Title: Noise complaint when no one home felt like scam.

Question:
So we were gone to madison this week for state required training. We have done this over the last 2 or 3 years, about once every other month. We normally leave on a tues night and come home thurs or friday morning. While away my father comes to feed our animals and do a house check 2 times a day at about 330 am and 530 pm. We have an invisible fence for our siberian husky female that wraps around our yard, all on our property, that we put in when i bought the home from my grandparents. We live out in the country and own a fairly large corner lot. I have a neighbor that is west of me, and one that my property wraps around to the north.  I also have a neighbor to the east, south east, and south of my home that have county roads between us.

Anyway, we were out of town and at 3:08am this morning were called by our local pd from home, about 3 hrs away. They actually called 2 times, but i was sleeping and the chirp of the vm notification from the second call @ 3:14am, woke me up. I saw it and recognized it as a local number. so figured id listen to the vm. Im still very groggy and confused at this point, having only managed to sleep 3 hrs. The vm is basically "hello nips27, this is deputy, from local pd. Im calling just to let you know we recieved a complaint about your dog barking. Ive been out here for about 5 10 min and your dog is quiet, in fact, shes sitting right in front of me. Im going to let you go with a VERBAL warning this time, but if you could please keep the dog from barking to keep the peace with the neighbors that would be great. Please call use at blah blah blah. " Its not an exact quote but very close.

All i really heard was that it was the pd from home and they needed me to call them. It was a quick vm about 30 sec long from connect to disconnect, and i was again, very groggy. So i kind of went into panic mode and called immediately thinking it was emergency. I mean y would u call a personal cell phone (which im not sure how they got) at 3am otherwise? They answer by asking me if my name is nips27. I answer "yes, whats going on?" Panic increasing, they have the right guy... he asks if i still live at blank address. i say "yes, whats the emergency, is my house ok?" Panic of family injury subside, but panic of my house burning down or something like that increase significantly. Its an old home thats literally been in the family for years and only the 2nd family for over a hundred years, so a high possibility. I also mention im very dazed and confused having been woke up on very little sleep. He asks if i could please go to the officer at the door. I tell him that its not possible since im out of town 3 hrs away. He goes on to finally tell me that their was a complaint and im getting a WRITTEN warning. I know my dog and she doesnt bark at nothing, its something out of the ordinary. I ask for more details and explain this politely to him mentioning that there is a good possibility of suspicious activity. if so wed like to know if theyd investigate. Mentioning she has an invisible fence. I requested to get the direction she was barking or if she was barking at something in particular? I also mention my dad, who is 64, was going to be there soon. He mentions that hed talk to the officer and have the officer call me directly. He then hangs up after i acknowledge.

I immediately call my father to give him a heads up. I dont want him walking into a home break in. While explaining what little i knew to my dad the deputy calls. I end my dads call and answer immediately.

The officer starts by explaining that i have nothing to worry about and that hes already TOLD OUR NEIGHBOR WE WERE NOT HOME and its taken care of.  He then explains what he said in the vm and then goes on to say thats hes already checked the place as hes been parked near a small bar, in eyesight of my property, down the street to watch for over 15 min. He adds that once he got off the phone leaving the vm that the dog began to bark at something, not constantly, but once every few seconds. I know this is my dog alerting to someone or something strange for sure and relay this to him. I ask which direction and he tells me that its kind of towards his direction but seems to be more towards directly across the street to the south.(this neighbor is out of town as well but forget to relay that in the moment) he basically moves on and tells me thats theres going to be a WRITTEN warning and hell send me a copy of the ordiance as well. I then ask for a basic overview of it if possible. He says that the ordinance requires me to get a min 6ft high fence, a bark collar, and/or a kennel license or else face future penalty. I ask if theyve had complaints before and he says no, but the neighbor says its not the first time. I tell him I have never had a complaint and this is my first time hearing anythimg of it. So i ask who complained so that i could get more from them to avoid it in the future. He refused for 'fear of retaliation.' I remind him im 3 hrs away and its 3 am, i just dont want this happening again and want to make sure it doesnt become something more. Still being very polite this whole way, legitimately wanting to move on and fix the problem, by getting a better understanding of the problem. But he refuses again and i drop it. I ask if i can get a copy of the police report and he tells me i have to call the office in the morning. I ask if there was any way to fast track it so its ready for me as id be driving at that time in the morning? He says no.  I thank him and the call basically ends afters nicetys.

I call the pd this morning on the drive home at 930am and request a copy of the police report.  She informs me there is none. Panic of scams of people watching my house pretending to be local pd flash in. She must have realized this as she then states that maybe he hasnt typed it up yet. I ask what the record states as of now as far as outcome of the complaint and if there was at least one that existed. She says im getting a WRITTEN WARNING and to wait since it was so early in the morning. I aak if she can get it to me as soon as it comes in. She says yes. I give email info.

I feel like there are a couple things wrong:

1. How could he change his mind from verbal to written in a matter of minutes and after leaving me a vm saying so. (Theyre saved)

2. There is no proof of my dog barking, until, she sees a police officer watching my home for over 15 min. Well duh. And at that point its still not consistent barking and howling... can i fight this? I know its only a warning, but this proves that at any time i could get in trouble if someone choses to complain, whether true or not, because my dog will bark at them. inevitably, if they stake it out for long enough. Ill then face fines and possibly losing a family dog and protector. Can they really make it illegal for my dog to bark?

3. They told a neighbor that no one was home at my address! Especially after me expressing concerns of possible robbery... can they do that? I mean the neighbor could have easily killed my dog or been testing the waters to steal something before i got home. (Well if the police officer made it past the dog, i can...)

4. Was it necessary for 3 am wake up calls to verbally warn me only to tell me they were mailing me a written warning? Couldnt it wait til morning? Especially if he cant even get the report ready by then?

What are my rights here? This whole thing just seems messy and very poorly handled. It feels like theyre baiting my dog and harrassing me. I felt panic for my house and family, then felt like i was a fugitive hiding from the pd and would have been tackled if i were home to open the door, and even tho i was cooperating in every way, was accused of something with proof to the contrary.

Is this worth paying a lawyer for? I dont want to spend the extra money if possible. We work hard, keep to ourselves mostly, and just want to be left alone. Thats y we live in the country...

Tldr attempt: cops called on us for noisy dog complaint at 3 am. We were out of town and officer gives verbal warning via vm after admitting dog is quiet and  he can literally see her sitting in front of house. They are calling my personel cell at 3am mutliple times. I wake up, hear portion of vm in dazed state, and call local pd. They treat me like fugitive held up in house, demanding i answer the door for officer and ignore pleas of concern of potential tresspassing/robbery. Officer tells complaintent were not home and that Im getting a WRITTEN WARNING. After hes left vm stating it was a verbal warning and changing his mind literally less than 10 minutes later. My main questions/concerns and details are listed above.

Answer:
 Wow, way too much information here over nothing. To answer your questions

1) No one knows, but it doesn't matter that he decided to change his mind.

2) It's just a single warning. Nothing is going to happen. You'd be surprised how many it can take to have anything serious happen.

3) Not illegal.

4) Nothing wrong with this call.

You have no legal actions available. Answer #2: Needs TLDR.


Title: Who do I complain about the police too? (Santa Barbara, CA)

Question:
Hi guys! I'm in a bit of a pickle. My apartment complex is located right next to a two lane freeway. I live in a small beach town, with low crime rate. The problem that has hounded my family for the last couple of months has been a specific speed trap that's set up right next to our apartments on the freeway. It seems like the same cop, every other night or so (very frequently on the weekends) will set up a speed trap in this specific place and it so happens to be in an area where there is no safe area to pull over so he has to yell through his megaphone: ""EXIT! EXIT! EXIT! DO NOT STOP HERE! EXIT! EXIT! KEEP GOING ONTO THIS NEXT EXIT" Now, this wouldn't be too bothersome throughout the day but it happens all through the night, up until about 3 or 4 AM. Adding to the noise is the fact that blue and red siren lights are flashing every time he pulls someone over which is maybe once an hour. My mom works 3 jobs as a house keeper and any sleep she can get is precious to her, which makes her room facing this speed trap terrible for her sleep habits. My town is so small that we hire the next county to provide Sherriff services to us, and I've called them and they said that without a badge number they don't have anything they can do. I've called the Sheriff on multiple occasions and they kind of just push me from one department to the next. One time they told me it must be CHP, so I called them..and they asked for a badge number or identifier and sent me right back to the Santa Barbara Sheriffs which led to no answers. At this point it's driving us all crazy and really infringing on being able to sleep. What is there left to do?

Edit: Wrong *too* on my title. It was driving me crazy as well. lol

Answer:
 You need to go look at the cop car. If it's a regular thing this should be pretty easy. Call up the agency he belongs to and talk to them, give the car number.

Speed traps are illegal in Ca, IANAL but it does not sound like this is a speed trap, it's just a cop doing his job in an area he knows is a problem.Answer #2: Maybe see if you can't get a number off of the car itself, or at least it's plate number.  The cops at least know who checks out what car for their shifts.Answer #3: The cops probably don't care all that much, especially if they aren't local.  Since it's a small town, this sounds like the perfect problem to speak about to your mayor or the city council person representing you.

Be polite, do your best to generate some sympathy, maybe stop in to the office in person with some cookies, show them a video of the lights or sound from inside your residence, and ask for help.  Your local government are the ones contracting the officer, so they'll most likely be the fastest avenue to get the situation resolved.


Title: My friend is thinking about something evil

Question:
My friend (K) is thinking about purchasing and releasing a swarm of locusts on a farm nearby.
K wants to know exactly how much trouble they'll get into if they go through with this. K lives in Arkansas.

Answer:
 Well, let's see.  How big a farm are we talking?  I ask because "your friend" will be on the hook for any damages to the farm and its crops, the expense involved in dealing with the problem, cost to replace any lost crops, lost profits as a result, etc., etc., etc.  Spoiler warning:  It adds up FAST, and I guarantee you it's all way more expensive than you'd think.

How about nearby properties?  Turns out locusts don't know what the hell a property line is, and they're really goddamn good at breeding and spreading out.  Take that last paragraph and apply it to any other farms nearby.

Then you have the criminal charges.  As /u/Kithesa noted already, just purchasing the locusts is already illegal, to say nothing of the associated charges for property damage and the like (and as locusts are wild animals, "your friend" will be responsible for any damages caused by the locusts "he" owned).Answer #2: I already know purchasing locusts is illegal in America, so my plan stops there

Besides, all we have are cows


Title: I was stupid and got caught with weed, weed paraphernalia, underage possession of alcohol, and an open bottle. What do?

Question:
Two nights ago, I was smoking weed with my close friend Tom who was drinking rum in the passenger seat. I didn’t have any of the rum and I hadn’t been drinking that night, or even that day. We were in the parking lot of a park. This was a regular smoke spot of mine. I must have smoked there upwards of a hundred times without running into trouble, so honestly even though it was 2 am, (park closes at 10 pm) I thought it would be fine. I was wrong.

What exactly happened was I got there, smoked half bowl while Tom was drinking. I only smoked half of the bowl because I saw a pair of unmistakable current-gen Ford Explorer headlights, which is a red flag that screams “ OH SHIT, COPS.” I immediately put my bag of weed (2 grams or so) and my bowl under my butt where I was sitting in the driver’s seat. Sure enough, I was right. The flood lights went on and then an officer got out and came up to my window. He told me “I smell alcohol in the car, how much have you had to drink, which lead to Tom and me getting breathalyzed. I blew a 0.00 because again, I wasn’t drinking at all. Tom blew a 0.05, and since he’s 20 like me, he got in trouble for that.

Because of the odor, that gave the cop probable cause to search my car, so he and like three of his fellow officers that had recently showed up temporarily detained both me and Tom, and then searched my entire car. They found my weed, two bowls, and two grinders and the rum too. Because all the booze was in my car, I got the heat for that. Anyways, they searched the car for probably 10 minutes, and then I was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, underage possession of alcohol, and for having an open bottle in the car. They decided to cut me a break and didn’t charge me with the weed its self, so that was nice.

Anyways, I’m totally new to having a criminal record. Before this, all I had was a red-light ticket I got in the mail. Is there anything I can do to make this hurt less?
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: Get a criminal lawyer and do what they say to do.  If you can't afford one, listen to the public defender.


Title: Wasn't being paid overtime, pointed it out, was fired. What to do next?

Question:
Location- Lapeer, Michigan.

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In February of 2017, I started working at a bakery. In my contract, it stated I wouldn't be paid for overtime. I worked about \~20 hours of overtime between February-December of that year. Fast forward to December 2018, I finally felt like something was off, and looked into the wage laws of Michigan. Legally, my employer should have been paying all of their employees overtime, but none had been paid to any of us. I confronted the employer about this, saying that I didn't want to create a big issue, and that I would be happy to continue working for them if I were to be paid for any overtime I worked from that moment on.

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They were immediately verbally aggressive, and stated that they would NOT be paying anyone overtime, like they had stated previously in 2017. They also said they would be hiring an attorney just to 'cover their bases' in the event that they were reported to the Department of Labor. A poster about worker's rights was shown to them, where it does indeed state that being paid overtime is a law in Michigan. They still claimed that they didn't have to pay it because it was written in the contract. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure something someone types up in a contract can't override a state law?)

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The attorney told the employer that since it had been pointed out, they were now required to send me my overtime pay from the last few years. On December 31, 2018, I was told to collect any personal items I had at the building, and turn in my key or throw it away, because the locks would be changed, and kept saying they had no idea it was a law, they 'couldn't believe I was doing this to them', etc. There was another manager who was involved in this, and was also told to turn in her keys/take her belongings. In January, I was mailed my OT pay from 2018. It is almost June now, and I still have not received my 2017 pay. I've politely asked if there was any information available about my 2017 pay, and have been given excuses every time.

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There were many other issues going on there, including minors working well over their legal hours, employees working 9+ hour shifts with no breaks, having me clean a grease trap by hand (I have photo evidence of that one!), multiple other health code violations, etc. I've wanted to file a complaint with the Department of Labor in my state, but am not sure how to do so, as this is a bit of an unusual situation. I do also believe I could sue for wrongful termination, but I don't know if I should go that far or not.  **Basically, I am unsure of which direction I should take this in.**

Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this, I would love to hear some opinions on the situation.

Answer:
 If you plan to consult with an employment attorney then do that first, but you have three years from the date of the violation to [file an overtime complaint](https://wageandbenefitcomplaint.apps.lara.state.mi.us/) with the State, so don't wait too long.Answer #2: >kept saying they had no idea it was a law

What a load of BS. It's on the poster they're required to post in the business.  They clearly knew they were supposed to pay overtime or they wouldn't have written about it in the "contract". Employer thought they'd get away with having employees sign their rights away and be too scared or uninformed on rights to do anything.


Title: Victim of Title-Jumping

Question:
Hello all, I recently paid cash for a car from a private seller (PS). I was told that he had his replacement title on the way in the mail. I paid him a set cash amount and PS, my witness, and I signed a bill of sale.

I then told the guy to notify me when he gets his title and we will meet at the DMV to make the transfer. I drove the car home that day. The next day he texts me this long text saying how he was lied to and that his name is not even on the title and he has no possession of the title. He then tells me the actual name on the title. I cannot contact this person and have no help from PS.

State: Illinois

Am I screwed? Will I be able to receive the title and what will I have to do? Can I get the police involved? Small claims court? Any help would be great, I got myself in a pickle. Thanks

Answer:
 You're going to have to sue him in small claims.

This is why you don't buy cars without the title.


Title: [NJ] Soon to be ex-wife requests I split her attorney fees. Do I have grounds to deny her request?

Question:
Hello all, as stated in my title my ex is requesting I pay her back half the legal fees she was charged when she filed for divorce. I am wondering if it would be possible to deny this request seeing our past history?

Quick story about why she is my ex. She was unfaithful to me many times including when i was overseas in Iraq. She emptied out our joint account without notifying me (this also when i was in Iraq) and paid an initial investment into a Wyndham time share then never paid another payment afterwards. So in essence she donated 5 grand to Wyndham.

So what I am wondering is do I have the proper material to deny her request? And if i do, will i need an attorney? Or do I have enough material to represent myself?

Thank you all in advance for the advice.

Edit: I have received some great advice in the comments and am going to get an attorney to represent me.

Thank you all for stopping by and helping a guy out! Hope you all have a pleasant day!

Edit 2: Holy capybara! This blew up way more than expected. As you may have already came to the conclusion I'm completely uneducated in any type of law. Hence why I came to this sub for questions.

A lot of you have opened up my eyes and placed me on the correct path, which I am eternally great full for! I have contacted a few divorce attorneys in my area for consult and will be relaying all information that i gathered here.

For all my fellow redditors who are stroking that revenge boner i will keep this post updated so you can eventually finish. *giggity*

Answer:
 Was it specified in the divorce court order that you pay half of her lawyer fees?Answer #2: You can always turn down a request.  Whether the court will side with you or her on this matter is going to come down to details we do not have access too, such as your individual finances.

KEEP IN MIND that unless she has filed for a fault divorce (which I doubt), her past conduct is not particularly relevant to the settlement.  If this is No Fault and you agree to move forward with that, then you are agreeing to largely keep past conduct out of this and instead looking SOLELY for an equitable distribution of the marital estate.  If you want the settlement to be (potentially) in your favor because of the adultery, then you should file a fault divorce on those grounds (this would be expensive and often not worth it).

So yes, you can deny her request OR request your own terms.  Just keep in mind the court will be focusing on financials and not on past conduct.  Answer #3: Get your own attorney, definitely. No one is looking out for you as a nation, her lawyer is out to serve /her/ interests. Answer #4: Are you active duty or a vet? Have you looked into whether or not you're eligible for limited/no fee counsel from a source related to your service?


Title: Have I been fired? Am I allowed to be fired for mental health reasons?

Question:
PA - this last week I have been working at a summer camp and have been running into personal mental health issues. Stress attacks, depression, stress, refusal to take my medication, and not wanting to eat.

Yesterday after not going to either of the two breakfasts and saying I have not been drinking water, I was taken into my bosses office for a talking to.

Side note, his argument was basically I, someone who is going through intense feelings and not eating because of it, he said I was not worth anyone's time. They will not help me, and think I am not worth it. Completely forgetting I haven't been eating, he said he is missing his breakfast and proceded to have someone get him oatmeal, no offering me any.

Anyway, after all that he said "Get him off the property," and had someone call my mom to pick me up, even though I am at the age where I can drive myself.

So the question is: was I fired? No word from them about being fired or when to return. But I think the real issue is if they did fire me, are they allowed to? I did some light reading about mental illness in the workplace. I don't think they are allowed to fire me for what is essentially a disability, especially since I am an adult now.

What is the best course of action? Email them, ask them to come back, play the disability card of I am?
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Did you request any accommodations under the ADA?Answer #2: Have you been doing your job? The symptoms you mention seem to be related to your self-care, but are you do whatever they hired you to do?

To be clear, you can be fired for failing to carry out your job, whether or not you have a disability. If you are in the US, the appropriate course of action if you have a disability is to bring a note from your doctor to HR, and negotiate reasonable accommodations. If you never bring a note, you can be fired for not doing your assigned job duties. If you do bring a note, and the reasonable accommodations that you mutually agreed upon aren’t enough, you can still be fired for not doing your assigned job duties.

What you can’t be fired for is for bringing the note or requesting accommodations, or if you are given the accommodations and you continue to do your job within those accommodations, they can’t fire you for not doing your job (because you are doing it).


Title: Prostitution?

Question:
I recently broke up with my bf of a few months. We met online, and he’s much older than me. I’m 20 years old while he’s 31. I work every day except for Sundays, and on Sundays I’m so tired that I sleep all day and rarely have time to see him. He’s been asking me for weeks to take time off work, but I haven’t been able to because I have bills to pay. As a result, he offered to give me a few hundred dollars to help with my bills in exchange for me taking Friday and Saturday off to spend time with him. He mentioned a few of the things we would do, one of which included making love. I agreed because I really did miss him. After the fact, I became fearful that I had legally committed prostitution by agreeing to his financial help when he mentioned that one of the things we will do is have sex, although he never said he would pay me for sex. Due to my paranoia, I broke up with him.

My question is, do I have anything to worry about? Have I done something illegal?

Answer:
This is not prostitution, he wanted to spend time with you so he offered to help with your bills so you could take time off.  This is normal couple behavior. Ask yourself this “if we didn’t have sex during those days off would he have demanded his money back?”

This is definitely go see a doctor level anxiety.  Also maybe call him and talk things out.


Title: [PA] Stopped by officer for "suspicious behavior" and refused a search. Was let go but told "to expect a knock on my door."

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If they knock at your door (they won't) do not allow them in. Step outside and close the door behind you.

If they want to come in, say "Do you have a warrant?".

Unless they have obtained a warrant, deny them entry.

If they say they have one (very unlikely) you must allow them in or potentially face charges. (thanks for the correction /u/Sharkbait76 )Answer #2: >He told me to "wait while he got the warrant," and went to his squad car. I was kept there over an hour.

Is this an actual situation where the question "Am I being detained?" would've been worth asking?Answer #3: Don't answer your door to cops ever. (unless you called them of course) You have no obligation to and there is virtually no situation where it can benefit you.Answer #4: Most likely it was just a scare tactic


Title: [CA] landlord undercharged me for 6 months, now wants ~$1400

Question:
Hi r/legaladvice.

I have been renting in an apartment complex in CA for nearly 4 years and I've always paid rent on time. Now, my landlord has said that for the past 6 months they haven't been charging me as much as what was agreed to in our lease and is asking me to pay them ~$1400 to make up for their mistake. Is this legal? Is there anything I can do here?

Thanks for your help!

EDIT: Thanks for your help everyone! Although it really stinks that things turned out this way I at least feel a little better knowing that I'm not just being taken advantage of in this situation.

Answer:
 Yes- If you've been underpaying your rent (even if it's not your fault) you can be expected to pay the full amount.

Think of it this way, if your employer had shorted you on your paycheck $100/month for six months, you'd expect them to pay you back, right?


Title: Parents Land Split Between Son And Daughter

Question: My parents own 20 something acres in NC. I'm the daughter and I live in FL. Son who is my brother lives in CA. In my parents Will the land will be split between me and my brother. It will then go on to my two children and my brothers two children and so on. What kind of problems could arise with this situation? My brother hates the land and may try to sell it, however if one party wants to keep it then it can't be sold. What if he tries to get out of paying taxes on it? Will they be split evenly? What other problems should I be ready for? And I forgot to mention that my brother and wife despise us.

Answer:
 Best bet: talk to your parents. If bro doesn't want the land and you two hate each other maybe they should change their will.

If say the land is worth $500,000 and the rest of the estate is cash and stocks worth $1,000,000 then maybe you get the land plus $250,000 in cash for your share. Brother's sure is 750,000 in cash. Estate split evenly, problems avoided.

If that won't work then you should offer to buy him out. Pay him $250,000 for his share.
Answer #2: Get an assessment and offer to buy him out of his half of the land?


Title: My former stepsister molested my nephew and took photos of it. What can I do?

Question:
NorthEast Florida:
Recently, my mom and my stepdad broke up, there were a lot of problems, but I want advice on a particular one.  My former stepsister(age 14) lured my nephew into her room, waited until he fell asleep, then took pictures of her making my nephew touch her inappropriately.  She then snapchatted a few of those photos to her friends.

Among the picture of her making my sleeping nephew touch her inappropriately, we also found nude photos of my nephew.

Her phone was taken away from her, but I'm not sure if she got it back since my mom and I left, and she may have deleted the pictures; BUT she has an iPhone which stores pictures in the cloud, so they may be in the cloud.

Is there any way my mom and I can go to the police and they can issue a search warrant to look through her iCloud photo's and/or past snapchats?

Answer: If the police get involved, the will almost certainly try to get warrants for such information. Depending on the age of your nephew, this can qualify as a life felony for just the sexual battery alone, the pictures likely qualify as first degree felonies too.


Title: [US, NY] Incorrect names on certificate, management office employee trying to force $30k to fix their mistake

Question:
Hello everyone! I have a question regarding what seems to be a huge issue my parents are having with our apartment building's management office. We live in New York and we own (not rent) the apartment. We just pay a monthly bill that covers the maintenance/upkeep, a parking spot, etc.

My dad and his first wife both lived in the apartment originally. They soon divorced and his first wife moved out of the apartment into another one 10 floors below him with her new husband. She soon moved out entirely from the building/property. My dad also remarried. He married my mom and had me, and they have lived in this apartment since. His first wife hasn't lived in this building/property for over 35 years. My dad and mom have lived in this apartment for over 30 years at this time, and the bills and shareholder updates have always reflected that my father and mother live at this apartment and are the ones in charge. His first wife has not even set foot in this apartment since then.

My mom had some questions about the certificate recently and went to check in with the management office to ask. The employee there at the time didn't answer her questions and said that the certificate was in the name of my dad and his first wife as opposed to my dad and my mom. This should have been changed over 30 years ago, and the bills reflected that it was indeed changed. When she asked for them to correct it, she said they couldn't change it. However, she said that if my mom gave them $30k, they'd have no problem changing it to whatever name she likes. This is a red flag in my head - I'm pretty sure it's illegal for them to force $30k out of my mom to correct their sudden mistake to **any** name.

The employee later updated the bills and notices to say the first wife's name, which for over 35 years has a different last name. The employee made it show the name as if she's still married to my father. When my dad's first wife moved out over 35 years ago, the certificate should have already been updated to reflect my parents' names. The bill affirmed that change was made for over 30 years and suddenly it changed back a few months ago because of the employee there.

My parents are very upset that the apartment still holds my dad's first wife's name. If we were to sell it or make changes, half goes to the first wife (or her daughter if she passes away) and the other half goes to my mom or myself (the order being my dad, mom, and then me). My father and his first wife had a son (my half-brother), and we were supposed to have it split half and half between the two sons in terms of apartment decisions, since we're the ones that have actually lived in the apartment for the longest time.

How do I approach this issue right now? I'm worried about the management office trying to scam my parents out of $30k to fix their own mistake. It also concerns me that they're so suddenly willing to change the name to be whatever we want if we pay their "ransom."

Thank you for your time in reading through my concerns!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Assuming this is a co-op stock certificate that you're referring to, just tell your father to take his copy of the "new" certificate he has (with your mom's name on it), make an extra copy, show/give it to the PM with the instruction to update their file immediately before he has to involve the lawyers.

Hard to lie to someone about what a document says when that same someone has the document too.


Title: California laws regarding an Emotional support animal

Question: Long story short I have been previously treated for severe anxiety, and my doctor has written a letter recommending an ESA.  A lot of websites exist to "certify" /"register" my dog as an ESA.  However I just want to make sure that I use a legit site to make sure everything is legal.

Answer: There are no legit sites. You don't need to register the dog at all. Answer #2: The documentation provided by your medical professional should be sufficient.


Title: Amnesia and no ID, what would be done?

Question:
Suppose a young person was found with retrograde amnesia and taken to the hospital. No documents are found, no matches for fingerprints and the person doesn't remember their name/date of birth.

How would the guberment deal with them? Could they be made new documents with a new identity? Assuming they look young and don't know their age, how should things that are age-depended be dealt with, such as consent for medical decisions, or their freedom to come and go freely? Would there even be any way to verify their story is true?

Answer: You can read about the [Benjaman Kyle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjaman_Kyle) case which fits your scenario almost perfectly (except the person found was older.)


Title: [TX] Laws around a 17 year old high school senior having sex with a 13 soon to be 14 year old high school freshman

Question: I'm posting anonymously because of the sensitivity of this and I only want to post what is necessary to answer my question. I am related to someone who turned 17 in July and is a senior in high school. The school nurse called the cops because a 13 (turning 14 in November) year old freshman said my relative had sex with her outside the school gym after school. A picture of her nude on the ground by the gym was found on his phone after the cops came with a warrant. The cops were called after the she told the nurse she was pregnant. There has been a positive pregnancy text. If it is found that my relative is the father what will the outcome be? If he claims that she consented but she says she didn't what will the cops do? For the record my relative maintains they both consented and did it voluntarily. I am just wondering the potential outcome(s) so we can prepare. His parents did retain a lawyer for him after he was taken in for questioning over the picture.

Answer:
 13 year olds cannot consent to sex in TX. Also possession and creation of child porn. Lots of prison time coming i hope.Answer #2: Your relative needs to stop talking to anyone, even family, except his lawyer.

 I'm sure you'll get plenty of replies about the child pornography and rape laws he probably violated, but you should probably delete this post now and not offer any other info.


Title: I run a single-member LLC and received a notice saying I need to pay for a labor law poster. Is this necessary?

Question:
I run a single-member LLC and got a letter from "Corporate Compliance Services" saying I need to pay $84 for a labor law poster or I could face fines up to $17,000. Is this necessary if I am the only employee? Obviously no one would complain but will I get in trouble if I don't respond to the letter? It says I have just over a week to respond.

I am located in Louisiana.

Answer:
 It's a scam.

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Corporate+Compliance+Services%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=%22Corporate+Compliance+Services%22+scam


Title: My boyfriend's mother thinks that her husband is slowly poisoning her with antifreeze

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Good lord, why have you not called the police?Answer #2: Call the cops. Take your BF's mother to the doctor to get tested. There are lab tests that can determine antifreeze (ethylene glycol) ingestion.

You will discover that she is either telling the truth or that she is not. Either way, you've started down the path to getting her the help she needs.Answer #3: Obligatory suggestion to make sure she has a carbon monoxide detector. Something seems off.Answer #4: > Her husband has blocked her from using their bank account, threatened to commit suicide multiple times, and will spend hours looking around in the garage whenever she finds a strange bottle with watered down antifreeze in it.

*He* looks around when *she* finds a bottle?


Title: [AZ] Neighbor's pot smoke going into other units

Question:
My friend owns a condo (it was originally an apartment complex that turned condo).  One of her neighbors smokes pot inside their unit and the smell is coming through to her unit.  I walked in the other day and it smelled like someone had just hotboxed her unit; it was incredibly strong.  She has an 8 year old daughter so this is a huge problem.  She has tried knocking on their door but they never answer.  She has called the cops twice and when they arrived and knocked on the door, no one answered.  The cops said there isn’t much they can do.

What are her options to get this to stop?  We believe said neighbor rents from a private owner.  Should we contact the owner directly?  Can we involve CPS without my friend having issues?  Does she need a lawyer to get involved?

Answer:
 >She has called the cops twice and when they arrived and knocked on the door, no one answered. The cops said there isn’t much they can do.

I've often wondered if this is true, or if the police just don't want to bother. I have a neighbor that I'm in a similar situation with. We've called the police for the smell, and even had them come to our HOA meeting last month to explain what we can do since multiple residents where there just to complain about the problem neighbor. The answer I got was "unless they open the door/window and the smell hits us in the face, there is nothing we can do." I'm not a fan of that answer, but I'm not sure what else I can do other then hoping eventually the police catch them in the act. All my HOA can do is assess little $25 fines. That is not a deterrent to someone who doesn't pay their bills as is.


Title: Thank you /r/legaladvice ! With your advice my three charges were dropped and replaced with one charge of "attempt to possess drugs". I can't seem to find out much info on this charge though and was hoping for help finding more out about it. Ohio

Question:
Possession of naloxone and the attached IM needle was dropped because according to the prosecutor "We are actually pushing for people to have narcan in Ohio now." (although a couple people gave me a lot of flak for having it on here). They also dropped the big one, possession of Heroin. I have an interview about a month from now and sentencing about two months from now. I am told the amount of hard work I put into recovery and showing up to every drop will keep me out of jail. Despite all of this good news (good com pared to what I was facing) I can't seem to find much info through google on Ohio law regarding attempting to possess. I just know it's a misdemeanor. Any help would be much appreciated. You guys have already helped a ton in the past so I want to thank you again for that!

Edit: Link to original post when I was served. Nothing too fancy or amazing in there...Just recommended I get a public defender which I did and it worked out wonderfully for me! http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/22gkfe/was_just_served_papers_giving_a_court_date_for/

Edit 2: Also the flak I got for narcan was not in the original post but elsewhere in legaladvice so you won't find that anywhere. I was just surprised (and still am) that there's people that think people should not possess narcan or use it to save a life!

Answer:
 > I am told the amount of hard work I put into recovery and showing up to every drop will keep me out of jail.

This is the best thing I've read today. You got lucky honestly, please don't squander this opportunity to better yourself!


Title: [Indiana] business to help keep sex workers safe.

Question:
I had an idea for a business but its definitely on the sketchy side. That said, it could actually help people and make a bit of money. I would like to allow sex workers a system of check-ins before and after a meet up with a client to ensure they are safe and not mistreated as well as maybe perform background checks on their clients. Is this legal in Indiana? This could theoretically ease the danger of a very dangerous profesion.

Edit: I don't mean I want to set sex workers up with their clients, just act as a landline in case something goes wrong and the police need to be alerted. That said, I get the point. I won't pursue this idea any further. Thanks for the advice.

Answer:
 Let me rephrase your question:

"I want to start a business whose sole purpose is to assist people in committing crimes.  Would that be illegal?"

Yeah, you'd be in trouble here.  Answer #2: So you basically want to be their pimp?


Title: [USA, AL] Daughter caught shoplifting. Received a letter from Walmart addressed to "The legal Guardian of (daughter)" saying I owe $200 for a civil claim.

Question:
So I just found out that my 14 year old daughter was caught trying to take a bottle of nail polish from Walmart and was let go with a warning. I raised her to be honest but she was hanging out with some bad apples. It happens. She is being punished and I honestly believe that she truly regrets what she did. The security guy told me that because it was her first offence and they recovered the merchandise undamaged that they would not press charges. No police were called and that was that. Today I received a letter from a law firm in Florida demanding $200 from the legal guardian of (daughter). I'm a single mother barely making ends meet and I simply don't have any money for this. What are the consequences for ignoring this letter? How could they even take me to court for this without any of my info? All they have is my minor daughter's name and our address.

EDIT: Thank you all for your replies. I'm going to contact the law firm and make arrangements to get this taken care of. My daughter will be paying me back every penny.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 > What are the consequences for ignoring this letter?

They may drop the matter, or they may sue you.  If they sue they, they will very very likely win.  Civil damages for shoplifting are expressly authorized by statute.  Were they to take it to suit, you may end up paying quite a bit more than $200.


Title: Hired an escort, she said I paid with fake money?

Question:
I'm sorry about hiring an escort but she said she is going to the police because I gave her fake money. I gave her bills from an ATM machine. I'm scared now because I don't want to go to jail for something I didn't do. I'm in college. What do I do? Our school has a free lawyer. I'm not a bad kid. Never had anything on my record ever. I'm just shy and it's hard for me to meet girls. So I paid an escort. Now she is saying I paid with fake money. I need help.

Would I get in trouble? I paid with ATM cash, and it could have been from any of her clients.

Answer: She is not going to the cops.  Relax.  She is trying to shake you down for more money because she thinks that she can scare you into giving her more money.


Title: I don't understand law. I failed to appear in traffic court because I thought I didn't have to go. Is my excuse valid?

Question:
I'm in California. Several months back I got pulled over for an expired registration. I signed the ticket that says I'd have to appear in court in or pay the registration and send the proof to the courthouse by June 8th.

 I paid the registration long before June BUT I didn't see the part about sending it to the courthouse. I thought once it was cleared through the DMV, I was fine.

Today I get a letter saying I have an $800 bond for "failure to appear" which I have to contest or pay within 20days or they'll tack on another $300 plus a whole bunch of other stuff.

Will my excuse be valid in traffic court or do I have to bite the bullet and pay the $800 even though I have proof that I corrected the traffic violation 5 months ago?

Answer:
 No, your excuse is not valid.
Ignorance of the law is not a permissible defense.

Also, you did not "correct the traffic violation" because you didn't meet all the criteria - namely, showing up in court.


Title: Underage drinking in USF dorms?

Question:
Hi all, some friends of mine recently got busted at a University of San Francisco dorm party for drinking by an RA, who took pictures of their IDs and may have pictures of their faces. They were not breathalyzed nor does the RA have any actual proof that they were drinking besides a photo of a table with alcohol on it.

They are all getting interrogated in the coming days and I was wondering what the best approach is. Are they obligated to speak during these interrogations by law since it was in private property, or could they all theoretically say nothing? Also, if they were "convicted," would this affect any campus employment or good standing as a student?

Answer:
 > and the underaged people are planning to say that they didn't drink.

You mean lie.  That's an insanely bad idea.  Your friends should not lie.

As is, this is a policy issue, not a legal one.  The school can make talking a condition of your continuing education at that school.


Title: 17F in CA wanting to move out??

Question:
hey!
every teenager ever wants to move away from parents because they’re “over protective” and helicopter constantly...
but my parents are actually helicopters.
tracking my phone, don’t like my friends or boyfriend, picked out what uni i’m attending ect.
i live with my dad, mom, 22yr old brother(we share a room) in a shitty two bed one bath apt in OC.
i work full time at a shitty grocery store and make a decent amount of money and i currently attend high school, next year being my senior year.
i turn 18 in october, which is near but at the same time super far. so my question is, is it even possible to escape my house at 17? i’ve looked at laws and shiz but getting emancipated involves parents consent and as well as moving somewhere. i have relatives, but none of which are financially or emotionally stable to live with. getting a couple of roommates is affordable, but is that even a possibility? i know it might seem naive wanting to move out so early, but i feel like my families negativity puts a lot of stress in my life and makes me depressed.
tl;dr - im 17, can’t deal with my fam. how can i get out without consent?

p.s i was half asleep writing this so if i need to clarify more or if it doesnt make sense just say so.

Answer: It sounds naive because it is naive. There isn't anything you can realistically do between now and your birthday. Technically, you could move out on your birthday, but have you priced out rent? Priced food for now every single meal because now your parents aren't paying? Priced transportation? Priced any entertainment? Made any budget? Priced out what the toll would be on your relationship with your family for the rest of your life should you get into any kind of situation when you're in your late 20s? Answer #2: You will not be able to be emancipated and cannot move without your parent's permission. You can save up and move out after you turn 18.


Title: Am I authorized to decide on my own? (OH)

Question:
Hello,
I am from Cincinnati, OH and I have a question regarding child care and this may be a two-tiered question.

1. I have been given full residential custody of my daughter and her father was given every other weekend visitation. I am curious if I have the right to decide on her childcare against his wishes. The scenario is that I would like my son (12.5) to babysit my daughter (9) this summer. This is of course under the stipulation he gets certified through the red cross from first aid, cpr, and babysitting courses. Her father doesn't want me to do that. Can i legally get in trouble for making the decision without his permission?

2. I've seen somewhat mixed answers on this and a friend who is friends with a lawyer told me that a lawyer said it would be fine.... but are there hard laws on when a kid can babysit? it seems most answers say "if you deem the kid responsible, they are allowed." Anything solid from a legal standpoint in the state of Ohio?

Thanks so much. If i left out any important details please let me know.

Answer:
 There are two elements to custody - physical (ie where the child lives) and legal (who gets to make decisions). If you have full *legal* custody you can make the decisions and your ex's wishes have no legal weight.

Second, there are no laws regarding minimum age to babysit, or to be left alone in Ohio. You are legally responsible for ensuring that your children are safely supervised, and it is left to your judgement how to do so.  That said, if by "babysit" you mean you want to have your son provide full time daycare for the 8+ hours you are at work, that seems very unreasonable to me.  If that is your plan, your ex could have an emergency hearing challenging your custody. While its impossible to say how a judge would rule, I think it's likely that they would find making a twelve year old babysit for longer than most adults work full time is not in the children's best interest.

If by "babysit" you mean for short periods, like between camp and when you return from work, that seems reasonable and unlikely to be a basis to challenge custody. You know your son best, and can decide if he is mature enough to handle any emergencies that come up.  If you are wrong, and something unfortunate ends up happening, you can be held liable since your decision to leave them alone was manifestly the wrong one.


Title: Need help I have traffic court tomorrow for a littering ticket because I flicked a cigarette out of the window

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You should stop throwing flaming garbage out the window in a state with yearly summer wildfires and an ongoing major drought, for starters. Get an ashtray for your car.

You can contest the ticket and hope for a lighter fine. The best way to do so would be to get a traffic lawyer - get a referral from the California bar, don't just pick up whoever's advertising on google. It'll cost you a bit, but likely less than your ticket will.


Title: Cat died due to faulty furniture. Recorded in move-in reports prior to incident (NC)

Question:
Hey, guys. so moving into our apartment, the couch leg had been broken. this has been recorded in our move-in reports and brought to managements notice. the management failed to repair the couch multiple times. recently, our pet cat was playing under the couch and hit the leg off, resulting in the couch falling on him. my roommates and I want some legal advice in pursuing a case of negligence or relating to that.

here’s all of the facts in points to help:

- couch leg broken
- recorded in move-in reports
- apartment failed to fixed the issue
- cat passed due to neglecting the service request

please let me know what you think would be best in moving forward with this.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 What is your goal? It is very unlikely that they are liable for the Cats death in any way that would result in monetary gain for you.

Essentially, your property was placed under a faulty couch that you were aware was fault and the property is now destroyed. In that sense, you are liable for allowing your property to be in an area where it could be damaged.

I know that sounds a little cold hearted, but pets are property in the eyes of the law.

Did you have any vet bills as a result of this?Answer #2: The cat died due in part to your negligence though. You knew a dangerous situation existed and hadn't been fixed and didn't do anything to mitigate the cat from getting under there. Management is allowed a decent amount of time to fix non-emergency problems. What does your lease say about length of repairs?


Title: [NY] Can landlords refuse to rent to smokers?

Question:
My friends have invested in a rental property and are about to start advertising.  I remember hearing on NPR about landlords having their apartment listings refused or removed for advertising "no smokers" not just "non smoking property".  I guess it was considered discriminatory.  I don't remember if that was just the newspaper's policy or an actual law.  As smoking is not a protected class can they be banned entirely?

TL;DR Obviously one can ban smoking inside the apartment and on the property; but, can one outright refuse to rent to smokers period?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Smokers are not a protected class in NY, and as such they can be banned.  You're going to have to put it into the rental/leasing agreement if you want it to be enforceable.


Title: Preparing for possibility of going to court over grandparent's rights - Ontario, Canada

Question:
Hello legaladvice subreddit,

I am married with young children and have been estranged from my extended family for a long time. They recently contacted me wanting to meet my children. They have never met them and I do not want them in our lives. I am preparing for the possibility that they may bring me to court for grandparents visitation rights. Would they be able to make a case? What would court be like? Would I need a lawyer? What should my husband and I be doing at this point?

Thank you very much for reading. Advice would be greatly appreciated.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 In Ontario, parents are considered "Sole Arbiters". This means they, and they alone have the right to decide who is allowed to see their children. The only way the grandparents could sue for visitation would be if they at one point in time enjoyed an ongoing, positive relationship with their granchildren that was suddenly severed.

In this case, if they sue for visitation you should retain counsel and demonstrate that they have never had a relationship with you nor your children. Answer #2: Grandparent's rights are like the unicorn of the legal system. Everyone has heard of them, but no one has seen them.Answer #3: Grandparent rights don't really kick in unless your children are in danger, abandonment occurs, the parents die or the grandparents can prove that they spent an almost equal amount of time caring for the children. They have no right to your children and you probably shouldn't worry about getting a lawyer until something is filed against you. Check your local legal services, many places offer a free 1 hour consultation with a lawyer offered by the government for people who are poor. Answer #4: If you and your husband are in agreement on this issue, and the grandparents have never had a relationship, then you have nothing to worry about.


Title: Hit by a Cop, Can’t get police report

Question:
Hey guys so I’m gonna give a relatively brief summary on the situation. About 3 weeks ago I was involved in a traffic accident with a cop, where he hit me from behind while he had no lights or sirens on. Mind you I was literally about to turn into my driveway. Other cops came to take the report and when I asked for their information to run it through insurance they told me it’d be on the police report.

Now I was completely unscathed just had a lot of adrenaline pumping from the scare, but my car wasn’t ok and it runs however the steering is off and so are a few sensors.

I’ve been going in and out of the police station for the past two weeks trying to see if it’s ready. The police station is a block away so I had no problem with stopping by every other day to check. So now here I am today I just got back from the police station and the lady told me it is no longer listed as just a traffic report. She made a copy of my ID and submitted a request for me to get it in the mail within the next 2-3 weeks.

This is where I’m completely confused. I don’t understand why it would be anything other than a traffic report when that’s all it was. I’m not the best at these kind of things and all I really want is my car fixed. Should I lawyer up or is it a lost cause at this point?

Answer: Tell your insurance what you know.  If a lawyer is needed, they will provide it.


Title: My jury panel was dismissed for a murder trial

Question:
I was selected for a jury on Friday for a first degree murder case. We spent the second half of the first day listening to opening statements and the cross examination of the first witness.

Today we started proceedings late so the attorneys could discuss some issues with the judge. We got to hear testimony from the medical examiner, crime scene analyst and someone from the crime lab.

When we returned from lunch (which was shortened) we were told we were dismissed as the matter was closed. The defendant wasn't in the courtroom at that time. We were all pretty stunned and one juror kept prodding the judge for information which she did not share.

Do you think the case was dropped? The first witness would not identify the shooter and the defense attorney stated in her opening arguments that there was no evidence linking the defendant to the crime. I certainly would have voted not guilty based on what I had heard already and I got the impression other jurors felt the same way. I don't understand why the case was even brought to trial without hard evidence.

Or could there have been a plea involved? It seems
unlikely due to the lack of evidence, but then again I'm not sure if there were other witnesses that we didn't get a chance to hear.

Answer:
 > I certainly would have voted not guilty based on what I had heard already and I got the impression other jurors felt the same way

Wait wait wait. Did you form an opinion about the case BEFORE completion???! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!

Ugh, thats why it was dismissed. Its all your fault.


Title: "Fired?" Under the strangest and most humiliating circumstances.

Question:
I came into work at my job as a tech aide in an outpatient care facility today, a job I have been working Monday through Friday for six months while also going to school full time. I live in Maine.

I graduated last Friday. Why does this matter? Apparently it does.

I walk in, and my boss looks at me like a fish out of water. So do all my other coworkers. She says "hi.." in a weird fucking way. "So what are you doing here?"

Confused, I say "working?"

She comes up to me and says "see, I was under the impression that you were leaving here after you graduated".

What the fuck does this mean? No conversation was ever had about my plans after graduation. I respond calmly as my face begins to burn,

"Well. I never put my two weeks in... and we never discussed that. So... no, I wasn't planning on leaving."

She just goes on to say "well I was under the impression that you were. So. You can finish out the night... since you're here. But that's it."

And she left.

I have never been so fucking mortified. No notice? No discussion? No reason? She couldn't have had the basic human decency to at least pull me into a private place before she pseudo fired me without reason???

There was no miscommunication. The assumption that I was "done after graduation" makes absolutely no sense. what reason would I have for leaving my job? Even if there was a reason, we NEVER DISCUSSED ANYTHING.

I was mortified in front of everyone I work with. Is this legal? What even happened?

Why am I suddenly unemployed? Is there anything I can do?

I've never experienced anything like this in my entire employment history. I'm a hard worker, have never been fired before or even recieved a written warning.

Answer: There's no legal issue here.Answer #2: You can file for unemployment.


Title: Questionable police practices (Maryland).

Question:
I work in the restaurant industry. The state of Maryland funds a program that sends minors into restaurants and bars to try and be served alcohol. I've seen the practice in action before; they usually send an underage cadet from the police academy along with an undercover officer. If for whatever reason the cadet is served, you will be immediately prosecuted.

I’m not worried about falling victim to this scheme as I always thoroughly check IDs; I'm just wondering how a program like this wouldn't be considered entrapment. The liquor board DID warn us about the possibility of a sting in the near future; however, I still feel like the police are trying to deceive us into committing a crime that we wouldn't otherwise commit. Again, I’m not anxious about serving a minor, the whole thing just seems fishy to me. Does anybody have any insight on this? Much appreciated!

Answer:
 > I still feel like the police are trying to deceive us into committing a crime that we wouldn't otherwise commit.

In what way are the police deceiving you? Do they give the underage person a fake ID or otherwise claim the person is over 21?

>Does anybody have any insight on this?

It is not questionable, fishy, or anything else.  It is a common practice, and about the only way to find someone breaking that lawAnswer #2: Here is a good ELi5 explanation on entrapment http://thecriminallawyer.tumblr.com/post/19810672629/12-i-was-entrapped

In sort, in no way thats entrapement. Only way this would be entrapment is if they sent kid in with a fake ID that they made to look exactly like a real ID and had like a missing hologram or something.


Title: [Florida] Roomate trying to take my room?

Question:
Obligatory, for a friend.
Okay, so my friend is leasing an apartment with two other friends. After a ton of arguments she has decided to move out and find someone to sublet the apartment for the rest of the 6 month lease. Both of the other roomates agreed, she found someone willing to step forward, and is about two weeks from that happening. Suddenly today one of the roomates says she is taking her room, the one which the new party has agreed to rent. It has its own bathroom, walk in closet, etc where the other two rooms do not.

It's gotten to the point where she says she will be waiting to move her stuff the minute that my friend moves hers out. Will break a lock if she installs one, etc. We are also worried that the new party will back out because this roommate is a psycho. What can she do?

Answer:
 Sublet the room to the roommate and let the roommate find a sublessee.

Edit: that's assuming the three of them are on separate leases.  If they're leasing the entire apartment on a single lease, then this is more of a /r/relationships question as it will need to be sorted out amongst themselves.


Title: HOA Voting Argument

Question:
I'm a board member of my HOA in the state of Delaware. The board consists of 6 members. Our by-laws require a 2/3rds vote to change or amend anything in the by-laws or deed restrictions. The topic is solar panels. The deed restriction does not allow solar panels and most of the board would like to have that changed. The state of Delaware has already amended their rules and my town leaves it up to each HOA. My question is about Voting rules and abstained votes.

Basically, we would like to poll the community on whether they're ok with amending the deed restrictions concerning solar panels. The problem is that barely 1/3 of the community responded. Everyone else just abstained and didn't vote at all.

Does the 2/3rds majority pool from the entire community, or the few that actually bothered responding at all? If you abstain from voting, does your vote automatically count as a "no"?

Answer:
 It's likely to be 2/3 of residents/units or %  (sometimes different homes have slightly different % vote)  But double check the wording. Amending by laws tends to be one of the harder things to accomplish.

Assuming its an actual 2/3s .  If you can give proxies , do so , knock on people doors hand them the proxies and ask them to fill them out.  You may have to literally pound the pavement to get this done. psst have an info packet ready and be able to answer questions.


Title: Ex-inmate looking to sue DOC.

Question:
(Northern DE)In September I was arrested for assault on a family member and sentenced to 6 months in jail with a year of probation. The "victim" didn't even want to press charges but with domestic violence, my state takes over the charges. This has nothing to do with why I'm suing, it's just to give some background on my case. Also, I was a first time offender.

Anyway I was locked up in September. Early on they noticed my heart rate was not normal, ranging from 130-150 just standing up. I was promised to stay in the infirmary until I could be sent to a heart specialist. This never happened. They basically said "You're not going to die at this moment so we're putting you on a pod." The heart problem did not go away.

In early October I started having severe constipation issues. If I had to guess I'd say it was in small part due to the state food and large part to a medication called Noratryptaline(SP?), a very old school medication most doctors don't even prescribe because of the side effects(Delusions, hallucinations, drying out your body leading to bad constipation). As a side note, they put me on this medication to replace Klonopin which I was prescribed for 9 years. It's worth noting the doctors put me on not a single anti-seizure med during my cold turkey Klonopin w/d. Nurses even said to me "you can't have a seizure from benzo w/d". I would think any nursing student would know better.

Anyway, after a 25 day stretch of no bowel movements and little help from medical(you would put in a "Sick Call" form and on average be seen in 2 weeks), it took half a pharmacy of meds and another trip to the infirmary to get me to poop. I continued having these problems my whole stay. One doctor mentioned getting me an x-ray which they can do on-site just to make sure there were no obstructions. This fabled x-ray never happened and symptoms continued.

By November I began to have trouble eating. More than 3-4 bites of a meal and the food would stick in my throat. I don't mean acid reflux, I mean it never went down in the first place. It would take 1-3 hours depending on the food to finally go down. Again I continued to have constipation problems. During this time of food being stuck in my throat, I started having the most excruciating side of the neck, collarbone and shoulder pain. It felt like nerves were being pinched and someone had a screwdriver in there. I put in a sick call, telling the nurse it happened worse when my stomach was upset. She told me to sleep in a different position, charged me $6.00 from my commisary and gave me 5 days worth of ibuprofen. Needless to say this did not help.

Problems continued and all the while I'm putting in sick calls which get ignored 2/3 of the time. On new years eve I started throwing up for 4 days straight and several more days on and off after. It took an officer to get me into the infirmary. All I was given, despite not being able to even keep water down, was tums and a nausea medication. During this time, any meds I took I threw up anyway.

To make the story quick, I dieted on bananas, crackers and things like this until I was released. Symptoms never let up despite more promises to see a specialist.

About a month after my release, I was still having problems and 2 weeks ago after dry heaving and just feeling like something was going very wrong inside, I called an ambulance. After a quick x-ray and catscan, they discovered that I had a 5-inch ripped hiatal hernia, part of my stomach slipped through and rested right under my shoulder which is what was causing that nerve pain. Half my abdomen was in the upper part of my chest and my heart was pushed to the wrong side of my chest. The abdomen explained the eating problems and the heart position explained the overworking of my heart. I was released from the hospital yesterday. I have 16 staples down my abdomen and had 2 chest tubes connecting to my left lung where fluid was building up. To this day I still can't use the bathroom without a bunch of over the counter meds.(I forgot to mention that instead of seeing why I was always backed up, the DOC put me on 2 colace, a fiberlax, and 3 dulcelax tablets daily, which doctors told me is horrible for long term use).

To sum it up, my time in prison itself wasn't so bad. My physical health in prison made the journey 5 times worse. I can't tell you how many cellmates called the guards when I was throwing up blood and the guard would shrug and say tough shit.

I feel like they were responsible when they first mentioned a heart specialist and at the very least letting me use the on-site x-ray machine which may have prevented this harsh surgery and months of agonizing pain. The doctors at the general hospital told me that much longer living with my organs scattered like that would have killed me. Basically if I'd had a couple month longer sentence I probably would have died.

What I'd like to know is how good are my chances of suing the DOC for medical malpractice/insubstantial treatment/neglect(I don't really know what to call it).

I'm not looking to get stinking rich but I think it would be fair to either ask for a reasonable lump sum for the 6 months I spent suffering or something like a set amount per month that I was inside. If anyone has any reasonable suggestions as to what these amounts should be I'd also appreciate it.

I'm a very poor man with limited family support. I can't afford the best lawyer in town but I'd still like to see my chances as I want recompense for my pain and suffering and I want the DOC medical system to be put under more scrutiny.

Thanks for the long read. Bless you all.

Answer:
 You need to talk to a local lawyer ASAP. Them being negligent is not going to be enough. You'll likely need to show deliberate indifference to your medical needs. There are all sorts of questions about qualified immunity and other complicated issues, as well as timelines being a big issue, so the sooner you talk to a lawyer the better. Answer #2: Might be a problem that you did not get medical attention immediately on release. If you can get a lawyer do it .
 Answer #3: Medical malpractice is very fact specific and it is unfortunately beyond the scope of this subreddit. It is highly recommended to speak with a medical malpractice attorney; your state's bar may be able to refer you to one. They typically work on contingency, meaning there is little up front cost to you. Similarly, consultations are typically free. It wouldn't hurt to meet with one, have them look over your info, and go from there.

*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/legaladvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*


Title: Don’t know who baby daddy is

Question:
Posted this on a different subreddit and got to here!
Hello, before I ask my question I just want to just say please don’t be too harsh on me.

To start off I’m a female with a one year old daughter from TX. I do not know who the father is because I was depressed and just fucking around and had the baby. & she has made me into a better person than I am now. I’m attending school but as of now I’m on break and looking for a job. I used to have Medicaid and SNAP. but I just recently just applied to SNAP again and had a phone call interview. I told her straight up that I don’t know who the father is. And she said that I’m not wanting to cooperate so that’s what she filed it as and that I will be needing to talk to the lawyer, and I would need to cooperate with them. I just want to know what’s going to happen from now on forward? I don’t care for the baby daddy or even want child support. what can I do..

Answer:
 There's no real diplomatic way to ask this so I will just ask. Did you have a bunch of one-night stands you never heard from again or did you have a circle of guys you regularly had sex with?Answer #2: You’ll likely have to enumerate the possible fathers as best you can. Your daughter has a right to support from both parents, and the state can pursue it because you’re receiving benefits.

However, if you can’t locate the father and none of the candidates are a match, it won’t be a big deal in the long run.


Title: [IN] Twelve year old girl On Omegle

Question:
Hey Legaladvice this isn't really a normal post so I'm sorry in advance. I live with a few other people, four if that makes any difference, and one of them brought over kids they were babysitting. Among them is a twelve year old girl that is currently on Omegle telling people she is twelve and trying to get them to go on Skype with her. She has already boasted about getting someone to masturbate for her. I don't really know the laws about this but she is connected to our internet, so my question is can we get in any legal trouble for this and if so how much. Thanks for helping me.

I thought i put it in the title but my state is Indiana.

Answer:
 Update?  Please for the love of god tell me you called the cops.Answer #2: Take the computer away from her?Answer #3: Troll.  Too many things OP ridiculously can't do in response to every reasonable suggestion.

The most ridiculous statement is the one that goes:  "*She's on her personal Iphone or so kind of phone that can connect to the internet. Ive never had one so I don't know anything about phones.*"   Anyone believe that OP really has never had, nor knows anything about, the kind of phone that can connect to the internet?  Get realAnswer #4: This reeks of child abuse, and production/distribution of child pornography, especially if she is doing anything to "encourage" them. You may be charged with "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" if those types of laws exist in your jursidiction if you know she is doing this but do nothing to stop her. Those laws are incredibly vague.


Title: University is changing on campus housing rules last minute.

Question: Hello. I am a university student in Pennsylvania, currently a junior. For the past year or so, my university has been planning on widely expanding the student population. While a lot of people are happy about this, there has been a lot of problems. For example, they have been closing parking lots for new buildings. Anyway, I just received an email from the housing department today that they will not allow juniors or seniors to live in on campus housing, and they will all need to find off campus leases. The reason my roommates and I chose not to go off campus in the first place is because there are no leases that allow half-year leases, and we all plan on graduating in the fall of 2019. When we called the housing office to explain, they said "find a half year lease". There is one new complex next to campus that has housing, but after talking to them, they explained that to terminate the lease after a half a year would cost between $2000 and $3500. The timing of the announcement is especially exasperating, because most houses are full for the next year. Do you think contacting a lawyer is warranted in order to either a) get a special exception to stay on campus or b) get compensated for the termination fee of the apartment complex? (sorry if the post is scatterbrained. this is my first reddit post)

Answer:
 You can sublease for the half term or find someone to take the lease from you entirely.  Frankly, it's not the university's problem if you have to terminate your lease and I doubt you'll get much if any actionable help from them in this matter.

For what it's worth, I've seen several Universities do what you're talking about with the kicking Juniors and Seniors.  And in every single instance, they grossly miscalculate the actual occupancy and wind up having empty rooms.  Talk to them after the initial wave of panic and see how their counts look.  You might be able to get an exception back.


Title: [TX] Jogger threatened to "report" my dog after encounter in the park; does she have any legal ground to stand on?

Question:
First, here's some background information:

I am a young woman living in TX, and I'm an experienced dog owner.  Two months ago I adopted a ~1 year old male Doberman from a local rescue, and he is a very friendly, people-oriented dog, though it is obvious his previous owner neglected to socialize or train him, since he lacked good manners and basically acted like a 75lb puppy.  Since adopting him, we have completed a basic obedience training class and his manners have improved a lot, but he still has issues pulling on his leash, jumping up on people that come over to visit, and he gets very excited to see people when we go on walks.

I ALWAYS walk him on a leash and keep him close to me, but typically when people approach us, he will start wagging his whole body and lunge at the end of his leash trying to lick/sniff the person.  I verbally reprimand him and lightly smack his butt with the end of the leash to get his attention back, so it's obvious that I'm not condoning his behavior. Most people try to pet him or say hi and nobody has ever misinterpreted his body language as aggressive.  He doesn't snarl or growl or in any way act as if he is intending to cause harm.

Anyways, today I was out walking my Dobe in the park and a middle aged woman out jogging approached us coming the opposite direction.  I reeled my dog in and moved over as far as I could to the right side of the sidewalk to let the jogger go by.  True to form though, my dog pulled at the end of his leash to try to greet the jogger.  There was not enough slack on the leash for him to actually jump on her, but he poked his face out to try to sniff her. I verbally corrected him and pulled him back toward me, but he was still partially on the sidewalk, craning his neck toward her. As she ran by, she started screaming at him and smacked his face, then yelled at me, "Control your fucking dog, bitch."

I did not respond maturely.  I said, "Fuck off." She stopped and turned around to face me, and flipped me off and said "Fuck you bitch.  I'm going to report you and your fucking dog." I said, "Do it, bitch" and turned around to keep walking.  She yelled after us, "Fuck you and fuck your stupid dog, whore." She kept yelling but I couldn't make out what else she said, and my dog and I finished our walk without encountering her again.

My question is: does she have any legal ground to "report" me and my dog? He didn't cause her any bodily harm, but I'm not sure if she could claim emotional harm or something like that?

Answer:
 You have nothing to worry about. Let it go.

Pet the puppy for me. Tell him Uncle Malachi says hello.


Title: Car Rental company charges double the amount for a parking fine I got

Question:
Hey all, here's the situation:

Went to Oslo in June, rented a car and apparently got a parking fine - which I didn't even notice getting.

Now 4 months later the rental car company (Europcar) sends me an Email asking to pay the fine and huge admin fees (just as much as the fine) as soon as possible - all in all about 240EUR.

I emailed them back saying that I wasn't aware that I got a parking fine, but it is true - time and place of parking happened, and I did park there. I asked if it's possible that the wind blew away the fine or a (funny) pedestrian removed it..

They answered that the office making the fines took a picture of my rental car with the fine on it.
Ok fair enough, but it can still be that someone removed it before I could pick it up. My point is, how can they charge me horrendous admin fees for a fine I wasn't even aware of getting? I offered them to just pay for the fine, but not for the admin fees - they responded that I had to pay it all.

As I live in another country I'm not sure how far they would go to take it one step further? Wouldn't the whole case management cost them way too much over the cost of some admin fees I'm not willing to pay?

Any advice is welcome.. thanks guys!

Answer:
 If you still have the rental agreement, check it over. You likely agreed to an administration fee for any fines the rental agency receives when you rented the car.

Before paying, I would have Europcar send you a copy of the violation, then verify it directly with the government agency that ticketed your car just to make sure the rental company isn't trying to pull a fast one on you. If it turns out to be legit, I would just pay it and move on with life. If you don't, the rental company likely have a clause to charge your credit card anyways.


Title: [FL] Ex-husband has complete control over all our invested money. Do I have any legal recourse?

Question:
My daughter and I are still living with my ex husband, her father, because we still own a home together and thought it would make sense to split our assets after we sell.  We appeared in court and signed a "simplified dissolution of marriage" agreement which states that "there is no marital property or marital debt to divide, as the parties previously divided all of their personal property.  Therefore, each is awarded the personal property he or she presently has in his or her possession.  Each party shall be responsible for any debt in his or her own name".   This was a lie but the cheapest and easiest way to end the marriage.  We agreed to divide our assets upon  sale of our home.

I now have my own checking account for my payroll deposits but all of our invested money from the last 25 years (IRAs) is all in his name.  We never had savings accounts because he is a financial consultant and the returns are higher via investing.

My daughter and I need to move out now due to his verbally and emotionally abusive personality.  What steps do I need to take to ensure that I will receive my share of our invested money once I leave?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: When did you do this?  You need a lawyer now hopefully the lawyer can make a case for fraud to unwind what you did.  But you told a court, "We split it already I have everything I'm entitled to, all set"


Title: [TX] Backing out while a car was in reverse and hit me. Who's at fault?

Question:
This happened in Arlington, TX. I was backing out of a parking spot and a work truck backed up into my car. There was a witness that said I was at fault because the car had the right-away. He said he reversed to get a parking spot and then I backed up into him.

I got him on video saying he was reversing. Cops wouldn't come out. Witness left without giving us her info. Who's at fault here?

Answer: You were both backing up? You'll probably both be found at fault by your insurance companies.


Title: My emotional abuser is filing a restraining order against me

Question:
When we were "together" (on and off dating, friends with benefits) he would constantly say things like telling our black friend I called her the n word, that he'd skin my family alive, that he'd put a hit out on me. Then it escalated to him trying to throw me off a bridge, and then he told me to kill myself because nobody would remember me.

He's been sending me threats through my friends (apparently he has someone willing to shoot me waiting outside my apartment building), and is now filing for a restraining order and has logged into my messenger, presumably to either build his case against me or break mine. I'm afraid for my life, and I dont know what I can do because all the evidence I have is he said, she said

Edit: Sorry, I thought the flair was enough, this happened in Manitoba, Canada
Topic:
Canada

Answer: Call the police when someone threatens you with violence.


Title: [Kansas] Apartment glass door broken, landlord says I am reliable and will bill me

Question:
I was at work the other night and my girlfriend messaged me around 7:00 saying our glass door was broken after she got home from eating out with her parents.

I talked to the management at the complex and they claim they don’t have any cameras overlooking the parking lot so there’s no way to see if someone outside (a kid) was playing and was throwing rocks or whatever happened. An installer of the doors was there at the time and they estimated about ~$500 and the lady said she would bill me it.

I found a rock right on my balcony. It’s obvious a rock was thrown at the glass, whether on purpose or on accident I don’t know.

Am I really going to have to take the $500 hit on this? Is there anything I can do?

https://ibb.co/jFd9Gn

https://ibb.co/i3s897

https://ibb.co/icLBU7

Answer:
 Did you guys call the police when you found the vandalism? Answer #2: Do you know if there was any landscaping or other work going on on your apartment’s property or the ones nearby on the side with the door? It’s such a small rock, it seems more like something kicked up by machinery than thrown by a kid to break a window.Answer #3: Call the police and file a report.

Repairing damage caused by vandalism almost always falls on the landlord. (The exceptions are when *you* caused it.)

Failing to call the police immediately certainly hurts your case, but the landlord would carry the burden of proof in showing that you caused the damage, not the other way around (you'd be the defendant, after all).

If they try to charge you, talk to a local tenants rights group or maybe see if an attorney would be willing to give you a free/cheap consultation before agreeing to pay.


Title: How to legally ensure my current assets remain mine, regardless of future relationships/divorces.

Question:
I'm 32, from Australia, and a few years ago I had my company acquired for a little over 4 million. I'm now retired, and want to ensure I can live off this money for the rest of my life. I have bought a home, have another rental apartment, and a diverse portfolio of investments.

I'm almost 4 years into a relationship with my girlfriend (living together for just under 2 years), and I want to ensure that whatever happens in the future, the assets I have now remain mine. We aren't married, and have no plans to do so any time soon.

I've spoken to her about it, and she agrees that it's fair. She knows that she is greatly benefiting financially from our relationship, as she is able to focus on her education and career, without needing to worry about rent/mortgage/bills/etc. I'm also encouraging her to put away 30k+ per year into her own portfolio, so if anything does happen, she's in a good position.

Is it possible to legally ensure that my assets remain my own?

Answer: Come on dude.  You have over 4 million dollars, and instead of hiring an attorney you are asking random strangers on the internet for advice?  No offense to the wonderful reddit responders, but come on, pay out a little of your millions and hire an attorney familiar with asset protection or prenups or investment management, etcetera.


Title: Should I take my children away from their abusive mother ?

Question:
Where should I even begin? I'm at my wits end suffering from abuse. Let me start from the beginning: I'm from the U.S. and I've lived in a foreign country for almost 10 years. About 3 years ago I a had a fling with a client that led to her becoming pregnant. Even though I didn't know this woman well, I decided to take her in (she comes from poverty and was essentially homeless at the time ), marry her, and raise our child together. After we found out about the pregnancy, the abuse began. It started with her getting furious over trivial things and threatening to take the baby away from me, have an abortion, and physically destroying my property etc. At this point the abuse hadn't turned physical. It started as emotional and psychological. The abuse turned physical after the birth of my first child. It started with her getting angry and hitting, throwing large blunt objects at my head, choking me, and culminated in a couple of knife attacks. (I'm a big guy and can defend myself without resorting to violence in return )

Then 6 months after the birth of my first child, she got pregnant again.

Having 2 kids has only exacerbated the issues. Her family members have come to stay with us for up to 6 months at a time and she's physically attacked them as well. Her mother recently left after being shoved into a cabinet and cutting her head open.

Recently its gotten so bad that I cant take it anymore. This week she filed a false police report against me trying to get me deported. That failed when the local authorities saw through her charade. Now she is threatening to take my kids away and never let me see them again. This is definitely a possibility as the justice system is corrupt and local courts rule against natives when foreigners are involved. I have a friend who's wife ran off 7 months ago and he's not seen the kid since. Police , courts, and lawyers have been no assistance to him.

So all of this has led me to a breaking point. I have to get my kids out of this country and away from their mom. Their mom refuses to leave the country. My kids have already been granted U.S. citizenship and have their passports,however I need a special document from local government that allows them to leave the country (local government considers them as locals and doesn't allow dual citizenship).

My plan is to take them out of the country on the premise of getting to see better doctors and then simply refusing to let them leave the US once there. I have multiple videos and photos of my injuries to attest to my claims of abuse.

My greatest fear is losing them and they being forced into a life of poverty with and abusive mom.

This has led me to this drastic plan.

But I have no idea about the legal ramifications of such an act. Would the US gov send back 2 U.S. citizens to their mother in a foreign country ? I have no idea. I dont want my children to be motherless but she even refuses to see a psychiatrist and admits she has anger issues.

I'm getting desperate as every day her threats of taking the kids from me seem more and more plausible .

I'm stumped about the right course of action and need advice.

Answer: Parental kidnapping is a crime and no one here is going to - or should - advise you to break the law.


Title: Didnt pay my 271$ at&t bill and i left America.. I cant pay them now.

Question:
I got an email from The CBE group stating that i am in debt to at&t for the amount mentioned above, and i cant pay them because my bank account is empty and deactivated in the USA. And i cant pay online cause i have no visa/MasterCard in my country, i need to have a consistent salary each month to be able to get one of these cards.

I might go back to America to visit my cousin in LA. Will they stop me at the airport for this? I dont want to go to jail and i forgot to pay it when i was in the US. And now im fucked.. I didnt read the document attached to the email because it has a wall of text. I am Saudi Arabia at the moment and will be for the next 9 months. Please advice me! What will happen

Answer: You're not going to get stopped/arrested in customs for a $271 unpaid bill. That being said, you're credit (in the U.S.) is going to be lousy if you ever go back. Is there no way you could have a family member/friend pay the bill for you and then have you electronically send them the money (via PayPal or Venmo)?Answer #2: No, you won't be detained in the airport. That said, I'd contact them and explain your situation with an offer to pay as soon as you can. They may be able to work out a payment plan with you to avoid any further issues.


Title: (FL) I am on vacation with my family and someone stole my glasses.

Question: Someone while i was at a park entered my room and took my glasses. They left another pair, which i returned to the main desk. Now they are saying that cause i left them in the room that they are not responsible for anything taken. Is there anything i can do?

Answer: The only thing you can do is call the police and make a report. The hotel/motel (I assume this is where you're staying since you said you had a room.) isn't responsible. I realize it's frustrating how limited your options are, but there isn't any point in making a spectacle of the whole thing.


Title: [Texas] College gave me a full ride and now wants $17,000

Question:
Okay so this is going to be a little difficult to tell every little detail so I will provide any information I forget to add. I attended a college in Texas named Wiley College. I was awarded a full ride scholarship for the debate program. They still ask us to fill out our FAFSA and my dad goes ahead and does his thing. He tells me that he will handle everything and to just worry about doing all I can in school. So at this point I have no idea what the perimeters of the scholarship are all I got was a email that I needed to sign and send back to recieve the scholarship. I go to the school and register for classes the first week of school. I was one of the only white guys in the entire school as it is a HBCU. Me and my white team mate where selected for FAFSA verification. I had no idea what to do with the paper work I received and was told to give it to my father. I gave it to my dad and he told me he would take care of it. I go on with the Fall 2014 semester and nothing really occurs. Now when I get back for the Spring 2015 semester I am called by Financial Aid to go to their office. I arrive and am told that I currently owe $17,000. They said I failed to verify my FAFSA. But what I didnt understand is how that makes me owe money to them when I have a letter with acknowledgement that I am on a full ride scholarship. I go on to call my dad and the man who was working there and my father exchange words on the phone then he tells me that I am good. I dont hear another word and I am cleared in the system. I leave for summer and decide to just go to a community college at home for a semester. I go ask for my transcript and am told that there is a hold. I call the office I am told to call and he tells me that my dad never verified the FAFSA and that I cant receive it until I pay $17,000. I go ahead and go up to the community college because I need to get placed in classes as it starts next week and am told that I cant start there until I start making payments on the $17,000 I owe to Wiley. My question here is there any way to not have to pay that money because I was admitted on a full ride scholarship. How is it that I have to pay a balance because the government never gave them my FAFSA money?

EDIT: So I just want to thank you guys. The best advice I received was to take matters into my own hands. I did exactly that and went ahead and contacted the school and found out I was cleared to go ahead with that semester because my father told them he was going to send the information their way and as I learned today he literally never sent it. I got into a heated argument with my father and was kicked out of the house for a couple hours for everyone to calm down. Came home and he admitted he made a mistake and that the scholarship was contingent on us doing FAFSA which he wouldn't let me do myself because he claims me as dependent on his taxes and doesn't want to share money issues with me. My dad is accepting the fact that he messed up and is going to pay the $17,000 himself. I appreciate all of you guys helping me out with this situation.

Answer:
 > My question here is there any way to not have to pay that money because I was admitted on a full ride scholarship. How is it that I have to pay a balance because the government never gave them my FAFSA money?

No one can really answer you because you seem to have no clue what happened between your father and the school or what the problem is here. You may want to find out.Answer #2: [Welcome to the Office of Student Financial Aid!
**Completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is required to receive Financial Aid at Wiley College.**
Visit How to Apply for Financial Aid for the steps to complete the financial aid process online.
Have questions?
Give us a call!
(903) 927-3300
1-800-658-6889 ext. 3311.](http://www.wileyc.edu/bf/fa/Pages/default.aspx)

Emphasis added. Answer #3: Your dad said that he would do something, and didn't. Now he says he's going to pay that $17,000 himself. At this point, he's 0 for 1 on trust. I would go ahead and make sure that you get his agreement in writing, contract and all. I wouldn't trust him at his word until he DOES pay for that $17,000.