Title: Trying to keep my job

Question: I recently was arrested and charged with simple assault. I allowed a young lady to stay with me for 2 days because she got kicked out her apartment. She then stayed somewhere else for two days. She called and asked to stay with me until the end of the month and I told her no. She text me asking to get her things that she left which was only a few bras and a pair of jeans. While walking to the door she lunged at me and was pushed into my front door which became jammed. She then called the cops and started to open my cabinets throw my dishes and threw my microwave. I was charged with simple assault and i'm just looking for some help. This happened in new jersey

Answer: You need to hire an attorney to deal with the assault charge. In most states you could be terminated for this.


Title: [Va Beach] Seperated spouse living in house refuses to help with mortgage.

Question: My wife and I are currently going through a seperation. I'm trying to be civil and keep the courts out but I'm realizing that may not be able to happen. I'm trying to go over finances with her to decide how much we each have to pay toward all of our bills. When the topic of the mortgage comes up she says "I really hope your not expecting me to pay anything towards the house, because I'm not going to". Only my name is on the mortgage but both of our names are on the deed. I tried to tell her if she is living here she has to help with the mortgage, but I dont know if that's legally true. How do I not get screwed in this situation? If her name is on the deed can I not do anything at all even though shes refusing to pay?

Answer:
 You can't force her to pay anything at this point.

You really need to consult with a divorce lawyer.


Title: Not paying car payments

Question:
So a few months back I had someone make an offer on a vehicle I was selling. He was active duty army as was I, so when he said he wanted to make payments on it I figured no big deal. I know his unit and his phone number/name. I still have possession of the title. If he does not pay me what can I do?

Edit: Location is West Texas

Edit 2: hes already payed over half the amount but he is not answering calls or texts. Its been about a month.

Answer:
 You can probably repossess the car.

What kind of agreement did you sign with him?

It sounds like you googled "What's the worst way to sell a car" and then followed the directions.


Title: Old Job demanding return of uniform or they will send a bill to collections

Question: Maybe a year ago I worked for a job that required me to wear a uniform. I just received a text from my manager at the time ( a group text to several other numbers ) stating that I did not return my uniform and I will owe them $150 if I do not return it. I don't know what to do, I don't have $150 to spend, and I don't have a uniform to return. I live in the SF Bay Area, California. What can I do?

Answer: Where did your uniform go?


Title: Attorney client privilege

Question:
Today I was on a plane (coach) and the guy sitting next to me was working on some kind of legal documents, sending emails with details about cases etc. I wasn't trying to snoop but I'm sitting literally two inches from the guy, I can't help but see what he's doing! My question is, is this ethical on his part? What steps are attorneys required to take to keep their client's information away from prying eyes? At the top of the screen it said "Attorney Client Confidential" (that's how I realized what was going on and started making a conscious effort not to see what was on his screen) which I guess is supposed to deter busybodies (?) but I can't imagine that I'm legally bound not to look.

For location bot, it was a flight from CA to TX.

Answer: Are you a party to that case? We're not required to work in /u/zapopa's bunker, you know.


Title: Landlord asking for deposit after we told him we wouldn't be moving into the apartment (AK)

Question:
Thank you in advance for your advice. My partner and I are moving across the country and we contacted a guy through Craigslist about renting his apartment. His original Craigslist post said he was looking for someone to move in on August 1st. I told him we wouldn't be able to move in until the third week of August. He asked me for an application and I sent it to him. We spoke over the phone on July 18, 2 weeks after I put in my application to him (he has my SSN and DL) and he told me we would have to pay him partial rent for August as a deposit for holding the apartment for us. We never signed anything, although we did express interest in moving forward with the apartment and talked about how we would be paying rent and the deposit and stuff. I texted him 4 days after the phone conversation (ok July 23) and told him we find another house better suited for our needs and that we wouldn't be moving forward with moving into his apartment, and he texted back 'ok'. I didn't hear from him for 3 weeks and the last thing he said was the 'ok' mentioned above. Today (August 12) he texted me saying he never got the deposit we agreed on to hold the apartment for us and now I have no idea what to do. We never signed a thing and there is no written confirmation or expectation for us to pay that money.

Do we owe him anything? Can he take my information to creditors if we never signed anything? Do I need to get a lawyer?

I haven't responded and don't know how to proceed. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm kind of freaking out. Thank you!!

Answer:
 This sounds like the classic Craigslist apartment/rental scam. Do NOT send him a dime.

[https://themortgagereports.com/36545/craigslist-rental-scams-and-how-to-avoid-them](https://themortgagereports.com/36545/craigslist-rental-scams-and-how-to-avoid-them)

[https://www.consumerreports.org/consumerist/5-warning-signs-that-a-craigslist-rental-listing-is-probably-a-scam/](https://www.consumerreports.org/consumerist/5-warning-signs-that-a-craigslist-rental-listing-is-probably-a-scam/)


Title: Someone showed up to my house trying to serve papers and demanded my ID.

Question:
Just had an odd interaction with someone trying to serve papers to a person who has never lived at my house as far as I know.  I've never seen mail for this person and my landlord who has owned the house for 10+ years didn't recognize the name either.

I told the guy no one with that name lived here, nor have I ever seen mail for him, he then demanded I provide him ID to prove I wasn't that person.   I told him No, mostly because of his attitude.  He then told me he'd call the sheriff force me to.

Is this a legal thing?  Do you have to just show your ID to someone if they demand to see it?  I didn't see any ID from him, he just had papers in his hand, nothing else.

edit: forgot location.  This is in Portland Oregon, USA.

Answer:
  > Is this a legal thing? Do you have to just show your ID to someone if they demand to see it? I didn't see any ID from him, he just had papers in his hand, nothing else.

Nope. You tell him if he wants to call the cops he is welcome to wait for them to arrive somewhere off your property and then close the door in his face. Some process servers are incredibly confrontational asshats but they have no right to demand anything from you.Answer #2: Im a process server, no. He doesn't sound like a very good (or effective) one Answer #3: Sounds like a process server just trying to do a job.  It can take a certain degree of jerkishness to do that job.  He likely has no idea who the person is he is looking for other than the information given to him by whoever hired him.

You were under no obligation to give him your ID.Answer #4: No you don't have to show a process server your ID.  He can leave the papers with anyone over 12 who lives there. If he actually properly served the guy is another question. Most will ask "who are you? do you live here?"...under no obligation to answer.


Title: Towed and ticketed for parking spot I've been paying 100 a month for without signing the parking contract

Question:
I just got my **car towed from my parking spot** for 325$, plus 70$*6 in ticket fees and I've been paying 100 a month to rent.

They **served me a contract** and gave me the key fob and whatnot, but I **never signed it** or met the server in person

I **gave them my make model and plate number** over email, she left a package of stuff at my door that apparently had a permit I had to hang in my window (was never mentioned).  I got a bunch of tickets because I **had no permit in window**

I (stupidly) ignored the tickets that were popping up because I figured I was in the right and they required me to send a physical letter and I'm super busy. O.o

Questions:

* was it illegal for them to **charge me without signature**?

* was it illegal for them to ticket me?

* was it illegal for them to **tow my car without checking the registered car with the landlord**?

* I missed a full day of work because of this, **can i be compensated**?

in Seattle, WA

Yeah I have no case; thanks for the advice fellas.

Answer: None of this sounds illegal.  You didn't review your documents and display the required permits, which you admit they sent you.  They towed a car with no permits, which they're allowed to do.  The only person responsible for this is you


Title: Police will refuse to enter a home if immediately invited in by the home owner (w/out a search warrant)?

Question:
So, quite a few years ago a friend ("Jane") informed me -while referencing her own past first-hand experience- that police will not enter a person's residence if the person invites the officer(s) inside prior to the officer(s) requesting consent to enter the residence (in the absence of a search warrant & assuming the officers do not enter illegally). Jane was referring to a situation when the police knocked on her apartment door asking if "Mary" (a friend of Jane's who was staying w/ her @ the time) was in the apartment in an attempt to apprehend Mary, who had a warrant out for her arrest. According to Jane, she told the officers that Mary was not in the apartment when initially asked but, also, immediately & repeatedly asked the officers if they'd like to come in to check for themselves. Jane was adamant that she had requested the police come inside her apartment multiple times during their brief encounter & was especially welcoming in her requests (holding the door wide open, moving aside to let them enter, etc.), but the police declined her invitations to enter & left shortly after w/out Mary in custody. Jane claimed that she invited the officers in (prior to them asking) strategically, knowing that police will not enter if they are specifically invited into a residence.

I just randomly thought of this story & I'm curious if anyone is aware of a law or unspoken police rule or anything aside of luck & a convincing tone that legitimizes her claim that "police won't enter if you invite them in first". I've started questioning whether Jane really had no idea that officers would refuse her invitations to enter & had actually invited them in believing they would enter & detain Mary so that Jane could have her apartment back to herself w/out having to confront Mary on her own...
(Just realized this was unnecessarily long, so I'm sorry about that!)

Answer:
 Jane is full of shit.

Cops aren't reverse vampires. They're perfectly capable of entering a residence if invited. Then they can seize any evidence that's in plain sight and lay charges.

I'm fact cops often enter based on very weak "invitations". If you want to speak to the cops, speak to them on your porch and close your door.Answer #2: Yah, no, there is no such law.

They can certainly enter and look at any common areas if a resident of the home invites them in. They MIGHT have any evidence tossed if they looked in an area that only Mary had exclusive access to (for instance possibly Mary's bedroom, especially if she normally kept it locked when not there)

Jane is full of it. They certainly can (and usually will, in fact) enter if invited in.Answer #3: That’s textbook consent. Anything they find at that point, consistent with your consent and within the scope of their intended search, is fair game.


Title: How to get my husband contribute to mortgage and taxes bills?

Question: I live in California. My husband and I are in the middle of a divorce (short term marriage). We jointly own a home with both our names on the loan. My husband has completely stopped contributing to the mortgage payments since he moved out due to a restraining order. We have the house taxes and insurance due as well - all from the time he was residing in the house. Can he legally do this? He is also making transactions from the mutual account without informing me and also without contributing anything. Please advise if I can legally be protected by this. Are there any appeals/motions I can file for this?

Answer:
 1.  File sooner rather than later.

2.  Get a court order specifying who has to pay what (and you can do that well before the divorce is finalized.)Answer #2: You can stop putting money into the joint account as well.

To protect yourself, the right thing to do is to make the payments on your own and sue him or address his lack of cooperation in the divorce proceedings.

What does your lawyer, who you are paying to advise you, say about this?


Title: If I sign a 12 month lease on an apartment (NYC), and decide I want out less than 1 month in, am I liable for the entire year's worth of rent?

Question:
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Not only are you liable for the whole year of rent, NY is fairly unique in that your lardlord has no duty to mitigate damages by trying to find a new tenant. You should try to find one on your own they will accept and negotiate for something other than owing rent the rest of your lease. (unless your lease has specific provisions for breaking it)


Title: Is my landlord scamming me? Security Deposit Law

Question:
Hi there,

I recently moved out of my old apartment, and I am still waiting on the return of my security deposit. I am not very knowledgable about California tenant rights or laws, but I am fairly sure things aren't adding up. I read somewhere about a 21 calendar day rule, but like I said, I don't know how this effects my situation. Here is a timeline .

**October 4th:** Submitted a 30 day notice to landlord per our lease. Let him know we would be out by the 31st of Oct

**October 31st:** keys are returned and apartment is vacated.
(Throughout this time we hear nothing from our landlord)

**November 21st:** My boyfriend texts him asking about the security deposit. He replies telling us a few things that we damaged and says he is taking $150 out of our $800 deposit. Asked us who to make the check out to.
(Haven't heard anything from him)

**December 5th:** My boyfriend texts him asking if we will be receiving our check and list of deductions soon, and no text back.

Please help me to better understand what my rights are and what my next actions should be. I would really just like my security deposit back.

Thank you in advance !

ALSO : what is the best way to deliver the demand letter without know his address or email? Is texting too informal?

Answer:
 Write a demand letter for the full deposit amount; landlord has missed the boat for claiming expenses.

Next step: small claims court.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/get-security-deposit-back-29695.html


Title: I temporarily parked illegally and was hit by another driver. Still waiting to hear back from insurance and wondering if I should be worried. Iowa.

Question:
I work for a public university. About a month ago I was waiting to enter a gated road and there was a charter bus ahead of me also trying to get into the gated area. However, it turns out they didn't have a gate card and had to reverse and turn around. This went very poorly for them, what with being a bus and all.

In order to give them ample space I backed up around the corner and pulled along the side of the road.  There was a "no parking" sign there, so I do know that I was parked illegally - but I only did so because the bus was going to need to back up around the corner as well. I wanted to be out of the way of that, and not get in the way of any other cars, either.

Another car zoomed past me and went to turn down the gated road before realizing that the bus was reversing. The driver backed up around the corner just like I had, but in his case he hit my car.

He said afterward that he did not expect me to be parked there because it's a no parking area, and thus I was parked illegally.  We filed a police report and the police report did not mention my being parked illegally - only that I was parked along the side of the road waiting for a reversing bus and that the other driver reversed into my stationary vehicle.  They ticketed him.

I received a check from insurance for damage to my vehicle, which was minimal.

I have now received papers for a small claims suit for damages to his vehicle.  I notified my insurance last Thursday and have not heard back.  I called today to follow up and they said they'll give me a call or an email.

I am wondering whether I should be worried about anything, or just wait it out.  Also if there is anything I can or should do at the moment.

Thank you.

Answer: Was it literally no parking sign because it doesn't sound like you were parked but just standing. The other driver is still responsible for hitting a stationery object


Title: Do landlords have to provide a stove [British Columbia]

Question: I noticed a friend of mine doesn't have a stove in her apartment and it didn't seem quite right to me. Is this legal?

Answer: Apartments can be rented unfurnished.


Title: I (think) forgot to notify the DMV that I moved 2016 and I'm flying overseas soon

Question:
So I believe I forgot to change my address at the DMV and I was wondering if this will affect my trip coming up in two weeks overseas (a one week trip to Japan) as if they won't let me pass through? I have my passport ready to go but I'm wondering if they won't let pass through because of it. I'm going to the DMV on Monday to get it all sorted out and make sure I didn't miss any mails because of it. I live in California.

It's just one of those things that completely slipped my mind because I was changing my address every where else and thought I had touched all the bases. I have a license but I don't drive because there aren't enough cars to share properly and am not under any insurance.  I tried snoop around internet to see if there was a penalty but I didn't really find any. I'm also worried about possibly not getting jury duty notice that might have been sent? I heard they put out a warrant for you. Has anyone ever been in this situation?

I feel so dumb to have overlooked such a thing.

Answer: What does the DMV have to do with you going overseas?


Title: I did not sign lease- NYC- can I leave?

Question: I applied for a lease for the summer, with two other people. They both signed the lease but I'm not in the city yet, and I will arrive June 1st. They are trying to charge me for all sorts of things that we didn't talk about previously, like furniture. I did already pay them for two months rent. Can I walk away from this now and be okay with leaving my money, or since I submitted a lease application am I already legally bound to this place?

Answer:
 You actually have to sign the lease to be on the hook for living there. I would run as fast as possible from those other two people.

You can try to get your money back, or sue in small claims court if you feel it would be worth it.

Just imagine it in this aspect, you can "apply" for 100 apartments at once if you wanted to. Usually this just involves running your credit/background check and maybe an application fee. Unless you signed your name on the lease, you did not actually enter into a contract. You wouldn't be on the hook for living in 100 apartments for just applying to them.


Title: Is it illegal to insult a cop during a traffic stop?

Question: If you're stopped by police for questioning, is it illegal to insult the officer while talking with them/complying?

Answer: Not illegal, but I bet it will make the cop look extra hard for something that *is* illegal.


Title: Coworkers found out about my stay in a mental health facility from my direct supervisor.

Question:
Hi, throwaway here! Sorry for any misspellings and grammatical errors, I'm writing this in the bathroom at work.

I had a mental breakdown a few weeks ago that took me out of work for about a week. It made me anxious that my loved ones would eventually find out, but i hadn't even considered my coworkers because I wasn't going to tell them and, why would they need to even see my paperwork?

Well long story short, I learned from a closer coworker that not only did they learn where I was from our direct manager, they all say together and googled/ researched  the facility together. I've been back to work for a while and I can't tell if everyone walks on eggshells around me now, or it's just my perception because I know that they know.

Ive been told by loved ones, doctors and therapist that this was a massive breach of confidentiality and that I should talk to an attorney. What do you guys think?

Answer: It was a massive breach of confidentiality - managers should understand that medical info like this is not to be shared, and your manager should not have told people where you were. But that's not illegal, it's just a bad business practice.Answer #2: Your supervisor is allowed to say where you were.  How did your supervisor find out?


Title: College courses (in NJ) all listed as W for a semester due to being hospitalized. Can I do anything about it?

Question:
I'm not too sure if this is the right place to be asking this, but I hope someone here can tell me something.

I attend college in NJ and back in the Spring semester of 2016 I was taking my courses like normal, but around late January or mid February (I'd have to check depending on how relevant this is) I was hospitalized due to a chronic illness suddenly coming out of nowhere. As a result I could no longer attend my classes and all the courses were withdrawn.

What I'm concerned with is how bad all of these W's might look on my transcript in the future as I've heard these things stick with you and I doubt they'd list any specific reason as to why those particular W's are there. And would like to know if I have any sort of leeway to overturn the decision.

Thank you in advance to any help that may come my way.

Answer: If they were listed as F's that would be concerning. W's are all you're going to get them change too. Trust me, nobody is going to care. It's pretty telling when you have an entire semester of W's that something very wrong happened. Don't worry about it. Answer #2: That's pretty standard. What other explanation would you think there would be?


Title: IL: Do I have to give wife an allowance? I'm taking over household finances to stop spouses free spending, piling debt and hopefully encourage wife to find work. I am being an enabler!

Question:
Kids are in full-time school. I work a day shift full-time job and a part-time job 3 days a week (5p-9p). Otherwise, wife has weekends and evenings to find something. She's had control of the finances and I thought she was putting us in the best position. A few months ago, I had enough of the bleeding joint checking account and mounting debt; I opened a new checking account. She was also applying money from our joint account to her personal store credit cards and chase credit card she newly opened without my knowledge. She wants to keep up with "the Jones'", and willing to build debt to do it. She's good with the kids and most of the house upkeep, but I'm, by no means, aloof in those departments. I want to budget, she does not. I want to plan for the future, she plans for tomorrow only. Ugggh! What is the bare minimum I have to provide? Is there one?

edit: Wow, Thanks for all of the input - I do value it all! I'm scribbling here to respond as quickly as I can and still make sense.  I am freaking out, truly. This is against my nature to act this way, but I feel somewhat forced into it (years in the working). I'm not afraid to handle more responsibility, but maybe turning the tap way down will encourage her to work. Doubtful, but I can dream. It's an unsettling position and I'm not sure what to do - where to turn - who to trust. I did consult with a lawyer already prior to doing this and the lawyer did not suggest it nor oppose, but did say it wasn't illegal, but it could look bad down the road. So, I'm aware where it can lead. as my displeasure has not been a concern of my wife. I'm also aware this could fall in Finances or Relationships categories, but I'm concerned about this legal facet right now. She and I may not be right relationship-wise; her messages (verbal/non-verbal) have been clear, but am I to just toil away the years and hand over blank checks just to avoid divorce? I'm aware of the hit finanncially post-divorce too, folks. Its all factored in, but I will say one thing right now... nervous as I am doing this, for once I feel some control. Anything from zero can feel OK I guess.

Edit2: re: lawyer's comments...lawyer did not suggest TO DO it nor oppose, but did say it wasn't ILLEGAL...

Answer:
 Let's shift the paradigm a bit.

Everything in the marriage, financially, belongs to the two of you equally.  There is no "your" money or "her" money.

Friend, you don't need legal advice, it sounds like the two of you need counseling to work through your circumstances.  I wish you the best.Answer #2: >What is the bare minimum I have to provide?

Half of assets gained during marriage when she divorces you.  Plus child support.Answer #3: This is more /r/relationships and /r/personalfinance territory.


Title: My mom kind of robbed my inheritance, uses it as control. Is there anything I can do?

Question:
When I was 11 years old, my dad died as a first responder in a very large, public disaster.

My family, and others, received a lot of money. We received money from companies involved who wanted to settle and not get sued, we received the life insurance and other monies that I really don’t know the details of because I was a child.

I do know that the children were supposed to receive a certain amount each year until they turned 18.

My mom would often tease subtle clues about the amount i had, telling me she  was smart and put my money in several different accounts, presumably because they are only insured to $250,000. I remember my brother whipping out a calculator and figuring out how much i would have when I turned 18 and let out an audible “whew” when he got the number, but didn’t show it to me.

She never spoke to me fully about the money and was secretive about it.

When I was 17, about a month before I turned 18, I saw a bank book she left on her bureau, and being curious, I opened it. It was actually one of my accounts, that she was guardian of. It had $257,000 in it, and she closed it out that week. It was stamped CLOSED. And that was it.

I turned 18 and never received anything.

I didn’t work for the money and so I felt guilty/greedy asking for it.

My mom has given me a plethora of reasons for why she feels I’m “not ready.” She has tried to bait me over the yEars. I’ll get $100,000 when I get married (but what if I don’t?) or, if I live up to her very specific expectations she’ll give me $200,000 towards buying a house. We live in an area where a decent, nothing crazy house is $600,000. I’ve mentioned wanting to move to another part of the country where $200,000 would go far, but she won’t go for it. She wants to keep me close.

$200k is all very well and good and would be a huge help either way but it’s far below the money I had apparently gotten (one account was $257k and she said I had several accounts), and I have never received any of it.

She helped me pay off my $13,000 car, which is nice, but I wouldn’t need to be endlessly thankful to her about it if I had just received what I was supposed to and could have bought the car out right to begin with.

Meanwhile, my mom has given each of my brothers hundreds of thousands of dollars. One she’s easily given a million to over the years.

This is all coming to a head today because that brother, upset with my mom, spilled the beans to me (to “get back” at her) that she’s selling a property she owns and will be giving my other brother $100k if the proceeds, and nothing to me.

He said “why don’t you tell (me) one of your “nice” rants about why you don’t give her HER money”

And to be honest, it is hurtful, because I am now 28 years old, I have a child, And I’m throwing money away on $1,000 rent each month because I can’t afford to buy a house,  and i share a bedroom with my baby because a second bedroom would increase the rent by 50%. Worrying about money is always on my mind.

And this financial struggle doesn’t need to happen for any other reason than she uses it to exert control over me.

When I was younger I spoke to a bank employee who said she was the guardian, she could do whatever she wants with the money. But that just doesn’t sound right.

I was friends with a financial adviser who was beside himself when I told him the story and wanted me to sue her. My boyfriend has told me to sue her. I can’t even afford a lawyer right now.

But I don’t know what legal recourse I actually have, if any. I know almost nothing about the money, who it came from, where it went, etc. so I don’t know if I even know enough to sue her if I wanted to, and then I feel guilty about it too because I don’t want to get ugly about money only received because my dad died, but it seems unfair that both of my brothers own houses because of receiving their money, and my mom has multiple properties and lives a lavish life style, while I’m the only one in the family who struggles financially and being the youngest child, I apparently received the most, but have seen the least. None of it, actually.

Answer:
 Have you talked to an estate planning attorney yet?Answer #2: For $257k+, you can afford a lawyer.Answer #3: I am so sorry you are in this situation. I live in a different state, NJ, but I imagine that the laws in NY can’t be TOO different. My father died when I was a young child. I ended up receiving his SS benefits, and a portion of a lawsuit. The money was deposited in an account that only the courts had access to. If I needed something, my mom had to petition the court, and we had to a judge’s permission to access it. When i turned 18, the accounts were all turned over
to me. Please get a lawyer...this is not what your father would have wanted,


Title: (GA) Neighbor's work in backyard causing water damage to my home

Question:
Hey, I apologize if this does not adhere to any rules, this is my first post in this sub. I'm not really sure where else to turn.

I bought a townhouse (connected between units) in June '14. I have not noticed this problem until August 1st,but my neighbor did work in their backyard a few months ago(I believe around May '15). He had someone(No company name on truck, I have no idea if they were licensed) come out and move his AC unit from where the builder had installed it. They changed where the unit is draining to and now it is draining into the corner between our units and has created a hole(washout?) in the ground where the water is soaking into the concrete slab. I did not find out about this immediately and now my hardwood floors are ruined and I expect there is mold in the walls.

I have filed a homeowner's insurance claim that was denied on the basis that groundwater is an exclusion on my policy.
Since this is a brand new home, there is a structural warranty still in place from the builder.

So my questions are:

Is this something that could be the builder's fault for not sealing the slab properly? The damage only happens in one place, so if it was a general problem with water soaking into the slab, I would expect to see this elsewhere.

What can I do to have my neighbor or the builder be responsible for the damages? I have had 4 professionals come out and look at it and everyone has agreed that the neighbor's AC unit seems to be causing the problem.

If legal action is recommended,what type of lawyer should I look for?

Answer: How exactly is AC runoff groundwater?


Title: [US-VA]- Landlord is accusing me of hacking his computer and selling his IP address so others can hack him. I need help.

Question:
I've been a lurker for years and it has come to a point where I really need advice from this community.

For some background.  I am currently renting a house and the landlord is living in the basement (huge mistake! don't ever live with your landlord or things will get real complicated). My lease ends at the end of this month and I let the landlord move-in in December because he lowered rent and I didn't think things would get so difficult with only 3 months left. It was a verbal agreement and the basement is fully furnished with our furniture. I also let him use my wireless internet.

I'll be short and to the point. The landlord thinks I am hacking his computer or giving out his IP address to a 3rd party so they could hack him. Because he kept bringing this issue up every week, I terminated my internet contract and let him set up his own wireless router from the same internet service provider (ISP) so he could maybe get some peace of mind. However, this did not stop the alleged hacks and since we were still under the same network, he thinks I am responsible. In the 1st week of February, the landlord suggested I get my own internet so I called a different ISP and got my own router. A few days later, he allegedly got hacked again and called the police to file a report. I was not home when this happened and he told me once I got back that they searched the whole house and heard his side of the story. He also told me they might be contacting me in the future.

1st of all, is this even legal? Since I am still the tenant until the end of this month, does he have the right to have the police search the upper floors where I live?

The landlord told me hackers have accessed his computer remotely and have been sending slanderous emails about him. He also says they can track his browsing history and he is receiving concerning emails from his friends/acquaintances about his situation. Is this even possible just by knowing an IP address or being on the same network?

Also this is complicated because we live together... I am so stressed out and can't even move until the end of the month. Please, I appreciate any advice or words of encouragement.

TLDR; Landowner's computer was hacked. I am now being falsely accused because we use the same WIFI or accused of giving out his IP address to a 3rd party.

UPDATE: Landlord has asked me to take a polygraph. wtf?! He also said he got an email last night and he believes 100% that it was me. He says I will be in legal trouble. He also wants to issue a restraining order. This guy is nuts. I can't believe I have to live like this for another 3 weeks.

Answer: Your landlord doesn't understand how IP addresses work, since at the time he was hacked, both you and him had the SAME public IP address. Whatever his private network side IP address was at the time is 100% irrelevant. His computer is infected with something and needs to be cleaned and he needs to get some better internet browsing habits so that he doesn't get infected again. "Selling an IP address" is made up idiot speak.


Title: Dog Attack Advice Needed

Question: I need some help. Earlier I was walking my dogs at the park - and this man had his German Shepherd off the leash. My dogs are all \~20 pounds so they stood no chance. His dog ran up and attacked my oldest dog and took a chunk out of her back. She is now in surgery. The owner came up, grabbed his dog, and ran off without even saying sorry. I was yelling at him that my dog was hurt, but he ran like a coward. I think one of my neighbors knows who the man is and where he lives. Do I have grounds to sue? My dogs were all on leashes and we were minding our own business.

Answer:
 Sounds like this wasn't a dog park so yes. Contact animal control and give them all the info the neighbor has given you. Answer #2: Regardless of it being a dog park or not the owner of the aggressive dog does have a legal obligation to cover the damages caused by his dog. In addition legally after such an attack an owner is required to provide proof of vaccinations, particularly rabies. Did you report this incident to animal control or sheriff?Answer #3: I'm so sorry this happened.

Ohio has a leash law. He clearly violated that.

Contact animal control, file a report. You need documentation starting now. While everything is still fresh in your head, write down what you remember about him- clothing, physical description, etc.

Talk to the neighbor, get this guy's info. Also, wherever this incident happened, find the nearest camera in the direction he ran. Even if it didn't catch the incident, hopefully you can find video of this guy running off with his dog covered in blood.

When, not if, you sue for the medical costs, make sure to include projected future costs, not just the surgery. This includes any potential lifelong pain meds or therapy that will be needed in the future


Title: My mother is demanding I leave our apartment, but its my name on the lease.

Question:
Rockville, MD.  This just happened. So long story short, we got into an argument, and at the end of it all, my mother was screaming hysterically and telling me she wants me out.

Thing is, its my name on the apartment lease (her idea). My mother and brother are occupants of the apartment. Frankly I'd love nothing more than to be away from her crazy ass, but I know better than to break a lease that's still good until next December.

Also, I'm the only one in the house working full time. She has alimony payments that will likely be stopped in the next few months, my brother (who is slightly disabled) recently graduated and is trying to find work. Not much sense for me to leave when odds are I'll be the one supporting both of them in the long term (due to his disabilities and her age/health issues).

Any advice? Should I let her cool down and try to reason with her tomorrow or another day? Just for the sake of the lease if anything.

My mother and I both split the rent. I could barely afford the full rent here, I agreed to the lease with the understanding we would be splitting it.

I know I can't legally just be kicked out. Please help me understand my rights here.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You have the right to stay until the lease is up, but if she leaves you will still owe the rent.

Conversely, you are free to leave at the end of the lease and find something separate you can afford. She can't compel you to keep her.


Title: Can I Record A Conversation Without Permission?

Question:
I'm in Kentucky. So basically the story is, my EX boyfriend and I are going through a social services situation. He was very abusive to me and no one believes me. I want to record a conversation with someone who knows him really well who has been telling me about his violent history. I do not want to use this is court. I simply to show it to my social worker to get her to believe me.

The person would not know I would be recording, but again I am not wanting to bring it into the court, I just want her to believe me.

Can I at least show it her?

Answer:
 Kentucky is a one party consent state. This means you must have the consent of at least one person in the conversation to record it.

As long as one of the people in the call are aware you are recording and give their consent, you may record the call legally.


Title: Is it legal for my girlfriend with Bipolar Disorder to take care of her 3 autistic siblings for 4 hours a day?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Being bipolar is not an excuse for not baby sitting. Things will happen that are out of her control anyway she is dealing with three children. Tell her to talk to a doctor about it if they don't think it was safe they would tell her parents.


Title: Wife arrested for shop lifting... what to expect?

Question:
Edit: The general concensus is to get a criminal defense attorney asap, not because they can get her out of her crime, but because they can help communicate all the variables for us to the judge/prosecutor.  I think the only thing we can do now is scheduel a consultation and wait.  Thank you all for your time and help.

Edit 2: This may just be the reditor in me, but why is a request for legal advice being down voted in r/legaladvice?  This is why no one likes you guys... also, c'mon... this is obviously a throw away.

Yesterday my wife was arrested at a store where she tried to steal some jewelry (80 dollars worth). The police officer didn't take her to jail, but gave her a print out for a notice to appear.

The thing is, my wife has been shoplifting ever since she completed rehab... you see, when she got sober she began to start stealing little things as a way to feel that rush you get from drugs and alcohol and she replaced one addiction with another.

We have medical records and psychiatry notes to back all of this up, but I'm wondering if admitting all of this will make thing worse for her for admitting to more crime... but that's what her paralegal friend is telling her anyway.

I just don't know what to expect or do... I was so happy now that she is focusing on her sobriety, but then she went and tried to steal from a store ... I'm trying to figure out what punishment (fines undoubtedly,  but what about jail?) she will get, but when I click through the Florida constitution and statutes, it says she can be treated as a felon... does this mean jail time?

Sorry if I'm rambling... I just don't know what to expect or what to do to help her.

Answer:
 > that's what her paralegal friend is telling her anyway

Get a criminal defense attorney for her, now.

> I'm wondering if admitting all of this will make thing worse for her

I can't see that it would help. But that's really a question for your criminal defense attorney.

> it says she can be treated as a felon... does this mean jail time?

Yes, and more. A felony record.

> I just don't know what to expect or what to do to help her.

Expect to get her an attorney.

Edit to add: Good luck. Dealing with someone else's addiction is not easy. She's lucky to have your support.


Title: Took blame for friend who crashed my car. Should I/Can I appeal? I have 3 days left. NEED HELP

Question:
March 2016 I let my friend drive my car because I was too intoxicated to drive it myself.
She got into an accident at a traffic light.
Light was red, she was in middle lane but realized she needed to take a left. She put the left hand blinker on, no cars were at light with us besides far behind. light turned green, she proceeded and the car behind sped past us in the left lane resulting in collision. They were not taking a left, they continued straight.
We were going no more than 5mph, other vehicle was about 20mph+
Minor damage to my car driver side headlight and tire, lots of damage to the other vehicle passenger side.
My cars insurance wasn't under my name...I was under someone else. So me being frightened of that situation, I said I was the driver to the cop.
A police report was made at the scene for the crash. The following day I contacted insurance to report.
I got a citation in the mail a couple days later from the state trooper who handled the accident. I was found at fault because of improper lane change. She gave me money to pay it and we came to an agreement that anymore costs she would help me handle.
Now I got a surcharge notice end of August 2016 from insurance stating I'm at fault and they're sending it to Merit Rating Board.
This is going to go on my license, I have never been in an accident . I want her to come clean and tell she was the driver but because Ive already said it was me, I am frightened of consequences if I try to appeal and tell the court it was never me driving.

I read somewhere: "What you are admitting to is the crime of providing false information to law enforcement. This carries a fine and/or jail sentence. Also it is considered a crime of moral turpitude, meaning that it would be difficult\impossible to pass a background check with that on your record."

Help please (25 F) (USA, MA) can I appeal this? I have 3 more days to send this in. Thank you

Answer:
 Well your problem here is you committed two criminal acts. You made a false police report and insurance fraud.

You need to talk to an attorney at this point to see how to mitigate the damages.


Title: Do I have a case for assault or damages?

Question:
Hi there. I am wholly inexperienced with law and legal proceedings, so I apologize in advance if I say or ask anything, well, stupid.

I'll lay down the very basic structure of what happened, and then I'm happy to fill in details as needed, as the more information you add, the murkier things get, I think. Here's what I'm dealing with: last Wednesday, July 11th, I went to a bar at around 9:30 pm or so. Maybe a little earlier, maybe a little later, I'm not sure my arrival time is relevant. This bar does karaoke every Wednesday night, and I went specifically for that reason. I'd been to this bar many times previously. At around 12:20am, I had sung one song, had one beer and one cocktail, and was slowly working on a third drink while waiting for my next turn in the rotation.

A bar employee noticed me, walked in front of me, locked eyes with me, and stared me down. He moved across the room and continued staring at me, standing at the other side of the bar now. I walked over to him, he confirmed my name, and punched me multiple times in the face. I did not in any way attempt to incite or aggravate him and even after he hit me, I did not move to retaliate. I didn't push him backwards or swing on him. I never touched him. One of the bartenders got between us, moved the assailing employee backwards, and asked me to leave. I agreed, but told the bartender I needed to close out my tab since they still had my debit card. I tried to verbally soften the situation, but was told by the assailing employee that I was never to return to the bar. I paid my tab and immediately left.

My immediate reaction was to let it go. I didn't want to stir trouble. But after sitting on it until the morning of July 17th, I had mulled it over and decided I needed to do *something*. My jaw was still slightly swollen, and my ear was in significant pain and leaking fluid all week. So I reached out to the bar. I didn't want a phone conversation, because I wanted a paper trail and I'm just more comfortable writing rather than speaking. I couldn't find a direct email contact on the bar's website, but I did look on the bar's Facebook page and saw they replied to messages "within minutes", which told me they monitored and communicated through Facebook with some frequency.

I wrote out a long message. I made sure to address right off the bat that the incident had happened almost a week prior, since in my own customer service experience, I know it can seem fishy when an irate customer waits an extended period of time to complain. But I really wasn't irate in my message. I was calm and collected. I presented everything from my point of view, and in the end, I explained that I wasn't looking for anything in return, such as the termination of the employee. Just, as a restaurant manager myself, I knew that if one of my employees had assaulted and banned a paying customer, I'd want to know about it, so I was doing the same for them.

Okay. If you're still with me, I appreciate it, and I'll start filling in the details. As I stated, I'd been to this bar on many prior occasions, with no incident whatsoever. However, I hadn't been to the bar in quite some time, because my ex-wife (we're not legally divorced, but we have been separated since Dec 24th, 2013) is dating one of the cooks who work there. I bet you can guess which one. My ex-wife and I aren't friendly, but as far as I knew, we were civil at this point.

Before going to the bar, I reached out to my ex-wife via Snapchat messaging, to tell her that I was thinking about going to that bar that night, and asked if it would be an issue. She said she had already left the bar, and it was fine. Obviously I had no obligation to do that...I was just trying to be polite. She did not mention anything at all about her boyfriend, certainly nothing along the lines of "You probably shouldn't go though, because my boyfriend will punch you in the face". I did not ask about the boyfriend. I didn't really care about the boyfriend. The boyfriend and I had met once prior, face to face. We'd shaken hands. I couldn't imagine he was my biggest fan, but I was entirely unaware he was actively hostile towards me.

So I arrived at the bar, ordered a beer, left the tab open, spoke with the karaoke host (who remembered me and was thrilled to see me), put in two songs, and relaxed. After I performed my first song (which I rocked, by the way), the table seat I'd been using had gotten commandeered by another group, so I moved to the counter instead. After some small conversations with one of the bartenders and a friend I'd run into, I was watching the stage and singing along with the performer when the boyfriend (assailing employee) crossed in front of me and met my eyes. I gave him an acknowledging nod, and tried to go back to enjoying the song. But every time I glanced back, he hadn't taken his eyes off me. There was no doubt about it, he was mean mugging me, hard. He moved to the opposite end of the bar, and just stood there. Not moving. Staring at me. I couldn't exactly ignore it. So I made what I hoped were some very obvious "I'm going to come over to you" gestures, and moved as openly and conspicuously as I could over to where he was standing.

I did not get in his face. I did not approach with any kind of demeanor. But without any other dialogue aside from confirming who I was, he punched me in the face a few times. A different bartender moved him back, asked me to leave, I asked for my tab, and while I was waiting for/signing my check, I was apologetically trying to explain to the boyfriend that I didn't mean to cause trouble, that I'd cleared things with my ex-wife before coming, etc. The boyfriend angrily dismissed everything I offered and told me I was to never come back. I took my card and without any other fuss or incident, politely left.

As soon as I had exited the bar, I grabbed my phone because I wanted to inform my ex-wife of what had happened. My Snapchat messages weren't sending, so I tried her on Facebook messenger instead. I got a few messages to her -- just saying basically "This happened, I'm sorry it happened, I'll find somewhere else to do karaoke", that kind of thing. But she promptly blocked me there, without a word.

Her blocking me resulted in a pretty bad emotional spiral throughout the rest of the night, but that's a weighty saga that I'm not sure is relevant at the moment.

The following day, I talked down my friends and family who were all furious at the situation. I asked them not to take matters into their own hands, not to complain on my behalf, not to do anything. I wasn't sure how, if at all, I wanted to proceed. But over the course of the week, my pain increased, my guilt and embarrassment increased, and ultimately I decided it just wasn't fair that he gets to punch me for no particular reason and have nothing happen. Which brings us to Tuesday morning, when I composed my message to the bar on Facebook. According to Facebook's in-chat receipt, the message was read by whoever was on the other end of the bar's Facebook account 3 minutes after I'd sent it.

I felt a weird series of things after I saw they'd read it. I was anxious and apprehensive. Thinking of myself as a manager in the shoes of whoever just got that message about their employee assaulting a customer, I wasn't sure how I myself would've reacted. I decided to lie down for a nap.

When I woke up, the bar still hadn't responded at all. I did, however, have Facebook messages waiting for me from my ex-wife. She had unblocked me, and was asking me about the message I'd sent to the bar. She directly referenced something I said in the message. She and I went back and forth a few times, which was taxing in its own right, before the conversation was ended and she blocked me again. I spent the rest of the day feeling guilty and upset because somehow my ex-wife was managing to find a way to blame me, and I really hadn't expected her to approach me about the message in the first place. I did my best to let it go though, and eventually I was so wrapped up in Netflix, I'd almost forgotten about it.

Until just after midnight. I was sitting there, and for some reason, it popped into my head, *the bar still hadn't replied to me*. At all. And it was clear they knew about the message -- not only does it show the read receipt inside Facebook messenger, but my ex-wife turned around and contacted me about it. So instead of responding to me, the bar had informed the involved parties of everything I'd said in my message. The bar hadn't said to me, "Thank you for reaching out, we'll look into it" or "Someone will be in contact with you as soon as possible". They hadn't apologized either. In fact, after talking to my ex-wife twice now, and reaching out to the bar directly, I was still the only person in this entire equation who HAD apologized, and I was the one who got punched! On top of that, my ex-wife revealed to me in her conversation with me, that she and her boyfriend had spoken to the owner of the bar themselves the day after the incident happened. So it's not like I was blindsiding the bar with my message -- they'd known about it for five days, and nobody had taken the initiative to reach out to me on their end either.

I got mad. I was sick of being ignored and I felt like this entire thing had been bungled by them from the get-go. If my ex-wife had apologized, or if the bar had apologized, or if anyone involved had done something other than ignore/blame me, I'd probably have dropped it. But now I'm pissed. This is just bush league.

So, with the information I've provided, do I have any kind of case on my hands? How can/should I proceed? If I said at any point previously that I wasn't demanding payback, retribution, termination, or pressing charges, does that inherently nullify me from taking action now?

Thanks a bunch for reading. I'll answer any other questions you might have as best I can. Cheers.

Answer: If you’ve been assaulted, call the police. If you have quantifiable monetary damages, consult with a personal injury attorney. The bar does not owe you an apology, nor do they have to respond to your messages.


Title: [Colorado]Landlord Trying to Add New Lease Terms

Question:
I'm in Colorado Springs, Colorado and have a somewhat new lease with my landlord for a year. Recently he has talked about adding new terms. Specifically about him being able to terminate the lease early by giving me 60 days notice. Is this legal? The lease did include a line saying he can "create new rules by the landlord as new situations arise."

I told him this is a bit more than a house rule and changing the terms of a legal document like this requires my consent as well. He then said that "Colorado state law requires termination terms in any sort of rental agreement policy" and this is why he's adding a new termination policy. Is that even a real law? The original document did NOT have any sort of term for him ending the lease early, but it DID say if I wanted to terminate it I had to give at least 30 days notice.

Turns out he's possibly getting married and looks like he just wants an easy way to terminate the lease early if need be for the new wife!

Any advice? Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Allowing him to end the lease early isn't a "rule" and I don't think a Judge would see if that way if he tried to evict you.


Title: A kid threatened to kill me and my friend at school, what should we do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's hard to say how exactly it will be handled. At the least, you'll be asked some questions. You'll probably have to repeat the story to a few different people. He'll be questioned. He might be suspended, expelled, or even arrested. It's really hard to guess.

Still, you should report this.

E: paging /u/zapopa to see if he has any thoughts on the matter.


Title: When my ex husband let our teenaged son skip school, a Louisiana Family Court judge said I should have "called to chew him [ex] out," so I bear just as much blame. WTH?

Question:
I'm already divorced, but there is an ongoing custody battle over our two teenaged sons. During exams, our 16 yo son, who has behavior issues and ADHD, and who was in my custody that week, left school with his GF, walked to my ex's house, and hung out in his living room. Ex was still asleep. When ex woke up, he asked them why they were there. They said exams were over (at 8:30 a.m.!), and then ex left for work around 9:45 or so, leaving son and GF, with whom he'd been caught sexting, alone at his house.

Meanwhile, I am in a meeting, and my assistant asks me to come to the phone because there is an emergency at school. It was approximately 9 a.m. My cell was on silent for the meeting. My son's school secretary was calling to say that my son attended his first class of the day but disappeared after. The secretary apologized for getting me out of my meeting, but said she could not get my ex, or my sister, or me on the phone, and she had left messages for all three of us. She said my son's GF was also missing.

I raced out of the meeting and went home to see if my son and his GF were there. No sign of them, so I drove to a couple of stores they might have visited. My ex lives in my neighborhood, so I drove past his house, saw his car, and thought he was getting ready for work. He goes in between 9:30 and 10 each day. He wasn't worried the last time our son was missing, so I didn't think anything was unusual about his not calling me. The school and my sister left messages on his cell. He knew a lot of people were searching for our son, so he would call if he knew anything. I drove around the neighborhood and pinged my son's phone. The locator said the phone was at my ex's house, but I thought it was simply showing the last known location since my son had visited him the day before.

At 9:45 a.m., my son called me and said, "Please stop pingng my phone!" I could hear it ringing loudly. I yelled at him and said, "Where are you????!!" He said, "Dad's house." I was stunned. I picked up my son, fussed at him, brought him back to school, told them to punish him however they saw fit, and rushed back to see if I could salvage my meeting.

I called my attorney and said that there was a serious problem with my ex and that we would need to discuss it with the mediator. We scheduled a meeting with the mediator, my ex said he did not want to tell me why he let my son skip and didn't tell anyone else, so my attorney and his met with the judge to discuss custody.

And here's the kicker: The judge, a woman, told my attorney that I am partly to blame for my son skipping because I "should have called" my ex "to chew him out."

I was stunned. Again. How is this my fault and what would be accomplished by my calling my ex and "chewing him out"? I told my attorney that my ex would never stand for any chewing out from me, and it would have been after the fact anyway, so how would that have improved the situation? Furthermore, my ex has a documented history of domestic violence, for which he had to enroll in a court-mandated anger management class for several months, so I would never have any confrontation or serious discussion with him without a third party present.

My question is: What would be an appropriate response to this judge? My attorney said nothing, but I think it needs to be addressed because this is a safety issue as well as a legal one. According to our stipulated judgment, my ex has to inform me if he has either of our sons during my custody time, which he didn't do. Furthermore, he knew the school and other people were looking for our son, so how could he be so irresponsible and not let someone (it didn't have to be me) know our son was safe? And third, but not least of all, he left our son and son's GF in the house alone all day?

It's mind boggling that a judge would say something like this. My attorney had no response, but I am furious.

Answer:
 If your lawyer thought remaining silent was the best response, no one here can second guess that. Answer #2: INAL but my understanding is that you really don't want to piss off the judge presiding over your case. Unless your lawyer thinks that the judge's conduct is so egregious that it merits pursuing further action I would just leave it be.

Maybe some lawyers on here could shed some light on if something of this nature merits further action.Answer #3: You need to be really really careful not to tick off your judge--in Louisiana they have a whole lot of authority.  What are you hoping to accomplish here? It's an elected position in pretty much most (maybe every) parish.  Answer #4: In two years when your son is an adult (or does Louisiana have some weird rule on majority) you can complain about the judge.  Complaining about a judge now would be counterproductive.Answer #5: You can [file a complaint](https://www.lasc.org/la_judicial_entities/judiciary_commission.asp), which may or may not go anywhere. But I echo the other posters that you should tread *very* carefully. Pissing off the judge is a horrible idea and it's likely your attorney knows something you don't about this judges temperament etc.


Title: (CA/San Francisco) Neighbor got my towed away for parking in front of their house & towing company refuse to release my car

Question:
Location is USA / California / SF.

Couple days ago, I parked my car in front of my neighbor on public street because I came back at late night where there was no parking near my place. I wake up, probably no more than 12 hours after I parked, my car was gone. My first reaction was I thought it was stolen, but before I concluded that, I called some tow company to see if they had my car.

It turns out, one of the tow company did tow my car and are now asking for $600 before releasing my car. They say the neighbor called them to tow my car for illegally park in front of their house even though I am sure it was on public street. I'm a student so I don't have $600 atm but the towing company refuse to release my car until I pay up and even told me that I own a really nice and brand new car (gifted by my parents), and that I should be able to pay $600 or they aren't releasing the car. So right now, my car is with the towing company and I am commuting to school by bus through my school's free bus pass. It's causing so much unnecessary stress on me right now because it is finals week and don't have time to deal with this crap.

What should I do now? I'm pretty sure my car was parked in public street even with pictures to prove it. And what can I do to get my car release?

Answer:
 GET YOUR CAR OUT NOW. Call your parents to gift you the money, or sell blood. Anything.

It will continue to accumulate fees and EVEN IF you have a valid argument to get refunded the initial tow of $600 you will NOT be able to get ANY money back that accumulates after that. This will go into the thousands of dollars. Source: once lived in SF. But it pretty much works this way everywhere.Answer #2: You have to pay to get your car out, then sue your neighbor in small claims for getting it towed in the first place if the tow was not legitimate.

You need to make absolutely sure there's no signage stating there's restricted parking, even though it's a public street. Because according to [this](https://www.sfmta.com/services/streets-sidewalks/enforcement-requests) they can request your car be towed only if you're there longer than 72 hours, blocking their driveway, or on the sidewalk.

If you are absolutely certain you were towed unlawfully then report the tow [here](http://sanfranciscopolice.org/vehicle-towing-rights) and sue your neighbor.Answer #3: Ask your parents for a loan.


Title: Uncle contracted colitis after salmonella from infected romaine lettuce

Question: Is there any recourse against the supermarket or the farm itself?  How would one proceed?  It sucks to have a lifelong disability after consuming a nationally recalled product.  I understand it's probably fact specific like when the lettuce was pulled from the vendor/when it was consumed.  I was hoping for some legal guidance.

Answer: “Colitis” and “chronic ulcerative colitis” are not the same thing. What’s the actual diagnosis?


Title: I took money from my boyfriends bank account without his permission...

Question: I live in Florida. I've been dating this guy for about a year. During this time, he hit a rough patch and I paid all of his bills from my bank account. Roles reversed and I hit a bad stint and he gave me his bank account password and information to pay my bills. I found out he was cheating so I transferred the $4,000 difference of what he owed me (me paying his bills - what he paid of my bills) without his permission to my bank account. He has now filed a dispute with his  bank account and all of my mortgage payments and credit card payments reversed!!! What am I up against and what should my next steps be? Can i go to jail? Can I take him to court for the reversed payments and money owed included in that?

Answer: You should get a criminal defense attorney because you committed felony theft.


Title: First ever noise complaint has landlord summoning me to her home.

Question:
I live in a basement suite as a single female in an old house. The tenant agreement does state that we will not bother other tenants (pretty standard!) but last night I had some friends over and we were playing the music to loud. As soon as the upstairs tenant texted me to turn down the noise (at 10pm, which is completely fair!), we did so and left my place. As previously stated, this was the first time I've had a noise complaint. This evening I get a phone call from my landlord's husband to set up a meeting to discuss the complaint that the upstairs tenant made.

Does this make any sense or is it standard practice?

Answer: Sure it makes sense. You disturbed another tenant and they want to talk about it.


Title: A friend of a friend stole my cousin's old license to buy beer with and refuses to give it back, what can I legally do to fix this?

Question: My cousin traveled to stay with me a few months ago, and while he was here he got in an accident. He ended up leaving his license here and getting a replacement. One night I was hanging out with some friends and we wanted beer, so this friend of a friend took the license of my cousin and went out and bought beer with it. Long story short he now has the license and is pretending to be my cousin in order to buy alcohol. He's being a douche and refusing to respond to my requests so I was wondering what I could do to get the license back to myself or my cousin. Thanks a lot!

Answer: Call the police and report a stolen ID.


Title: (USA/IL) Employer forced me to sign a catch-22 type contract and now I've resigned, effectively breaching the contract. Looking for advice on what to do next.

Question:
Please bear with me, this is a bit lengthy.

I work in the IT field at a hospital.  South Suburb of Chicago, Il.  My employer sends us off for training every spring.  It is required training for our jobs and it is quite expensive. Since several people have came and left (the term revolving door is used a lot around here), my employer decided to cook up a contractual agreement to 'protect their investment.'  The TL;DR version of the contract is this; I stay employed there for two years or they hold my final paycheck and earned time. (The earned time thing will be elaborated on more below.)  (A link to the contract, stripped of any identifying information can be found here.  http://pastebin.com/bBxRrwKX )

There are a few things that I find unsettling with this.

-This is mandatory training for my job.  If I don't sign this contract, I don't go to training and 'my future would become uncertain' (Their words)

-This is a two year contract.  I have to go to training EVERY year, so no matter what way I look at it I'm going to have to breach a contract to leave the organization.

-The contract states that they will withhold my final paycheck, including earned time which is in direct violation of (820 ILCS 115/) Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. (Which can be found here.http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2402&ChapterID=68&Print=True )

-They wouldn't re-write the contract so that if I got injured or fired I wouldn't be held responsible for reimbursing the organization for the cost of training.

I ended up signing the contract last year.  I had been in the position for a few months and the position that I left had recently been filled so I had nowhere to fall back to.  I did refuse signing it this year because I knew that I would be leaving.

All that being said, I decided to bite the bullet and put in my two weeks on a Monday.  On Friday after that first week I called HR to ask them about my 401k, final paycheck and earned time(paid time off).  I started asking them about this contract and I was informed that my earned time and final paycheck are the same thing so they would be withholding all of it. This upset me as I had saved up over five weeks of earned time since I rarely get sick and never can afford to go on vacation.  I quickly shot them links to the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act highlighting the sections stating that it would be illegal for them to withhold my earned time and final paycheck.  This took the folks in HR off guard a little while and they told me that they would be in touch.

Within two hours the VP above my department called my boss and had me sent home until my two weeks were up (with pay).  He decided that it would be better that I didn't come into work anymore.  After the weekend I got an email from HR stating that if I didn't sign a consent form allowing for the deduction of my final wages they would seek legal recourse (The actual letter, stripped of any identifying information can be found here http://pastebin.com/MSBNcdQt )

Right now where I stand is I'm not going to sign the sheet and let them take my money.  I would be willing to settle for paying a portion of the final sum.  Something like they can keep my final two weeks pay as long as I get the earned time.

If anyone has any light to shed on this or has gone through something similar please let me know.

Also, needless to say I do need and want a lawyer.  I want to get a good one too, so if anyone has any recommendations for a good labor lawyer in the Chicago/Joliet area please let me know.

The bitch of this all is that they totally got their money's worth out of me.  They sent me off for training and I rebuilt our entire VMware environment from scratch last year.  I mean I rebuilt EVERYTHING.

TL;DR Employer forced me to sign a contract, now I've quit and they want me to reimburse them for required job training.

EDIT; I've spoken with an attourney via e-mail and said attourney seems to think that its unlikely that they'll actually bring it to court due to the cost of such a suit.  I'm wondering if they will actually bring me to court since they have lawyers on staff though.

Answer:
 Don't sign anything. If they withhold anything, file a unpaid wages complaint. If they sue you, meet with an attorney.

https://www.illinois.gov/idol/FAQs/Pages/How-To-File-A-Claim.aspx


Title: Neighbors above us continuously violate their lease, the landlords know they do it and told us they’d be out by the end of the week, that was 3 weeks ago.

Question:
We live in an apartment complex in Phoenix, Arizona. Our upstairs neighbors constantly smoke cigarettes and weed in their apartment, and it goes through the vents into our room, and the vents in our 10 month old baby’s room. The stomp around and yell through the floor because we’ve called security on them before, so they purposely make it as loud as they can. They blast music all day and night, and are constantly screaming at each other.  I’ve had to call the police multiple times because I can hear the husband beating his wife and son. The officers have told me he’s been arrested for domestic abuse before. He throws glass bottles off the balcony into the parking lot all the time and it shatters everywhere. My wife works mornings, and he stands out there and stares at her and makes comments towards her. He deals drugs in front of our complex, and we have seen him multiple times get into his car while drinking liquor straight out of the bottle and drive away with his 2 year old son on his lap with no seatbelt.

We’ve brought it up to the landlords, and they said they gave them a 30 day notice on December 5th, then it changed and they said they would be out by the end of the week (3 weeks ago). Now their telling us we can move apartments but we have to pay the deposit and everything all over again, or we can break our lease and pay over $3,000 for it. Can we legally withhold our rent since the lease agreements are being violated? What can we do in this situation? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 > drive away with his 2 year old son on his lap with no seatbelt

Call CPS. If cops and CPS keep coming to him and they connect the dots (drug dealing, child endangerment, etc.), they may arrest him.

If you do move out, please write a reviews on this apartment (Yelp, Google Review, Apartmentreviews.com, etc.) to warn other.

In California, we have lots of city ordinance for banning cigarette smoke in apartment and even side walk. But weed? Carry on. I’ve seen people smoke weeds in common area, elevators, garage, etc. and no landlords will do anything.Answer #2: Does the landlord pay for heat?  Is the thermostat in your apartment?  Vent the smoke out by opening a window with a fan blowing outwards. Their high bill should not be more important than your smoke free apartment.Answer #3: INAL, but have you talked to the police about the drug dealing? Are you somehow able to record and prove that it’s happening? If you were able to it would be hard for the police and property management to ignore. In AZ, something like drug dealing out of the apartment could get someone removed within 48 hours if the property management company was willing to go that route. If you were able to I would talk to the police first, if the person was subsequently arrested from your evidence that would compel the property management to move forward with eviction more than just showing them a video.


Title: I'm not father material

Question: I had a one night stand when I was 19 with a nearby town's easy woman. I've come to find out that she's had a baby around that time and she believes it is mine. She's said that she would not tell anyone but I live in constant fear every day of it getting out. I don't know if it's mine or not and truth be told I don't want to know. The child was taken from her from dcfs for neglect and now lives with her ex's parents. They take great care of her and have the financial stability to take care of her and make sure she lives a good life. I'm 22 and know that I could not take care of this child the way it should be because I can barely take care of myself sometimes both in finances and emotionality. My question is if word gets out that the baby is mine is there a way I can sign over my parental rights to the family? I know I sound like a scumbag and to be honest I probably am for this but I just don't want to be a father. I'd be a terrible father and I don't want to ruin the life of somebody because I can't adequetly provide for them.

Answer:
 > I'm not father material

Then you shouldn't have impregnated someone.

You're responsible for the child if it's yours. Nothing you sign can change that.


Title: It’s only a matter of time before the concrete slab porch falls 20 feet onto my unsuspecting neighbors.

Question:
I live on the 3rd floor apartment with serious concrete damage. They have serious cracks/sag about 3-4 inches and aren’t even touching the beams. Meaning the slabs are being help up by the rebar only basically. It’s a serious issue that is a ticking time bomb. I have notified the front office about it 3 months ago. Nothing was done. When they came to “fix” my A/C the other day I mentioned it again. I am in the construction industry so I know this is a real problem. What should I do to get something done? I will not be renewing my lease but I would like to address this issue before it kills someone. Thanks Reddit
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Notify your local code enforcement agency.Answer #2: Cover your own ass. Notify the landlord in writing, the ole nail+mail (hand them a copy personally/slip under the door + send them a copy via certified mail so you have a receipt.)

Notify code enforcement, and try to get some kind of record of your report.

Notify the downstairs tenant that the landlord isn't taking a serious structural issue seriously and it's putting them in danger as well, I'm sure they aren't interested in being crushed.Answer #3: City code enforcement or building inspector can help out. Whoever does property inspections for the town.Answer #4: Send a certified letter requesting the fix. This starts the legal clock on when they have to fix it/notice there’s a problem. You didn’t mention state but it’s possible you could repair and deduct (consult an attorney before doing that).

As others have said Code enforcement will also put a boot up their ass.


Title: Employer may be recording calls. What can i do to confirm? Or do from here?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Do you really have a reasonable expectation of privacy using your employer's phones while on the clock?


Title: [CA]Meeting with my lawyers tomorrow and they are refusing to tell me what paperwork they want me to sign.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Criminal defense attorneys get paid before plea or trial.  They have to do this, as the client has no incentive to pay afterwards (especially if they are in prison).

Not sure about the paperwork; that sounds odd.


Title: Is swearing at someone considered assault? (Canada)

Question:
I swore at someone in Arabic with 2 witnesses in Toronto. I basically called him a "sack of balls" which is more offensive than it sounds in Arabic.
Is this considered assault or a commitment of an offence in the Criminal Code?

Answer:
 No. Everyone would be in jail.

SOME jurisdictions have laws against using profanities in public though.Answer #2: This is such a Canadian thing to post. Answer #3: No that’s insult not assault Answer #4: Not on its face, no.

Assault does not require physical contact merely a threat of harm. So if you were holding a pipe above your head and swearing at the person, that could be construed as assault. Answer #5: In some states and provinces swearing at a policeman gets a citation (DC comes readily to mind...)  But swearing at a citizen?  No.


Title: Wondering if I have a case for medical malpractice against my university (of appropriate party) for a misdiagnosis/inappropriate treatment that's really ruined my college career.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 So, we have this standard spiel about how medical malpractice is really fact specific and you need to talk to a local attorney to evaluate any claims you may have...

But seriously, there's nothing here. You have serious, multi-system diseases and medical problems. It's not surprising that it took years to discover them all.

You don't have a case. It's time to move on. Focus on your future.


Title: [IL] Minimum wage just increased on New Years day to $9.25 an hour and my current pay is $9.00, what do I need to do to make sure I get paid the new minimum wage now?

Question:
I’ve been at my current job for 5 months now and have had my hourly wage be $9.00 during that time. I saw that the minimum wage was raised back on January first and was wondering how I would go about making sure I get the new minimum wage of $9.25? Any advice would be appreciated.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 When your paystub arrives for the pay period including 1/1 - read it.

It should say your rate on it.


Title: Can I get in trouble for cashing a (potentially illegal) check and sending it to another location?

Question:
I recently got offered a job by a "doctor" who emailed me asking me if I would be willing to be a personal assistant. So far, he has offered me $300 a week to do various tasks for him. The first task was to deposit a check for $2255 dollars, take $300 of the check for myself, and then to send the rest in two parts through Money Gram Money Transfer and Walmart Money Transfer to an orphanage in Sparta, Georgia. I looked it up and it didn't show anything, the address has no orphanage, it's literally just a road and a forest.

So I'm not sure what to do. Should I just rip up the check? Am I putting myself at any legal risk by doing as he asks? I really have very little information about him or his business, but it seems like easy money that's to good to be true. Please any legal advice would be super helpful!

Answer:
 First, redact the address from your post.

>Am I putting myself at any legal risk by doing as he asks?

Depositing a bad cheque, having it bounce and getting the bank to tell you that you owe them $2300 is perfectly legal. I'm not sure of the validity of "Tremendous mindboggling ignorance" as a defense to interstate mail fraud, that one you're gonna want to check with your lawyer.

Answer #2: Remove the address as it could be considered PII.

Beyond that, this is one of the most common scams in the world. The check will bounce as it has only pre-cleared, not cleared completely. You will be out thousands of dollars.

**NEVER CASH A CHECK FOR SOMEONE YOU DO NOT KNOW**Answer #3: The check has been ripped up and the email address blocked. Thank you all for your advice!


Title: [OH] HIPAA violation by my coworker not being taken seriously

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Did you ask her? "Hey Gertrude, any particular reason you are looking at my medical records?" Perhaps her knowing that you know and are watching will deter her behavior.


Title: A family member molested me 15 years ago. I did not press charges at the time. Is there anything I can do now? (Idaho)

Question:
A family member groomed and molested me from 12-14 years old. This was 15 years ago. At the time, I told a friend who then told the police. I was interviewed by a detective and chose not to press charges as my parents told me that "God had forgiven him."
This man now has 5 children and holds a leadership position over youth in a prominent religious organization. I have forever felt guilt for not pressing charges as it is possible that he has or might hurt someone else. It has recently been brought to my attention that he has been grooming and inappropriately touching my sister, albeit not molestation. She has decided to avoid him rather than cause a scene in the family.
I am not concerned about revenge. I don't want him to lose his job or family or anything. I am simply wondering if there is anything I can do to get my story on record in the instance that he hurts someone else.

Should I contact a lawyer? The police? The leaders of his religion? Or should I just let it be?

The molestation happened in Idaho. Both parties still reside in Idaho.

Answer:
 Lawyer then police then religious leaders in that order.

You may feel funny about things but your in the right to take this action.

He will likely lose his position. Answer #2: In Idaho, sexual abuse of a child and lewd conduct of a child do not have a statute of limitations, so you should absolutely report both your molestation AND the grooming of your sister to both the police and [child welfare](https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Children/AbuseNeglect/tabid/74/Default.aspx).

>I am simply wondering if there is anything I can do to get my story on record in the instance that he hurts someone else.

Grooming your sister **is hurting someone else**, even if he hasn't yet proceeded to molest her. She's going to need therapy, and reporting his activity against her will open up victim's compensation money and child welfare money to get her the help she needs.

Do NOT, under any circumstances, contact the leader of their religion without the advice of a lawyer. While they might be helpful, they may also put pressure on people to clam up.  You also don't want them accidentally screwing up an investigation. If you don't want to hire a lawyer, ask CPS how you should handle it \- they have lawyers to answer questions like that.

Please report both his actions against you, and your sister. If he has done it to 2 people and has access to more, **statistically he is very likely to be doing it to more children.**Answer #3: Keep in mind, you don't "press charges" rather the police do that whether you want to or not.

It's interesting you spoke to a detective, told them you were molested, and they didn't act. What did you tell them? There should be a report already on file from when you spoke to the detective.


Title: Do I have a claim for an injury at ice skating rink in AZ?

Question: I was skating on the ice and hit a chip in the ice. I went flying and ended up breaking 3 front teeth. The dental bills ended up being $5-$7K. I asked one law firm and they said I can't sue because I would have to prove the ice rink knew about the chip in the ice and were negligent. Is that the case? I feel like I have a valid claim, but admittedly have no experience here. Any advice from the experts would be appreciated! :)

Answer: What do you think they did wrong? This is a known hazard. Answer #2: Take a look at "assumption of risk". Ice skating is an activity that's inherently risky. Answer #3: This is a classic assumption of the risk case.  Ice skating is an inherently dangerous activity, and one of the risks is that the ice will not be perfectly smooth at every point while you are skating.


Title: A judge prevented me from getting married, can he do that? (PA)

Question:
I'm 19 years old and my SO is 32. We've been dating for a year, and decided to marry around June. We got our marriage license, and then set a date for the wedding at a court house. When we got there, the judge looked me over then told us he decided he could not marry us. He also informed me that our license was basically invalid and if I wanted to get married, to "grow up more".

I never acted immaturely. I made this decision very carefully, and planned everything accordingly. I feel insulted that he judged me based on my age, and told me he couldn't marry me. Is this legal? If I try again, will I be stopped? Can I go to another state to get married instead?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: A judge is under no obligation to perform your ceremony. Find a different judge.


Title: Been informed im going to get a call from the police?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: You've provided absolutely no information, so my answer to you is maybe they want to chat about the weather or the local cricket tournament.


Title: Friend is mad at me and I don't know why. Tells various mutual friends I'm a pedophile and bragged about having sex with his 14 year old cousin. (I'm 25) Defamation???

Question:
I've got messages from 3 different friends that this "friend" who is angry either told them that I bragged to him about having sex with his 14 year old cousin or that I am a threat to minors sexually. Do I have grounds for a lawsuit here??? I have no idea how many people he has told but he told my roommate he is telling "everybody."

I live in Iowa.

It may be important to point out that this is a 28 year old failure-to-launch person doing this to me and he hasn't worked in 3 years because he doesn't want to. His family is pretty well off.

Answer:
 Is it true?

If so, he is allowed to say true things no matter how damaging that truth may be to you.

If it is not true, you can sue him for defamation in order to recover whatever provable damages you have.  But the effect of that, in the long run, is to further publicize the things he is saying about you by having a court case about it.Answer #2: If he is lying communicate to him that you may consider legal remedies if he doesn't stop spreading lies about you.


Title: (MN, USA) How to remove a person from my shed

Question:
Well I guess I will start with the story.

Last October (2013) while my wife was attending school, she found out that two of her class mates were living in their vehicles and asked if we could board them for a few months. We don't have a large house, but I was willing to keep someone from sleeping in their cars. I felt sorry for them since, so they stayed in my basement, they eventually passed their courses for education and started jobs. I then started to charge them rent, not much. (alias names used)

 $350 for Mat - since he keeps to himself and cleans up after himself
$300 for Jay - rarely showers, doesn't pickup, creates messes everywhere, seems to be under the impression he owns the place.

The original idea is that they would focus on balancing their budgets and move out.

And the reason for the post, I originally asked Jay to be gone by the beginning of October;2014, but he came back on the 8th pleading for a place to stay. I had just started to do some construction on my basement the day he moved out so I could better living conditions for Mat. I said he could stay in my shed for a few weeks while he continued to look for a place to look, and I said that if it gets too cold outside I could put a cot up downstairs for him sleep on. But it has now been almost two months since the 8th of Oct, and my patience is wearing thin with him. More so with my wife who gets irritated at him every time he parks behind her so he doesn't have to walk an extra 15 feet, or many other occurrences where he just seems to want to be on our nerves.
I know part of this is me just writing in angst, but I really do need to know the steps that I can evict him out without me being liable for his problems after he leaves.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 In order to force him to leave, you must give him written notice that he has one full rental period to leave, and you must ensure that he receives this notice before the beginning of that rental period. A month is the default rental period, and December begins tomorrow, so it is possible that you won't be able to formally kick him out until the end of January. (And even when that notice period expires, you can't throw him out on the street; you have to go to court and get a court order to evict him.)

Since he left when you asked him informally last time, you probably want to start by asking him informally again.


Title: I need someone to explain what's going on.

Question:
(backstory) I'm 14 and I live in Michigan, my dad has had a bad drinking problem for a few years, its been getting progressively worse. I guess I should also say that my parents are divorced, I had off and on weeks, so I stay at my dads for a week and then go to my moms vice versa. So before my dad used to get drunk weekly and about once a month we would have an alcohol fueled argument about my grades or attitude, (for the record I was never out of line.) Before he generally wouldn't rough me up too much, maybe grab my collar but that's all. But on November 8th he got pretty drunk. The evening started out fine, but long story short, he hit me, then pined me to a wall with his arm to my neck. I fought back and when the fight ended I texted my mom and told her what had happened. Maybe 30 to 40 minutes later the cops show up. Basically they arrested him for a combination of intoxication and abuse. They didn't tell me much but what they did say is that there was going to be a no contact policy until he talked to a judge. So he went to jail for one night(I think that was all, like I said I haven't heard much.) Ever since then I've been at my moms house, but we haven't gotten any word on anything. So I just want to know what's going on right now. Also what I can do about changing custody. Don't get me wrong, I love my dad when he's sober, it's just that most of the time he isn't. Now I feel this is also important. I have a one year old brother and I would like him to grow up in a better home then I did, so is there a way to negotiate him having custody part time, but on contingency of some type of rehab? Oh and also I heard about writing some form of victims letter or some such, how would I do that and do judges pay attention to that? Well anyone who knows anything about this, I would appreciate your help, sorry for the lack of information, I'll share it as soon as I get it.

Edit: Thanks so much guys for all of the information. This helps me out a lot. I guess I'll keep you updated.

Answer:
 There's probably an emergency custody order in place which grants your father no rights to see you. This will be reviewed in court soon, and if your father wants to see you, you will most likely get some kind of supervised visitation with him.

Sorry, but there's nothing you can do to influence this. Child abuse is extremely bad; neither the courts nor your mother will ever let you be alone with a known abuser. Unless something is strange about your case, he will not have custody of you until he's worked very hard to prove he will never hit you again.


Title: What's stopping someone from creating a business of reselling pizza purchased from restaurants?

Question:
I want to buy pizza from a small pizza restaurant in my town and resell them in different locations at an up charge. Is this legal? I struggle finding a difference between this and eBay (where people sell food products they did not produce all the time). My understanding is that I can do anything I want with a product after I purchase it (with minimal exceptions).

As far as I can tell, only a [small number of things are actually illegal to resell](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CD4QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marketwatch.com%2Fstory%2F5-things-you-cant-resell-2013-03-21&ei=0XQvU7G5MY2X0gGXhIGQCA&usg=AFQjCNGsuGb9V1QqS_ZP_29OwLV1Js6FNw&bvm=bv.63556303,d.dmQ). The business is based on [providing convenience](http://www.thelaw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40600), not necessarily the specific pizza.

Am I missing something? Please help me out.

EDIT: I am in Pennsylvania

Answer:
 >Am I missing something?

How long the pizza is good for, transit costs, any kind of foodseller permitting for FDA/ city evaluation, copyright issues with logos and naming your supplier and what happens to your business model if your supplier decides to cease vending to you.

There already exist a number of middlemen delivery businesses (like eat24hr) which might be a good place to start your search, although very few of them do delivery for operations which already deliver.


Title: Grandparents plan on taking my (17M) car after high school. What can I do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's their car, not your car.  Either you take their deal or you give up their car - that's all there is to it.

You can certainly *ask them* to put the car in your name, but you can't force it.Answer #2: This isn't a legal issue, it's a relationship issue.  If you don't want to use your money to help pay for a car that will go to your brother in a year, then don't do that.  (But to be fair, apparently your parents only have so much money to spend on cars for you and your brother - you got the use of one and your brother should get the use of a similar one for a similar amount of time - and ALL of you should share equitably in the costs of both cars - however that comes about).

If you don't trust that your parents won't take your money, then there are ways to keep your money from them.  Open your own bank account, put the money onto a prepaid debit card that's not associated with a bank account, put the cash in a safe place, etcetera.  But again, this is really a relationship issue.  If you deliberately hide your money from your parents and refuse to pay for things that they think you should pay for, then they can refuse to help you financially as you leave their "nest" to fly on your own.


Title: Is it legally wrong to use the Fire/Emergency System to make Announcements?

Question:
I am a retail worker in CA, US. One of my upper managers has occasionally been utilizing the fire/emergency system to make announcements. These announcements are non-emergency. He flashes the emergency lights throughout the store, and uses the emergency broadcast system (which is clearly a much higher decibel that the normal one). This angers me, because he is abusing the purpose of the system to make mundane announcements.

Is this legally wrong?
If so, what is the exact law/osha code/penal code?
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: It sounds more like a matter for the fire marshal.