Title: (Hypothetical) Would an ex-president, or their family, still have secret service agents if sent to prison?

Question: Please delete this if not allowed. I know that ex-presidents and their family have secret service agents for life. If an ex-president, or their family, was sent to prison would they still have secret service? How far does the secret service extend? Say they wanted to move to a different country for however long, would they still have secret service?

Answer:
 I've seen other posts similar to this one (though possibly not on this specific thread I follow a few).

One response that I thought was interesting was they said its unlikely a former president would ever go to a traditional prison because of the sensitive information they know. Its more likely that they would serve a sentence via house arrest.

 Not a lawyer or expert by any means. Just something I saw.


Title: Work requiring you to "volunteer" - Ontario, Canada

Question:
First, an offering to appease the Location Bot: Ontario, Canada.

So this is a question on behalf of my boss, Natalie. I work in a huge, huge organization with several different branches and different career paths, all under the same roof. Natalie and her team creates widgets. Others work in thing such as food services, marketing, HR, cleaning, guy who stands in the corner staring and so on. It is all lead by one big boss, Lorne.

Now Lorne has requested that employees volunteer to do inventory and count produce two days a month. This will be during their normal work hours, so they may be paid their normal salary, they may not be. Lorne refused to answer. Just that nobody will be losing money from this venture. They will, however, be unable to do their own work, which they will have to catch up on (without any overtime) after doing inventory.

I'm union and hourly, so I laughed and said fuck that. Nearly everybody also had a similar response. Because only one person out of 10,000 agreed, Lorne has declared that everybody who isn't part of the union will be forced to “volunteer” those two days. They also have to attend unpaid training to know how to count.

Natalie is resigned to having to do this, and knows that she will have to put in an extra eight hours of her own time without being paid to catch up to her own work. She is a good person and already works unpaid overtime. If she does this, we will literally be unable to produce our widgets in time.

I think fuck that. My question is: Can your boss require a person a person to volunteer, assigning them to do duties for free that are not SPECIFIED in their contract?

Extra info:
I read her contract. It does say the typical duties will include building widgets, cleaning widgets, praising widgets to the widget gods AND other duties as required. That's where I'm a bit worried that she'll have to do inventory.

According to the same contract, her salary is based off 35 hours, no more, no less. Overtime has to be approved. But is never approved. Ever. She makes her own hours, so she may have to work weekends and evenings, but they have to be within the 35 hours.

Answer:
 The boss can say that everyone has to count widgets today (and get paid for it, of course).  (Caveat: the boss may have made an agreement with your union that snot-pickers and butt-scratchers are not to be asked to count widgets.)

The boss can't say you have to come in on Saturday on your own dime to do your regular work that didn't get done while counting widgets.

Just count widgets and do your regular work afterwards.  If it doesn't get done, it doesn't get done.


Title: (California) My employer has discriminated against me and breached a signed contract for LOA

Question:
tl;dr: my current employer has been discriminating against me because I do not fit the white American profile. I have never received a raise in over 2 years and no promotion. My HR which consists mainly of contractors violated a written agreement. They should be held legally responsible.

As the title says there are a couple of items I am currently in the process of speaking with an actual law firm about. I am currently employed at the company I plan on taking legal action against. This is the first time I am doing something like this.

1. Discrimination: The first item I will be speaking to a law firm about next week is about discrimination. I am a minority, but was born in the State of California and have lived here all my life. I don't have a typical "American" sounding last name. I actually plan on changing my last name to something that doesn't sound tied to a specific heritage since I personally have no ties to my own heritage. Unfortunately I have experienced a level of discrimination that I feel cannot let slip by. I am confident that I am a product of discrimination that is still in affect even today.

Why do I think I am facing discrimination with my current employer? Well, to make a long story short - I have now been employed where I am at for a little over 2 years. My boss, who is caucasian and from the midwest, decided to hire someone who was a referral with a "Senior" title. I interviewed this person as well. I told my boss not to hire this person because I knew he was not the right fit for what we were looking for. There was another caucasian employee who works directly with me and came onboard about close to a year after me. When we were looking to hire a 3rd person on the team -- I remember my boss going to my co-worker asking if he'd be interested in the role. I was never asked if I would be interested in the role -- he completely skipped over me. I almost could not believe it and was confused why. Here I am -- an exceptional employee who delivers, completes work in a timely manner, documents and writes documentation so others can understand. I know our infrastructure the most out of the 2 caucasian employees I work directly with and do the most work. I am on top of everything including who is joining and leaving the company. So the "Senior" person ended up getting hired and I will say it has been a total disaster because I work directly with the guy and see how unethical both this person and my own boss have been. I remember when my boss hired this person he told me he was going to take on the role of not only Senior -- but also a Lead role. I could not believe it -- here he was putting someone in a high position who still asks me for help in a lot of areas simply because he doesn't know what he is doing, is disorganized, can't prioritize and so much more that I can't understand how this is happening. The guy who was hired is obnoxious and does a lot of ass kissing to try and make people like him. He constantly wanders off and at every chance he gets he will brush off work to others. His definition of a lead/senior is flawed.

I had a meeting with my bosses boss for a 1-1 meeting a couple weeks ago. It had nothing to do with the problems and unfairness I have experienced. During my 1-1 I let my bosses boss who flew in from Europe know about my unhappiness. He was astonished to hear that I have not had a 1-1 with my own boss in over a year! I told him in the 2 years I have been here I have never received a raise nor a promotion of any kind even though I suggested doing so numerous times. I told him I had a fake "yearly review" from my boss and ultimately was denied a raise of any % and no promotion or growth. I explained to my bosses boss how there are many things which are being neglected in the workplace and that it is becoming a legal problem. For example, part of the teams' responsibilities are to ensure people who leave the company have all their access revoked. If an audit was to be done, it would be evident that *I* have been the only one in over a year who has been working on removing a user's access who was no longer with the company. I stopped doing these tasks around September of this year. Up until now, NOBODY including HR, management and our so-called "Senior/Lead" leadership even has a clue about. I remember when my boss and his Senior guy came out of his office during their meeting with his own boss. Well, his Senior guy came out of the office looking all nervous and worried. I'm sure both were asked, "Can you tell me how well XYZ have been getting done?". Well, many things have not been getting done because they know they could get away with it for so long until finally someone asked them (my bosses boss). Anyway, so just this past week my boss got a promotion and the Senior guy got a promotion to some "West Coast Lead" role that got invented out of thin air. Well, the irony here is that my own boss told me over a year ago that he was bringing him on as a Senior + Lead -- and now to cover their own ass he was never playing a Lead role? What? I even heard my boss tell the Senior guy when they came out of the meeting to "always say you do X,Y,Z" telling him to basically lie that he does certain things when the reality is he does not! The entire week my own boss didn't say a damn thing to me. He couldn't even look at me. I'm tired of being stepped on. I'm tired of being taken advantage of. Yeah, just because someone so happens to be nice and ethical does not mean you can take advantage of your employee like this and give them the low end of the stick simply because they are not white -- as in me, I don't fit the profile of a white American.

2. Breach of contract: I was on LOA during the beginning of the year for 6 weeks. Well, the State of California ended up paying me my salary for those 6 weeks. For some reason, our HR, which has mainly consisted of contractors over the last year and a half or more, screwed up majorly. Since the State of California was paying my salary bi-weekly my employer had me sign a DocuSign contract stating they are allowed to deduct a certain amount from my bi-weekly pay since I was covered through the State. Okay fine, so I gave 3 amounts for 3 pay periods. The contracted HR payroll person at the time screwed up by not taking the amounts that should have been deducted for those 3 pay periods. Without consulting me or having me sign a new contract, they took it upon themselves to deduct a FOURTH amount. So, they did not take the proper amounts for the first 3 pay periods and made significant deductions on a surprisingly 4th pay period. This caused some severe financial damage for me. I have 2 small children and an SO, but I am the only source of income at this time. I have all the email evidence and the actual DocuSign contract I signed with the 3 payments shown for 3 pay periods, not a 4th.

I have been looking for better opportunities and have lost count how many on-site interviews this year I have done. No offers, sadly. My instincts are really telling me that I am facing discrimination all the time with my current employer and also in the job market. I really think people look at my last name and even though I am American -- my last name does not fit a typical American name. Even though I am a US citizen, I strongly feel that my last name plays a big part in being discriminated against despite being an American citizen all my life. Thank you for reading this far.

Answer:
 You have not described anything that could prove illegal discrimination.  You have shown that you are not valued but not that the lack of value is based on membership in a protected class.

I am unclear about the payroll problem. You were overpaid and you agreed to repay the overpayment through payroll deductions. They did not process the deductions for three pay periods and then took them all out of a fourth?


Title: Fake ID got taken, how to see if I have a record for it?

Question:
My fake (21+) got taken At a nightclub with resort / casino about 6 months ago. I’m thinking of traveling but don’t want to risk anything happening when going with family.

I haven’t heard of anything or gotten any letter or anything ever since. When the bouncers took it I saw them passing it around looking at it. Any way I can check if it actually got on my record or anything.

Thanks

Answer:
 If you weren't charged, or issued anything, I'd say you're fine.

They're bouncers, not police officers.

That's my opinion anyway.


Title: (MA) I am subleasing, but I don't think the landlady knows I'm here.

Question:
I live in Massachusetts. I signed an agreement between myself and my roommate, who is now my landlady, back in September. As far as I know, HER landlady doesn't know I live here. I never met the owner of the property nor spoke to her. I don't even have her contact info, and my roommate refuses to give it to me. She says since the agreement is between us, I don't need that information.

I do, however, have a copy of the master lease, which upon closer inspection states that "The lessees shall not assign or sublet, in whole or in part, the premises without prior written assent of the Lessor, which assent may be granted or withheld at Lessor's sole and absolute discretion."

My roommate lately has been very hostile and cold to me, and things finally came to a head tonight via text. She's a) refusing to provide me with her landlady's contact info and b) dragging her feet and not providing me with a signed copy of our agreement to each other. She claims she works all day and I'm annoying her with my request to have a copy of the contract between us.

My questions are:

Does she have a right to withhold her landlady's contact info?
Is she obligated to provide me with a signed copy of our sublease agreement?
If the owner doesn't know I live here, is my tenancy still valid?
Can my roommate somehow dissolve our contract and kick me out?
Finally, can I somehow make our contract null and void and leave? She has made it clear she wants nothing to do with me and I honestly am not comfortable living with her anymore.

Thanks for your help everyone.

Answer:
 It is your responsibility to keep your own copies of contracts you sign. She is not obligated to provide you a copy, but if she wants to enforce it she'll need to produce it.

You have no right to see her contract with the landlord.

Your lease is still enforceable by either party regardless of a violation of a lease she has with the landlord.

Your lease can only be dissolved if both of you agree to do so, given the situation I'd demand it and see if she gives in.


Title: How should I ask my employer about overtime pay?

Question:
I'm working in a major city in CA and I have a salaried position earning 67K a year. Not often, I will have to work overtime, a few times over the weekend. Just last night I had to work late till 12. I understand sometimes deadlines have to be met but I don't want to sacrifice my own time without compensation. I don't get compensated for this. I have a friend who works at NY for 55K a year and she gets 1.5 her hourly rate for every overtime hour she works. I was wondering if I can ask to be compensated for working overtime.

I had a talk with a coworker who is senior than me, and he doesn't get overtime pay either. I just wonder if I should talk to my employer about this, and if so how do I approach it?

Answer:
 Salaried, by definition, means you don't get overtime.  You can ask, but you are not entitled to it.

You can review California's [definition of overtime exempt employees](http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_overtimeexemptions.htm) to see if you've been misclassified; if you have, you can approach that.


Title: Neighbors smoking pot?

Question:
What should I do if I smell pot from my neighbors, townhouse setting, yard when they are out there? And NO, I’m not going to ask for a joint lol!

But seriously I’m concerned because we have a kid and they are out smoking a joint once in a while. I can even sometimes smell it coming through our windows..

Should I report them to our townhouse association, cops, or just let it be?

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 Well, there’s there good ol’ fashioned “hey man I got kids could you please not smoke here”.

You could call the cops, but realize those guys could have a drug charge on their record forever, there could potentially be serious consequences. I’m not condoning their behavior, just realize the significance of calling the police if you decide to go that route.

Reporting to the HOA might be a good middle ground between letting it go and calling the police. Answer #2: You need to include a location since weed is legal in some places.Answer #3: The kind neighborly thing to do is tell them that you can smell it and ask them to refrain smoking in their yard while your kid is outside. No need to call the police on them.


Title: Old apartment sold a non existing debt to a debt collector without telling me I "owed"

Question:
College apartment in Georgia never told me I owed a debt when I moved out. A year later I start getting calls from a debt collector saying I owed for carpet and bathroom cleaning. Both are bogus. I wrote that the carpet wasn't in great condition when I moved in, but they conveniently don't have the form. Also to my knowledge, carpet cleaning is considered "normal wear and tear" in all states. I left the bathroom clean. Nothing more to say about that.

I tried fighting it for a while, but didn't know what to do. the collection is now on my credit, and they have begun calling again.

What should I do about this? threaten small claims court? If so to which party (collector or apartment)? or just pay and take a loss... I hate letting somebody steal from me, and I've heard it won't fix my credit to pay... Just not sure what to do.

Answer: Send them a letter through certified mail and ask them to verify the debt. Don't pay unless they're able to.


Title: [VA] Dog walker refuses to return key

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You could pay for a new key and try to sue her in small claims for the cost.Answer #2: It seems to me resolving this problem is NOT merely getting more keys. OP needs to be assured noone has unauthorized access to his/her dwelling nor to the building, so needs to change apartment locks and pay to restore security to the building. Couldn't OP tell the dog walker if they refuse to return the keys they will be sued to cover those costs? Would this be legal and if such a civil suit were filed, could OP expect to win?Answer #3: Talk to your building manager. Is there some way for them to flag the card she has so that it doesnt work? Do they have someone at the front that can keep an eye out for her? If its a security issue, they should know how to resolve it.

Personally, I would inform her that you will be replacing all locks and security will be invalidating the keycard she has. If she doesnt return your keys and keycard, you will be suing her is small claims court for cost of changing those locks and getting a replacement keycard. Then if she doesnt return your property, sue her.


Title: How far can a private high school go in terms of privacy and searching your property?

Question:
my high school can search students’ cars even if they are in the neighborhood surrounding the high school.  is this legal even though i signed a contract consenting?

“_____ representatives may search a students locker, car, person, electronic devices and other belongings: 1) when there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated or is in violation of either the laws or the rules of the school; 2) in the course of an investigation; 3) when the safety of the student or others is at issue in the sole discretion of _____”

so if i have something in my car parked in the surrounding neighborhood, can they legally search my car? or would they have to consent with me first.

can someone please give me some examples of this?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 > is this legal even though i signed a contract consenting?

It's legal _because_ you consented.

You can withdraw your consent. If consenting to a search is a condition of your enrolment, they can withdraw your enrolment. If you want to have any legal protection from searches, either find a private school with a search policy you prefer, or go to a public school and keep your vehicle off-campus.


Title: Is it legal for my employer to avoid hiring people who espouse political views? [Oregon]

Question:
I recently found out that my employer checks applicant's Facebook pages before making hiring decisions, and if there's any evidence of them having political views (of any leaning) they're automatically blacklisted as "potential HR violators".

I am politically active, but I wasn't found out because I don't have a Facebook page.

Is this legal? I don't think politically active people form a protected class, but this doesn't seem right to me.

Answer:
 Political leanings aren't protected classes in Oregon. Nor is "Guy who won't shut up about politics on Facebook."

If "political views" was code for "minority," or if your employer only did this check for potential hires of a specific protected class then yes, that would be an issue.


Title: I paid for a years worth of rent up front and now my landlord is moving out, asking me to sign a new lease, and is taking my "temporary" air conditioning unit on my window out and the washing machine. I don't know what to do.

Question:
As the title says,  I paid for a year lease up front and my roommate gave me a discount.  Recently he broke up with his SO and is trying to sell everything that is "his"  so that he can move out and get to Colorado. Alot of bickering is happening between them and I'm kinda caught in between it. He promised when I made the payment up front that the money was supposed to be going a new air conditioning unit for the house and that the window unit was temporary.  It was shitty but honestly I didn't care because the house was comfortable for me.  But now he's saying that he's taking the air conditioning unit and the washer and dryer because it was his half of the money that was used.  The lease specifically states : The tenant may not be able to cancel this agreement unless the tenant is a victim of domestic violence. It also states that the landlord shall provide utilities including a washer and dryer and that the landlord is prohibited from making any retailitory acts against the tenant including failure to to repair appliances or any other type of act deemed unjustified . I'm not a victim of any kind of violence yet.  Do I have the power to get my money back for the rest of the lease.

Also my lease isn't notarized.  The SO of the landlord may take my side if contested in court. I don't have alot of time because the landlord is moving out next Tuesday.

Answer: So don't sign it. You can sue him if he breaches. Answer #2: Are you subletting?  You may have a bigger problem if he leaves you could be evicted by the true landlord or the girlfriend.  Is she staying.  First thing I would do is talk to who is staying.  I think you are about to be screwed and there isnt a good way to avoid this.  How much longer is your lease.Answer #3: For the future, it's probably not a great idea to post a full year of rent at once. If the landlord files bankruptcy, you'll be stuck as an unsecured creditor with a relatively low chance of getting any money back. The future of the lease may also be in question, I'm not sure.


Title: Is it legal for my landlord to not allow my brother to come stay with me, if it's not in violation of the lease? (SF, CA)

Question:
I live in an apartment in SF with a VERY involved landlord(s). We've had a lot of issues with the landlord and his mother being way too in our business. It's their first time renting, and I'm pretty sure it's an illegal rental unit (checked permits online).

My brother wants to visit SF over Christmas break while I'll be traveling. As a courtesy to my landlord, I asked if this was okay, as I wouldn't be in the unit at the time. It would be a three day stay. My landlord said it would be okay as long as he would submit to and pay for ($30 i think) a background check. I said that would be fine. My landlord came back and changed his mind, just said no, he wouldn't do the check, and my brother couldn't stay. He won't let me or my roommates loan anyone the keys to our place, which I understand, but it is very inconvenient when we have houseguests.

Our lease has a section about houseguests, and how often we can have them. It doesn't say anything about loaning someone the keys. My brother's stay doesn't violate the lease in any way (as far as length). Is he allowed to not let me have a guest? Thanks!!!

Answer: No, he can't. As long as your roommates don't mind him being there, you can have guests in your apartment. However, without you being there giving him permission, the people living there can ask him to leave at any time and he would need to comply.


Title: FL to CO My Mother Is Withholding My Social Security # and my Birth Certificate

Question:
So my father has custody of my sister and I. He lacks the extra funds it takes to order my papers. My mother has my papers, I know this because she photocopied and sent it to me. For reference I live in CO and my mother lives in FL.

I tried to call her today but she did not want to answer. I called her boyfriend and he hung up on me.

What are my options?

Edit: I should include that my dad is a disabled vet and cannot legally work because he would lose his benefits, according to him.

Also, I am 16 and I was born in FL

Answer: If you have a copy of your documents, you can go to the social security card office in your area and apply for a replacement.


Title: Medical insurance refusing vital testing and medication

Question:
I am a 29 year old female in South Carolina. Essentially, my health sucks. I am in the process of tracking down the correct diagnosis, though my doctors are all in agreement it's something autoimmune and/or neurological. I have had requests for an MRI from *four* different doctors since November, and my insurance tells me it will be covered but when the facility calls for preauthorization, it is denied. Since Jan 1st my insurance has been refused at the pharmacy, so I've been paying out of pocket and skipping doses to make my meds last longer, and it's impacting my health in  major way. I call them and spend an hour on the phone with them literally every day Mon to Fri, for a whole month, and they can't figure out what the problem is. I've been told a supervisor will call me, at least 6 times, and not a single one has. I have sent emails to the company, contacted them on facebook, even emailed board members. No one can give me a straight answer. I also need an LP and a muscle biopsy, but can't until I have the MRI. I'm also trying to get disability, and them screwing around could very well cause me to lose my disability case. I'm beyond frustrated and don't know what to do. Is this even legal? Are they allowed to take my premium and then refuse me my benefits? Do I have any legal recourse? Please help me. I'm drowning here.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer: If your claim gets denied, you have the right to have that denial explained.  If the explanation is inconsistent with the facts, you can have it reviewed.  Your physicians can also request a peer review with a physician who works for the company.  If you exhaust these route, you can file a grievance with the state agency that regulates insurances.  Lastly, you can sue for breach of contract, though you may have signed an agreement to submit to binding arbitration.


Title: [TX] Process server question

Question:
I have a stalker who loves filing documents against me. Name an entity where this person can file a complaint, and it has been filed. I just roll my eyes and go on at this point.

The latest is a lawsuit, which I expect to be thrown out like all the others. But regardless, they are trying to serve me with it.

I haven't been home on any of the three occasions the server has come by. I see no need to make myself available for the stalker's obsessive headgames; you want to sue me, you find me on my terms.

But the process server is now leaving threatening messages about reporting me to the court agent and the judge being petitioned for substitute service.

Still sounds like a big case of "Plaintiff's Problem, Not the Defendant's" to me. But I'm not the attorney.

Thoughts? TIA

Answer: Do not ignore it. It takes seconds to do and it let's you know what the hell is going on. If the court allows substitute service the likelihood that he could get a default judgment against you is higher. Why risk it? If he's done this enough times and they're frivolous, you can hire a lawyer that can file a motion to dismiss, file a countersuit for filing a frivolous lawsuit and request the court find him to be a vexatious litigant, which means his case is dropped and he has to show up and defend himself against your suit. If you have enough proof that he's doing all of this just to harass you, you'll likely get a judgment and the declaration. So, you'll have money from him and he can't file anything against you in the future without the authorization of an attorney, which will be hard to get because no attorney will touch his BS with a ten foot pole. Play it smart, beat him at his own game, and get some money for your troubles.


Title: I'm a content creator on the VRchat platform and just received, as far as I know, the first DMCA notice ever on the platform.

Question:
I feel fairly confident that the DMCA was filed by someone who makes MMD models (3D models based on ripped assets), that feels the similarities between some of our avatars and theirs are enough to warrant a copyright violation.  I know we fall well under fair use.

The real problem I am having at this point is the fact that not only has VRchat not specifically told me what content was taken down under DMCA, but the "legal document" they sent me doesn't reference anything specific at all, and doesn't even refer to me by my legal name.

None of this feels professional what-so-ever, and the fact they refer to my username as opposed to my legal name... it just feels very... strange.

Here's a copy of the DMCA notice : https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/473863488364609546/477223989127938048/bandicam_2018-08-09_14-15-11-430.png?width=566&height=676

Thanks in advance.  BTW.  I'm in Oregon.  No clue where VRchat is located.  The person who I believe filed the claim is in Japan.

Answer: What's your question? I'm a little unclear.


Title: I'm 35 years old and never filed a tax return (USA)

Question:
I'll cut right to the chase here:

My first job was at 18 years old. Between the ages of 18 and 31 I've spent maybe 5 years earning minimum wage at temp agencies, fast food restaurants, a law firm (doing data entry) and a home theater installation company. There were taxes withheld from those paychecks.

Much of the rest of the time I was unemployed. I also went to school full time during many (too many) of those years. My parents helped me make ends meet during a lot of that time. I also spent about one year running an eBay business, but this was about 15 years ago, at a time when ebay and paypal didn't report anything to the IRS.

I live in another country now, and have been for about 4 years. I don't earn enough to be required to pay taxes to the IRS. The threshold is about $90k USD.

I realize I will need to hire a professional to sort all of this out. I've been putting it off and waiting for the "right time" to do it. I'm sure it's going to cost me some money.

My question is, what kind of shit am I in? Without going into too much detail, what will I need to do to get myself square with the IRS?

Answer:
 r/personalfinance might also be a good place to ask about this.

My own advice is basically to find a professional, tell them everything you wrote here, and then end with, "So what the hell do I do?" Maybe phrase it more eloquently, but there you go.Answer #2: If you can prove that you never owed (depends on how you had withheld from your check) there is actually no trouble at all except the amount you would have gotten back is the property of the federal government now (except for the last three years), which if you were working minimum wage and filed as a 1 or 0 is probably the case. If you did owe, you're going to have to pay a huge fine on top of it (I think it's 5% per year more) and there is possible jail time.Answer #3: The only thing we can really tell you is that the IRS isnt an “immediate arrest” kind of agency.  If you do owe them, they would rather get money then spend money getting you in trouble.

If you’re going to a professional, ask them. Answer #4: You're right that overseas income up to a fairly large number is not taxed, but you still have to file to claim the exemption.Answer #5: Actually, you probably lost getting your tax return back.


Title: My SO is being forced to resign when the baby is due.  This really smells bad.

Question:
We live in Florida and she hasn't been with the company for a year yet (9 months or so) so I don't think FMLA applies.  She'd be happy to take time off without pay but they say she has to turn in a letter (email) of resignation or they'll fire her, in which case she can't come back.

Any ideas on options?

Answer:
 OP, your SO should consult an employment law attorney before handing over a letter of resignation. Resigning denies you unemployment benefits; if she's fired, she has a chance of receiving them. The unemployment board may be sympathetic to someone who was fired for becoming pregnant.Answer #2: FMLA IS without pay, for what it's worth.

Call an employment law attorney. They should give you a free consultation.


Title: Is it trespassing on state property if I have an easement? [FL]

Question:
I'm thinking of having a few friends over at my house.

"My house" is a house that I rent, adjacent to a public university campus in Florida. In fact, the street that I live on is actually a private road, owned by said university (I just double checked it on the county GIS service). There is no way to access my house, except on this road. In /r/legaladvice parlance, one might say I was landlocked.

One of my friends was given a "no-trespass order" by the police department of this college a while ago. I'm not familiar with the exact letter, but I don't think there's much left to the imagination - don't come on to our campus or else you'll be arrested for trespassing.

So, is there any way for my friend to chill at my house without breaking the law? Who wins: the easement or the no-trespass order?

Answer:
 Oh god. Is this UF? If so, trespass orders expire after 3 years.

I can't answer the easement question, I can tell you from a practical standpoint, I doubt you'll have a problem. Cops have better things to do than watch for your friend. Answer #2: Is the easement documented?Answer #3: Do you have Ms paint?


Title: If my "disassociation" did not become aware to me until recently can it be cause to extend the 2 year limit to file a tort claim?

Question:
2010\- I was gang raped in the barracks at a leadership course the night before graduation \(I do not know what they looked like, so I did not report. Nor do I remember much other than analyzing how many hands and parts I felt\)

2 weeks later I attend Sexual Assault Response Course to fulfill my requirements as being the SARC for the BN. \(during this training I get triggered and break down and tell that state sexual assault coordinator, filled a restricted report\)

I seek professional civilian medical treatment and was prescribed 4mg of Xanax and given a 90\-day supply. \(that is a high dose to start on, I only took half\) But it was a authorized medication to deploy on. So long as I had a 90\-day supply.

3 Months later I go to my MOB station and was screened and trained for deployment, I was able to pass my mental health screening, with no waivers needed. \(disclosing my encounter and the medications I was taking however, did not exhibit signs that suggested I was “unfit” for duty so I got the green stamp\)

Do my 12\-month overseas tour \(no combat\)

2 Weeks before end of tour I develop optic neuritis \(rt eye\), once stateside I get further. evaluated and I disclose everything that I was currently having struggles with. I do not know if my temporary blindness made my senses so heightened that I was unable to “disassociate”

At de\-mod I am found “red status” requiring more testing at a WWP wounded warrior project facility. \(for over 2 years\)

I have extensive psych testing, therapies, specialists \(4 boxes of 5000 sheet medical records in a 2\-year span\) of documentation justifying why I am no longer fit to serve.

Found “unfit for duty” and medical retirement nearing the end of 2013 \(official retirement date Feb 2014\)

Diagnosis: Chronic, complex, severe, PTSD with Disassociation. OCD, BPD. Rated at 90 percent thru the VA and 70 percent for the army

My drugs was altered significantly during my first couple months, then I lost my father and became hyper manic \( I was not aware of this until I forgot to refill my 19 meds\) found myself with a massive gambling problem, living out of my car and numerous other reckless behaviors

Lacking the ability to go to sleep would send me to a specialist neurologist, that review my records and suggest that I see him \(he can practice psych, he does not need my medications are being managed well, due to my noticeable manic state\) \(my local VA did authorize recommended meds, requested by the SPC\)

Shortly after I admit myself into the psych ward when. My neuro suggested I stopped taking a certain medication, so I weaned off it and became aware that I was not in control. I stay inpatient for 10 days. Where I find out I am pregnant, I tell my boyfriend and we break up and now I am homeless. As well as being untreated manic, with disassociation. They release me, and I go to the homeless shelter unable to get a follow up appointment for 3 months

I see him for one more follow up visit and tell him all of the goings on…he is irate and instantly makes calls to get me to a safer environment given my situation \(his notes are suggestive of his level of frustration with the VA systems lack of care and is effective in strong arming my local VA to get me to a safe environment soon.

I get re\-evaluated in Nov 2013 my rating is increased to 100&#37; after an interview from the VA.

I then get re\-evaluated 2 years later \(having gained 100 pounds, failing to care about my hygiene, complete isolation, missing many appointments…I was numb, I could not even form emotions into much thought.

I went blind once again when the VA missed the scratch on my eye that allowed pseudomonas bacteria, the steroids prescribed would cause me to go blind permanently due to the corneal ulcer covering 90&#37; of my pupil. \(that is another issue\)

Prior to a constant state of “hopeless, helpless, fear and the such” my state of being has been disconnected and numb.

Intense emotions, massive memory issues \(even past boyfriends I have dated for months with no recollection until they say “how we met” not what we did together\) I counted this a “bad memory” when this has happened on 8 occasions.

impulsive behaviors and significantly heightened senses would result in more testing. By a specialty clinic.

Is it reasonable to suggest that while I was in a state of being disconnected from myself? I could not reasonably represent myself due to being disassociated and was in deep denial that I had any problem at all?

I have still yet to receive any therapies, to address my disassociation, bi\-polar, OCD or anything other therapy to adjust to going partially blind, or any equipment to help me cope.

Blindness has caused cognitive disorders, bi\-polar makes my thoughts and writing scattered, OCD will not allow me to tweak this to much or that is all I will get done. I hope you understand what I am trying to say. All of this is documented and looking at my long list of doctor’s notes, it would appear that I am reading about two separate patients and only recalling one life. I hope this makes since, science does not yet understand much about right sided blindness effect on the mental health in a young mind.

\(currently doing internal investigation to determine negligence via my eye, trying to figure out what my tort claims true value is, and if is at least a reasonable suggestion\)

Answer: This is a question beyond the scope of this sub as it relates to military law. I recommend you contact a civilian lawyer who practices UCMJ issues (they do exist) and seek their counsel.


Title: (ON, Canada) Can I leave furniture I physically cannot move from my apartment when I move out?

Question:
Hi all,

This is hopefully a quick question, but I was moving into a different apartment next week and I'm really worried about the couch sitting in my living room. It's weight rivals the density of a dying star and it nearly broke a friend's back while trying to move it in to the apartment years ago. Since I'm no longer paying this landlord for rent as of the end of this month, nor am I needing their referral to the new address, AND the landlord already inspected the premises for property damage... am I in the green to just leave it here?

Answer:
 Tell the landlord. Somebody may want it. Put an ad on craiglist or whatever you have up there in the free section. There may be a charity group that will take it. Just leaving it there is a real grade A dick move. The assumption is you will leave an apartment in the same condition you moved in except for ordinary wear and tear. You can almost certainly be charged for disposal.Answer #2: Pay a junk company to come take it.

But no, you cannot force your problems on others and cause then to spend time and money because you are lazy. There will be consequences


Title: Private Diary Entries Confiscated in Office

Question:
Location: Ontario, Canada

Today my friend was confronted at work by security after they obtained a number of private diary entries he had been keeping at the office. These entries were taken from a confidential waste bucket containing sensitive tax payer information.

The pages contained violent, sexual, and depressing themes including: rape, murder, BDSM, and sex.

The police were involved and drove my friend directly from the office to the hospital where a doctor gave him a psyche E-val.
The doctor basically thought that being brought in over disposed paper was ridiculous and said that as long as he isn't planning on actually raping or murdering anyone there really isn't an issue (from what I understand similar themes are pretty common thoughts in a lot of the population).

The doctor released him with a clean bill of mental health and said "There are no thought crimes," but now he has to call his manager tomorrow and he's worried that he's going to be fired.

Is there any legal action he can take if he IS fired? Or is he screwed?

EDIT: He's a federal employee.

Answer:
 Your friend should not have been keeping a private diary at the office.  Its pretty well established that an employee has no or very, very limited expectation of privacy from their employer while on company time, devices, or property.  Basically, if you bring something into or access it from your work or work devices, you have chosen to make it your employer's business and they can choose to terminate your employment for it.

And no, I do not believe That a lot of the population keeps a diary with thoughts of violence, rape, etc. or even thinks has such thoughts regularly.  Your friend needs to seek help.


Title: If police raid a house and find no evidence?

Question:
Hi, good morning/afternoon

I just have a few quick questions regarding police warrants & digital warrants.

1. At what point can police get a digital warrant to search facebook, phones, etc.

2. If a house is raided & and they find no evidence such as drugs, drug paraphernalia or anything linking to any sort of crime can they then get a digital warrant to search facebook & phones for evidence of crime

3. If they have no evidence other than conversation logs talking about things such as drugs organising drug deals, etc...can I be convicted with any sort of crime?

If anyone could answer any of the questions it would be much appreciated, thanks.

Answer:
 > At what point can police get a digital warrant to search facebook, phones, etc.

When there is probable cause to believe there is evidence of criminal activity on them.

> If a house is raided & and they find no evidence such as drugs, drug paraphernalia or anything linking to any sort of crime can they then get a digital warrant to search facebook & phones for evidence of crime

If they have probable cause to believe there is evidence there, they can obtain a warrant for those items.  Or, if those items are specified on the original warrant, they may search then.

> If they have no evidence other than conversation logs talking about things such as drugs organising drug deals, etc...can I be convicted with any sort of crime?

Not if there is not more evidence than that.

But there is *always* more evidence than that.


Title: I work for a small cupcake shop in Indiana (7 employees) and would like to know if I can get out of the non-compete if I leave.

Question:
**[Update]** Thank you for your replies! I feel much better now knowing that I won't be screwed.

I think the terms are unreasonable, and other people I have asked agree, but none of us are lawyers at all. I scanned the [page](http://imgur.com/alXxEct) to see if maybe one of you folks could help me out? I would rather not leave, but one of the other employees is the owner's nephew and is making it very likely that I will either have to quit, or get fired for bringing up his behavior, and I'd like to know if I will be able to continue the line of work or not. I won't be able to if the non-compete holds up, as I can't drive an hour to work every day, and I certainly can't pay them $10,000.00!

My job is to decorate cakes, cookies, and cupcakes, and occasionally bake them too. The business is very small, 2 years old, not even making a profit, and only delivers in about a 15-mile radius, so it seems a bit ridiculous to prohibit working in a 50-mile radius.

I appreciate any advice you can give. Thanks!

Answer:
 A non-compete for a bakery is ridiculous. Unless your bakery has a new technological trade secret that they're protecting (like you frost using a robot arm) and you're not leaving with a list of their former clients and poaching them it is likely unenforceable.

see: http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/contributors.asp?id=1022 & http://www.kgrlaw.com/employment-noncompete-agreements-disfavored-mean-enforceable-2/ which has Indiana specific examples.


Title: NC - unusual adverse possession type question.

Question:
So I own land in rural North Carolina that I farm and hunt.
There is a 112 acre block right between 2 of my tracts.
The registered owner died in 1975!
He had 12 children, 8 of which are still living (all the remaining children are in their 80s-90s).
The owner was apparently illiterate & there was no will.
No one has lived on the property since the early 80s.
All the children live far away in multiple places like Detroit or Baltimore, with the exception of one grand child (who is 60+ herself).
I had big trespassing & trash dumping issues from this property so I got "permission" from this one close family member to post, maintain & hunt the property.
Taxes were paid in advance by a tobacco allotment settlement payout but those funds are soon to be depleted.

The obvious thing to do would for the family to hire a lawyer to sort it out, however, all of the family is poor & has little to no education. Also, the land isn't really worth that much. Being liberal it would be worth *maybe* $1800/ac so we're talking $200k for the entire tract. Once you factor in attorney fees & splitting the proceeds between so many heirs (no one knows exactly how many now) you can see the problem.

Here's my question.
The last remaining local family member is the only child of one of the 12 inheriting children.
She has asked if she could just sell me her share.
Obviously this would be unwarranted with no title.
I also would take over paying taxes on the land once the settlement $ runs out.
I'm not really even interested in buying the land, I view it as buying a long term hunting lease.
The other option would be for nature to take its course & let the county eventually foreclose over unpaid taxes.

Is there any precedent for buying an unwarranted share from a family member?

Answer: I've actually dealt with a similar situation before.  The property passed to the 12 children upon the owner's death (or if any of the children predeceased, that 1/12 interest passed to that persons decedents if any).  Repeat that process for the death of each child (or grandchild, etc.) since 1975.  The list of fractional owners can get long pretty quickly.  Each fractional owner can only sell you what they have, nothing more.  If you purchased from the local daughter, you would own a 1/12 undivided interest in the property, nothing more.  Each of the other owners would have equal right to use of the property, and could move onto the property for example.  As long as you are willing to lose the purchase price, and other money that you put into the property, for taxes, etc., you can buy her interest and use the property like an owner (but not the owner), but just understand that any one of the other (likely dozens or more) owners can show up and use the property as well, or petition for a partition of the property, for example.


Title: [Croatia]Is it stealing if my boss lets me take his money?

Question:
So my boss has NOT paid me my paycheck,it is my first job and he keeps promising he will pay me out,but it has arleady gone a month without paycheck,
so i called him if I can take the cash from register as my paycheck?He told me I can...is that legal?
WIll he screw me over?
I am from Croatia

Answer:
 "Will he screw me over?"

This is r/legaladvice, not r/fortunetelling. But he *already has been* screwing you over. Do you have any reason to think he is going to start treating you honestly?
Answer #2: He definitely CAN screw you over...

Also, taxes would be an issue.

IANAL, but I think its a baaaaad idea.


Title: [NYC] Girlfriend had her criminal charges for shoplifting dropped, now received a civil demand

Question: My girlfriend got arrested for shoplifting from a Sephora a couple months ago. She did this counseling program called Second Chance and all the criminal charges for the shoplifting were dropped. However, she has recently received a civil demand from a lawyer for a couple hundred dollars even though the three lipsticks she stole were immediately returned. The company took no loss yet this lawyer is demanding pay for "actions of attempting to cause a loss to the store." How can we go about fighting this?

Answer:
 Sephora is suing your gf. Rememer OJ? He was found not guilt in criminal court, family of the victim sued him and he lost that case.

Sephora did suffer losses. The time/resources it takes to process a shoplifter behind the scenes are more than you realize. Maybe they did not want to re sell those lipsticks in the chance they were opened or tampered with and it was safer to not re sell. Maybe shoppers were going to go to sephora, but saw police and thought "yikes Im not going in there." Also, she only gave the lipsticks back because she was caught. So lets not try to play the moral card here.

You can paid the requested fine, or you can hire a lawyer to try to fight/lower the fine. Which will probably be more expensive than the fine alone. Answer #2: She should pay it to put it behind her. Otherwise this will just drag on. This is the price of getting caught. If they sue it will be for a lot more. Answer #3: NAL but what do you mean that they took no loss? They had to call the police, work with them on the shoplifting charges, etc.


Title: My next-door neighbor is trying to accuse me of vandalizing his fence and claims he has evidence. How valid is the evidence and what should I do about it?

Question:
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 How did this not occur in Florida?Answer #2: LOL, you people in Tennessee crack me up.  :-)Answer #3: Pics or GTFO.Answer #4: >...so i got some white paint, poured some in a tray, stuck my bare ass in the paint and then walked over to his house and pressed it up against his fence...

Well of course you did. I mean, who wouldn't?!

But seriously, how much did you drink before having that moment of genius? Answer #5: This is one of those moments like when a little kid says something completely inappropriate and you know you're supposed to chastise him but you can't stop laughing.
Answer #6: Seriously man. Just offer to help him repaint, he would probably even drop any legal pursuit with that simplist of actions.


Title: Death of my pets

Question:
Good morning, I need some advice. I purchased an air conditioning unit online at the end of May 2019. The air conditioner is a popular well-known brand. I installed it in the spare bedroom where my dogs stay while I am at work. It worked fine until this Wednesday. We came home to find my dogs dead or dying from heat stroke. The AC unit was still pumping out air but it was hot air. My dogs had collapsed in front of the door so we had to force it open. The room felt like a sauna. Between my niece and my neighbors we got the dogs downstairs and into my truck. We rushed them to the vet but all three ended up dying. During the rush to get the dogs outside to my truck, my one dog who was still conscious but disoriented bit both my neighbor and myself. My neighbor had to get a couple stitches on her hand. I emailed the company that made the air conditioner. Their chairman of consumer relations called me back. He offered me a full refund on the air conditioner and then told me they had talked to their insurance company regarding my dogs and I should call them and discuss it further with them. I offered to send the AC unit back so they could do some kind of quality control testing on it to determine what happened so it doesn’t happen again. I don’t know if he misunderstood me and thought I wanted them to fix it for me but he told me it wasn’t “cost effective” and again offered me the refund. I brought it up again and he said it was probably “something in the sealed system”.

1) My neighbor’s dog bite- I contacted my insurance agent for my homeowner’s policy who started a claim but said they will not move forward unless my neighbor sues or her health insurance company files against me. Do I let my neighbor know that she can request reimbursement for her medical bills with my insurance company? I’ve even thought about offering to pay her medical bills myself but didn’t know if I’d be opening myself up to anything.

2) I haven’t accepted the refund or contacted the corporation’s insurance company concerning my pets. My dogs are dead, there is nothing anyone can do to fix that. I would prefer the company at least test the unit to see what went wrong. What if it happens again to someone else? Everyone I know is telling me I should sue them but I don’t know how that would fix anything. I’m not sure about contacting their insurance company either. I don’t know what the next step forward should be.

Answer: It sounds to me like the company is doing it's best to act in good faith here. I'm not sure that a lawsuit is a necessary next step. The only thing that you'd be able to recover is the property cost of your dogs plus the cost of vet bills for the incident. Since they're wanting to talk to you about that so they can make a claim with their insurance, it seems they intend to compensate you already. If they don't cover the full cost, then sure, you should talk to a lawyer.Answer #2: Probably best just taking the refund. Unfortunately the law views pets as property and you are only entitled to their market value which isn't going to be much. Depending where you are, you may be able to tack on a $1000 punitive damage but that's not the case in every state.


Title: Does SPRINT (or any phone company) record our calls and have the recordings accessible to us?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Call a local bar organization and ask for a referral for a divorce attorney.


Title: Is it legal to launch a gerbil in a home-made rocket? [USA]

Question:
My friend makes amateur rockets in his garage and he's got some pretty good heights with them.

He's made a rocket with a cockpit big enough for a gerbil. I've seen him test it (unmanned) and it's actually really impressive. It ascends to some mad altitude then deploys a parachute and makes a soft landing. He's planning to send his pet gerbil (Gary) on a mission.

He's got a waiver from the FAA to fly his rockets so that's not a problem, but he's wondering if he's breaking any animal cruelty laws. Again, the gerbil will be perfectly safe (aside from having his mind blown), we just need to know that it's all legal.

Thanks.

Answer:
 Why exactly does the gerbil need to be part of the project? Even if the gerbil escapes physical injury, all you are doing is tormenting it. Why not load the rocket with something like an egg?

Ultimately, I doubt this is something he'd go to jail for, but that doesn't mean it's not cruel.Answer #2: You need to look up the NAR (national association of rocketry). The outline specific regulations for amateur rockets and specifically state about payloads:

<. Payloads. My model rocket will never carry live animals (except insects) or a payload that is intended to be flammable, explosive, or harmful.

Your rocket isn't cleared for an FAA waiver unless it adheres to the NAR safety codes, and carrying a live animal is clearly against it. Just for kicks, here is the [link](http://www.lunar.org/docs/handbook/regs.shtml) to the NAR safety code. The specific rule in question is about 2/5's of the page down (sorry, don't know how to link to the exact spot). So I would say this is definitely not cleared for launch... probably no one would know unless you were smart enough to upload a video to youtube, but I would still advise against it for yours and the gerbil's sake. Answer #3: yeah this is pretty fucked up to do to your gerbil. Rodents dont really like excitement, and dont do well with drastic altitude changes. Answer #4: What state is he in?


Title: I (16/M) am running away (from mom's, divorced parents) as soon as I finish this post. Looking for enough advice to get to a safe home it's too abusive here (Texas). I am scared no one will listen to me because all this abuse has been emotional, and nothing I can physically show.

Question:
I'm writing this because a few minutes ago my uncle M started yelling at me for not being "nice". My grandma (house owner) wanted to switch rooms with me, but she never told me because she's too "nice". Then I started getting yelled at for not cleaning my dishes (I'm the only one who cooks other than my grandma), and for playing video games (I haven't played for more than 3 hours this week and wanted to relax), so I started to talk back to him and now he's threatening all kinds of shit. I am going to run away, and I want to be in a home I can feel safe in for the first time.

*Mom- my mother*

*grandma- their mother*

*Uncle M- uncle at home*

*Uncle B- other uncle*

*Cousin- my cousin that doesn't talk to anyone here*

# Emotionally abused until I leave or go crazy-

All of this built up over time, but I broke down suddenly realizing I'm being harmed every day. I will explain **before, what happened now, and what advice I'm hoping to get**. I would really appreciate any help as I am crying while typing this, and I don't want to do something I'll regret because of emotions.

&#x200B;

***Before-***

&#x200B;

I have been raised up with what I need to survive, but no one to trust. My parents (narcissists) have spent most of my life twisting and turning things until it becomes my fault. They have said I am the only thing that brings them unhappiness, and that I depress everyone around me. They have blamed me for being hit by a truck at 13, for asking to go to the ER and wanting someone who isn't filling my lungs with smoke to drive me, for wanting to do something with my life other than JUST going to school and spending 24/7 studying. I have been an A student most of my life until I couldn't take the stress anymore. I used to ask why all the time until they discouraged any actual learning. But worst of all, I have never felt any trust in my life. I don't even know who to trust now because I have trouble meeting people without either fully trusting them, or not at all. I haven't been depressed, more so they were just projecting their bullshit on me. I have had many breakdowns, nights of crying myself to sleep, and so much other shit that I can't prove because it's all "emotional". I tried asking my mom and dad what's wrong, but they always blame me or say "I can't right now" and dodge the question every single time. I have ADHD and it makes me want to give up because I have to work on fixing it while trying to repair what my parents have done. I just want a normal household that I can feel safe in. I have not felt safe once in my life and realizing that makes me want to break down all over again.

&#x200B;

**Now-**

&#x200B;

Lately things have been getting horrible. I was with my dad who is abusive and yells every single day, and I moved to my moms in December. Well rather my grandma, my mom, 2 uncles, cousin, and grandma all live together. I moved because I was getting yelled at every day and I had anxiety attacks any time my dad was at home. About two days ago my hand started hurting (and I had anxiety), so I overreacted and started thinking I'm about to die. Well I had my uncle B take me to the urgent care (begrudgingly) and he was chain-smoking cigarettes as well as vaping (important later) even though I have asthma. It was carpal tunnel syndrome (not too important as I'm trying to fix it), but what got to me is when she asked why I was having anxiety. I realized it's because if I ever did have a disease that could kill me I would die before anyone noticed. She asked me if there's anyone else I could go to or trust, and I almost cried when she did. I realized I have just about no one to trust (except maybe one of my other cousins) and it's been that way all my life. Even my normal doctors are just pill-pushers (tried to change them, but mom won't really let me). I realized something is wrong deep down and I am only going to be hurt if I stay here. Everyone at home gets upset because I do things like cook without cleaning (their mom cooks for them so I don't see how I'm being bad at least I'm doing something), and because I "kicked my grandma out of her room" (her son was in it before me soooo what?!?). My uncle started yelling, my grandma started yelling, my mom started yelling, all in less than an hour. They went from "happy" to "oh a 16 year old is depressing the whole household". I decided that I'm going to post this and go to the park, or for a walk, and hope that someone can help. I have one cousin that I somewhat trust so I might ask him if I can stay with them for a while, but I'd rather hear your opinions.

&#x200B;

**What I'm looking for-**

&#x200B;

I'm leaving as soon as I write this. I feel miserable, but happy at the same time. I don't know where to go, I don't know if I should call my cousin, a family member I don't fully trust (for a place to sleep just for a bit) or what. I am taking my ADHD meds as well as a few other necessities. I want to call cps just because they're still fucking with my cousin. I went into his room the other day to borrow something (he's chill with it) and I saw his notebook. He wrote how miserable he was here and I realized that this is only going to get worse if I stay here. I want cps to help him, he's 21, but they've done similar shit to him. What should I do? Should I focus on getting a roof over my head, finding someone I trust, what? Thanks for any help I'm shaking now so I'm grateful for any advice, or anything.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 > I want cps to help him, he's 21

CPS can't help an adult. He can move out on his own if he wants to.

As far as you, call CPS if you are being abused. You should not ask adults to help you runaway or give you a place to stay without permission, since that could land them in legal trouble.


Title: Is it illegal for a surgeon to lie to me about insurance approval?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: It's your responsibility to make sure you are covered. The surgeon's office may check themselves as a convenience but they may be told one thing, while you're told another.


Title: Uber of Prostitution

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You need a real lawyer for this, not an internet-American lawyer.


Title: Landord evicting so she can sell the house. No lease. Have lived there 6 yrs. have to be out by end of month.

Question:
Nebraska

Friends of mine have rented a house for the past 6 year. They only had a lease the first year. After that they continued to pay rent and have had no issues. On September 1st the landlord told them they need to be out by October 1st because she is selling the house. They have 2 kids and animals. Having animals is going gto be an issue finding somewhere to rent by the 1st of October.

Is there anyway they can get more time before they have to vacate the house?

Answer:
 They're not being evicted. The landlord is simply not renewing their lease, which is assumed to be month-to-month after the the original lease's terms.

The landlord gave 30 days, which is likely correct. I don't see anything the landlord has done wrong here.


Title: Deaf student in danger of losing her GoFundMe campaign to send her to film camp...can anyone help? GoFundMe now uses WePay? Attempts to reach them get no where.

Question:
Through a non-profit organization 501 (C) associated with our Deaf school we setup a GoFundMe campaign to send one of our students to a deaf film camp. We raised 1,500 (as we did last year with no issue) but GoFundMe is saying that the organization on the account needs verification. So we went ahead and uploaded the required documents proving that our treasure was indeed associated with the organization and was the person who setup the GoFundMe.
They passed the buck onto a company called WePay which seems to be owned by CHASE. Calls to the WePay number will not go to an agent, continues to go to an automated response directing us to their website.
The automated email says we need to upload documentation to prove the person requesting the money is who they say we are and we did that to no avail.
Does anyone have any ideas? We're at our wits end with GoFundMe/WePay.
This is the email we received but after we upload documents, nothing happens. We retrieved no further correspondence. As I said, the phone number leads to automated responses directing us to their website.
Any ideas? See email below.
Ticket #XXXXXXX: Action required: Additional documentation required Your request (#XXXXXXX) has been received, and is being reviewed by our Customer Delight team.
Wally (WePay Support) Apr 20, 2:47 PM PDT Hi there,
I hope this message finds you well. I work for WePay, and we handle the Trust & Safety work behind the scenes for GoFundMe's payment service. As the institution responsible for underwriting accounts, we regularly review accounts to ensure they are in compliance with regulatory and trust & safety requirements. We endeavor to do this while asking you as few questions as possible, but in your case we needed to reach out to you.
We are unable to verify the association between XXXXXXX (treasurer of the organization) and XXXXXXX (name of organization). We will need you to submit a document establishing this link. Acceptable documents include power of attorney documents, or a letter - preferably on the company letterhead - describing your association with the organization, or an organizational chart with your name on it. Please reply to this message with the document attached.
Please complete this process within 30 days, or your Help send XXXXX (name of student) to Deaf Film Camp! account will be disabled and we will refund all payments to your payers. Once we have reviewed and verified this document, your account will be properly updated to ensure future payments/deposits are processed quickly.
Thanks, Wally CIP Agent WePay, a Chase Company | Risk More questions? Check out our Help Centerhttps://support.wepay.com
Support Hours: 6AM-6PM PST, Monday-Friday This email is a service from WePay.
WePay 350 Convention Way, Suite 200 Redwood City, CA

Answer:
 Did you send the documentation via email within 30 days? Was the documentation on school letterhead? Did it state the person was the treasurer?

How long ago did you submit the documentation?


Title: Can my company require I take racial sensitivity training?

Question:
My blood is boiling over something from my office and I want to know what my rights are.

About four months ago, a rumor started that I was a racist. Here's what went down - women were chatting in the hall and advised one of our black assistants that someone named (let's say Eleanor) thought she wasn't doing a good job and was looking to get her fired. The assistant then went to HR in tears saying I thought she was dumb and wanted to get her fired. This got escalated to the CEO and I had to sit through several meetings where I was referred to as a racist and trying to get a black employee fired because of this.

After months of this she finally reveals the name of the person who told her to watch out for Eleanor. It came from a woman I've never met. It came from a woman who works very closely with the black assistant's boss....whose name is also Eleanor. So basically, this stupid assistant thought a coworker who has nothing to do with her job was trying to get her fired, and not her BOSS by the same name who she constantly butts heads with because...well she's not a spectacular assistant. None of this had ANYTHING to do with race or ANYTHING to do with me.

Now it's four months later and HR (who I but heads with frequently due to having to take over her job responsibilities like onboarding and training new hires because she's horrible) is perpetuating this rumor that I am a racist that has been trying to get the other assistant fired. I said this had been resolved. It wasn't me, it was another Eleanor. I've never had an issue in 20 years. I don't curse, I'm kind to everyone, and I don't even stand up for myself when doing someone else's job for them.  She insists that I need to go to racial sensitivity training. This is not required for the rest of the staff. I feel like I'm being singled out because HR is intimidated by the fact that I can do her job better than her. She knows her job is on chopping block as I slowly take over all of her responsibilities.

She repeatedly said during the meeting, don't worry, you won't get fired over this. Don't worry, I won't tell people you're a racist. Don't worry you won't get fired. You just need to take this two day class on how to speak to and treat other races.

I plan on refusing. I don't forsee this being an issue other than the annoying drama this may cause with HR. I'm an invaluable employee to our C-Level team. My question is, can my company fire me for refusing to attend sensitivity training that is not required of other staff? I'm so angry over this, but I know that's what HR wants. They want me to get mad and retaliate so they can say SEE! She's a racist! See how she talks to me! I'm not giving her that satisfaction. I'm just going to not go to training. I don't even plan on arguing. I just plan on not going.  What are my legal rights with this situation?

I'm in NYC

Answer:
 I’m glad things worked out for you but in the future, I would tone down the ego. It will greatly outshine any performance you give in the workplace. Just remember that they could have given you the HR position but instead, hired someone else. No one is irreplaceable.Answer #2: How are you invaluable to the C suite but also somehow getting saddled with duties of an assistant?

Your perspective on situations may be a bit off from that of others.

The training may not be a bad idea for you. What is the harm in doing it?


Title: If a person with a bionic arm (Like the Hero Arm or any other prosthesis) beats someone to death with said bionic arm, could the police seize it as a murder weapon?

Question: And if so, would they be given a replacement bionic arm?

Answer: Of course. If I somehow stabbed someone to death with my hearings aids, they’d be seized as well. Murder weapon is a murder weapon, even when it enhances the body.Answer #2: The evidence (murder weapon) can be seized without the police having to return it or provide a replacement. A court may be able to order the return but it would need to be processed first. It may also vary by state and country.Answer #3: What if I grow long fingernails then stab someone to death with them, or use my long hair to strangle someone?Answer #4: Yes it’s s murder weapon and no they won’t replace it


Title: [CA] My college emailed everyone in the DRC and revealed everyone's email addresses

Question:
Hi,
I attend a community college in California. Because of a few disabilities, I receive as a loan some equipment from the Disability Resource Center. They recently sent an email to everyone with such equipment as a batch. I now have the email address of everyone who gets any kind of equipment loan from the DRC, and most of those emails also contain full names. Everyone else also has mine, which contains my full name, and I'm not too happy about that. I replied ~3 days ago asking them to be more careful in future and received no response. Is this a violation of FERPA or something? How can I make sure this doesn't happen again?

EDIT: Solved
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Neither your name nor your email address is privileged information.


Title: [FL] Signing Person's Lease Agreement without their Consent

Question:
Hi Reddit,

So I have a co\-worker that is currently going through some struggles with her living situation and her ex\-boyfriend. She was planning on entering an apartment lease him previously and were due to sign the lease in the upcoming month. She's moved out of his house and all of their belongings are at his place , \(i.e. Kitchen supplies, plateware, furniture, etc.\) and he is saying he won't give it back. Some help would be great on that , however, that's not the main question I have.

She doesn't have good Credit and he doesn't have an income, so they were going to piggyback off of each other in order to meet the requirements for the apartment. She has access to his emails and the lease is an e\-signature. She was planning on going into his email and still signing the lease on his behalf in order to still get this apartment by herself and her child approved so she has somewhere to live. What legal ramifications could she possibly face for this?

Thanks!

Answer: That is what you call fraud and identity theft. She could be arrested, fined, jailed and lose custody of her kid. It is also a shitty thing to do.


Title: I accidentally tried to get into someone's house.

Question:
I live in the UK

So last night i was round a friend of mines house and we'd had a few drinks. When i left i unlocked the front door walked out and locked it behind me. I get a call a few minutes later telling me to come back because i took his key. So i head back and walk up to his next door neighbours house by accident and start trying to let myself in. After a minute or two a woman opens the door to me asking what the hell i want. I panic say "shit sorry, wrong house"and walk off to my friends.

I spent last night very worried the police were going to come round because she would have reported me for trying to break in. Do i have anything to worry about?
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 It's unlikely anything will come of this.  Until or unless you're contacted by the police, don't worry about it.Answer #2: Its your friends neighbor just go apologize shell probably understand. Unless she already hates him then just forget about it

If it makes you feel better it wasnt as bad as this guy http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhJ002XgKp7AsL2UA8


Title: Municipal judge quit after ACLU investigation found he was discriminating against the poor. My traffic violation hearing will be delayed for the third time. Could I get the case dropped? [Colorado]

Question:
I posted a couple weeks ago about this, but can't find the the original thread, so I'll give the rundown once more.

On Memorial Day weekend, I was stopped by a local police officer for a moving violation. Long story short, the officer let me off for the moving violation but because I had removed my seatbelt while my car was off and in park, he gave me a ticket for that.

I decided to fight it because I always wear my seatbelt while driving and only unbuckled it to get my purse from the floor.

So far, it's been continued twice and will be continued again because the one judge that serves my city was suspended over an ACLU investigation wherein they found out he was grossly discriminating against the poor. It will be delayed for a third time now, since there's no sitting judge, and the local newspaper has said all cases will be continued until November.

Is it possible to get this thing dropped considering the circumstances? Here's the [ACLU report on the judge.](https://aclu-co.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/JUSTICE-DERAILED-web.pdf)

I just want to have my record cleared.

Answer:
 That will not allow you to have it dismissed.

Other things you should know: no lawyer will take this pro bono and if you continue to fight this you could end up having the seatbelt violation dropped just to be charged with the original moving violation.


Title: (IA) Dog Recommended for Euthanasia

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Sorry about your dog, but if this is the second reported bite you're pretty much SOL.

If you're going to have a pet that bites, make it an indoor-only cat. And don't have kids. Or guests. It'll still bite *you*, but cat people are masochists. I know I am.


Title: [MN] Landlord Never Provided Parking Space Despite It Being Promised and in the Lease

Question:
Minneapolis, MN here.

My girlfriend and I are in the middle of buying a home and need to get out of our lease early. There is nothing in the lease about ending the lease early. Therefore it is our assumption that we are on the hook for paying the lease until it ends.

However, prior to signing the lease we were promised a parking space. We never received that space. The promise of that space is in the lease, my repeated attempts at getting information about the parking space after signing are recorded via texts (which he ignored), and I have email copies of the landlord agreeing to include that parking space prior to signing the lease.

There is a provision in the lease that states:

28. MISREPRESENTATIONS. Any materially false statement made by either Landlord or Tenant to the other that induces the signing of this Lease is a breach of this Lease.

Does this mean we are able to walk away from the lease?

The form we signed was M.S.B.A. Real Property Form No. 41 (2000, Revised 2011) Minnesota Standard Residential Lease

Answer:
 > Does this mean we are able to walk away from the lease?

No.  A failure in one section doesn't invalidate the lease, generally speaking.

Also, your acceptance of the change often means that the change doesn't matter.


Title: [New Hampshire] Uncles stole mom's inheritance, she's sick

Question:
My mother lives in the UK, and is estranged from her two brothers for various reasons, not the least of which was her alerting her SiL that she believed her older brother was molesting his step-daughter (he was, they got divorced).

The parents died, father in 2002 and mother in 2014 and there was a will dividing the estate three ways, with 1/3 for each child. Prior to the Mom dying, older brother who had POA created a trust and placed all of the property in it.

The Older brother has been pretending that his sister (my mother) does not exist. He's divided the estate between himself and his brother.

My mother hired a lawyer in NH with a $5k retainer. She sent a letter, which Older brother refused, and now says she needs more money to continue, although it's not clear what she's planning on continuing. Since I also work on retainers for my business, I asked for an accounting of how she spent the $5k retainer, but have not received it. Is this a not normal request?

My mother is quite ill, and asked me to help. I'm in California.

My questions:

If you were me, what would you do to help my mother?

Should I hire a California Attorney, or try to find another one in NH? Should I stick it out with the one she hired, even though she doesn't seem to have done anything and won't account for her time?

Is there any point in perusing this? There were three homes and some commercial property in the estate, conservatively $1.5m - $2m but I'm sure the brothers have spent as much as they could.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer: 5k to write a strongly worded letter? Call the state bar and report this lawyer for starters.


Title: Why the hell did Brendan Dassey keep saying "I dunno" like a dumbass when it's very clear he DID know but just didn't know how to properly explain it? That only hurt his case.

Question: The prosecutor asked "if you didn't do it then why did you tell them you did" and he sits there like a dumbass and goes "I dunno, duuuuuhhhh, I dunno, I dunno". Wtf? HE DID KNOW. What he didn't know was how to EXPLAIN why he told them that even though he didn't do it. The way to explain this is "It was psychological manipulation, the officers used tactics of coercion and intimidation to get me to say the things they wanted." Then the prosecutor might say "but the officers don't LOOK like they're coercing you, they're not beingf mean, it looks like they're being NICE to you" to which he should have been prepared to say "coercion and intimidation doesn't hafve to 'look negative' or 'look mean', the police are trained to elicit confessions by feigning friendliness but this is actually a coercion tactic." Dassey's defense should have COACHED him to say these things! Why the hell didn't they. Instead he just sat there like a dumbass not knowing how to explain what happened and just kept saying "hurrr durrrrr I dunno, I dunno, duuuuuuhhh I dunno." It was this "I dunno" shit that put him behind bars. That doesn't look good on his defense and it made it look like his attorneys were trying to make up his defense. WHY DIDN'T THEY COACH HIM ON ANTICIPATING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERING BEFORE THEY PUT HIM ON THE STAND?

Answer:
 >to which he should have been prepared to say "coercion and intimidation doesn't hafve to 'look negative' or 'look mean', the police are trained to elicit confessions by feigning friendliness but this is actually a coercion tactic.

Because he has an IQ of 70, and is incapable of understanding such a concept, much less memorizing it to repeat on the stand.

If he had been able to cogently explain that to the jury, it would have undermined the point anyway.  It was the job of an expert in interrogation tactics and false confessions to explain this to the jury.


Title: I think my boss is going to fire me tomorrow, and I want to be prepared [NY]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Are you in official FMLA leave? It doesn't sound like it. If not, then you can be fired for being unable to work for 6 months.


Title: Street Prank Gone Wrong, I "Assaulted" the Pranksters.

Question:
So halloween night, I was out with a few friends. We were walking along a road that was barely lit, when we came up to a house that had a walk with with bushes at the end of it. a "prankster" jumped out with a clown mask, a bloody shirt, and what looked to be a real ax or hatchet. Instead of running or screaming, I hurled forward myself forward, tackled the guy, and punched him a few times. "it's a prank! It's a prank!" he said when I guess he finally caught his breath after I had knocked him down.

Fast forward to last month, he has an attorney send me a letter saying he was going to take legal action against me if I refused to pay for emotional distress and physical assault.

Does he have any real legal ground to stand on here?

Edit: location, Kentucky.
Edit 2: The time was around 2am.
Topic:
Douche

Answer: How did this prankster, whom presumably you've never met, manage to identify you in order to have an attorney send you something in the mail?


Title: Accused of elderly abuse and exploitation. Please help?

Question:
This is a big problem with a long backstory, I'll try to include any details that may be relevant.

Involved parties are me, my fiance, Fiance's Grandmother, Fiance's Birth Mother, and Birth Mother's husband.

We are in North Carolina, the accusers live in Virginia.

Grandmother is in her late 70s and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and various other maladies. She requires a lot of medication twice a day and has limited mobility.

Birth Mother was not involved in his life at all. Fiance's grandparents adopted him as a baby and raised him. Grandfather is deceased.

Fiance and I live together in a very small 2 bedroom house. Grandmother was previously living in a nursing home, but now occupies our second bedroom.

**Back story, for whatever its worth:**

Fiance, over the course of a year, gave Birth Mother over $10k to pay her rent. When he finally cut her off, she went to Grandmother's nursing home and took her to the bank. Birth Mother convinced Grandmother to clear out her own bank account for her.

Grandmother was left unable to pay for her nursing home and was kicked out. Birth Mother did not want to take her in, so Fiance had to step in to house her. He takes care of her, feeds her, makes sure she has medication on time, etc.

Around a year ago, Grandmother slipped in the kitchen and broke her hip. Fiance was there in less than a minute and got her to the hospital immediately. Grandmother had surgery and after some rehabilitation, returned to live with Fiance.

Around this time, Fiance lost his job. He now cares for Grandmother full time. Our bills are paid and he owns the property, but Grandmother has pitched in with her limited pension money in cases of emergency (illness, car breaking down, etc).

Birth Mother typically only calls to ask for money. If Fiance says no, she asks Grandmother. Grandmother has also learned to say no and is angry that she was taken advantage of by her own daughter.

Birth Mother has since lost her apartment and came around begging to live with us. We said no. They moved in with Birth Mother's sister in law.

They have asked us no less than 5 times to live with us, as the sister in law does not want them living with her any longer. We say no every time.

**Current issue:**

At the beginning of August, Birth Mother's Husband had to leave the country for nearly a month. They begged us to let Birth Mother stay here. We said no, knowing that there was a chance she would not leave. We eventually relented because we are soft-hearted morons.

Birth Mother proceeded to basically eat us out of house and home (we literally had to pawn our things to pay bills). She also threw objects at our pets and screamed at Grandmother.

After the month was up, Birth Mother thankfully left.

A few days later, Birth Mother and her husband showed up with new bedding for Grandmother. We took this as a sign that this was their way of thanking us and thought nothing of it.

Shortly after, we received a phone call from Birth Mother and her husband informing us that Birth Mother would be coming to live here permanently. We said no. There's just no room for her and we can't afford to have her.

They argued with Fiance and a screaming match ensued. Even Birth Mother's sister in law was getting in on it. They threatened to call the cops because we refused to let Birth Mother live here. They ended the call by saying they were on their way and there was nothing we could do about it.

We called the police first and a deputy was sent out to talk to us. We explained the situation. He talked to Fiance, myself, and Grandmother and he told us that he was going to stay in the area. He told us to call him when they arrived.

They came and we refused to open the door. We told them we had called the cops and they left. They called us afterward to let us know that they had called the cops on us in return.

The deputy returned the next day with Birth Mother and her husband in tow. Grandmother expressed to both the deputy and to Birth Mother that she did not want Birth Mother here. They left.

The next day,  social workers came to address allegations that Grandmother was being financially exploited and verbally and/or physically abused. She is not. Grandmother is well taken care of and loved here and is in better shape physically and mentally than she ever was in a nursing home.

The social workers obviously couldn't say who called them, but we know it is Birth Mother. Fiance explained everything that has happened with Birth Mother so far. We are now under scrutiny for the foreseeable future.

Fiance is very shaken up over all of this. He is worried about what will happen, not because any of it is true but because they just seem to want to escalate this further and further. He has never had to deal with anything like this before.

What can we legally do to protect both ourselves and Grandmother? Fiance would like to get legal guardianship over Grandmother, but would that even be possible or wise considering the allegations?

Having Birth Mother live here is just not possible, nor desired.

**TL;DR: My fiance's birth mother is trying to force her way into our home to live and is going so far as to accuse us of elderly abuse because she thinks that the courts will force us to let her live here to care for grandmother. How can we stop this crazy nonsense?**
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 1.  Maybe you could inform Birth Mother that if the allegations are upheld, she could take care of grandmother, but not in the home where abuse happened.  She would then need to find housing for herself and grandmother.  There is zero chance that Social Workers would allow an abused elderly person to remain in the home where they were abused.

2.  All you can do is keep the social workers & police appraised of the crazy.

3.  You could ask for a restraining order, but it's difficult and probably not worth fighting about.

4.  Don't take it personally, and assume that BM is mentally ill rather than evil.


Title: I understand that police can in general lie. But are they allowed to lie about laws?

Question: For example, if you are being questioned and they say that  remaining silent will be considered an obstruction of justice.

Answer: No. That completely violates *Miranda*, which requires an affirmative disclosure of your Fourth/Fifth Amendment rights. It would be nonsensical to require an affirmative disclosure and then allow them to contradict what they were just required to tell you.


Title: [AL] Sold someone a PlayStation, now being threatened with a lawsuit

Question:
As the title says, yesterday evening i sold a guy a PS4 on OfferUp, and garage sale app.  The PlayStation was working when it left my house, all I did was factory reset to erase my data.  Meet with the guy, who had a badge on his belt (not sure if it was real or he was an actual police officer) but I asked him to check the items: PlayStation 4 console, one controller, the power cord and HDMI plus two games.  He looked at it, said it was cool, he gave me cash and we parted.

Today he messages me saying the console isn't working.  He can't get the controller synced up with the console.  He said he even went out and bought another controller and it won't connect either.  He demanded his money back.

I told him that once it left my hands, I had no way of knowing what could've happened, either accidentally or otherwise.  He brought up the fact he was "law enforcement" and that he would have to get an attorney involved if he didn't get get his money back.  I told him again that it was working when I had it last, and whatever happened to it from there was on him, as once it left me I was not longer responsible.  I sold him everything for $200.

Answer:
 Private sales are generally as-is, meaning when be bought the item, he bought all the past, present, and future problems the item had/has/will have, in the absence of any written or verbal guarantees you've given the buyer.

The PlayStation is now his to do with what he pleases.  The fact that he's law enforcement is irrelevant.Answer #2: > He brought up the fact he was "law enforcement" and that he would have to get an attorney involved if he didn't get get his money back.

Narrator: Neither of those things were true.

He bought it. It's his. Move on.Answer #3: Since the sale was as-is, you’re not going to be obliged to help him or even reply to him at all at this stage. That being said, I do buy and sell electronics often and have chosen to reply to people that seem unhappy with a purchase from me, especially in the event I feel like the problem is user error.

If you chose to reply, I have to wonder: In my experience, the PS4 controller doesn’t like to sync to the console for the first connection unless it’s physically plugged into the console with a micro-USB to USB wire.

The buyer may not know this.

Answer #4: >He brought up the fact he was "law enforcement"

If you have his name call the local PD and report that he is either using his status as LE to intimidate you, or that he's posing as a peace officer. Either he way he's in deep.Answer #5: NAL. I suspect a scam. He has a broken PS4, he bought your working one, he will return his broken one. Even if this is not the case, he's in the wrong and you should stop communicating with him.


Title: Friend crashed my car, said they would pay. Waited 10 months later and now they say they wont pay. what are my options for getting something out of this?

Question: This happened on december 1 of 2014 in VA. I let the person drive my car while I sat in the passenger seat. The person hit a sign, ran into some bushes and nearly hurt me and the other passenger in the back. The driver then fled the scene only to be brought back to the police. The car was a total wreck and sat at the mechanics for over 3 months. Over those 3 months the policy for the car was canceled (it was not fully covered so thats why the insurance didnt fix it) Me and the driver had an agreement that they would pay over the next few months. No word was being received and so I kept waiting. The person kept pushing the date back and now its come to this. I went to the persons house, which is on an army base and the persons mother shut the door on me. I am a broke college student who now has no car. any advice on what I should do would be greatly appreciated!

Answer: Sue him for the cost of repairs. Perhaps in small claims court if you're under the jurisdictional limit.


Title: 17Y/O, what is the legality of parents forcing you to behavioral treatment camps in the wilderness?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 Sounds like you need to meet with your parents right away and talk about whatever behavior is triggering this desire to send you to a wilderness program. They're very expensive, so I doubt it's just for funsies.

You will have to attend until you're 18. Answer #2: Yes, it's legal for your parents to send you somewhere. No, it's not legal for wherever they send you to abuse you. As soon as you're 18, they can no longer force you to do anything.

If big dudes you don't know show up to your house and try to take you somewhere, call the police telling them exactly that.Answer #3: Your parents can send you to a camp against your will. The moment you turn 18, you can walk away and there's fuck-all they can do about it.

_However_, every state has child welfare laws, and a parent's ability to use physical force on a 17-year-old, or to allow another person to use force on them, is quite limited. If some big dudes handcuff you in the middle of the night, start screaming bloody murder, and call 911 at your first opportunity, regardless of whether you think your parents might have told them it's okay.