouth passed on from relative to relative, from my girlfriend to me. Bri was not allowed to speak to her family in Thailand, or to her cousins (amongst them my girlfriend) who were/are very upset and do not agree with the arrangement. After several hours, of having Nathan’s relatives speak with her, convince and persuade her that it was a wise choice for any woman to marry this man, that it was traditional, culturally acceptable; if she didn’t it would be shameful for her family, herself etc., and she would ultimately have to forget about her life, education, and family in Thailand. She finally submit to the pressure and agreed to marry. My girlfriend’s family is very upset with their family members for having done this act behind their backs. My girlfriend’s family was charged by Bri’s family in Thailand to take care of her, to make sure she returned safely to her homeland, but now she cannot. My girlfriend and her sisters were close to calling the police to try and help this girl out, but despite their reasons they were too afraid to violate their place as women or do this to their family. These past couple of days it has been morally and ethically difficult to hear about and standby by as this injustice occurs to a clearly victimized, objectified young woman. She is now in Michigan with other family members and I remain distraught. If I do anything, it would all fall down on my girlfriend, her family reiterating why she shouldn’t have dated me in the first place, that I’m Latino, not Hmong, that I don’t understand, and that it’s ultimately her fault that this family bond has been ruined for generations to come. Despite those possible consequences, is there any legal action that could be taken to help this young woman be released from her apparent new prison, or perhaps is it too late now? After all, this is the US, my gut tells me that this is unacceptable, that this is an unjust act that should be righted, but maybe I’m just out of my league on this one. To anyone who has read this, I thank you for your time and advice. If you need any more details, I’ll do my best to fill in any possible gaps. Thank you.

Edit: Thank you all for your kind words and advice. I'm afraid there is very little I can seemingly do. I lack details that could make any possible report viable (names, locations, etc.). To truly make a legitimate report I felt that I needed the support of at least one of the family members. My girlfriend and her relatives are extremely loyal to one another, their family no matter right or wrong. If I did do anything I'm afraid I would be labeled as a phony, and be thrown under the bus. I will still call the embassy for advice. I think they could have insight or maybe experience with this type of thing. I'll keep you all updated. Thank you for your time.

Answer:
 > My girlfriend and her sisters were close to calling the police to try and help this girl out, but despite their reasons they were too afraid to violate their place as women or do this to their family.

That is literally the only option here.  This woman is being held **hostage** - this is not a cultural matter, or a family matter, this is a criminal matter.

You folks need to contact the police ASAP.  The Thai embassy would also be of some help.


Title: My Sister was a Victim of a Scam

Question: Hey reddit, I don't even know if this is the right sub. If it isn't can you please point to the right place. Me and my sister live in North Carolina and she has been working for this guy who recently has been paying my sister in checks. Recently she told him that because times are tough she would have to stop working for him, he said that he would send her a check for $2,000 to help her out; she was ecstatic and she agreed to keep working for him. He asked her later if she could send a $500 check to someone else and he would pay her back at a later time. She agreed and sent it out, soon after her husband went to check the bank account and the check bounced and the bank took everything she had and left her 350 in the hole. She tried seeing if she can do anything but she said that some Texas law is protecting him. I just wanted to know if there's anything that can be done. Thanks in advance :)

Answer:
 This is a VERY common scam but (AFAIK) it's rarely done in-person. She should report it to the police and also sue him for the amount she lost.

(Reading it again, is he in Texas and she's in NC? Has she ever met the guy? Is she SURE he's in Texas?)


Title: Montgomery County, MD - Police Officer That Showed Up Was Not The Same As One That Stopped Me

Question:
Hi,

I was stopped by an officer back in December for going "80 in a 35 MPH" zone. At the time, I didn't argue with the officer, but I wasn't going 80 in a 35. I was indeed speeding, but I was speeding on the on ramp to the highway when the cop pulled me over, and the on ramp is not a 35 MPH zone.

The officer was aggressive so I thought it would be best to keep my mouth shut. He not only gave me a speeding ticket, but he also gave me a reckless driving ticket. I did not argue and thought it would be best to argue in front of the judge during the trial.

I tried to get a public defender, but being that there was no jail time involved with reckless driving, public defender rejected my request (as is policy in Montgomery County, MD). I do not have enough money to hire a lawyer myself, but I felt that if I explained to the judge the situation I would be in the clear.

When the trial time came, I was thrown a curveball. The officer that appeared before the judge, and the one that was prosecuting me, was NOT the same officer that stopped me. I immediately brought this up with the judge, who I thought at first was listening to me. He asked the officer to go outside with me and show me the video of the incident. The officer complied.

When we went outside, the video a) showed that I was stopped on the on ramp of the highway, and b) did not show the officer clearly. However, from the body language and the voice, you could tell that this was not the same officer. When I said to the cop (while we were outside the courtroom) that this didn't look like him, he immediately became defensive, snatched the computer away and said "What, so I'm supposed to carry HD cameras everywhere??" I said I wouldn't argue with him and that it's best to leave it to the judge.

When we got back into court, the judge asked me if I was satisfied, and I said that it didn't look like the same officer to me and that I trust his judgement. He asked the officer to play the video. But he only viewed the first few seconds, asked me if that was my car (I said yes), and then told the officer to sit down. He then recited an anecdote from his own personal life, saying that when he was younger, he'd show up to court hoping that the officer wouldn't show and that he believes I am doing something similar. I was very confused, and a little shocked, and didn't know how to respond. He asked me if I had anything else to say, and I stated that I wasn't going 80 on a 35, that it was the on ramp of the highway. He then chuckled and sarcastically asked me "so you're testimony is that all this happened on the on ramp of the highway."

By "all this" he meant the story of the officer (which is false to the best of my recollection), that I was followed for several blocks and I was swerving in and out of lanes. I was not, and the video shows I was not.

I just restated that yes, that is my testimony. How am I supposed to say anything other than the truth?? And how can the judge not see the video??

I was found guilty on both charges.

Afterwards, a defense lawyer who was there came up to me and hinted that while she couldn't give me advice, that I should appeal. I did submit an appeal form ($80).

I don't know how to go about this however. I am filing a FOIA request for a copy of the video later today. My "pre-trial hearing date" for the appeal is July 10th.

Any advice on how to go forward would be much appreciated. I cannot afford a high cost attorney, so if anyone knows how to contact someone that can help at low cost, that would be a huge help.

Thanks.

Answer:
 The name of the officer who stopped you is surely on your ticket.

It should be very easy to determine if the officer appearing in court has that same name.Answer #2: >The officer was aggressive so I thought it would be best to keep my mouth shut. He not only gave me a speeding ticket, but he also gave me a reckless driving ticket. I did not argue and thought it would be best to argue in front of the judge during the trial.

You are wiser than most posters here, OP. Well done.


Title: California - Hospitalized Veteran being taken advantage of, pets neglected by couple with POA

Question:
UPDATE:I have custody of my neighbors pets! My heart is at ease for the moment! THANK YOU REDDITORS!
My neighbor is a Vietnam Veteran. He has been hospitalized at a VA facility for about 30 days so far. I have verbal permission from him stretching back 2 years to enter his house at any time to care for his animals if he is unable to as well as a set of house keys. I have audio/video permission from him taken 2 days ago reiterating his permission for me to enter his house at any time. The problem is that the couple with POA dislike me (I reported them for taking his $4000 gun safe in trade for a TV that is literally worth $52) and they have (without the homeowners knowledge or permission) changed all the locks on the house so I cannot get in to care for the animals. I have repeatedly asked for a key without success. Their reason for not giving me a key is that "you are not welcome in this house"  - no doubt because of my reporting them for the gun safe incident. The fact that the homeowner has given me permission to enter and to have a set of keys overrides any POA they have because POA gives the power to make decisions on behalf of the person involved - not power to OVERRIDE his decisions. He is lucid, and I have repeatedly told him he needs to call these people and tell them I can enter his house and to give me a set of keys. Unfortunately, the people with POA bully him and have threatened to have him put into a "home" if he questions their decisions - he is afraid to call them, to see them which leaves me in the position of, well, seeing the animals languish in a house with all the curtains drawn, the heat off and resorting to throwing food over the fence to them. In addition, the dog got stuck in the doggie door in the middle of the night - I had to remove the dog door from the outside to free her. That was 2 weeks ago and despite the fact that I bought a new door for them a gaping hole in the wall of his house remains uncovered with temps reaching below freezing each night. I am at a loss. The police, the Dept of Aging, the VA - all essentially laugh at me and I am at the point of either giving up and allowing the POA people to continue to pillage his belongings and neglect his pets in his absence (yes, I realize animal control can be called but if this man comes home without his beloved dog and cat he will literally give up and die so I cannot call them to take the animals) or I can break into the house and take the dog and cat to my house next door and go to jail for burglery- even though the homeowner has repeatedly given permission for me to enter.  I honestly don't care about the burglary thing except that would put the animals in the same position they are in now.   Who can I call that will listen to me? This is time sensitive and I'm a wreck. Any advice would be appreciated. Please don't advise me to just give up. I'm already at that point. Except I don't want to fail my neighbor who is vulnerable and frail. Thanks, fellow redditors.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Is your neighbor still mentally competent? He can revoke the POA and make a new one.Answer #2: i am wondering if you can call animal control out and adopt them as a concerned neighbor after they go through the proper paperwork. also there might be fines involved for the people with the POA?Answer #3: >Each California County has an Adult Protective Services (APS) agency to help elder adults (65 years and older) and dependent adults (18-64 who are disabled), when these adults are unable to meet their own needs, or are victims of abuse, neglect or exploitation.

http://www.cdss.ca.gov/agedblinddisabled/PG1298.htm

Here is the list by county

http://www.cdss.ca.gov/agedblinddisabled/PG2300.htm

edit: thanks for the gold, hope it works out well for all involved. Answer #4: There are organizations out there that their sole purpose is to take care of the elderly, I believe it might be part of the city or county. Like calling child services if a kid is being abused. I was told this once a couple years ago by a friend who's grandfather was being manipulated by his 90 yr old girlfriends family.."right"... true story...They come over and talk to him to see what's going on and if he is mentally competent.  Also he is a Veteran. And there are lots of organizations put there that help veterans. Especially old war vets. I would also look into the local military chapters in your local area, VFW, American Legion,  there's a whole list . Things like that. If he is a member you'll find help fast. If not, I'm sure the least they will do is point you in the right direction. Good luck!
Answer #5: Is it possible to coax the dog and cat to come out through the doggie door hole?


Title: New tenants in owner occupied duplex all of a sudden have a dog. Lease explicitly states no pets. Tenants claiming the dog is an ESA. (Minnesota)

Question:
My in laws recently bought a new home, which is a split level duplex, with the intention of living in the upper unit while renting out the lower unit. In laws currently do not live in the upper unit but are in the process of moving in items, with intention to be moved in early spring. Their real estate agent offered services to find prospective tenants. The agent presented a tenant who receives rental assistance from the county due to some sort of disability. The tenant has good rental history, guarantee of payment from the county every month, and upon an initial meeting, my in laws felt comfortable offering a 1 year lease.

The lease start date was December 1st. Sometime within the first couple weeks my in laws were at the home and noticed the new tenant had a dog in their car, but the tenant said the dog was just visiting briefly and not inside. Just before Christmas the tenant sent in laws a picture of some sort, from inside the unit, which showed a cat in the background. In laws contacted their agent and said the tenant has an animal in the unit, and asked the agent to remind the tenant pets were not allowed and please remove the animal as soon as possible. The tenant contacted in laws/agent and stated their were very sorry, and it would not be an ongoing issue.

Just the other day father in law stopped by the home to do some work or something in the garage. He knocks on the tenants door, just checking to see how things are going, and let tenant know he's there. The tenant lets him in, and the same dog from a few weeks ago, who was just visiting "briefly and not inside", is now inside and hanging out. Tenant now says they are in the process of having the dog declared as an ESA.

So, what options, if any, do the in laws have in this scenario? Can they say dog must go, since currently there's no documentation it's actually an ESA? What if the dog is declared an ESA, does that matter? If the dog is allowed to stay, can in laws request a pet deposit?

Note: No pet policy is due to newly installed carpet throughout the unit, and also mother in laws asthma/allergies.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Answer:
 > So, what options, if any, do the in laws have in this scenario? Can they say dog must go, since currently there's no documentation it's actually an ESA? What if the dog is declared an ESA, does that matter? If the dog is allowed to stay, can in laws request a pet deposit?

They can send the tenant a cure-or-quit notice or inform them that the animal's continued presence will require an immediate deposit and ongoing pet rent.

As landlords living on premise and with fewer than 4 units, they are not subject to the FHA. Which means they do not have to allow an ESA. Period, full stop.

Answer #2: >Tenant now says they are in the process of having the dog declared as an ESA

Ah the bogus "ESA pet registration." As someone else pointed out, if the landlord lives in the unit and theres 4 or less units they are exempt. But the person also has to have a disability. Just "registering" your dog as an ESA doesn't matter if you're not disabled. People really suck, all this fake ESA stuff is messing it up for people that legit need service animals.Answer #3: Just to be clear, your in laws are the landlords but also live in the same house right. Answer #4: Okay here's the deal. If the tenant is in the process of getting the dog an esa declaration then the tenant has no protection.

Even when they get an esa declaration, that only means landlord cannot refuse tenancy based on the animal, LL can still charge pet deposit and monthly payment rent.

Emotional Service Animals are only protected in two ways. The owner cannot be denied tenancy (as laid out above) and cannot be denied a plane ticket because of the ESA


Title: [WI] I am being sued for a worthless check from years ago and need advice

Question:
I never received paperwork (Sent to my parents house) for a court case on a loan I got from a payday like business I took out 4-5 years ago. I received a phone call and they left me a message. I contacted them immediately to get as much information on this as possible so I could figure out how to resolve this. The law firm told me they would contact the district attorney in my case. She told me that my restitution for my case is $3648.27 and asked if I was accepting or denying to pay it. I have a very small amount of funds at the moment, so I denied it and she told me that was the only way they would be willing to dismiss or drop the charges outside of court. The district attorney said if it wasn't paid by 1 pm today, they would be coming to arrest me on 3 felony count of check fraud. I just had an officer call me and tell me if I don't take care of this case with my attorney, they are going to come and arrest me, but I don't know exactly how bad the charges are and how long I'll be in jail for.............How big are these charges exactly...

I'm scared and I don't know what to do....

Answer:
 You are being scammed. Do not contact them any further and block them on your phone. Answer #2: Absolutely a scam. I called the DA and they said they have no information on me. I called the sheriffs office and they said they have no warrants for me and no information on any court cases for me in the state of Wisconsin in the past 15 years.

I feel dumb, THREE counts of FELONY check fraud on ONE $400 payday loan? I'm glad I record all my phone calls so I can go back and listen. I think the big thing that made me question the validity after reading the "It's a scam" comment was the accent between the Law Firm lady and the Sheriff Office voice. *Face Palm*

This has happened ~10 times to me, they just keep getting smarter and smarter. I usually let them know I am on a recorded line and if they have any information that I need to see, it needs to be sent to my current address, which I gladly give them.

I ALMOST GOT HAD. STAY VIGILANT.Answer #3: Also, never take out another payday loan again. Truly a horrible method of borrowing money. Google "John Oliver payday loan" for a great analysis of the industry.


Title: Paid for work that I didn't do

Question:
So I left my position in a company in California a while ago.  In the time I left I was paid up all my sick days and vacation.

Time passed one of the pay weeks passed too.  On the second payday after I left I got paid my usual wages into my account.

This is obviously an error on the company's behalf.  Do I have to repay this money to the company or can I just keep it.  I'm very confused as to why this happened.  I have a good relationship with my bosses and coworkers there so I would hate to ruin a good reference/future employment over this matter.  Any advice here would be most welcome.

Answer:
 you need to repay that money. do not spend any of it.Answer #2: Why *wouldn't* you have to pay it back?

Are you sure this isn't your last paycheck? Most places pay a week or two behind (for example, getting paid 11/06 for the pay period ending 10/30).Answer #3: verify that you aren't owed these wages (given that most payroll is X weeks behind). once verified, repay. make sure you contact HR to get the taxes adjusted for your W4.


Title: [Canada] - when can you legally knock someone else?

Question:
With all these rights and legal protection and such... I want to make sure I don't get the wrong side of the law.

When someone acts like a bitch or verbally assaults you or makes fun of you or embarrass you in public, can you knock them out? You see it a lot of times in YouTube videos, but lots of ppl are really cunning out there and will sue you or get you fired from your job etc.

Answer: In every province and territory in Canada, the only possibly excuse for physical violence is to protect your life. So unless they're verbally assaulting you so hard that you're experiencing multiple organ failure, no, you can't knock them out.


Title: Meter maid on a power trip?

Question:
This may seem petty but I'm curious as to how to handle this situation:
Background: I work in upstate NY downtown in a very suburban area. A couple years ago the city decided to make most public parking lots into 2 or3 hour parking. It is never full unless there is an event at the civic center nearby (semi-hockey games, concerts, etc) in which tickets are NEVER distributed, assuming they do not want bad impression to tourism. I have been moving my car (go get lunch/ drive across the street to get coffee etc) every 3 hours in order to avoid tickets for years. There is a parking pass available, they are almost $400 a year. The tickets are $30, and $60 after 10 days unpaid.

Issue: One day I came to work at 10:27 (I remember very clearly because I had a client at 10:30 so I was rushing) I came out at 1:29 to do my drive around the block, a little late because I had to answer the phone before I went out. I go out to see the meter maid finishing up the ticket before she put it on, I said "I'm sorry I was just two minutes over and just got held up is there anything you can do"  she smirked and rudely said "well that's too bad for you" as she put the ticket on my windshield and walked away. I understand that this is her job and no body likes a ticket, I know I was 2 minutes over and I'm still obligated to pay the ticket. However it said the tire was marked at 10:20. That was impossible because I was not there at that time (unfortunately no proof, I usually get coffee but did not because I was rushing that day) so I went to city hall and filled out a form to debate it. I received a denial about a month later. I figured. But what bothers me is that the meter maid had to write her response, and again lied on it saying the time was 10:20 and my denial request was inaccurate. I should probably just drop it but this isn't the first time there has been issues. For example A coworker left around 10am one day for an appointment and returned around 11. When she went to move her car at 1:30 she had a ticket claiming over time parking at noon. She believes she parked in a different spot but isn't certain so it could have been an accident, but her tires were not not chalked so the meter maid was just guessing? There are several other similar occasions with coworkers and local businesses around us, this is now the fifth time a situation like this has happened to just me. This is the first time where It truly is my 2 minute fault. I'm not exactly sure what to do and I know it seems petty but $30 is a lot of money for working a job that doesn't pay well. I could go to court but I am not trying to fight this specific ticket. Do I drop it until she does it again? Do I have to take a video every time I get out of my car? The judge of course will believe her above me without proof but I cannot continuously be getting tickets to work at my job because one woman cannot do hers.

Answer:
 get a parking pass. otherwise they'll continue to hassle you. it's not about the parking; it's about the money.Answer #2: If you really care about it buy a dashcam and catch them out in a lie next time.

Otherwise pay your ticket and move on with your life.


Title: Starting my own pornographic business, need advice on how to build a contract.

Question:
Hi! I have almost all the tools required to start this business, except for the fact that I have no clue how to make a contract giving me control over the material produced ( editing, distribution and all ). I am not trying to do anything weird or illegal ( child pornography, bestiality and whatnot ), but I want to protect myself from any bad surprises. Would for example taking pictures of 2 provincial or federal IDs with picture and age be sufficient to protect myself? Is a simple home made contract good enough or do I need to get a lawyer to come up with a contract ? I've been looking around trying to find laws regarding the production of pornographic material but I can't find anything. Please note I have never needed to look for legal advice before, so I might not have the tools required to search properly. Could you please help me and guide me towards the right answers? I live in Quebec, Canada btw (which might also explain some spelling errors). Thank you very much!
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 >Could you please help me and guide me towards the right answers?

No.  But do you know who could?  A real life Canadian attorney.  If you're starting a business, you really should have one anyway.


Title: [Ontario]- Sick for a Week with Doctors note, now boss wants my keys and uniform.

Question:
So I work in a kitchen with the salary title Supervisor. I took an ambulance to the emerge a week ago with severe abdominal pain and was diagnosed with gastritis. It was pretty painful and I couldn’t do my job so I took a week off sick. I acquired a doctors note and informed my employer I had one. I called in every day I missed as per my contract. When I called him this morning to inform him I’d be returning tomorrow he told me to bring in my keys and uniform, as there had been some changes and decisions made while I was away.

My assumption is that I’m fired (though I don’t see the grounds to do so), or I’m being demoted back to hourly for missing so much work. I’m not really in the financial position to lose my job but I don’t exactly want to fall to a lower wage because my intestines decided to flare up.

Is my potential termination or demotion legal? Is there anything I can do to fight this if it occurs? I can find other work but it’ll be hard to make rent and utilities next month if I leave right now.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 A doctors note has no legal authority over the business. A doctors note can not compel your employer to keep employing you.

"A decision has been made" doesn't tell us much. If they are terminating you for "no-cause", they should be paying you severance. Your severance will be determined by your employment contract. If you don't have an employment contract, your length of employment will determine how much you get paid.

If you are terminated "for-cause", then I recommend speaking with an employment lawyer as missing work for a medical emergency probably wouldn't qualify as a reason for an "for-cause termination".


Title: Working everyday since Thanksgiving. Just wondering if that's legal.

Question: I work for USPS and they've had me work 70-80 hour days since Thanksgiving. I live in Illinois. Just wondering if I have any legal recourse.

Answer:
 70-80 hour days? That’s impressive!

Are you union? What does your contract say?


Title: Can this marriage be annulled?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 http://www.divorcenet.com/resources/annulment/annulment-basics/Georgia.htm

>One or both spouses consented to the marriage only because of coercion or fraud exerted by another person.

You have potential here.  But, well, this doesn't pass the sniff test.  I would talk to an immigration attorney and get your ducks in the a row *first.*  Immigration doesn't take kindly to sham marriages.


Title: [USA, CA] Is it legal do experiments on my pet rat/mouse by making it drink hallucinogenic tea?

Question:
For reasons I don't want to talk about yet, am I allowed to conduct my own personal experiments on my own lab rats at home by giving them legal hallucinogenic tea that is not sold to other humans (for consumption)( you can buy it in powder form tho). Are there a set of rules I have to follow or any licenses to obtain?

Please thank you.

PS. I'm only 20 and have not practiced any medicine.
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 Let's be clear:  You are not doing "experiments" you are planing to give your pet a drug to see what happens.

Science (and to a lesser extent medicine) is not just having people or animals ingest things at random.  It's control groups and double blind studies and most importantly (in this case) ethical oversight (IRB or IACUC).  "Here eat this" isn't an experiment.

And giving your pet drugs to see what happens is probably illegal.


Title: My boyfriend got hit by a drunk driver, but blew a .1 and got a DUI

Question:
My boyfriend was driving me home from the bars last night when a very intoxicated driver blew a red light and t-boned us. I'm not sure what the guy blew on the PBT because he was taken away in an ambulance (boyfriend drives a pickup, this guys car was demolished) but the officers on site said that he was essentially just completely shitfaced. My boyfriend blew a .11 on site and was taken to detox where he then blew .10. Of course I understand that .1 is over the legal limit to drive, but it seems very wrong to me that my boyfriend and the other guy receive the same punishment, when the other guy was significantly more intoxicated and completely at fault for the accident. He is setting up an appointment with a lawyer, but what else can we do? What kind of questions should he ask, what should he expect, etc? Any advice or experience is appreciated, thanks.

EDIT: This subreddit is for legal advice, not shaming. Obviously he wasn't doing NOTHING wrong, but I'm asking for help. You guys are [mostly] assholes.

Answer:
 > but it seems very wrong to me that my boyfriend and the other guy receive the same punishment, when the other guy was significantly more intoxicated and completely at fault for the accident.

Completely irrelevant. Your boyfriend being the victim of a crime does not invalidate the fact that he was also the perpetrator of a crime. Answer #2: Report this to your insurance, and hopefully the police report will have the other guy's insurance, which your insurance can go after.

Your boyfriend's drunkenness is a criminal matter, the car accident is a civil matter. Hopefully, the two issues won't overlap if it's as clear-cut as you say. Lawyer for the DUI, insurance for the accident. Sounds like you're on the right track.


Title: If I'm at an intersection and the cars across from me have a left turn and then my light turns green and people are still turning left in front of me can I floor it and hit them and have no liability?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 No, dummy. Of course not. Answer #2: No. First and foremost, you have a responsibility to avoid an accident if possible. Since you did not make a reasonable effort, any insurance adjuster would find you immediately and entirely at fault, especially in the situation you described. Answer #3: Just to be super clear - are you asking if you can legally *cause* an accident that not only can be avoided, is completely caused by your unnecessary action? Answer #4: Can I injure and possibly kill people on purpose with no liability? No absolutely no. 100 times no.Answer #5: If they are in the intersection, regardless of what light you or they have, they have the right of way just because they are in the intersection.  Whether or not it's legal for them to be there does not mean you get to intentionally attempt to harm them or damage their vehicle.  The green light does not take the right of way from the vehicle already in the intersection.

You should really invest in taking a defensive driving course.


Title: My co-worker is consistently sexually harassing me everyday and my employer won't punish him in anyway because he is gay and they're afraid of the possible backlash. What are my options?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 File a complaint with the EEOC, a hostile work environment is an actionable issue and if the employer is aware of the conduct, even if it's a co-worker and not a manager they can be held liable.  You may also want to talk to an attorney who can advise you about the potential of a lawsuit (although the EEOC claim must be filed first) and can advise you about folding deadlines for the EEOC claim. Answer #2: Many employment lawyers will give you a free half hour to address your potential claim.  It sounds like a straightforward hostile work environment claim. The fact that management is ignoring the problem and letting it persist is definitely an important fact.

You can go straight to the EEOC, but you can also retain counsel first.  The EEOC still gets the first crack at the claim, but there's nothing that says you can't have your own lawyer during the process.

It's important to remember that these are fact sensitive claims.  So it's vital to have a good handle on everything that was said to you and by whom.

Disclaimer:  this is for discussion purposes only, not legal advice.  Please consult an attorney in your jurisdiction who can provide competent advice.
Answer #3: Depending on what state you live in (you didn't say), you may be able to record him. Otherwise, the company may be allowed to record him if it's in the rules. My armchair guess is that such a recording is the evidence they need to fire him without serious backlash.Answer #4: You have made the employer aware of the hostile work environment. They are ignoring your complaint and missing the fact that they have opened themself up to suit.


Title: Caught Serving Alcohol to a Minor

Question:
My wife was working at an upscale restaurant in  Seattle, WA USA and was caught in a sting operation where the liquor/alcohol enforcement board got her to serve alcohol to a minor.

Obviously it was a mistake and she, while being incredibly busy, forgot to ask for ID.

We have a court date for 8/10/2017.  What should we expect going in for Arraignment?

We currently have no plans for representation.

Answer:
 Serving alcohol to a minor in Washington is a gross misdemeanor and has the maximum penalty of up to 365 days in the county jail and a $5,000.00 fine.

If it's her first offense, she could be facing a lower fine, and possibly community service, but there's no way to know that definitively.


Title: Computer glitch gave me too much financial aid

Question:
This happened a few years ago (2013-14). I was attending a large public university in my state (MA-US) as an out of state student, and had been for about a year and halfish. I had read that I could change my tuition to in-state if my family was receiving state benefits, which we were. I applied for the change and was approved. When my financial aid processed, the amount was still based on my out of state tuition. When there's a surplus after your academic bills, you receive a check for the surplus. Mine was upwards of 7-8k and I ended up spending all of it.

Within about a month from that, I received a letter from the bursar's office asking for 25% of my bill within two weeks-ish (I forget the exact timeframe but it was pretty short). Confused, I checked my student account and was being charged ~$6000. I was working for a large electronics retailer part-time at the time, and neither I nor my family could have that kind of money in the timeframe they wanted it. This was near the end of the semester; after I finished an administrative hold wsa put on my academic account. I couldn't transfer my transcripts or register for new classes until the amount was paid.

I went to the bursar's office and was told that it was glitch and the money was never intended to be in my account. My tuition had been paid, and the surplus amount subtracted from my student account leading to the balance. I remember at one point someone saying "[I had] to pay back the money I stole from the federal government." I mean I get it, but really?

The debt was later sent to collections and now stands at 7700-ish. I didn't have the means to really make payments or anything so I always declined and re-explained the situation (there were a few agencies that called over time). They claimed the debt was for unpaid tuition, which I'm not sure if it affects things.

FF to now, I've worked enough to get to a job where I can afford to save. I've been working on saving to pay the debt to go back to school. I've almost saved the amount needed, but now I'm hesitant. In the back of my mind I've wondered if there were some legal recourse I could pursue, something. I may have been irresponsible by spending the money, but what they did didn't seem right to me or anyone else I told. Is there some recourse I have that I don't know about? Or should I just pay them and be done with it?

TLDR; Financial Aid gave me money, I spent money, they want it back. I don't think the way I got it makes it my fault to have to pay back, but it may not be worth debating at this point.

Answer:
 You spent money that you weren’t entitled to. There is no court on this planet that will say otherwise. You owe it. Pay it back.Answer #2: >I don't think the way I got it makes it my fault to have to pay back

Hypothetically, if a bank makes the mistake of transferring 100 billion into your account, you believe you'd be entitled to that money? What if it's the other way around? I'm sure you'd be fuming if you got less than you were entitled to.

You spent money that wasn't yours. Dumb move and you're going to have to pay this


Title: Fake ID question

Question:
I have a family member that is buying and redistributing mass amounts of fake ids from various places in China to college students. He posts frequently on the fakeid subreddit, but other than that is relatively discrete. I'm not okay with this family member doing this kind of activity in the same household as me. I also recently found out that he got fake ids for a student that passed away at college last semester due to alcohol poisoning. It could have been from the alcohol he bought with the fake. If he does not stop this activity, how should I go about reporting him to the police?

Edit: Tennessee

Also, should have mentioned I am trying to stay anonymous.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 *Pick up phone*

*Dial Number for police.*

"Hello, Police?  I would like to report someone importing mass amounts of fake ID's at [insert address here]."


Title: I left a google review for a local UPS store. In their public reply, they stated the item I almost shipped from their store, and the value of it. Do I have any legal recourse?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 What you are shipping is not protected information. Did they like?Answer #2: No, it's not worth pursuing.

If you want your shipping practices to remain private, don't go online using your real name and publicly post for the benefit of the 2 billion strong internet reading world that UPS overcharged you for shipping a high value item.


Title: If I create a song on the piano, do I immediately own the copyright to it or does it have to go through the copyright process for that to happen?

Question:
I've been teaching myself how to play the piano over the last few years and have been writing my own songs as well, and I would like to use TuneCore to sell them on iTunes and Spotify and such. I figured it'd be best to copyright the songs if I did, but found out it takes 4-5 months to process. Is that a necessary first step before selling the songs or can it be skipped?

edit: I live in Wisconsin.

Answer:
 Copyright is automatic, considering that you're gunning for a money making venture, officially filing a copyright has advantages you'll probably find useful.Answer #2: You get a copyright when your work is "fixed" -- i.e. when you record it or write down the notes.  Registering the copyright before the work is published means that if somebody infringes it and you sue them, you can seek your attorney's fees and "Statutory damages," both of which are big pluses for you.

You can file the paperwork to do the registration, then sell the songs before you get the registration back.


Title: [VA] Employer doesn't pay overtime, is paying me through two LLCs

Question:
I've been working at this security company situated in my city for a little more than a month. I started off doing a few nights a week at a local car park. That changed into me doing more nights at the same car park, picking up shifts that needed immediate coverage, and, these past few weeks I got two new gigs: one working at a nightclub on Saturdays, and 2 12-hour shifts every weekend at an office building a little ways out. These pay more money per hour (nightclub is 20/hr the first night and 15/hr after, office is 14/hr), and between that and the car park gig I'm clearing 50 hours a week. After overtime, I figure I'll really be earning.

Anyways, I received my pay stub for this week and I was quite disappointed. I received 101 hours at the base rate with no overtime (They do it based off of a fraction of the month, 15-31.) I was pretty upset and looked into the employee handbook, which stated that overtime and full-time status could only be earned if some one gets 40+ hours from a single job site.

I looked at a couple of labor law firm FAQs, and they seem to all agree that hours worked at different job sites must be added together/counted as FT/OT. So, I filed a complaint with the DoL.

It gets a little more complicated. I receive a second paystub, from another LLC. This LLC has the same owner and uses the company's old location, uses the same paystub email service, and is for the nightclub gig + bonus for first night. I look into it a little, and the owner founded the first LLC in 2015, and this second LLC in November 2018.

My questions are as follows:
1) Am I right in pursuing an investigation?
2) How do my future job prospects play into this? I plan on quitting based on the situation/other issues I've seen in the company. Will leaving harm my investigation, or make it more difficult to get a job?
3) Why would the owner use two LLCs to pay their employees?

I truly appreciate any input you have on the matter.

Answer:
 Pursue the investigation over your pay. Notify the department of labor of the lack of OT from the hours worked they'll do the heavy lifting in securing your funds. Now as for the LLCs I'll quote this: "When employees work for two different companies owned by one employer (called joint employment), they are still entitled to overtime when their clocked hours at both companies exceed 40 in a week (or 8 in a day in some states)." Technically if your employer owns both your owed a combined amount of OT and you should report this to the DoL. Now personally if you feel this is sketchy I'd look into finding another position someplace else as mentioned but ensure you report the Wage inaccuracies and the fact you were paid twice by two LLCs owned by your employer but not paid with overtime of any sort.Answer #2: Your employer is NOT the first person to think they were clever enough to try to make one job into two to avoid paying overtime.  It won't work out well for them.

You don't need to stay employed under crummy situations for the DOL to look into it and get you paid more if you were underpaid.

Leaving won't make it any harder to get a new job than any other job quit under unfriendly circumstances.   It's illegal for them to actually retaliate against you for filing a wage claim in good faith, but...  you should still plan not to use them as a reference.


Title: Can I be fired bc new uniforms do not cover my tattoos?

Question:
I started a new job in a large law firm in August and I love the job. I am expected to dress business casual. There is a dress code (no denim, no tank tops, etc) but there is no mention of tattoos. I dress very conservatively bc I am heavily tattooed. No one at my work knows I have tattoos and I’d like to keep it that way just to keep things professional.

Last week, a woman came to our office and while she was waiting to meet with my boss she mentioned in conversation that she was there to show uniform samples for my position. I looked at the samples on her website and though I have no problem switching to uniforms I noticed that most of the styles would not cover up some of my more noticeable tattoos.

My employer is an at will employer so I know I can technically be fired without any actual reason but can I be fired if the new uniforms they choose do not cover up my tattoos? Should I inform them ahead of time, before they choose a style? I am in NYC.

Answer:
 Yes, you can be fired for having visible tattoos.

> Should I inform them ahead of time, before they choose a style?

For sure, if you're a good employee they will want to keep you around. Answer #2: They can require you to not have visible tattoos. If the uniforms do not cover your tattoos and they do not allow them to be visible you can cover them with a heavy foundation. Answer #3: There's no legal issue here.  They can fire you for having tattoos if they want, which is what they would be doing if they chose uniforms and require you to wear them and also require you not to have visible tattoos.  You would be able to get unemployment though.

Personally, I'm a little perplexed about why this is even coming up.  Is this like asking everyone to have one particular style of suit so that a whole bunch of legal staff match and look impressive?  I would think you could just get a jacket to match the uniform if you need to cover your arms.  Answer #4: Dermablend and Kay Von D Lock it foundation will cover your tattoos completely and will not rub off.

Medical professional here- I recommend them to everyone who needs to cover up for work.

Watch the dermablend you tube videoAnswer #5: Can you get the arm sleeve covers? They sell them online and in most uniform stores that are open to the public but have police and fire contracts because they usually have a visible tattoo rule too. You can get them in tan and black colors. Answer #6: Has anyone told you no tattoos or asked you about them? NAL


Title: I lost my cat. He was then brought into a humane society by people who thought he was stray and adopted. Apparently I can’t get him back.

Question: I called the humane society in my city (in Ontario). They confirmed that my cat got “adopted as a stray” and even if I provided proof of ownership that since it was a legal adoption I can’t get the cat back.

Answer: Yes, sadly this is how it works.  Animals are considered property.  So when your cat gets lost and is taken in by the city, after a period of time, it becomes "abandoned property", in much the same way an abandoned automobile would be towed away and put into impound.  Your best bet might be to talk to the people who adopted the cat if possible.  You could try your hands at speaking with a lawyer in hopes that city policy doesn't trump some state or federal law.


Title: Scared to death.

Question: I  had the biggest scare of my life. It was 10pm when I heard the loudest banging on my door. I was not expecting anyone.  I do not have a peephole in my door so I couldn't see who it was. They announced that they were the sheriff's department but why would they be there trying to bang down my door?  I thought these crazy people were just saying that to try to get in. I thought it was a home invasion.  I immediately went to my son's room and told him to hide in the closet as I called 911 fearing for our lives. I really thought someone was breaking down the door to hurt us. I told 911 operator to please hurry they are going to kill us. Well I was so relieved when they broke in and it really was the sheriff's department but was still shaking and crying  as they put me in handcuffs.  It turns out they had the WRONG Apartment!  They were looking for someone that used to live there. I had no idea who it was. They continued to treat me like a criminal and embarrassed me. I can not sleep at night, My anxiety is through the roof. I have missed time at work. Is there anything I can do? I keep having flashbacks of fearing for my life!

Answer:
 It is unfortunate when law enforcement gets the wrong place or the wrong person. It’s also to some extent just the consequence of enforcement.

You should get counseling to help with your experience. Thanks to mental health parity laws at least a few visits should be covered by your medical insurance.


Title: [Ohio] Neighborhood kids vandalizing property

Question:
Over the past two years a neighborhood girl (around 13 years old) has been vandalizing property at my work amongst other things. This includes things I've seen her do like throw rocks at a coworker, things her siblings have told us she's done that they also wouldn't know had happened including shoving a broom through a window and breaking the glass as well as crapping in a outdoor storage bin, and things that we know she did including stealing books from inside the building and stealing stuff from our locked outdoor storage bins, some of which was brought back by her siblings. Today she was on our property again which led to this post.

My question is, what is the best course to deal with this? Can I take pictures or record incidents? I'm unsure how that works with minors.

Thank you.

Answer:
 You can take video of anyone in public, as long as they don't have a reasonable expectation of privacy. You can record anything in your house, or outside your house, because it's yours. Exceptions are that you can't secretly record the guest bathroom in your home, for example, because anyone there would reasonably expect privacy. But outside your house, especially for someone who's trespassing, is fair game.

This girl shouldn't expect privacy if she's coming on your property to vandalize it. Her being a minor is irrelevant.Answer #2: Document crimes being committed. Call the police.


Title: [HI] Disturbed individual in my building keeps going up to the mailboxes and trying to use his key on all 128 mailboxes. I recorded him on video doing it.

Question: The man clearly has dementia. I recorded him trying to open the different mailboxes. During the recording I asked him what he was doing and he says trying to get into the other boxes. Is this something I can call the police about I have several residents complaining. I am the manager of the building.

Answer: you can call the police for any reason at all. would i call them? yes. especially if he is successful or damages property.


Title: Parents divorced, shared custody and no longer wanting to visit mother.

Question: As you may have read, I am 17, stuck in a shared custody between my divorced parents and no longer want to visit my mother. As she gets older she begins to get more insane and after a recent allegation she has made, I feel unsafe to go over to her house. I have no control over what manipulated story she told my stepdad (an avid gun user) and am fearful for my life to go over there. Any advice would be great, thank you very much!

Answer:
 Ask your dad to seek an order modifying the custody agreement, then, tell the judge why you don’t want to visit your mom.

Also, Call CPS if you are afraid of your mother, and ask your dad to call CPS as well.  Tell a trusted teacher/ school counselor.


Title: Doored by Uber parked in bike lane. Help!

Question: I was biking in downtown Chicago on a street with clearly defined bike lanes. An Uber parked in half the bike lane, and as I biked down my bike line, the passenger opened the door, resulting in me crashing into the door and breaking my arm. I have been in contact with Uber, and they will be sending insurance paperwork. I am a part time waiter and cannot work for the next 8 weeks. What, if any, sort of compensation can I expect from Uber, and should I seek legal representation? I'm not looking for a lawsuit, I just don't want to get screwed.

Answer: I would retain a personal injury lawyer.  Answer #2: Probably loss of wages from insurance. If that doesn't happen you would have to sue to get the money.


Title: (NC) Got DUI and did interlock for a year. Got it out, moved out of state, now received a letter saying license is suspended for a year starting 6/13/2019

Question:
After actually two years of having the interlock(did the first year wrong apparently) and paying all that every month and not being able to move like i had planned.  After two years of that, it was finally over  three months ago.

Now out of no where i receive a letter stating my license is being supsended for a year starting 6/13/19 .  I can have a hearing if i pay $450.

I dont understand this.  I haven't had any issues or been pulled over.

Answer: Did your probation officially end or did you just assume it was over because the date passed and the interlock was removed?


Title: [DE] Hefty "Hands Free" ticket...at a stoplight?

Question:
This will be relatively short and simple.

&nbsp;

While traveling from Maine to Virginia, I was stopped and ticketed $206 for using a mobile device in a "Hands Free" zone. I used my phone for a total of ~1 minute as I approached a red light (slowing down from 35 mph), while I was at the light, and as I was accelerating away ~100 feet down the road.

&nbsp;

My options are pay the fine or appear in court and fight the ticket.

&nbsp;

What are my chances of getting the ticket reduced to equal less than that after court fees, etc. I partially want to take it to court just to be a pain in the ass, because I have a perfect driving record, never pulled over before this, and it was clearly not an egregious offense. I believe I was targeted because I had out of state plates, and they do not expect me to fight it. Thoughts?

Answer: I mean, you always have the option to fight the ticket. But if you admit that you used your phone in a hands-free zone, then you're basically admitting that you committed the offense that you've been cited for.Answer #2: Sounds like you broke the law.  What would your defence be?