Title: Merchant Accidentally Refunded Purchase

Question:
I made a purchase from a large company in Wisconsin, USA to the tune of $1,500 two weeks ago. The day I went to pick up the item, it seems like the company accidentally refunded the purchase amount instead of confirming that it was picked up. I just noticed today, a few days after the fact. Am I under legal obligation to notify the company of the mistake? Or should I just wait until they notice it?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 I can’t imagine you have a legal obligation to inform them, but you will need to pay it if/when they catch their error.

I had the same thing happen to me after some appliances were delivered nearly 10 years ago. Also $1500. I waited a few days to see if the charge would be reauthorized. It wasn’t. I called the company’s relevant corporate customer service number (because I was feeling uneasy about having such a large charge refunded) & they were baffled. They couldn’t see a refund on their end, and kept asking me if I was sure. They said they’d have a supervisor look into it & call me back. After a couple weeks with no response, I called again. Same deal. They insisted there was no refund. I finally gave up. I can’t make them take my money, but I felt like I’d done my part to not feel unethical. They never charged me.


Title: Traffic law advice: Insurance company ruled against me...

Question:
I would appreciate any advice about an auto accident I was recently in:

I was in California two weeks ago and got into an accident. I was traveling north bound in the left lane through a 4 lane 4-way intersection. I was making a left hand turn onto a one-way street. The light was solid green. There was a break in the first lane of oncoming traffic. The second lane of oncoming traffic was a right turn only lane (indicated by road markings and a sign). As I was creeping through the second lane of traffic I hit a motorcycle that was traveling straight through the right turn only lane.

Fast forward two weeks: the insurance company ruled against me citing the traffic code below. This totally disregards the fact that the motorcycle was illegally traveling straight in a right turn only lane.

Second issue is that I had full coverage on the rental car. I made the claim through my personal insurance policy and through the National Rental Car. Does the rental policy supersede my personal insurance?

21801.  (a) The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or
to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or
private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all
vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close
enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning
movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the
approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with
reasonable safety.

Answer:
 They cited the correct traffic code; you did not have the right of way in this situation. You were coming through traffic and the motorcycle had the right of way even if he traveled straight from a right turn only lane.

>Second issue is that I had full coverage on the rental car. I made the claim through my personal insurance policy and through the National Rental Car. Does the rental policy supersede my personal insurance?

Did they ask you to make a claim through your insurance policy? I had full coverage on a rental a few years ago and it was simply minor bumps & scrapes, but the rep told me not to go through my own insurance and theirs would handle it.


Title: Neighbor’s dog came into my yard and ate my two pet chickens. What are my options?

Question: A new neighbor recently moved into the ‘hood and along with her came her dog, Leila. Leila came into my yard one day and murdered my chickens, Gemima and Mackenzie. Leila then proceeded to eat their corpses. My little brother was home at the time and heard the chickens screams of agony and terror. We’ve had these chickens for almost 3 years now and needless to say they were family. What can I do here?

Answer:
 You can sue the neighbor for about $40, which is the value of two chickens. Answer #2: I'm sorry for your loss, I get it that pets feel like family, even non-furry ones.  Bottom line though, pets are treated legally as property, you can only recover the value of the chickens themselves.  Also, don't blame the dog- she was just working off her natural prey drive.  Blame the owner for not securing the dog properly.Answer #3: Legal lawsuit wise you’d only get the cost of the chickens back. Answer #4: Generally if say a vehicle hits an animal in a "free range" state. Owner of the vehicle is responsible for said animal cost plus any potential offspring costs lost. Given the average cost (when you can find them) of Bantam Cochin eggs, and production of up to about 160 eggs a year, with a lifespan of 5-7 years. You could probably average $600 per bird, per year depending on your local laws. I'd definitely talk to an agricultural attorney. Answer #5: I am so sorry OP. Take them to small claims and sue them for the value of the chicken. Also, call animal control to see if you can have the animal taken away.

&#x200B;

The concerning part is that the dog knows chicken is food. Most dogs don't make the association between chicken=meat unless they have killed before. If you get chicken in the future, the dog is likely to do it again.


Title: Took over a lease for this summer and signed a document with the complex. Now the previous resident says I owe her money, and is threatening to sue. GA and FL

Question:
I interned in another state this summer, and took over a lease for housing. I signed in early April, moved in May 6, and my lease ended July 31.

In the lease that I signed with the complex, it states my lease start date as May 6, and says that I am to pay a total of $1738, which is equal to two months of rent. I assumed that the girl whose lease I took over read this, and was ok with it. Now, three months later, she is demanding that I pay her back $600 for the month of May. She has said that she will be filing a claim in small claims court today if I do not pay her.

 I am not familiar with how small claims court would work when I live in another state. We are currently in Georgia, but I will be moving back to Florida next week.

Since the lease I signed states that I am only responsible for two months of rent, I do not think I am obligated to pay her. We also never talked about me paying her back for May.

What are my options here?

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Absent any documents where you agreed to pay her for May, you can file an answer and raise your defense.  Georgia Magistrate Court lets you file a written answer and argue the girl hasn't proven you owe her anything.  Your only agreement was with the complex and the previous tenant is not involved.  This of course assumes her filing in small claims goes anywhere.  Theoretically when she files, her small claims paperwork should be reviewed and when she has nothing to show you agreed to pay her for May, the claim should die there (of course she can lie in an attempt to get past that hurdle).  If your written response doesn't take care of it you can contact the court about appearing via phone, Skype, etc.  Although in person typically is better.  If you are up front with the court about difficulties in traveling they may work with you regarding scheduling.

So just tell her you won't pay and to go ahead and file.Answer #2: Did you sign a lease with her or with the apratment complex. Did you stay beyond the agreed dates of the lease?


Title: [NJ] Cousin is working for UPS for a weekly rate, doing crazy overtime but not being compensated extra. He also doesn't get a lunch break working 9-10 hours a day. Is this illegal?

Question:
My cousins has been working as a driver for FedEx (packing his own truck and making the deliveries around town). He works for a weekly rate, regardless of the workload. He's an immigrant and his English isn't the best, and I believe that his boss is overstepping the legal bounds as an employer in the amount of work he makes him do/pays him for.

Firstly, I don't know the legal intricacies of weekly working arrangements, but since the holiday season started he has been doing almost double the amount of deliveries, working about 12 hours a day (up from 9), all for the same exact weekly pay.

Secondly, he doesn't get a lunch break even when he works by his regular (non-holiday) schedule. The boss gives him X amount of deliveries to make per day, and if he wants to make them all on time before many businesses close (5-6pm), he needs to completely skip his lunch in order to get the deliveries completed. The alternative is coming back with undelivered packages (which is a no-no).  I'm pretty sure you're legally entitled to at least a 30min lunch break if you're working an 8 hour day.

I was thinking about writing his boss a serious letter letting him know that I am my cousin's legal council and that he is breaking NJ labor laws. Is this a good idea? Should I write the letter, but not say anything about my relation to my cousin? It infuriates me that this guy overworks his employees, takes away their lunches, and doesn't compensate them for any extra work. This is a franchise owner of a local FedEx. Are there any whistleblower protection laws that will protect my cousin if he tries to report these conditions, and if so what proof does he need to acquire? I am currently looking into the labor laws for my state, any help would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: He works at FedEx not UPS. My mistake.

Answer:
 First off, is your cousin an employee or a contractor?

> I was thinking about writing his boss a serious letter letting him know that I am my cousin's legal council and that he is breaking NJ labor laws. Is this a good idea?

No, you're not a lawyer. That's a horrible idea.

Answer #2: > I was thinking about writing his boss a serious letter letting him know that I am my cousin's legal council

That is the stupidest idea I've heard in the last hour.  And for this sub, that is saying something.


Title: Would I be liable if I rigged my bike lock to explode if someone attempts to cut it?

Question:
I've been curious how this scenario would legally pan out in terms of liability:

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Say I rigged my bike lock so that if it's cut over it will explode enough to (not seriously) hurt whoever sets it off/tried to steal my bike when it's safely locked on a street. It's obviously not the thief's property, and cutting the lock to steal my bike is a crime.

&#x200B;

Would I be responsible for hurting the thief, or does my liability expire since it's my property? Feel free to switch out 'bomb' with 'strong electricity' or what ever other cruelty comes to your mind if that changes the scenario in any way!
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Short answer. Yes. You would be very liable if you did this, if you arent an explosives expert then you could very easilly blast off a thiefs fingers. While i hate thieves and i wouldent blame you for being angry i would strongly advise you do not do  this. Attach a tracker to the underside of your bike seat or anywhere else inconspicuous. This would alert you if the bike moves and you can inform the police. Answer #2: You can't set a trap that harms someone indiscriminately.

Let's say you've chained your bike to a handicapped access post without realizing it, and the police come to cut the lock and impound the bike. Or maybe someone's having a medical emergency and the ambulance crew need to cut it to get to the person (either it's blocking the ambulance itself, or making impossible to get a stretcher past).

You've just injured the hand of a cop / firefighter / ambulance medic / city worker / etc. who was within their rights to remove your lock as part of their duties.

It's the same reasoning why you can't just electrify your door handles / put landmines in your yard / etc. to deter thieves. At least if you use a gun you're making a conscious decision to shoot something, a boobytrap doesn't care if it's a thief or a deliveryman  setting it off.


Title: Road Rage isnt worth it

Question:
Apologies in advance if this is flared wrong. This is not a short post, so please be aware...

Location: Upstate NY

Problem: Suspended License for unpaid tags due to dmv closed weekend and having 24 hrs to get tags on a friday(stupid).

What happened: its long, sorry, just trying to be detailed...

Yesterday we were driving(My sister driver, me in passenger and infant son in back) on the highway and were being tailgated in the left lane going 20 over already and traffic ahead, and they attempt to pass us by merging right to speed up and get ahead in front(wouldve got them nowhere due to traffic). We were trying to get over to the right lane to exit because were getting close to our exit, and they wouldnt let us exit since they were trying to pass us so they sped up to not let us in. We ended up merging a car ahead of them once traffic on their side got slower. My sister, driving, flipped them off for tailgating and not letting us in(unwise).

They apparently did not like this, so they got back in the left lane, speeding again next to us, and severely swerved(almost lost control of their vehicle)in front of us and slammed on their brakes, which warranted a hand down from us to beep them for being reckless. We nearly reared them. I was upset at this point because mom instincts kicked in and they sped off to try to escape once I got my phone out to capture their tags. We got close but I was shaking too much to get a clear photo.

They pretended to exit, stopping on the dotted lines on the exit to then follow us. I flipped them off in passing (again, unwise but mom mode). We exited at the last second, not signaling, to see if they were really following us, and sure enough they swerved to follow us. We signaled left  to turn and they did too. Once I was on the phone with the police they changed to right turn and disappeared.

I was going to report them but since it was my sister driving and her car, im afraid she would get in worse trouble for driving with expired tags and a suspended license. We need her to keep working or we will become homeless, so I didnt follow through with it. I also felt like it was our fault for getting angry and flipping them off and we would get a ticket too.
Its eating at me and Im not sure if there is anything I can do or if its even worth following through on.

Should I just let it go and hope they get karma for their road rage? I already told my sis and myself to never flip someone off again even if its warranted so it doesnt escalate the situation... we are at fault for most likely escalating the situation but for them to do something so dangerous with a baby in the car(the car is labeled too), that I just cant let it go.

What can/should I do if anything?

Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: So you willingly escalated a road rage situation by following and flipping off another driver multiple times, with your sister driving the car with expired tags on a suspended license, and you're wondering what you should do about it?


Title: (PA) Friend laid off from job, being charged for cost of job training

Question:
As the title suggests, a friend was contracted  as a teacher at a private school in PA. As part of their employment they were required to take a 6 week training course offered by a third party company, the cost of which was covered by the school. The employment contract stated that if the employee broke the contract, they were responsible for paying the school back for the cost of the training.

This teacher is being laid off due to low enrollment for next school year, not due to any performance issues. The contract does not state anything regarding a layoff situation and the training costs.

The school head and owner is planning to withhold this teachers last two paychecks to cover the cost of the training. Is this legal?

Answer:
 No it is not legal. She should report this to the PA DOL. You can only be billed for things like this unless you explicitly agreed to have it taken out of your paycheck, which they didn't, and as this was beyond her control, it is still unnecessary. Answer #2: In my opinion based on what you posted, not legal. Teacher is entitled to payment in full for hours worked and school should pay the third-party training company.

> The employment contract stated that if the employee broke the contract, they were responsible for paying the school back for the cost of the training.

Employee didn't break the contract. Employee was laid off.

> This teacher is being laid off due to low enrollment for next school year, not due to any performance issues. The contract does not state anything regarding a layoff situation and the training costs.

If the only provision in the contract for reimbursement of training costs referenced employee breaking the contract, and that didn't happen, employee isn't obligated to reimburse.

Contact the PA department of labor and put in a wage claim if the school refuses to pay in full. Answer #3: Not legal at all, make sure to have everyone laid off file a wage claim. PA doesn't take these claims lightly.


Title: Police robbed me.

Question:
To make a long story short the police arrested me last night for posession of crack marijuana and a grinder. I had $400 in cash on me in a bank envelope and the police stole it from me while arresting me. I was in the back of the car and i saw one cop hold up the money and say to the other cop "you got a bag for this profit?" The other cop laughed and said yeah man right here and i watched them take it and put it in their pockets. Only one cop got in the car to drive me somewhere and i asked him where my money was and they said they left it in my friends car since they thought it was his money. I knew it was a lie when he said it because like i said i watched them fucking take it and laugh about it. When i got bailed out i checked my friends car anyways and or course its not there. What do i do? Can i get my money back or at least get the charges dropped somehow?

Im 18 by the way and this is my first ever arrest. Alabama. The charges are felony posession of marijuana felony posession of crack and misdeamenor posession of paraphanelia.

Answer:
 No, you can't get charges dropped becuase of this.   You can make a complaint.  You need a lawyer for these charges.  Talk to them about your options and how to make a complaint about it.  Answer #2: You can and should file a complaint against the officers if this is true.

But it will have no impact on your current charges.


Title: Corptech scam

Question: I got scammed at work and now my boss wants me to handle it. Basically I got a call by a company claiming they were giving away a free box of supplies for their 25th anniversary and just asked to verify my name and business address. A coworker said that seems sketchy when the box arrived so I looked it up and sure enough it is a well known scam. We received the bill for the "free" box and it is almost $500. Am I or the company I work for under any legal obligation to pay or acknowledge this?

Answer:
 Ah, finally!  [This](https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0181-unordered-merchandise) may actually have a tad bit of relevance.

It would all come down to whatever fine print is associated with the "free" box of supplies -- did accepting the "free" box sign you up for a membership of some sort?  Or in any way indicate that you would owe some money to Corptech?

[Here's](https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0101-free-trial-offers) the FTC's take on "free trial" type things and what to watch out for.  Not all "free trials" that end up with bills are illegitimate or mean you don't owe any money, but depending on how the "free trial" is handled, you may have some recourse.  Most of it revolves around doing your due diligence before accepting any kind of "free" thing, which would include researching the company, looking for the terms and conditions and reading through them first, and that sort of thing.Answer #2: The scam is that they will edit the recording and your "yes" will be used to make it seem like you agreed to whatever. Whether that would hold up in court is doubtful. I would write them a letter stating you did not agree to be billed for any amount, that you will return it if they provide a method at their expensive to return it, and that you will involve the company's lawyer if they refuse to drop the matter. They are going for low hanging fruit here so that will probably be enough to make them go away.Answer #3: This is a common grey-area scam done by the likes of publishers clearing house. Call them or sent them a letter stating you did not agree to pay for anything and will not be paying for the supplies and asking what address you would like them returned to, then file a report with the FTC


Title: [GA]

Question:
Reddit Lawyers,

I am a boyfriend to a wonderful young woman who was molested by her grandfather when she was 12.

She's now 24, and as of January was able to fully come to terms with that subject enough to reach out to her family on the matter. Her family reacted terribly, and in her defense I've made written comments supporting her. Today, I received a cease and desist letter outlining the following statements as defamation per se.

"...[girlfriend]'s sexual abuse from her Grandfather"
"child molester"
"Grandad is a terrible piece of shit who touches little girls"
"Molested Mommy too"
"Psycho she was forced to hug"
"Pre-teen girl is engaged by an older man in an act of sexual perversion"
"He sexually abuses her"
"Took your own granddaughter to bed when she was TWELVE years old. 12.
"Pedophile"

Most of the statements above were in private emails to the parties directly related to the situation her mother (who has taken the side of the abuser), her grandmother, and one Facebook post which mentioned the abuse, but never named the abuser by name, only by title of grandfather.

They are asking that I publish retractions and repudiations of each and every defamatory statement made.

They also made note that they enlisted a former FBI agent who performed a polygraph test on him (the one who molested my girlfriend) saying he had a 99% pass rate on the questioning.

Any advice? I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

EDIT: Guys, this whole thing scared me a lot at first, and after responding and not hearing anything back for several weeks, it looks like the intent of the letter was nothing more than intimidation. Secondly, I received a new letter today from attorneys representing the victims mother. The new thread is here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3i7ztw/usaga_defamation_over_allegations_of_sexual/

THANK YOU.

Answer:
 It's not defamation if it's true.Answer #2: I'd tell them to pound sand.

If they want to try and file a suit, get a lawyer.  But at this point they're all smoke.

That being said, what good is pushing this matter?  What do you and your girlfriend hope to gain from this?  I say that respectfully, because the endgame matters.


Title: California: A personal injury claim was filed against my partner and I, and it appears the lawyer is falsifying documents. What do we do?

Question:
Hi everyone.

I just want some advice on how to handle a rather dicey situation.  Bear with me because it's a bit lengthy, but it's also pretty interesting for all of you legal buffs, I'm sure.

Back in October of 2013, my partner and I were involved in a car accident on the freeway.  It was late at night and my partner was the designated driver.  We were returning from a party and he lost control of the car and hit another car.  Yes, he was stone-cold sober.  Our car was totaled, but the other car was driven away from the scene.  All parties reported they were fine and no paramedics were called to the scene.

Fast-forward to this year.  We started receiving documents at our home from a law firm.  Apparently the person we hit is now suing my partner for "non-economical damages."  She had told our insurance company she suffered a soft tissue injury and needed a chiropractor, but never provided them with any documentation.  The lawsuit she's filing against us is an unlimited civil (so it's for damages exceeding $25,000).

We were told by our insurance (AAA) to basically do nothing.  So we haven't.  But then, recently, we were told that her lawyers submitted a proof that summons were served.  We replied that we never received summons.

When we got a copy of the proof, it had a date, time, et cetera.  The document said that it was served to meon my partner's behalf, at our residence at 8:30 pm on October 1st.  The problem?  I wasn't home then.  Neither of us were.  We were over two hours away, in San Diego, at a vet appointment.  And we have paper receipts, a credit card charge, and an office full of people to prove it.

So it appears to us that they straight-up lied on this document and we're wondering what to do.  A lot of the papers we've received have looked really shady, and we looked up the lawyer and found he's been on probation from the bar 3 times.

Should we be worried?  We are straight shooters and we are not litigious people, but it seems like we're deeply involved in this hot mess now.  Should we get a lawyer or just trust AAA?  What's the likelihood we'll be forced to pay out for what sounds like a bogus lawsuit?  Is the lawyer going to get in trouble?  Should we/can we report him for fraudulent paperwork?  If we prove the papers are falsified, will the case be dropped, or will it keep going?

Your advice, answers, comments, deep-seated personal resentments other than my own, and general waxing philosophic is appreciated!  Mostly I just want to know what to expect.  This has been very stressful.  Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Tell AAA that the affidavit of service is incorrect as you were not at home on the date they served you.  Then do whatever they say, but know that the failure to serve properly will likely have no practical effect (there is plenty of time left to run on the statue of limitations).

Otherwise, leave it in AAA's hands - after all, that's why you pay them.Answer #2: The insurance company told you to do nothing because they are handling this for you. Call them and let them know that you were not served and provide your insurer with your documentation. They should handle that for you.

In most places, a process server handles the service and signs the affidavit with the date and time (not the lawyer). So the server may have forged it because he didn't want to come back again and just wanted to get paid by the lawyer. Regardless, your insurer told you they'd handle it, and they will.

Assuming the service document is thrown out, the plaintiff lawyer will simply have to serve you again for real. And then you hand it over to your insurer.


Title: My car is totaled, should I sue?

Question: So I come to a complete stop at a red light and a car behind me stops too, a third car comes to the light and hits the car behind me and that car hits me and both of our cars are totaled. The driver of the third car claims he was talking to his passenger and couldn't stop in time. Do I have a good enough case to sue or should I just let insurance take care of it? Both me and the driver behind me were taken to the hospital because of head pain but both were released with no serious injuries

Answer:
 The guy in back is at fault.   It's not a defense to argue that you were too distracted to brake in time.

But generally,  many such cases settle without a whole lot of hassle,  because it's clear who was at fault.   There really isn't a need to sue unless the other guy's insurer tries to lowball the car value or your med expenses.


Title: (CO) Me and my co workers have been talking about unonizing and the owner / boss has been acting really shady about it

Question:
I work at a hotel. It's not a chain it is independently owned and the owner built it up from a bed and breakfast type deal. My co workers and me have been talking about unonizing maybe. Ever since the owner got wind of it she has been acting shady. When she found she said the union could have the information sessions in the dining room when it's closed between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner. She also said that if the union is not comfortable coming to the hotel premises to do it that she will talk to the owner of the banquet hall up the street about him letting them use it. The union wants to have two information sessions because the hotel is 24/7 so not everyone can be off work at once and she post a sign up list so we can let her know which one we want to go to so she can make sure everyone gets to go while having the hotel still covered. She sent out a memo to all us workers and the union saying that anyone who attends during work hours will still get their full pay and no one will be penalized for talking about unonizing at work and she will not contest us unionizing because "anything that advances the cause of workers rights and the labor movement is something that I believe to be beneficial to all".

Me and a couple my buddies at work are confused about why she is acting this way because she is the owner and a union would be bad for her. I think it's some kind of reverse phsychology to make us think twice about joining. I mean she hadn't been a bad boss and she pays us OK and does stuff like have a dinner for the people who are working on christmas and their family's but a union would be really bad for her. I'm not even a business owner and I know that. I don't get why she would support other then faking it.

Is there anything we can do about the shady behavior? And can she get in trouble for it or for trying to interfere with us unonizing. I just want to know and so do a couple of my co workers before we have the info session with the union. TIA r/legaladvice

Answer: There is nothing shady about her actions.  It's the opposite of shady


Title: Does the loan recipient owe the loaner money?

Question: Hypothetically speaking.  A friend was given $5000 to grow his business with the promise they would pay back the $5K plus $300 for loaning money.  In the process of using the money to grow the business they were robbed.  The loan recipient was given money with both sides knowing the risks and legality of the growth of business.  Does the loan recipient owe the $5K?  The $300?  Anything more than a sorry?

Answer:
 "Hypothetically speaking", the borrower is responsible for paying back a loan whether their business venture succeeded or not.

If the risks were supposed to be shared, this should have been structured as a partnership.

Since this transaction was a loan, the borrower owes the $5,300 to the lender.


Title: Rape question

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Cease all contact with her, if you are contacted by the police, decline to speak with them and get a lawyer.

Otherwise stop worrying.


Title: My relationship is very likely to be ending soon. Who legally owns our cat? (Unmarried, MA)

Question:
It's very likely that my SO and I are going to be breaking up soon   (sometimes you just know) so I'm trying to get my ducks in a row before shit really hits the fan. We've been together for 6 years, are not married and have had a cat for 4 of those years. When we got the cat, I paid the adoption fee and was the main person on the application. I'm not sure if his name appeared on the application at all. As for pet records, it's split 50/50 as to whose name is on the medical records. My SO has been paying for pet insurance for the whole time we've had the cat through his work which is why his name is the primary name on some of the records. I have purchased the majority of the cat's things (toys, food, beds) and most of those purchases were on Amazon so there is very clear documentation of me making the purchases.

I don't anticipate that the break-up will get nasty or that it will result in any sort of legal action however, am I correct in thinking that IF it came to legal action, I have legal ownership of the cat?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Legal ownership falls under the name on the official paperwork through which the animal was purchased. If you hold proof that you are the one who filed the paperwork and made the purchase for the cat then the cat is yours.


Title: Creep Flying Their Drone To Spy On Me In My Bikini

Question: I am 17(F) and have a pretty private backyard where I like to tan in my bikini. Recently, one of my neighbors (I’m not sure who) started flying their drone over peoples backyards. This has made me very uncomfortable in my own home since I feel very exposed laying out. It wasn’t too much of a problem until today when I was out and the drone came by and stopped for a minute facing me. I’m not completely sure but it was enough time to take pictures of me before i covered up. This is interfering with something I enjoy and do very often, and makes me feel harassed. Are there any legal actions I can take so they can’t fly their drone over the neighbors backyards or look into mine? I’m in CA, and I wasn’t able to take a video when it stopped and faced me, but I do have videos of it flying across over peoples backyards.

Answer:
 California Civil Code § 1708.8(b) provides:

>A person is liable for constructive invasion of privacy when the person attempts to capture, in a manner that is offensive to a reasonable person, any type of visual image, sound recording, or other physical impression of the plaintiff engaging in a private, personal, or familial activity, through the use of any device, regardless of whether there is a physical trespass, if this image, sound recording, or other physical impression could not have been achieved without a trespass unless the device was used.

So it seems you have a civil remedy -- a lawsuit -- against the drone operator.


Title: Partner (M) cheated. Now we have split up, and he wants the engagement ring back from me (F)

Question:
Hi reddit.

I live in the UK.

So my ex-boyfriend gave me the engagement ring a few years ago and recently I found out he had been cheating on me for months. Now he is asking for my engagement ring back.

I looked online and found out that unless he specified when he gave it to me that he would want it back should we split up, he is not entitled to it. Well, he never informed me before the split that he wanted it back, and it was a gift, and he was the one who cheated causing the relationship to end.

So does he have any leverage at all?

Thank you for reading, any help is appreciated.

Answer:
 The Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1970 [reads](http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1970/33/section/3), in part, as follows:

> The gift of an engagement ring shall be presumed to be an absolute gift; this presumption may be rebutted by proving that the ring was given on the condition, express or implied, that it should be returned if the marriage did not take place for any reason.

Unless he has evidence that it was intended to be a conditional gift, I don't think he has any leverage at all.


Title: USA, TX. Can I be charged with harassment for telling people the truth about my ex-wife

Question: Ok so I got divorced several months ago. It was amicable and went smooth. I had a little to much to drink the other night and told some people about some shady shit my ex-wife did. I being a drunk idiot, proded by friends, texted her mom and her a list of shit she had done. Well the next day she threatened me with slander and defamation. I told her that since it's true good luck and that she should talk to her lawyer. Well she did and now she's threatening harassment charges on me if I again do something similar. So from my understanding I have to actually make direct contact with her for it to be considered harassment, but lets say I told a group of friends that she was fucking our neighbor when I wasn't around and they spread it. Would that be considered harassment? I know this shit seems petty but she destroyed 3 years of my life that I won't ever get back and literally took everything from me so yeah she'd try to fuck me over any way she could.

Answer:
 “Don’t be an asshole” is surprisingly great universal legal advice.

Move on. Yes, this could be construed as harassment, and you don’t want to have to defend a suit. Answer #2: Yes, a pattern of spreading rumors about her and contacting family to air her dirty laundry is absolutely harassment. Just stop it and move on. Drunken ramblings aren’t going to help you recover from your failed marriage and will get you in trouble. Answer #3: What happened to your amicable divorce? It seems like you now want to blow it up. Don't do that. If you contact people who don't want to be contacted, such as family members, yes that can be harassment. You went over the line when you texted her mom. Don't contact her mom. If you are telling the truth, you are right, she cannot successfully sue you for slander or defamation. That doesn't mean she won't try.

As a lawyer, a common piece of advice I give people is not to seek out trouble. I get you are angry, but if you keep doing this, you will likely find trouble.


Title: My estranged father, who never made contact until recently is now suing ME for child support.

Question:
Location: Ontario, Canada

Thank you in advance for helping and guiding me though this process . I have only recently gotten my life together, well relatively. I hope I can settle in court in a peaceful, and rational manner.

Background: I am currently 21 years old, and the last time I seen my father I was 6. My Mother ( 16 y/o) and Father (20 y/o) separated shortly after my birth, which was most likely for the better from the sounds of it. I was later diagnosed with a Congenital Heart Defect, my father was with me and the family for the first operation, but vanished shortly after... Literally, We lost contact until 2 years later. I was then visiting my father in another community occasionally until I was six. Some family conflict caused my grandparents to not allow me to see that side of the family. Until now that's it! (mostly)

Question: What are my first steps to resolve this issue? Also do you have any comments that may ease the situation?

Okay so I don't have much information right now, but, I do feel that I am innocent. I graduated high school in 2014 and enrolled and went to college... here is where I messed up, I dropped out of my business program and worked for about 3-5 months, to be frank, it wasn't for me. Another notable reason for me dropping out is because I had very bad anxiety, and my productivity wasn't really the best at the time. Both are relatively resolved. I'm more rational, focused, and at ease then ever before just in case you were curious.I enrolled myself for pre-health sciences, but had to leave early for medical reasons, (I have all medical documents) however have since gotten better. Since January 2016 I've been working trying to pay an over payment that I have from OSAP, working on my long-term goals and myself in general. I do have plans to go back to school, and have been actively been applying and seeing what it is going to take for me to go back to school, financially speaking. I don't feel I did anything wrong, then again, it's not like I had the best guidance..

As far as payments go, my Mother states he only started paying when I turned 16 years old, he also has been ducking my mothers assessment of income requests, for a bit we weren't even sure if he was working. She also states he has only been paying minimum child support.

I've recently had a phone call with my estranged sperm donor, we spoke about school, the suit and arranged a meeting. I told him the truth well being  as vague as possible (I'm a little skeptical talking to him.)

Any help with this issue would be deeply appreciated!

TL;DR version: Father suing me for me allegedly not being I school since I was 16.

Edit: added TL;DR, thanks for the feedback :)

Answer: Can I take a guess? Support was ordered past the age of 18 if you were in school full-time. He (claims to have) paid based on your student status, but you were not actually a student and therefore he did not owe support. Whether that is true or not, his argument is with your mother, who received the support, and not with you, even if your mother provided support to you.


Title: [CO] Got fired for weed because the company started drug testing, but weed is legal here (they would have still fired me if it was medical not recreational). It was an office job pushing papers, not involving driving or machinery. Do I have any re course?

Answer: It is still illegal under federal law, you can still be fired for its use.


Title: WV - Cops Called. Ex Accusing Me Of Phone Harassment

Question:
W.V.

The cops called me completely out of the blue, saying that my ex-girlfriend is wanting to press charges for phone harassment. I leased a vehicle for her before we split and she stiffed me on the bill. I did try to contact her a few times about the bill (nothing heated) but eventually gave up. She never answered.

The cops want me to bring my cellphone in so they can hook it up to their comp and get all the data off of it. What should I do?

Also, what data are they going to get? I don't want them having access to all of my conversations on all platforms and stuff. I also hear they can get all keystrokes that have ever been typed on your phone, which would give them my passwords.

The cop told me she didn't have much, but I'm assuming they tell everyone that just to get their phone.

Answer:
 >The cops want me to bring my cellphone in so they can hook it up to their comp and get all the data off of it. What should I do?

LOL - "No."

While you're at it, if your name is on the title to the car and hers isn't, take the car back.


Title: Father committed suicide after taking Lariam in 1999

Question: Hi, im 24 years old and when i was a young boy my father ended his own life one month after returning from Sudan. As Ive grown older I have learned more about what really happened, and recently my Aunt (his sister) told me that he had taken Lariam as Malaria prevention, and that the drug has been linked to serious mental health issues and suicide since 1999. Does anyone have experience in this type of case, or have any advice for me in potentially seeking a lawsuit?

Answer: It has almost undoubtedly been too long to sue now. Where do you live, and where was your father when he was prescribed the Lariam?


Title: Are the Koch Brothers, who are oil industry executives, violating any anti-trust or conflict of interest or other laws by funding campaigns against public transit which competes against their product?

Question:
Question about American law:

They are funding campaigns against Public Transit in municipal ballots across the country: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/climate/koch-brothers-public-transit.html

And they have a new campaign against electric buses: https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/08/20/koch-fueled-attack-electric-buses-washington-examiner

Koch Industries principal product is Oil. Which public transit and electric buses reduce the consumption of. Clearly they're acting to protect their market share and profits.

Aside from being incredibly unseemly is there any law being broken?

Answer: Nope. The first amendment doesn't protect just disinterested speech.


Title: Was summoned for Jury Duty in a state that I no longer live in and they won't approve my exclusion requests.

Question:
If this is a repost, I apologize, but I could use help.

Mainly my issue is in the title, but some more info:
I'm pretty sure I was summoned because my Driver's License is still issued (MO), but I live in VA now. I've given proof of address in the form of utility bills, but they still won't let me excuse myself from the trial. I don't have the means to get back to MO before the jurors are decided, but I also don't want to be held in contempt of court.

Anything I can use would be helpful.

Answer:
 Why haven’t you gotten a license in your current state yet? Honestly not only is it the law, but it would also have kept you out of this mess.Answer #2: **Update: I [OP, not me] found a line on my summons saying they would pay 7 cents per mile, so I sent an email saying I'd expect $146 if I ended up needing to go. It was quickly postponed.**

:) Funny how that works. :)Answer #3: As a tip for the future, if you register to vote somewhere else you're good (at least in California, likely elsewhere too).

In college I registered to vote at my dorm address when I moved in.  My parents were super irresponsible and gave me a years worth of mail at my house in a big trash bag when I came back in the summer.  I found a jury summons, late notice, and a scary final notice all there -- then nothing, poof.

I saw on one of the cards they sent that you don't have to do jury duty if you're registered to vote in another county.  The county had just continued threatening me, until they must've reached the point of actually trying to punish me, and only then did they realize that I'm registered in a whole other county.


Title: Girlfriend blackmailing me / Made false Domestic Violence claims to police. What can I do?

Question:
Hey reddit, The person I've been dating for about 9 months is pretty much trying to ruin my life. I've tried to break up with her around 5-7 times but when ever I do she threatens to kill herself, throws my stuff around, causes a scene, acts completely unstable. I've even had to break a door down to our bathroom to get a knife that she grabbed while acting suicidal. She has a history of suicide attempts so when she says she's going to kill herself I take it seriously. Her issues are largely unrelated to me most of them stem from a horrible relationship with her step father and having just gotten out of a 3 year relationship where her BF beat the crap out of her and treated her terribly.

The blackmail comes in play with the business that I run and her threats to disrupt that by showing up at business meetings, coffee shops I go to work with people, join the chamber of commerce for the sole reason of "being with me" "while I work". She has even gone so far as to show up at a business meeting I was having and watch me from the parking lot. Here I would like to stress that some of these are public places that would not be right for me to prevent her to go to but she is specifically saying she will show up with the goal of disrupting what I am doing or being involved when it doesn't make sense. What business owner brings their girlfriend to every meeting? It just doesn't make sense and it's meant to hurt me / impact my success.

I've called the police on her several times after trying to break up with her because she says she's going to kill herself and the most recent time when I tried to break up with her she claimed to be pregnant which may or may not be true I decided to assume it was true for the sake of not wanting to take any chances and when she once again said she was going to kill herself / made self harm statements I tried convincing her to stay at the house and wanted to call the police but she attacked me and left. I then called the police like normal, they came and got my side of the story then she showed up and they got her side of the story. Then they took me to jail for simple assault domestic and false imprisonment. She is not trying to press charges but the state has picked them up (even though they are fabricated statements)

What can I do? What are the chances I could really get a criminal record because she tried to ruin my life like this?

Location South Dakota -
Note : I have left some details out to protect my case and privacy.

Answer:
 You are not responsible for her actions.

Document everything and leave.

She is going to continue to exercise control over your life for as long as you let her, and waiting is not going to make the end any less messy.

Get an attorney to defend you in the criminal case and look into an order of protection if you're concerned about her showing up and causing trouble.

But get out, NOW. This crazy isn't going to go away on its own.Answer #2: Domestic abusers often use suicide threats to control their victims. Don't fall for it. If she really wants to kill herself, you can't stop her unless you follow her around 24/7 anyway.

Following you around to business meetings is also about control. The fake pregnancy? Also about control. She's a creepy, violent control freak.

As for the charges against you, follow your lawyers advice. I'd also recommend you get an order of protection against her.


Title: [HOUSTON, TX] TABC - Is it illegal to return unopened wine/beer to store of purchase?

Question:
As occasionally happens in a relationship, I failed my shopping duties at Sam’s Club by picking up the wrong case of wine (wine is wine right? But nooooo, it has to be one specific KIND of wine...)

So the next day I attempted to return the case of wine. The first Sam’s Club I tried to return it to didn’t accept the wine stating I needed to return it at the exact Sam’s Club location I purchased the wine - 30 minutes away. Frustrating, but hey at least it makes the SO happy.

I finally arrive at the Sam’s Club and they refuse to accept it citing its against TX State law. I raise  some cane because I didn’t just drive 30 minutes to return wine the first Sam’s Club led me to believe was returnable. Finally a manager comes over and just accepts the return to get rid of me, after making me promise I won’t report them to TABC for violating TX State law.

Now I know I have return unopened alcohol before without issues in TX.

So what is the deal here? Did I just succeed in incorporating Sam’s Club into my little criminal alcohol cartel, or is Sam’s Club giving me the run around to protect a whole $50 of their bottom line?
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 > wine is wine right?

*eye twitches*Answer #2: > wine is wine right

Is Old Crow an acceptable answer if you asked for Booker's or Maker's Mark?

> I finally arrive at the Sam’s Club and they refuse to accept it citing its against TX State law.

As far as I know - and [as far as TABC's own Twitter account claims](https://twitter.com/TexasABC/status/928990179846696960) - it's not illegal for a store to accept returns, but it's not illegal for a store to refuse returns, either. If Sam's has a policy of not accepting returns on alcohol, your primary recourse is to shop elsewhere. It's also legal for them to blame a law that doesn't exist as a justification for their policy.

There are some regulations on [wholesale](https://www.tabc.state.tx.us/marketing_practices/advisories/MPB027.pdf) that sound a lot like "no refunds," but they govern sales to retailers, not sales to end consumers.Answer #3: It is possible the person misinterpreted  the memo below

https://www.tabc.state.tx.us/marketing_practices/advisories/MPB027.pdf


Title: I have video footage of a murder outside my house last night. Should I talk to the media?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The advice that you are looking for is not legal advice.


Title: [Colorado] Mother with Parkinsonian dementia is making poor financial decisions

Question:
I apologize if this is long and rambling.

My mother has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease for several years. Accompanying this is decreasing cognitive function related to Parkinsonian dementia. This has led to poor financial decisions recently. She is in her mid-60’s and married still to my father. I’m in my 30’s (have stable job, house, etc.…)

She has become increasingly impulsive and almost has a compulsive need to spend money -- collecting large amounts of stuff that she has no use for, giving frequent gifts to others (not that I don’t like the Beatles lava lamp that she randomly bought for me last week for reasons unknown). As she inherited a trust from her father, she has been insistent on maintaining control of her own finances, to the point of hiding and destroying bank statements before anybody else can see them. My father has limited funds of his own and cannot access my mother’s bank accounts or investments.

My mother also owns a large (4600 sqft) house that her parents had built, which she inherited after their death. This house is not maintained well as has several flights of stairs that are starting to cause problems for my parents as they both have mobility problems. As this was my mother’s parents’ custom dream house, my mother refuses to consider moving to another place that is more senior-friendly.

I found out from the county earlier this year that she had neglected to pay property taxes. I also found out that she has overdrawn her checking account recently. She became extremely angry with me when I mentioned the property taxes (and the ensuing lien against the house) to her and my father (as she feels he thinks she cannot do anything herself and this would give him ammunition). We did get the taxes paid out of her trust and the lien removed.

As she was forced to retire a few years ago, she has been wanting to work and lately has given money to online work-from-home scams. She has setup recurring payments to online “charities” as well. She has lost and misplaced credit card and financial instruments.

Last year she became enamored with the idea of buying real estate in Tucson (my parents do not live anywhere near Arizona, nor have they ever) and had her financial advisor setup a line of credit backed by her trust to purchase property there. This line of credit now has been used when her checking account is overdrawn and has incurred interest (sorry, I’m not a financial expert so the details of the line of credit may be slightly off). Her financial expert has stated that her current rate of spending is unsustainable.

When asked, she repeatedly states that she has half a million dollars in her trust. While this was true at one time, it is no longer. She often has trouble figuring how much she has spent.

I’m asking for advice as how to handle this situation. I think it would be best to have someone manage her finances to make certain they last as well as make certain things get paid on time (property taxes, utilities, credit cards, etc). I think my mother would need to have a “spending” account that could not be overdrawn. Longer-term, I would like to see her move to a residence better suited to her (maybe rent out her house to pay for it so she can still technically own it).

I would like this to be accomplished without causing too much animosity and without her feeling like she is losing control of everything. She can be extremely stubborn and will fight tooth and nail, especially against moving. She has looked into divorce lawyers as a result of fights with my father over her financial mis-management. She, at least for now, still trusts her children.

Also, in a purely selfish way, I would like to make certain that my mother’s financial decisions do not cause me any financial problems and would like to insulate my self from future problems. I would prefer not to lose my house, vehicle, retirement account, etc. as a result of her finances. I am financially stable and do not depend on my parents for money/gifts/anything else. I do not share any accounts or trusts with them and am not banking on receiving any inheritance now or in the future. I just would like to not be forced into paying for support or something.

I love my mother; I just would like to ensure her future, at least in a financial sense, is manageable. At this time, she is not in need of full-time nursing care. Before you ask, no, she does not drive anymore – we took away the keys a couple years ago, although she is pretty unhappy about this.

TL;DR; Mother with dementia is making poor financial decisions. Need advice.

Answer: You can file for Power of Attorney involving financial authority over your mother's finances. You can get a draft started, stating what powers you'd like over your mother, and getting a Notary to sign it off. Note that in Colorado, you cannot make general assignment of powers, ie. "authority over all personal finances."


Title: Got pulled over from a called in complaint

Question: I got pulled over by a police officer in the state of Missouri. The cop informed me that I had gotten a complaint for careless and imprudent driving. He said I had a citation to appear in court because they were filing a complaint. I am curious as to how I can possibly get any sort of ticket or fine beings that they have no evidence and no cop witnessed an act of careless and imprudent driving. I have to appear in court. I don't want that on my driving record because I don't want my insurance to go up. Any sort of advice? Thanks.

Answer: Cops don't personally have to witness violations. The person who called to complain will need to be in court to be a witness of your violations.


Title: My girlfriends parents want to kick out their son when he turns 18, what steps should they take to do this correctly?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Once Brother Dear is an adult, he's an ordinary tenant as far as the law is concerned. Oklahoma requires 30 days' written notice to terminate a tenancy at will or a month to month tenancy. This notice is not a request: it informs the tenant that their tenancy is ending, and that they must vacate or face legal action. On the 31st day, the landlord can file an unlawful detainer action in small claims against him as an overholding tenant.

As near as I can tell, still being in high school is not a defence against eviction. However, it might be worth their time to speak to a local lawyer before relying on that. Losing an eviction is a waste of time and tips their hand.

If you or anyone else is sincerely concerned that Brother Dear may be a danger to himself, call the police. If he's generally cooperative, getting him into crisis counselling for his suicidal ideation is a very, very good idea.


Title: Being Framed as a "wifebeater" NYC location

Question: I got in an argument with my girlfriend, she was drunk and I took her to her apartment to drop her off. She started screaming and hitting me and I had enough she was starting to make a scene and the landlords were outside so I took her to her mothers house with her grandparents. I get a call from my father saying they're trying to press charges you're looking at 2 years in jail. I literally did nothing except argue and accept/block punches while I was driving her to her mothers house. I am completely done with this waste of a relationship and I have no idea what her mother said but she is an alcoholic and I wouldn't put it passed her to nonchalantely call the police and make up some shit. My girlfriend has her grandparents on her side (one of them is also a drunk and cursed me out when I dropped her off). What do I do I am panicking right now.

Answer:
 Go home.  Do not talk to the cops at all.  Do not speak to this woman or her family ever again for any reason whatsoever.

She can call the cops and they can come and find you and investigate.  If they think they have evidence to arrest you they will.  If they think they have evidence but can't find you, they'll send you a court date (this is better).

NYC DAs don't drop domestic violence charges.  The only way to get out of it is to plea-bargain, go to trial, or for her to not cooperate (which isn't a guaranteed dismissal).


Title: [California] United change our flights for free then tried to charge us on the day.

Question:
You guys are probably bored of hearing about airlines making mistakes these last few months but here is another one! thank you in advance for even taking the time to read this! Buckle up for a novel.

We were flying across the US for a wedding, when a sudden death in the family forced us to divert to another state on the way.

We called up United to see what the changing fees would be and to our surprise the agent said "You can book another flight one way to the new location and then just change the original flight's departure city to leave from there for free." We were really thankful since we were going through a tough loss at the time even though we thought it was weird that there was no fee (we asked twice to confirm). We received the changed itinerary and booked a one way flight to the funeral.

A day after the funeral we got to the airport to leave for the wedding and were told we needed to pay $378pp (which is more than the original) to get on the flight because we hadn't paid it yet. We had seats, confirmation email about the changes and everything. The agent at the desk called United and they were told we couldn't get on unless we pay the fee but that they might also cancel the rest of the reservation if we miss the flight. If we had known it'd be cheaper to just fly back home after the funeral and then fly out on the original flight without changes we would have. When we told them this we were met with "There's nothing we can do, our agent made the mistake."

After an hour of trying to reach United ourselves and discussing our situation with the desk, we missed our flight. When we checked our app they had cancelled our flight home as well. We finally got them on the phone and they gave us our return flight back but said there's nothing they could do about the other one. They offered us a voucher which they eventually went back on too. We still needed to get to our destination so we bought a flight with another airline since the ones from United would have gotten us there way too late.

We thought we could maybe sue them in a small claims court but don't know anything about the process or if we even have a chance so I thought I'd ask here first!

Side note: We have a voice recording of them telling us our fate at the airport but they told us for "some reason" they're missing our phone conversation with the original agent (who they also don't have the name for).

TL DR: United changed our flights for free then said jk you need to pay us $378pp.

Answer:
 Not a lawyer, just wanted to say that this sentence:

> "There's nothing *we* can do, *our* agent made the mistake."

Enraged the hell out of me. Answer #2: Contact Elliott.org to find executive contacts for most travel companies like hotels and airlines. Their forum is a wealth of great information and people who are interested in helping.

Answer #3: This seems like a pretty strange situation. Was the reservation ticketed and confirmed after the change? Did you actually try to go through security and were sent back to the United desk?


Title: My mom fucked up on accepting a package.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This is a scam. There is no package, there is no customs agent, there is no courier service, and there is no such thing as a "Money Laundering Certificate."

The way this scam goes is a guy gets you to agree to a "package" of dubious contents/origin or sells some story about having to move money to save orphans or whatever. Then he waits a week, and sends a message about "Oh noes! Customs seized it and you are in big trouble and the orphans will starve!" Then a "customs officer" (it's still the same guy) sends an official looking letter all about "You are in big trouble with the CIA Double Secret Police of Uganda! Send us money now or we will arrest everyone!!" If the scam victim sends money they just keep making up more reasons why they need more money until the victim either catches on that it's a scam or runs out of money.


Title: [California] Recently returned items to a store Zara's and without my knowledge they voided it and are refusing to give me back my money. What can I do?

Question:
Story goes like this:

My girlfriend purchased a few items from the store Zara's over the holidays and with the extended return policy finally returned her items at the beginning of January. When she returned it in stores, they gave her a valid receipt after successfully processing the returns.

Forward two weeks later, she looks at her bank statement and there is no history of Zara's returning her money. She calls customer service and they tell her to call the store. The store tells her they voided her return (without ever telling her and her only  finding out through calling them) because it was now past their typical return policy and there is nothing they can do, so she has to call customer service.

After talking to store directors, customer service supervisors,  and etc... they claim to have given back the items in the said return and everything my girlfriend claims to have gone wrong is completely her fault. With my girlfriend clearly returning the items and never taking them back, as well as never being notified of a void, and "people of power" unwilling to rectify this mistake, what legal matters could be acted on in order to get back the 400+$ lost in this transaction?

Answer: You can start by disputing the charges with her card company. If she has documentation of the return policy and dated receipts of the original purchase and return, seems pretty cut and dry to me, could escalate it small claims court if it came down to it. This is all assuming that there are receipts and proof that the return policy was in effect at the time of purchase.


Title: Child’s refusal of visitation

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's a state-by-state matter, domestic/custody law pretty much always is.  Since I'm not NC-based, I can't give you all the details specific to NC law.

Broadly speaking, though, past a certain age, you can't force a kid to spend time with their parents.  This is a practical matter as much as a legal one.  After all, if a 16-year-old straight up says that he refuses to go visit dad, what's mom supposed to do, chloroform him, toss him in the trunk, and drag him to dad's place?

Past a certain point, all the custodial parent can do is make the kid available at the agreed-upon time, and courts recognize that.  If the custodial parent is discouraging the kid from visiting the noncustodial parent, or is encouraging them to duck visitation, they can get in trouble for that.  If they're doing all they reasonably can to facilitate the visitation, though, there's nothing to punish.


Title: Copyright On Alabama state flag for clothing

Question:
Hi! I am having trouble figuring out if I need a license to embroider the outline of the Alabama state flag in a hat. From what I have read, I think I would be safe, but I haven't been able to find anything that pinpoints an answer to my question.

Need to know if its ok for me to go ahead and embroider and sell hats that have the outline of the Alabama state flag on it.

Thank You!
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: State flags are not copyrighted or trademarked. As long as you are not copying someone else's derivative work, which is subject to copyright, you're good.


Title: Is using the phrase "Have Courage and Be Kind" considered copyright infringement for Disney's 2015 Cinderella?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 >"Have Courage and Be Kind" from Disney's Cinderella with an icon of a shoe.

Phrase with shoe is a clear violation. Just the phrase ordinarily wouldn't but its again clear you are trading on the association with Cinderella. The only reason to use it with retail jewelry is an attempt to form an association with a protected work.


Title: [OH] Junkie cousin takes off with her 6 year old son to South Carolina after my family and I have been raising him for the last three years with minimal contact from her. What can we do to get him back into a stable loving lifestyle?

Question:
My cousin has a 6 year old son who she has not been able to raise on her own. My parents have been raising him since he was three with maybe once or twice a week contact with his mom whenever she finds the time to come play mommy. She has been couch surfing between friends for the last 6 months after her last boyfriend was arrested for armed robbery, taking her income to pay for her apartment. My sister and I have moved back in with our parents to help raise this little guy. We have put a lot of money and time putting him through school, getting him involved in sports, boy scouts, and generally raising him while she constantly said the deadbeat boyfriend has not paid any child support to which we later found she has gotten a good amount of money every month. We have seen glimpses of text conversations of her agreeing to do sexual acts with a number of different guys in exchange for drugs or money. We have been pushing for her to sign off guardianship rights to us for the last month or so but she refused because she didnt want to "give him up." Last week she got into a car accident last week totaling her car, luckily her son was not in the car with her at the time when she slammed into the back of the driver in front of her. She asked to stay at our house for the night, but with the history of her lying and stealing and irrational angry mood swings my mother told her no. Saturday she told us her friend is letting her stay at their house for the time being and wanted her son to stay the night with her. With us feeling like we really don't have a choice but to say yes we let her take him for the night. The next day she keeps ignoring her calls after saying he'd be back early the next morning. At about 4 the next afternoon we start putting the pieces together that she is not only trying to keep her son for longer than she said, but she completely left with him. Turns out she has been planning this dash with her mother ( my mothers sister) so she can go stay with her in South Carolina with her son and her brother who just got out of jail for aggravated assault. We have not been able to talk to her son since that Saturday and she has posted a few different things on social media trying to make us out to be the villains in this scenario. I'm very concerned that the little guy is in a bad situation with the huge history of violence in their family and I'm wondering if there is anything we can legally do to get him back with us. We don't have much money so fighting this in court with all the legal fees doesn't seem like a very realistic scenario. What can we do?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Guardian ships don't typically require parental consent. Ohio could be different, but that's all water under the bridge now. If you involve SC authorities, the child will go into foster care there. It's  a 3-6 month process to get him placed with you in Ohio. Once the child is in state custody, the state will need to go through the ICPC process to approve you for placement of your nephew.

Your best bet right now is to make amends with your cousin. Apologize and promise that you will always make sure she has a relationship with her son. Any hint of possessiveness will throw her, so go completely humble. The ultimate goal should be for you to assuage her enough so that she gives him back voluntarily. Once you have him back, hire an attorney file an emergency guardianship and get legal custody of him. Answer #2: It sounds like you have no legal claim to the child, and no money to retain an attorney to fight for custody of the child.  So it sounds like the best that you can do is try to get SC authorities (child protective services) to find the mother and child and check up on the health and well being of the child.


Title: My brother sued someone but he lost and was counter sued. He's disabled and has no money. How bad is this going to hurt him?

Question:
My brother lives in Florida. I'm looking for advice to assist him.

My brother is disabled and uses a wheelchair. He recently sued a business for not being accessible and wheelchair friendly. The business was, it had an elevator and an accessibility ramp in the back. My brother didn't see these and he wasn't aware. The owner of the business counter sued him and his lawsuit got dismissed and he lost the one the business owner filed.

My brother doesn't have an income or a job. He's on disability and social assistance and he relies these and sometimes on income from the past lawsuits he has filed. From these when he wins he also gets his legal fees paid, but now on top of the lawsuit loss he has to pay her legal fees and his own as well. If he doesn't have any money besides what he gets from disability and social assistance can these be garnished or taken away from him? Could he declare bankruptcy? The owner is intent on collecting and so is her lawyer and I'm just looking to help my brother out and mitigate things as best he can. Thanks for any help.

Answer:
 >  Usually when he wins

**Usually** when he wins?  How many of these lawsuits does your brother file?  Answer #2: If he still has money sitting in a bank account with his name on it they can seize that. he would have to prove all the money it in came from a protected source. I have to say I'm not feeling super sorry for him though.


Title: Is it legal for my boss to go through my emails at work?

Question: I work at a small machine shop. I forgot to logout of my email on the computer and found my boss has been snooping through my emails. Is this legal for them to do that without a reason?

Answer:
 So, you checked personal email on a work computer, left it logged in, boss came and snooped through your email.  Right?

The company generally has authority to manage their computer systems.  So the boss is fine to wander in and sit down at the company computer and start messing with it, even if it is "your" computer at work.  This does not actually extend to using them to exceed authorized access to any *remote* system, which is a Federal crime.  I would argue that the boss violated Federal law by accessing your email without permission.

That is, imagine you made a file on your computer called "bank passwords" and you left your banking passwords in it.  The boss is fine to sit down and READ that file - you left it on a work machine.  The boss is NOT fine to USE those passwords to do anything at all with your bank account.  Just because he knows your passwords doesn't give him the right to do anything with your account.

But it's enough of a grey area (email) that it's very unlikely that he'd ever be punished for it.

Change your passwords, don't check personal email on work computers.


Title: Summoned for Grand Jury Duty, but having an issue.

Question:
Sorry ahead of time if this is wrong place to be posting this, but I really need some help.
My husband was summoned for Grand Jury service in San Diego County. Problem is, we don't have a reliable vehicle to get him to the court house they want him at which is an hour away minimum, and often more because traffic is god awful where we live. We don't live near any good public transportation either. He also just started a new job, and is in a probational period still. They are saying that we cannot use financial or job excuses as a way to get out of it, but we are stressing out over the fact that we will not be able to get him down there consistently, and are very afraid he will get in trouble with the law otherwise. Please help me!
It would put us both under a ton of stress as not only would he miss work, but I would as well seeing as if he had to go, I wouldn't have any other way to get to work and could get into a lot of trouble for this.

Answer: Even during a probationary period, your husband cannot legally be fired from his job for attending his jury duty.


Title: What is "texting and driving" in michigan?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Are you kidding? Do you really think SMS was the problem that the legislature was trying to solve? You think being equally distracted by a slightly different application is outside the scope of what the law was designed to address?

Please explain what you think these laws are in place for. To save you from roaming charges?


Title: How to make sure business and assets are protected after father gets married.

Question:
(US) So a little while back my mother passed away from cancer. My father started dating someone and they quickly got engaged. They will be married next month.

My father, along with my uncle, own our families business. It is set up as a corporation, but they are the only ones with ownership. Along with them, myself and a couple siblings work there, although we are just employees.

Since things have moved so quickly for my father, we are concerned about the possibility of her taking advantage of him. We've talked to him about it, sharing concerns that our livelihoods are also on the line with the business. He says that the business and most of his other assets are protected as they are in a family trust. Myself and my siblings are the beneficiaries of the trust. We've been unable to convince him to sign prenups.

My question is, are they really protected? I'm having trouble finding concrete information about trusts and how they work. Is the business protected from any possible future divorce or if my father were to die? We just don't want the possibility of her taking advantage of him and having to buy her out of the business.

Answer:
 >My question is, are they really protected?

Maybe.  That depends on all kinds of detailed factors about the trust and how it's setup.

If your father shares your concerns, he should have an attorney review the trust and provide advice as to whether the assets are adequately protected, or whether a prenuptial agreement would afford additional protection (it likely would in any case).

If your father doesn't share your concerns, and if he is competent to handle his own affairs, he's probably able to handle things however he sees fit.


Title: "Searchable Probation" my ass: Charges were filed against me based on unjust vehicle search.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Were you on probation at the time?

>Q1: Is the evidence for the possession charges filed against me still admissible in court? If not how do I go about getting evidence dismissed?

It is admissible until a court states otherwise.  Your attorney files a motion to suppress, argues the law, and shows that the evidence was collected in violation of the 4th amendment.

>Q2: Will I be able to reclaim the phone and cash they confiscated?

Maybe

>Q2: Can the Officer claim he had probable cause to search even though his verbally stated reason was demonstrably false?

yes, police can lie to you and don't have to state any reason whatsoever.

>Q3: What constitutes probable cause to necessitate a search?

Many things.  Smell of marijuana is a common one.  If you were on probation at the time, one of the rules of probation is (generally) you, your residence, and car can be searched at any time.


Title: Can an online store's terms & Conditions override the law? Personal problem I'm currently working through

Question:
I recently ordered a pair of boots from an online store, and the pair I recieved was a different color than what I ordered. When I emailed their customer service, they said they were out of the color I ordered and said my only two options were either 1. a refund once they process my return, or 2. $20 in store credit. Well, I NEED these boots NOW, that's why I ordered them when I did, and although they aren't my style, they will function until I can get a less ridiculous pair. I can't wait for them to process my return so I can buy a new pair, don't have the money to just go buy a different pair doc somewhere else, and couldn't get a comparable pair for just $20. As such, I told them that under the unordered merchandise law, I am entitled to a full refund and can consider the unordered merchandise as a gift. They responded with a section of their terms and conditions, starting

4. Product Descriptions

Thing Daemon attempts to be as accurate as possible. However, Thing Daemon does not warrant that product descriptions or other content of any Thing Daemon Service is accurate, complete, reliable, current, or error-free. If a product offered by Thing Daemon itself is not as described, your sole remedy is to return it in unused condition.

Am I fucked then? I feel that the law should override this, but am not sure how to proceed

Answer:
 > As such, I told them that under the unordered merchandise law, I am entitled to a full refund and can consider the unordered merchandise as a gift.

This is absolutely false and you're just wrong, 100% wrong. Sorry to burst your bubble. You're comprehending it incorrectly. You DID order them, even if the wrong colored product arrived.


Title: One of the tenants in my apartment building is leaving their dog poop on the property, and the landlord is fining everyone who has a dog instead of finding out who the culprit is and fining that person.

Question: Is there anything I can do to prevent this fine? My apartment complex is about 10 people, half of whom have dogs.  I show my landlord that I purchase dog poop bags by the hundreds, but she doesn't take my word for it.  Nothing in my lease states that I have to even remove dog waste from the property, just that I have to pay an extra $25 monthly for my pet.  Edit: This is in Wisconsin.

Answer: The landlord probably can't do this if the lease doesn't allow for it.  But really needs a location.


Title: What happens if i don't show up to court for a Citation?

Question:
basically i was pulled over a few months back, thought i had insurance at the time and assured the officer that i had it, just not with me. He issued me a citation to prove that i had insurance at the time.

well, i cant and id rather just plead guilty, pay the fine and take the points than have to drive all the way down to the court house (insured now, honestly thought i was at the time too). If i dont show up, will they just automatically assume me guilty and have me just pay the fine, or issue an arrest warrant? ive heard both and not really sure.

State is Colorado, if that's relevant.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: If you don't show up, they'll issue a warrant for your arrest and possibly charge you with a new crime for failing to appear in court.


Title: Car insurance company says I'm not insured

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 If you're not specifically named on the policy, your agent is correct, technically speaking.

The "covered until 25" thing only applies to health insurance, not car insurance, just FYI.


Title: I was terminated and my former boss is accusing me of stealing company property. I don't know what to do, Please Help!

Question:
Hello everyone,

Long time lurker first time poster, I'm hoping you guys can help me out.  I'm located in California.

I \[24, F\] worked for a family owned company, it's in the construction business and I was an office assistant for a year and 2 months; there were only 3 employees left when I was terminated.  He terminated me this Monday, 9/10/18.  Now he is sending me a letter and had his supervisor call me to tell me that I need to "return company property" or else action would be taken.  The binder, folder, stapler, pen holder, clipboard, and pens were all my things that I brought to work with me.  He hardly provided the company with office supplies so I brought my own.  Now he is claiming that I have taken company property and sent me a letter that says "you must return all the company equipment and all documents you took away when you are terminated."  I didn't take any documents, I only took everything that was mine, and my former boss was not present when he fired me.  My supervisor was present and was the one that signed the termination letter, my supervisor also gave me the okay to take my things and watched me take all of my items off my desk, he even offered a trash bag to put everything in.

At this point I do not know how to proceed, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.  If you have any questions please ask, I am more than happy to answer them.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: You can reply, or you can ignore them. Their letter has no weight unless they seek to either sue you (unlikely) or withhold their value from your final paycheck (which is illegal, but they could do it and make you fight).


Title: Dying father still legally married to “mid-life crisis” wife, can we bar her from the funeral?

Question:
My father (m,58)  remarried 3ish years ago to a women that made it very clear she wanted nothing to do with his kids, and he with her kids. He’s an adult so we just kept a good separate relationship with him.
Fast forward to 1.5 years ago, he has a stroke at home. New wife is upset with him over something else and waits 12+ hours to take him into the hospital. A few months later she kicked him out on the lawn for being too forgetful and getting overwhelmed.
We helped him get an apt, have been visiting multiple times daily to take are of him, etc.
The last few weeks his health has declined rapidly and he’s now in the ICU for CFH. His new wife has not done anything for him since the kick out except harass family for money. She’s said awful things to my little sisters and burnt every bridge to his family.
Legally, so we have to tell her he’s about to pass? Can we bar her from the funeral?

Answer:
 I think this is generally been covered, but I want to get it up as a top-level comment. As long as they are married, she is his next of kin, and has full control over his remains once he dies. There is nothing to require her to allow any extended family member to attend the funeral, if indeed she chooses to have a funeral.

Source: former service provider to Ohio funeral homes for seven yearsAnswer #2: You need to get a divorce for him ASAP. Most States allow a spouse to take against an Estate even if they are written out of a will. There's more to it but you need a local lawyer. I was never a big fan of decedent's estates in law school but I passed...


Title: [MN] Preventable Accident at the Gym

Question:
Today at the gym someone was soaking wet and hadn't dried off in the pool/shower area, which I didn't notice and this caused me to fall and sustain an injury.

My gym is not liable for injury. Would I be able to go after the person who violated gym rules? Or is this a no because of my gym membership agreement?

Please be delicate with me, I spent 7 months working hard for it to all be destroyed by an injury that shouldn't have happened
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: Wet floors in pool/shower areas are foreseeable.  In fact they are expected.


Title: I am being threatened with a libel suit over a poor Amazon review (Middlesex County, NJ)

Question:
So I had purchased a used pair of headphones (for cheap--less than $60) on Amazon from a small third party seller that was fulfilled by Amazon. As far as I can tell they've only just recently started selling things on Amazon. The headphones were described as "like new" and had only been used for a couple months. When I received them, they smelled very heavily of cigarette smoke. They are otherwise operational, they are just smoking up the house. As much as I wanted to keep them, I couldn't stand the cigarette smell, so I requested a refund. The seller emailed me saying that the reason wasn't good enough to be able to return it, even though I told him that I received this item in a state other than what was advertised.

 After going back and forth with the seller, and being insulted in numerous correspondences, I opened up a case with Amazon, and left a poor review on the seller's profile, warning others that the seller would refuse refunds and that the headphones I purchased were not as advertised. I then get a series of messages from the seller, telling me that he's faxed my information to his criminal attorney, and he's going to sue me for libel. I have informed Amazon that I've been threatened, and they basically told me that they'd look into it, and that they could see the seller was being very insulting.

My biggest concern is that the seller has my address and has already proven to me to be irrational. I wanted to know if any of you guys have advice on where to go from here.  Thanks for taking the time to look this over! Also, this account is a throwaway just for an added layer of protection.

**EDIT/ Update #1:** Wow, thanks so much for all the input guys, wasn't expecting this outpouring of advice. I'm going to take /u/A_Soporific 's idea and get in touch with the attorney the seller claims is going to sue me for libel. I probably will not change or say anything else to the seller and let Amazon handle it from here, unless there's a new development I have to respond to. Once I've heard from the attorney, I'll update it here and let you guys know what's going on. You guys have been awesome so far, thanks for guiding me through this.

**EDIT/ Update #2:** Haven't had a chance to talk to the seller's attorney yet, but I checked my amazon profile and found two new messages from the seller. First message tells me to mail him back his headphones if I want to ever get a refund. Second message he tells me he'll only refund me if I delete my review AND send back the headphones. I don't know about you guys but I think I've already been put through hell here, so I'm not going to do anything on Amazon and I'm going to get in touch with that attorney in a few minutes.

**Update #3:** Just got off the phone with his attorney's secretary, the attorney had a court appearance today so he won't be in the office for a few hours, and she didn't have a current client under the seller's name, but she mentioned that he may or may not have been a client two years ago. She sounded pretty surprised, and took down my number, so the attorney is going to call me back when he gets back to the office.

**Update #4 (8/22 6:10pm est)** Great news, I'm not being sued. I was finally able to speak to the attorney the seller had claimed to have hired. After giving him the seller's name, he told me he had no clue who I was speaking about, and that a lot of people use his name as a scare tactic. He did not express any interest to look into the matter any further. With that, I'll just hand over the reigns to Amazon, and I don't expect I'll be telling the seller I went ahead and called his supposed attorney unless the need arises. I'll update here (like usual) if there are any surprises, and when there is some kind of resolution. But for now it looks like it should be smooth sailing from here. You guys have been awesome, thanks so much for all of the support and advice through this.

Answer:
 Him giving information to "his criminal attorney" doesn't make any sense, so someone's not relaying something accurately here, either you or him (I won't speculate). First, libel isn't a criminal matter. Second, a "criminal attorney" would be either the state's attorney or a defense attorney, neither of whom would take up this sort of case as a prosecutor. So basically, if he really said this, he doesn't know what he's talking about.Answer #2: Honestly you can just ignore them unless they sue you. But if you get served show up to the court dateAnswer #3: For the record:

Telling the truth is an absolute defense to libel and slander. In order for it to be libel you have to be knowingly telling lies. That you said that he refused refund and the headphones were not as advertise is truthful and therefore there is little chance of anything actually being filed.


Title: Find out my ex-gf who I also have kids with is dating someone in the Mexican Cartel. (TX)

Question:
I know because a mutual friend of ours has told me. They know because exgf has told them, and exgf knows because he flat out told her why he always has large amounts of money on him. I don't know what to do, or how to react to this. I'm just a regular guy working a regular job trying to give my kids the best possible upbringing as I possibly can, then this comes up.

I don't know if there are levels in the cartel or how deep he's in it or if that even matters. My biggest fear right now is that one day my kids disappear, that the exgf disappears, or that I do.

They've been seeing each other for a while but she claims it isn't that serious because he leaves to Mexico for months without return then comes back whenever. She's either stupid, or stupid to believe that he isn't part of the cartel that does "bad" things to people. I know she thinks this because of our mutual friend. They met him before they knew. They know now and all they do is tell her to get as far as possible from this guy, at least for the safety of the kids, but she doesn't care.

I want to somehow have it to where my kids never meet him, have anything to do with him,  or to where I get full custody of the kids. We currently don't have anything instilled through court, and has all been handled directly between her and I. Honestly, we're pretty good friends, but after finding this out I don't ever want to see her again, and don't want my kids anywhere around her until I know she isn't dating some guy in the fucking cartel. People die from this shit. This isn't okay, and I don't even know if anyone is safe anymore.

What can I do. How can I keep my kids safe when it feels that I'm blindfolded in all of this?

Edit: I should note that my exgf doesn't know that I know. I've asked the two people who have mentioned anything to me to never tell her that I know. They care more for the safety of my kids than they do losing a friend, so I trust that they won't.

Answer:
 You can't rely on rumors,  but if this is true then it's serious. Contact an attorney Answer #2: Step 1 should be the easiest.  Tell her you heard that her boyfriend visits sporadically, and when he is visiting you want to take the kids full-time so she can have time with him.  In other words, shift custody so your kids are not in the same space as he is.

Step 2, if you truly believe he is cartel, is to get the feds involved, anonymously.  What you really want is the next time he is out of country, have his US entry right canceled so he cannot enter the country.

The thing you want to avoid doing is to publicly and personally challenge him.  Answer #3: Are you sure he's not just [the mayor of Tijuana](http://weeds.wikia.com/wiki/Esteban_Reyes)?Answer #4: Terrifying situation.  You have various legal options, but he has access to a much wider set of options.

Can you talk to her parents, perhaps with the mutual friend?


Title: How common is it for a woman to take a man "to the cleaners" at divorce and what are the reasons/justifications for it?

Question:
I've never been married and never plan to, but I read a lot of really negative accounts of what is described as "being taken to the cleaners" where a woman is unjustly awarded a lot of the husband's money to the point where he sometimes can't even pay it and has to go to jail. Child custody also is said to favor the mother a lot.

Now, I'm inclined to believe these things, but I'd still like to verify.

How true is this perception that divorce law severely favors the woman?

What are the reasons for this happening? Is there any justification at all?

And if not, why is nothing being done about this problem?

Just curious, because I want to be informed regarding my future life decisions and also to have a realistic image of other people's situations and stories like these.

I personally live in Germany, but I don't necessarily want to stay here, so I'm also very interested in the situation in the US, UK and anything that can be generalized across Europe or other countries.

Answer:
 You shouldn’t read so much MRA fiction.

Assets in a divorce are split equitably pretty much all of the time. Those assets are marital property, not solely those of one party, even stuff like wages. Reasoning behind this is that for one of the partners to make so much, the other was supporting them at home. If someone took a pay cut so the other could work full time, giving them spousal support is a equitable division.

This cuts both ways btw - if the woman worked full time and the man stayed at home, he would get an award. Just ask Mike Cernovich.

Exceptions to this rule happen when one party is taking full custody and needs child support or someone tries to hide the full extent of their assets. That last one can cause a judge to punitively award whatever was hidden in the accounting. Answer #2: If they owned a laundromat together they may have to visit it while determining who gets what. I don't have stats for how often family owned laundromat owners get divorced but doubt it is that common.Answer #3: This is better for /r/Legaladviceofftopic


Title: Ridiculously high water bill. What are my options?

Question:
Location: Kirkland, WA

A little background first. I rent a 2BR/2BA apartment along with two other people in Kirkland, WA. The City of Kirkland supplies our water and bills the property management company directly. Rather than divvy up the water bill evenly amongst the units in the apartment building, the property management contracts a 3rd party billing/metering company to measure each unit's water usage with their own per-unit water meters, which they install and maintain on each unit's hot water tank, and then the 3rd party bills each unit individually.

We receive our water bills on a 3-month delay.  So in September of this year, we received our bill for June, and it claimed about 2x the usual usage.  We called the billing/metering company, and they told us that our unit's meter had been broken but was now fixed, and the previous months' bills had been based on estimated usage.  Fine, that makes sense.  Our bill had been artificially low, we figured, and this new 2x figure is what our bills will look like henceforth.

Then we receiveed the bill for July, and the usage had again doubled.  The billing company was claiming that we used more than 15,000 gallons of water that month, which is an absurd amount for three people.  To put that number in perspective, we would have _each_ had to shower seven times a day for the whole month to achieve those numbers.  There's absolutely no way we could have used that much water.  We called the billing company, and they didn't have an explanation for the high numbers, though they did warn us that August's bill would be even worse.  We called the property management, who sent a mechanic to check for leaks in the apartment and check the meter's accuracy, but no problems were found.

We've begun documenting the meter readings ourselves, but it's already too late to prove we didn't use that much water in July.  Do we have any options to fight against these unrealistically high bills, especially given that our only argument against them is how absurdly high they are?  We can't afford to pay $500/month for water.

Answer:
 I'm assuming you pay the City of Kirkland for your utilities. Dispute the bill with them. An unusually high water bill, coupled with a previously broken meter, are legit reasons to contest it.

http://www.kirklandwa.gov/depart/Finance_and_Administration/communityservices/Utility_Billing.htm#Answer #2: Can you ask your neighbors what their bills have been like? Whether or not their bills have increased or decreased? Answer #3: Additional perspective on gallon usage a leak of just 1gpm would leak 43,000 gallons in a month. A running toilet could do that.

When meters fail they typically measure low not high.

You need to start documenting the metered usage.