Title: neighbor insanity

Question:
I am in Maryland, and have a neighbor situation.

We live in a rowhouse with a flat roof.  Many of the houses have what is called a pop-up, allowing a door access to the roof (think a large dormer).  So there is actual vinyl siding above the roofline.

I have had an ongoing leak into my bathtub for close to two years now.  A roofer has certified that our roof is sound, and recommended that we test with a hose to determine the actual location of the leak.  When we did so, we determined that the cause is somewhere on the siding of the neighbor's pop-up, which sits right on the party wall.  The water comes into our house about 3" from the party wall and then was moving through the ceiling to the bathtub.  We have two layers of roof, so we believe it's moving between the layers of roof from the actual infiltration spot to where we see it come in the house.  We informed our neighbor of this and she told us she had money problems but would try to "be a good neighbor" and fix the problem.  Her insurance company told her she wasn't responsible for the current damages within our home without making it clear that, once she has been made aware of the problem, she would be responsible for any future damages.  Currently our damages are very minor, less than our deductible, so our insurance company won't help us.

She had someone out twice.  The first guy put a ton of caulk in the J-channel at the base of the siding, and the second guy cut a piece of flashing that was sticking out of her siding and caulked there.  There are still some obvious issues with this corner of the siding, including a 6 inch crack in the cornerpost, a cut corner post, a bunch of missing and too-small flashing, etc.  And we still have a leak.  We've asked her to have the contractors talk to us, and to be present for the repairs since they need to access our roof to perform them, but they haven't contacted us and instead have come onto our roof without our permission.

We finally had a structural engineer come out ($300) and will have a report in a week or two that puts the blame for our leak on her house.  Our plan has been to have a lawyer write a demand letter at that point, and send the report and the letter both to her and to her insurance company.  We want them to be aware that if she doesn't fix this problem, she will eventually be on the hook for a lot more damage, and that since she has been made aware of the issue, any additional damage would be caused by her negligence.

At this point she is very hostile.  She accused us of burning her house wrap while grilling, without damaging the vinyl siding over it.  Later, despite not having another contractor out, she claimed that we also burned off the Tyvek under the siding in another place with a torch that we used for roofing work.  We have never used a torch on the roof; the repairs that she is talking about were done with a rubber material that you spread on the roof with a putty knife.  As for the grill, both the internet and the structural engineer assure me that it is impossible to damage Tyvek with heat without damaging the vinyl siding covering it, and the structural engineer will include that in his report.

She has demanded my insurance information and I haven't provided it.  My major concern is that her damages are likely less than our deductible, and I'm not sure the insurance would have our back if they wouldn't have to spend any money.  We got a letter today threatening to sue us if we don't provide this information by 5pm today (4 July and a Saturday).  I'm inclined to let her sue us at this point.  It would be in small claims court, and we are likely to have to sue her at this point to force her to fix her house anyway, so we can countersue.  Obviously, with her ridiculous weekend deadline, I don't have the ability to consult a lawyer.  I will add that she is a lawyer herself.

Any advice for me, other than follow through on getting a lawyer Monday?  Should I provide the insurance information?

Answer:
 Let her sue.  You've done nothing to her.  Answer #2: Do not provide this woman with your insurance information.

Honestly, I would stop talking to her at all.

You may have to sue even with the engineer's report so be prepared.

On the cost of the damage, I would be worried about mold if the leak is 2 years old, so don't underestimate the cost of the repair.


Title: Two gynecologists did not detect a 2 inches cervical cancer. Should I sue them?

Question:
**My wife got pregnant around last October**. We went to the gynecologist to start all the process. **The first visit they run some tests, among them, a Pap smear**. When the gynecologist took the sample my wife bled quite a bit, so the doctor says that she had a very sensitive cervix.

After a couple of weeks we went again to the doctor to take an ultrasound. They told us the embryo was too small and we should be hearing the hearth by that time, but we couldn’t hear anything. Not even a week later we went back because my wife was spotting a bit and they told us it could be part of a miscarriage. The same day **they gave us the result of the Pap smear with inconclusive results**. Apparently the doctor took blood instead cells, so the lab couldn’t reach any definitive result.

A miscarriage was confirmed when one week later my wife started bleeding and we went to the emergency room. At the hospital, a different doctor carried out an ocular inspection and took samples and a new ultrasound. **The doctor said that it was indeed a miscarriage, but everything else looked fine**.

For one and a half months after that, my wife was bleeding. But one day she was bleeding profusely and she went to a different emergency room. After a few visits, they told her it was a stage [Ib2](http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervicalcancer/detailedguide/cervical-cancer-staged) cervical cancer. **The cancer is about 2 inches now** (less than 4 months after the first visit) and they said that it has been there for a 6 months or a year.

**Do we have base to sue both doctors?**

We are devastated and lost while we are waiting for surgery, chemo, and radiotherapy. **From having a baby to cancer in a few months.**

From Mississippi, USA.

Answer: Medical malpractice is super specific.  Please talk to an attorney specializing in it in your area.


Title: Roommate and I have been unknowingly paying the bill for downstairs apartment's hot water (heater is apparently shared), landlord refuses to do anything.

Question:
I live in the St. Louis area in Missouri. My roommate and I live in the upstairs apartment of a house that has been converted into two (mostly) identical apartments. Our friends live in the downstairs apartment.
A couple months ago our hot water heater had to be replaced, and we discovered that there is only one hot water heater for the whole house. We asked our friends about their gas bill (worth noting that they have a dishwasher and we don't) and it turns out the hot water is attached to our gas bill, and we are paying $100 or more than they do every month on gas.
When my roommate tried talking to the landlord about it, they said she was being "picky" and basically told her it's not their problem and they weren't going to do anything about it. Surely this is illegal, right?? We don't have the money for a lawyer but we cannot afford to keep paying this much for someone else's hot water. I've only lived there since July, but this is my roommate's 4th or 5th year living in this apartment so the amount she's had to pay for the downstairs hot water is into the thousands now.
We aren't sure what our options are. We thought about just having our gas shut off so the guys downstairs would have to complain to them about not having hot water, but our landlords are extremely scummy and (before I lived there) once let our apartment go 3 months without properly working electricity. So we doubt there's anything other than actual legal action that would work (if we even have a legal leg to stand on).
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 I don't know about Missouri, but I owned a two-faimily with shared heat.  PA law states that any utility that can't be accurately split based upon usage is the responsibility of the landlord to pay.  I paid heat and I integrated the cost of that heat into the monthly rent.  (e.g $950/mo includes heat).  As a side note because neither tenant was directly responsible for the heat they basically had it in the mid-70s every winter.  I ended up spending money to split heat, enabling me to put it in the name of each tenant.

On a go-forward you should check the laws for your state, and inform your landlord accordingly.Answer #2: What does your lease say about how utilities are paid for and split? That can help you narrow down options. For example, if your lease says something like "Tenant is responsible for all utilities that they use," then \(if you take it to court yourself or get a lawyer\) you can use that as leverage, since technically your landlord isn't following the terms of the lease. If it's not in the lease, then that's trickier, and definitely something you should tell your lawyer.


Title: Broken Window at Bar

Question:
My friend and I were at a bar last night where she accidentally bumped into a table that slid into a window...the window broke. She is a really sweet girl and was pretty upset and gave them her contact info when the manager asked for it, but he was really reassuring that it was okay. Well this morning she got a call from the owner telling her she needs to pay for the window to be fixed. She asked if they had insurance for something like that but he said "why would I want to claim that?"

I'm not sure what nexts steps she should take. I suggested contacting a lawyer and that this guy might be trying to pull something on her.

Any suggestions?

Edit: This is in Phoenix, AZ

Answer:
 >I'm not sure what nexts steps she should take.

Her pay for the window that she broke seems like a reasonable one.  Have the guy sign off that any money she agrees to pay covers all damage, and that he can't pursue her in the future for anything else related to this incident.

Just because he *has* insurance doesn't mean he has to use it.  And depending on his deductible he would probably have to cover most of the cost out of pocket anyway.


Title: Company is forcing me to go on disability leave.

Question:
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Back in January of 2019, I told my company that I can no longer work from their offices due to Allergies due to dust. Through trial and error, was able to narrow down the cause of my severe allergic reactions to their offices, I have been working from home ever since. In March, they stated I needed to go my doctor and fill out "ADA request for accommodation form". My doctor stated that I have "severe and ongoing disability" due to problems with breathing and concentration. The recommendations she had written were "no carpet and an air purifier" ... "do not go back to same environment".

The company's HR rep got back to me and said that they were unable to rip up the carpet of the office, they had performed allergy testing in the office (for mold) and the most that they could do was provide an air purifier next to my desk, and rip up the carpet in my area. My office is similar to a warehouse, where the entire floors are open air with a few meetings rooms. Allergy wise, this doesn't make any sense as the entire office shares the same air space (imagine being allergic to dogs, but the accommodation they can make is that dogs will only stand 10ft away from you). I was uncomfortable with the accommodation offered. In response, I requested an enclosed space, with an purifier in said space. This was rejected as the company stated that they were unwilling to alter or create a new office space for me.

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The company is now stating, because we are unable to come to a compromise, I have to go on disability leave. If any one who's knowledgable in ADA could provide some guidance on this, would be very helpful. Thank you.

1. If I refuse to go on disability leave what will happen? Can they really do this?
2. At this point, it feels like they want to get rid of me purely because I have allergies because I will not work in the office, is there any legal recourse to this?
3. Is this a fight worth having? or should I suck it up and just risk my health...

Answer:
 ADA Accommodations have to be "reasonable".  I don't think that building an office just for you is a "reasonable" accommodation.Answer #2: IMO, there offers sound like reasonable accommodations. Yours do not. Your options are likely going to be:

- Go work in the office on the terms they gave.
- Go on disability.
- Quit and find another job.
- Keep pushing and likely be terminated.


Title: Somebody just hit my uninsured parked vehicle

Question: This morning someone ran into both mine and my girlfriend's cars which were parked on the street in front of the house we rent. the person who hit them is still here and we are waiting for police and tow truck. My car has some issues that need fixed that I can't afford at the moment so I haven't been driving it and I cancelled my insurance. Will my lack of insurance have an impact in this situation? We live in Missouri...

Answer:
 Your lack of insurance doesn't affect your liability, no.  The other driver is just as responsible as he would be if you had insurance.

It might affect you if you are found partially at fault, and his insurance only covers a portion of your damages.  Then you have no insurance policy of your own to fall back on.


Title: escort taxes??

Question:
hi there. im an escort and want to pay my taxes... my location is: San Francisco, CA.

i do not have an LLC, i just post ads on platforms and take clients per my discretion and receive cash. my question is, do I just fill out my own forms like a schedule C?

what can i put as my job ?? would Entertainment by (alias) work?

do i have to report all my income (what i deposited into my bank account that year)? i heard IRS can access your bank statements.

lastly, should i worry about tHE IRS questioning my business ?

Answer: IRS filings are very closely guarded under the law in order to ensure that even people with sketchy or illegal income can pay their taxes


Title: [CA] I faked what was said in an interview for the newspaper I worked at

Question: I know it was stupid. I know it was wrong. I wish I could go back and change it but I can't. I already got fired for what I did. I had to interview a politician's ex-wife. He is remarried and his ex-wife has never talked publicly. She lives in California still but in a different city. I called her a few times and all she would tell me was that they wanted different things but that he isn't a bad person and there was no cheating or abusing and the divorce was on good terms and his new wife is lovely. I wrote in the article that she said he was a horrible husband who may have cheated and that she hates his new wife. It was wrong but that's what I did. She never said any of that. She called the newspaper where I worked about it. She had also recorded the conversation with me. I told I was and she said me too but I completely missed that. It's not a national media outlets or anything but the newspaper retracted the article with and I was fired. Since the newspaper the record straight I just want to know if this is as far as it goes or if anything else can happen. I regret what I did and will never do anything like it again.

Answer:
 Get a lawyer asap.Answer #2: The simple answer is that "no, your firing is not as far as this can go.  You can be sued for libel, because you defamed your subject".

Because the politician is a public figure, there's a little higher hurdle to clear before reporting on him can be libel, though this hurdle generally relates to reporting on his professional actions, not his personal life.

>If the person defamed is a public figure, he cannot recover unless he proves, by clear and convincing evidence . . . , that the libelous statement was made with “actual malice” -- that is, with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.’ [\[Citation.\]](http://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/3d/37/244.html)

We don't even need to get into the definition of reckless disregard because the statement was wholly fabricated by the author.

The politician would have to prove both general damages and special damages, and the burden would be on him to prove the falsity of the libelous statements.   Meeting the burden of proof would be a slam-dunk, but the damages would be a little more difficult.    Answer #3: And your question is...?

Is it how fucked are you? Megafucked. Congratulations.

Go get a lawyer, today, who will make sure her tea is sweet enough to forgive this horrible "error," (read as "clusterfuck") and not sue you and your publication.

You're also probably going to get fired. Don't try to dispute it because the paper business is not for you. Answer #4: Yeah that's pretty deep into slander/defamation.  You can be held liable
For any financial losses he suffered as a result of your malicious article.


Title: [FL] Condo board wants to "foreclose" on an owner over unpaid fees. Can a COA board "seize" private property through some legal avenue? How can we avoid this?

Question:
So we have an owner who owns four units, and has fallen behind in his monthly Condo Owner Association (COA) maintenance fees. He owes maybe $7k - $8k at this point. The COA board has not allowed him to rent the units due to the unpaid back fees.

The COA board wants to hire an attorney and take the four units through some legal means. The COA President is calling it a "foreclosure." But we are not the lender, and what is owed isn't loan payments from a borrower, it's merely maintenance fees. So it's really a "seizure", right?

So that is the first question, what is this process actually called?

The next question is, how can this be legal? Related question, if this is actually legal, has any COA ever gotten a judge to help them seize private property (four condominiums) because of less than $10,000 in unpaid dues?

Next, does the value of the condos matter? Suppose each condominium is worth $250,000? Any COA can use legal proceedings to take a million dollars worth of real estate because $10k was late? (Our condos are not worth that much.)

Next question theme assumes a judge allows this. What happens next? Are we simply a lien holder for the amount in arrears? Or are we the new owner? A COA is a non-profit entity, so how can we own, sell and control multiple parcels of real estate? If we were to own the units as the board would like, are we supposed to sell the four units for a profit? And put the money into the treasury? Or split the money among all the owners? Should we form a design company and spruce up the units first? Wouldn't dabbling in real estate sales or kitchen rehab then make us a for-profit company?

Next question theme assumes we are not going to ask the judge to hand us ownership of the units. Can we just keep the current derelict owner and rent out the units until the back fees are paid? Can we appoint some kind of receivorship or guardian to do this?

Wrapping it up, can you please give us some advice and information that will be useful in resolving this without using attorneys in an attempt to seize ownership of multiple units.

FYI, this place is small, and has a runaway COA board President. Most of the owners do not want to proceed with a lawsuit like this. But people here seem afraid to stand up to authority and stand up to the President.

As you can imagine, there is a back story. The owner claims: a board member harassed good tenants until they were uncomfortable and left; the owner claims to have written a check for what was on the invoice, but didn't know about some additional fee, so the check was wrong by some fractional amount, so the COA board refused to cash the check, etc. The point is, we believe he would counter-sue.

Oops forgot to say, any new owners are not allowed to rent out the units, they must be owner-occupied now.

Thank you.

Answer: It's still called a foreclosure, and yes it's legal, but there's a specific process that must be followed. [Here's a decent summary and explanation](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/florida-hoa-coa-foreclosures.html).


Title: possible bank fraud

Question: I am currently 17 and live in CT, I have a bank account that is under my moms (in my name though) due to the fact that I cannot have my own bank account cause I'm under 18. I had ~1,125$ in the account and the other day my card was declined. I checked with the bank about any activity on my account and I found that she had transferred 1,100$ into her own account. What actions should I take and what are my options

Answer:
 Wait until you are 18 and get your own checking account.  Unfortunately, if this was just a run of the mill checking account you have no options.  Maybe ask her nicely why she transferred the money. Answer #2: If her name was on the account, she can transfer out money if she wants to.

No law was broken.


Title: I am being harassed by law enforcement, and have been for the past 5 years. I've had to quit looking for work, and now live with my parents and don't go outside anymore. What are my legal options? Should I make a big stink about this? [WA]

Answer: You should seek the help of a competent mental health professional.


Title: Burglars cased & tried to break in- very rural area- what should happen next?

Question:
My mom moved to VT a week ago (I'm in upstate NY). It is a remote area at the end of a dead end road, no neighbors. She was home alone for 4-5 days because step-dad had to move some items from their old home and deal with other stuff. She had called me each day to check in and she kept telling me that the dogs kept getting her up between 2-4am barking/growling at something in the woods. Freaked her out but never saw anything. She also said that this man drove up past her house and back down the road everyday around the same time in the morning and it was weird cuz of the dead end (I told her it was probably a nosy neighbor).

So fast forward- last night step-dad got back to VT with a uhaul around midnight and left it in the driveway (locked) to unload in the morning- they went to bed. Again at 2am dogs get my mom up, but this time her biggest dog- a newfoundland- was ripping through a screen window growling- she got up and heard a male voice and a higher possibly female voice in the driveway near the uhaul. She yells out the front door (can't see them- pitch black) "hey what are you doing?!" or something like that and lets the not-friendly 180lb dog go who chases them but gets hit- cries and is recalled to my mom. Meanwhile step-dad gets his shotgun gets in the car as they hear them running down the dirt road- he drives after them yelling 'you hit my dog- now you'll get a bullet" but doesn't find them.

So now it's today and I'm super freaked out. I feel like I'm more freaked out than they are- my mom was more worried about the screen being ripped (btw dog is fine). I tried telling her to call the cops, but she says they wont do anything except tell her to keep stuff closed/locked and get security. I say it should at least be on record. I'm scared for her- what precautions can they take if these people come back? Obviously the place was cased ahead of time. They are very rural and not near any police or anything. Any advice?

Answer:
 I'm not a home security expert, but I can tell you that your step father should never, ever fire a gun at individuals who are actively retreating.  There is almost no defense for that, and doing it in professed retaliation for hitting a dog (in actual self defense) opens up all sorts of liability.  He got very lucky he couldn't find them.Answer #2: 1. She should call the cops to get in on the record. Sure they probably have hardly any chance of catching the people - but they have zero chance if they don't know about it. I don't know about VT cops specifically but when they come out to take a statement a lot of cops have a good eye for what precautions somebody can take.

2. Obviously she should lock her stuff up, maybe even get a couple of cheap camera's etc

3. I would also drop in on the neighbouring properties and speak to them. They may have seen something and they would probably appreciate the heads up that somebody is working the area - especially in a rural area people can get pretty slack with home security

4. Make sure their insurance is up to date

But thiefs usually prefer soft targets and now they know there's a big arse dog and a man with a gun I strongly suspect they won't be back.


Title: The lawyer just stopped showing up? (Tx)

Question:
My boyfriend has been dealing with a DUI case for over a year now and his court appointed lawyer had always been there with him,  would always return calls and emails, would usually show up to every court date except for maybe two where the case would get rescheduled.

Early September was the last time he got called into court, the judge had a family emergency, so we rescheduled for the next week.

We show up the next week, the lawyer doesn't show. We wait for her for about an hour in the waiting area outside the courtroom and the peak inside the room to then find it completely empty. Its happened before so we think nothing of it.

Well now my boyfriend has a warrant out for his arrest and his lawyer hasn't been picking up or returning our calls. He finished his court appointed classes but is scared to contact the court due to his warrant.

We have both tried contacting his lawyer through phone calls or emails almost every day, sometimes it rings a bit longer than others, to make me believe she's even SCREENING our calls. I just don't understand what we did, or what we need to do.

Answer:
 You do know you need to contact the court... your boyfriend is just refusing to do it... the longer it is left the worse it will be.

Get another lawyer if you can afford one.

Waiting for a lawyer that ghosts you isn't going to make a warrant go away, and if they have to come get his ass he'll need an expensive lawyer. If it comes to that the judge is unlikely to take pity given there's a warrant and he knows it and is personally ignoring it.

At least if he contacts them his story holds.

Ultimately he left court after an hour without contacting anyone or getting a new date... then knowing his lawyer hadn't contacted the court on his behalf he continued not to call the court - I'm not sure what he thought would happen. Of course there's a warrant. Get it seen to now.Answer #2: Your boyfriend needs to contact the court & tell them his court-appointed attorney ghosted him & he wants a new attorney. He also needs to talk to the court about how to take care of the bench warrant.
He can also contact the Client Attorney Assistance Program with the state bar of Texas. They may be able to help him get in touch with his current attorney.


Title: [US] A few questions regarding refusal to submit for induction (draft dodging)

Question:
1. If I am convicted and the judge gives me the maximum sentence because of his personal opinion of draft resistance instead of a lighter sentence based on my clean hypothetical record, can that sentence be challenged or even grounds for appealing the conviction?

2. If I'm a minor and I can't pay the fine with my own assets, can the government go after my guardian(s) based on my age?

3. What happens if I'm an adult and I can't pay the fine because I don't have enough assets?

Answer:
 1.) In the Federal Court System, there are sentencing guidelines that judges are recommended (but not required) to follow.  A judge can sentence you in the federal system to any sentence up to the maximum allowed by law.

2.) If you failed to submit for induction during a draft, you could not be a minor because you have to be 18 to be drafted.

3.) Then the government keeps an eye on you and seizes assets as you get them.


Title: Stealing heat

Question: My downstairs neighbor wouldn't turn his heat on all winter and now my power bill is over $1500 from trying to keep my apartment above 10℃. Is there  anything I can do about this

Answer:
 Get better insulation?

I don't see any legal remedies here unless your neighbor is doing something proactive like running a duct or something between your two units.  He doesn't have a duty to you to keep his apartment warm.Answer #2: Your neighbor does not have any duty to you to help heat your apartment.


Title: [WI] I'm 16 and i think I'm going to be charged with rape against my ex

Question: She's 14 and we had sex the other day and everything seemed fine until I accidental came inside of her, she started freaking out luckly she's on the pill and i don't think anything will come out of that but she blocked me on everything that day and said she told her parrents what happened and they talked to the county so I'll be charged with rape. I need to know what's the maximum time i would get if I'm proven guilty. I'm 16 and i can imagine being locked up for the next 25 years of my life that's so messed up please anyone I need advice

Answer: You both committed a crime. Don't speak with anyone about this except for your parents and your attorney. Tell your parents immediately, and beg them to hire an attorney. Do not answer questions if the police contact you.


Title: USA(IL) - I want to change my surname when I move to Germany. Should I change it through US courts first, or have it changed when I enter Germany.

Question:
*Sorry if this question is out of place; I have never used this subreddit before.*

My mother's maiden name is a common German surname, and my father has been effectively absent for my whole life. Out of respect for my present family and to make life a little smoother if I move to Germany, I want to change my surname to my mother's maiden name.

I have yet to get a passport, and I don't own a home or have any income besides my regular job, so I figure changing it should be easy enough in the US, but perhaps it's even easier/cheaper to change it as an immigrant under German law.

Any ideas?

Answer:
 No, you should definitely get it changed before you head to Germany. Answer #2: Change it before you move to Germany. It's really difficult to change a name here. You need "an important reason" to change it.

source:
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/nam_ndg/BJNR000090938.html


Title: [MN]Work takes nearly half of my tips to give to admin/support staff

Question:
State: Minnesota

I work for a delivery company. I pick up orders from restaurants then bring them to the customer.  Customer place the orders online.  Unless something goes wrong I am the only point of contact with the customer.

Out of curiosity, I placed an order with the company and was kind of shocked to see that they are taking nearly half of the tip to "members responsible for routing orders, customer service, restaurant/driver support and acquisition & the systems that make the magic happen behind the scenes.  The company also charges a variable delivery fee based on distance from restaurant to customer.  However, drivers only receive $1 of this no matter the distance.

I was looking at [http://www.dli.mn.gov/LS/Pdf/tips.pdf] (http://www.dli.mn.gov/LS/Pdf/tips.pdf) on the MN Labor website and it says:
>Tips are the sole property of the direct service employee. Employers cannot require employees
> to share their tips with indirect service employees.
> » A direct service employee is one who performs direct service for a customer.
> » Indirect service employees include, yet are not limited to, bus people, dishwashers, cooks or hosts

So my question is this 50% deduction legal since in most orders I'm the only one providing a direct service to the customer?

Answer:
 So, do you work for the restaurant or a delivery company?

Is this tip optional, or is it the delivery fee? Are you paid tipped minimum wage or a regular wage?

In general, you are correct that you can not be required to share tips, but mandatory delivery fees are not tips. You should be able to keep 100% of tips, but it really comes down to how the money is actually processed in this case.


Title: Employer Pirating Lots of CAD Software

Question: I recently found out that my not so friendly employer is pirating a lot of different CAD/CAE Softwares(probably around a dozen different softwares). This employer regularly belittles employees, pays awfully, and breaks all sorts of labor laws. How would I go about reporting this employer.

Answer:
 Contact Business Software Alliance.

https://reporting.bsa.org/r/report/add.aspx?src=us&ln=en-us


Title: Computer hacked transfered money through PayPal

Question:
Hello guys,
Someone hacked my computer and transfered a large sum to their account via by PayPal account. I discovered the situation because they also tried to use my PayPal to charge a Russian phone but for some reason it didn't work so I got a refund for that transaction. Now I've talked to PayPal about it being an unauthorized transaction but they said that the transaction was made from my IP so the dispute and the complaint were all declined. The bank says they can't cancel the transaction. What can I possibly do? It was a lot of money and I really need the money so I'm counting on you guys to help me because I'm really desperate.
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 It is unlikely, but not impossible, that someone hacked your computer and then used that intrusion to execute a Paypal transfer.  It's far *more* likely that you did it inadvertently or that someone in your household did.

Regardless, you only have two options.  If Paypal's actions violated your local laws, or your user agreement, you could seek action against them.  That's unlikely.  You can also report this matter to your local police, and can see if they will take action.


Title: Published books for a friend, I hold the rights to her books. Friend passed away without a will or her wishes known. What should I do now?

Question:
A few years ago, I took control of a small publishing company that mainly published the books of friends. There was no profit made from this, and it was mainly a hobby - until it became a full-time job in the level of work it required, without pay. I ceased operating and gave the authors the option to have their books back - so they’d have complete control. Almost everyone agreed. Royalties were never much - we sold maybe a handful of copies because none of the authors were well-known and the books were in a niche market that really isn’t that popular. Most books were considered a success if they sold 15-20 books, mostly friends and family of the author.

One author had a trilogy of books, and she wasn’t making much money. I don’t think she wanted the hassle of publishing the books herself and just liked having the story out there. She once told me to donate all royalties to a parrot sanctuary in case of her death (she had health issues and depression/was suicidal). I should have the email stating this. It was years ago that she sent that email.

Well last month, she took her own life. Her books haven’t made a dime, but I’ve wondered what I should do. Pulling her books seems kind of callous, but I figured there may be some sales from friends and family because of her death. I haven’t looked yet, but again, we’re usually talking less than 20 sales and royalties that never break the $100 point - usually royalties are maybe $5-10, that sort of thing, but I haven’t even seen that in years.

Someone reached out to me today, claiming to be her sister. She had a very complicated relationship with her family. She really didn’t care for her mom, and her mother even signed all over rights to her at the age of 12 to her aunt. I believe that aunt passed away years ago, from what I’d been told. Her birth mother is alive still.

The “sister” says she’s the sister from the adopted mom. She said her mom has be told to contact me for royalties - but wait, I thought her aunt/adopted mom had passed many years ago? She had often talked about how much she missed the aunt who was like a mom to her and talked about her death impacting her. So I’m confused... who is this person claiming to be a sister (my friend never mentioned a sister) and mom who’s handling the death of my friend?

And they’re telling me not to release anything to the birth mother. That it goes to them.

I don’t want to mess things up here, or do something wrong. I’m more than willing to release the books to whoever I’m legally obligated to do so -  even though my friend made her wishes clear years ago to give all royalties to the parrot sanctuary, I know that it probably won’t stand up in court because 1) it was years ago during a specific situation that she thought she’d die, things could have changed (she moved out of her birth mom’s home and back to where she was raised by the aunt, may have reconnected with family there, etc). And 2) I don’t think she was fully in her right mind when she told me this, and legally, they may question if she was in the right mental state to make a claim like this.

Again, we’re talking about books that haven’t sold in years.

I’ll admit, I was young and naive when I took on this opportunity. It was between friends, so I didn’t set it up as an LLC or anything. I don’t really have the money for a lawyer, especially since we’re talking about royalties that aren’t even there. I’d like to settle this as easily as possible.

What should I expect? What should I look for before releasing her books or future royalties (if there are any) to anyone? Of course I’d love to honor my friend’s wishes, but it’s unclear what those wishes would be - though I’m positive she’d like her books to remain published, because they were her greatest pride and joy. She just wanted people to read them. She even gave them away freely, and had me give them freely to people. This wasn’t a money making venture for either of us - it was about a passion for books.

In case anyone is wondering - what I did for the writers consisted of formatting books for print and kindle, cover design, blurb writing, a little marketing via FB and Twitter (which has about 1000 followers max), posted the books on my website (just one I built myself on Weebly) and helped with editing.

TLDR: I published books for friends, and one of the authors took her life recently. Trying to figure out who gets the rights and future royalties to her books, and afraid her complicated family situation may get ugly.

Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: You need to wait until someone has a court order appointing them as the administrator of the estate. The estate gets the royalties until the author's copyright is properly transferred to someone else.


Title: (21/F) Forced to have a chaperone during invasive medical procedure; what are my rights?

Question:
Post was removed from r/askwomen, so asking here;

I have been undergoing treatments for a chronic degenerative back condition. During treatment today with my usual specialist I was not given the option "because she's young" to deny having the receptionist present for my injections.

Please before the down vote parade begins; I understand the day and age we live in, the location site (groin), and medical professionals need to protect their reputation. However, am I actually legally/ethically able to deny this practice?

The receptionist/chaperone was more scared than I, and her unprofessional wincing and complaining about her fear of needles threw me off my game and intensified the unpleasantness of the situation.

Suggestions? Sharing of similar experiences?

TL;DR- I {21F} was forced to have a chaperone present on an invasive procedure, do I have a leg to stand on?

Edit: I'm a Dingus and forgot to add located in Aus.
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 >The receptionist/chaperone was more scared than I, and her unprofessional wincing and complaining about her fear of needles threw me off my game and intensified the unpleasantness of the situation.

A receptionist? That's horrible. A nurse, a medical assistant, a PA, fine, but a *receptionist*??

You can absolutely refuse to have a rando in your  medical procedure. Your doctor can refuse to treat you.


Title: As a teacher, may I....

Question:
Send an informal (but professional) email to another school about an incoming family?

I teach at a private school in California.  We have a middle school parent who will be transferring her child to a nearby private school for the next school year.  Throughout the many years that I've taught here, she has far and away been the most difficult parent to deal with and she's intent on burning every bridge on the way out.

The people at the new school are friends of mine and I want to genuinely give them a heads up about certain past behaviors and some things to expect.  Nothing personal or sarcastic.  Nothing at all about the child.  Just a professional opinion.

Is this acceptable to do or does it potentially open me up to defamation or libel action in a worst case scenario.

Would appreciate any informed insight.  Thank you.

Answer:
 I'm not a lawyer but I am a teacher...

If it were me, I might not bother, on the grounds that, if they want to start fresh and suck less, they deserve a chance to do so, and if they decide to keep being horrible, the new teachers will discover it soon enough.

If I were going to give them the heads-up, I wouldn't do it in email or writing, just informally on the phone or in conversation, and I would tell them, not specific things the kid or parents did, but things I suggest they do.

"Hey, I see you're getting little Jennifer Smith?  I had her in class.  I don't want to violate her privacy at all, but you might find it's a good idea to keep specific records of every time you discipline her, and maybe make sure you have a colleague with you when you meet with her parents, instead of meeting them by yourself. Oh, and don't agree to anything you aren't going to actually follow through on to the letter." Or whatever their smart path would be.


Title: getting charged with cyber stalking please help

Question: i live in the state of washington, my fear is that based on my priors of restraining order violations and anti harassment order violations i maybe charged with a class C felony. how well can my paid attorney try not to give me a Class C felony, can it be some type of plea deal

Answer: You should stop stalking people. What makes you think that after multiple stalking-related violations you shouldAnswer #2: You need to talk to your lawyer about this.


Title: Can I sue a national bank for emotional abuse and manipulation? *NY*

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 No. "Emotional abuse" and "manipulation" are not things you can sue for. Those are basically code for "I have no damages but want to sue anyway".

Well, I mean, you can *sue*. But you'll lose. And no lawyer will touch the case.


Title: Is it Illegal for me to be home alone with brother?

Question: I am sixteen and the only people in my house when my mom isn't around is my twin and little brother. My little brother is ten. I live in SoCal.

Answer: No.Answer #2: Not unless you're a sex offender.


Title: Friend damages car due to negligence, says I owe him for the damage

Question:
So late Friday night here in Portland, OR. My friend needed my help with some limited release shoes. I tell him, that I will help him out if he buys me food. He comes and picks me up, but he never bought me food. We head over to the destination in his EG civic coupe. We just experienced a snowstorm with about 4+ inches on the ground and to top it off freezing rain at about 10pm Friday night. He has tire chains on his front wheels and heading west bound on the highway. Everyone around us is going about 20-30mph, but he's driving at least 50mph. The chains are now spinning at a high rate and are hitting the fenders and messing stuff up. It sounds like a machine gun inside the car.

We pull over inside a mall, and check out the damage. The front fenders near the door hinge are all dented in, his fender liner is now rubbing on the wheels and the right side of the bumper is hanging. He gets mad about it and removes the chains and we head off to the destination. We get there, and we're waiting outside for the limited shoes. I talk to someone in the line and the place doesn't open till 12pm on Saturday. I get irritated about it since I will be outside for at least 13 hours. Thought to myself and was like screw this, got another friend to pick me up. On the way home, EG friend, starts talking crap about how I flaked and I owe him fenders. Well, these shoes are $108 retail and on ebay about $400. I send him a text saying I wasn't going to wait out in this weather, for the sake of my health.

So, I didn't ask him to pick me up. Second, he was driving faster than the recommended speed with chains. Lastly, should I be liable for the damage? I don't think I should be due to his negligence. Your opinions?

Answer:
 >Lastly, should I be liable for the damage?

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever you should be liable for anything. You had nothing to do with why or how he was driving.


Title: I have a question regarding the difference between "indicated" and "substantiated" claims/dispositions in a CPS investigation.

Question:
Edit: The location of said individual and case is Ohio.

Someone I know was accused of sexual misconduct against a minor 6+ months ago and was under investigation by both law enforcement and CPS. CPS's investigation was closed earlier this month, with the "substantiated claim" disposition being the final call on the paperwork.

No charges have been filed, he has not been arrested, and he has maintained his innocence from the beginning.

I don't understand what "substantiated" means in this case. Obviously "unsubstantiated" means there is no concrete proof or indication of abuse, but I'm not clear on the difference between "substantiated" and "indicated."

What exactly do these labels mean, and what might it mean for the accused? Does it mean there is credible evidence against him and that charges will/can be filed? If the CPS investigation is closed, is that the end of it? What typically happens next?

Answer:
 Depends on the state.

In Massachusetts, a substantiated concern is when the department of children and families finds reasonable concern to believe a child has been neglected but finds the child is not in immediate danger of additional harm, and that there is not substantial evidence that the alleged perpetrator was reasonable for putting the child in danger.

In other states, a substantiated claim is one where the alleged abuser is placed on a list, and the investigation may be handed off to law enforcement. (In MA, that’s considered a “supported claim.” The nomenclature changes depending on the state.)

In both instances, the family is usually referred for additional services.


Title: I don’t want to disclose a previous marriage that ended in divorce in another country. Consequences?

Question:
Hi. The story goes like this.

I am NOT a US citizen and my previous marriage started and ended in my home country. I plan on getting married in the US (where I currently live) to a citizen. I don’t want to disclose my previous marriage on the marriage application and I want to know:

1. Is there any way the clerk will find out about my other marriage since it happened in another country?
2. If they somehow find out, what happens?

Please refrain from personal advice as I am only seeking legal perspective. I want to emphasize again that my previous marriage ENDED in divorce so there is no bigamy involved!

Edit: I live in WA state, if this helps. Thank you!

Answer:
 That is fraud and they will find out and it could nullify your marriage and would be a crime that you could be charged and convicted of.

No one here will help you commit a crime


Title: Inherited Stolen (?) Guns

Question:
My dad left me four guns in his will and he passed away about three weeks ago. My mom and I are executing the will and we opted to do it ourselves rather than pay a local lawyer $5k to do so.

I believe they are stolen or atleast “hot” because my dad was a felon and wasn’t even allowed to have guns. I have no idea why he included them in his will. I don’t believe he was in his right state of mind.

I live in NC and I am just confused as to how to handle these guns. Can I just report that I have them in my possession to the Clerk of Court and be done with it? Or will they want the serial numbers and want to investigate them?

Answer:
 They might not be stolen.

True, as a felon, he shouldn't have had them, however, he could have bought them from a store/pawn shop previous to his felon status and told anyone official who cared that he sold them.

If you involve the state, you will likely (but not definitely) never see those guns again.

If you really do think he stole them, then it's not even a question.  Do the right thing.


Title: (GA) Could I really be forced to get rid of all my photos of my friend and never speak to him again?

Question:
We live in a smaller city, so you tend to run into people you know occasionally.

My friend and I used to work together, we were on the same level at first. I asked him out and he turned me down, no big deal. He ended up getting promoted and became my boss, I still have a crush on himself this day. Everyone that worked got along well. The company shut down about 2 years ago. People found new jobs or moved. My former boss and I both found jobs in town, we no longer work together he got married and found an office job. I work at the farmers market.

He and wife come by the farmers market sometimes when I'm working and he and I chat for a while I ring up their stuff. His wife never spoke to me but I just assumed she was shy.

On Friday his wife showed up without him and started yelling at me. She said that if I don't burn/delete all the pictures I have with him in it and stop speaking to him that she will sue and force me to.

Can that happen when I haven't stalked or harassed him? I like having a bunch of pictures of the time we worked together and he's just a really nice person I'd hate to never be able to speak to him again, not to mention that might make me lose my job if I'm banned from talking to a customer.

I don't even know whys she's so worried. She looks like Victoria's Secret model and I'm probably on "People of Walmart" somewhere, and for the record I don't flirt with him or anything.

Answer:
 >I don't even know whys she's so worried. She looks like Victoria's Secret model and I'm probably on "People of Walmart" somewhere, and for the record I don't flirt with him or anything

Sounds like she's compensating in the personality department, also in the unenforceable threats department.

You should let your boss know that former coworkers wife is acting like this towards you in case she tries to make stuff up and get you fired.


Title: (NY) Friend offered that me and my other friend could live for free in an apartment he owns. He is now demanding we pay last year's rent and is threatening to sue

Question:
Ok, so me and my buddy used to be roommates with our friend "Carl", who owns a couple of buildings, including the one our apartment's in. He eventually moved out to live with his gf, but said that we could continue to live in the apartment without charges.

Carl recently got into a stupid fight about politics with our other friend, and is now mad at all of us. He's now insisting that the two of us pay him money for living here thru last year, and says he's going to evict and sue us. We can't afford any of this. My friend/roommate has a serious chronic illness that will eventually kill him, and is already starving because he has to pay for his meds. We can't pay, and I'm afraid of what would happen if my friend became homeless.

Legally, what can be done here?

Answer: [Have you thought about going into Broadway?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_%28musical%29#Act_One)Answer #2: You could always film a documentary.


Title: Entering Canada from PA with DUI

Question: My husband had a DUI in Pennsylvania in 2009. He went through ARD to have it removed from his record. Will this impact his ability to enter Canada through Alaska for a fishing trip?  Thanks!

Answer:
 Best way is to check with the canadian  border service agency (CBSA).

I know a DUI is a offence that can be used to be refused crossing at the border. Might have to apply for a pardon from the CBSA.


Title: [OH] Landlord was dishonest about living accommodations, trying to get out of the lease

Question:
Throwaway account. Sorry about the length. Also, resubmitted to correct typo in the title and add location.

I am working a couple hours from my home this summer at a large research university in Ohio. I found a single apartment on Craigslist in March and contacted the landlord. The apartment is in the basement of her private home. I asked her if the apartment was open from the end of May until mid-August. She confirmed that it was, and I paid the first month's rent as a down payment via Paypal.  In the ad, it stated that you could rent the apartment weekly or monthly.

In April I received a phone call from the landlord asking if I was willing to stay in a private room in her house at the end of May "for a few days" as the tenant currently in the apartment needed to stay there a bit longer than anticipated. I agreed, under the impression I would be in the apartment by early (first week) June. The apartment agreement stipulates that I get a private shower and small cooking area, while the private room has a shared bathroom and kitchen with her. She did not offer to lower my rent for the time spent in the private room.

When I arrived at the private room on May 31, she was not at the house and left me a key. I stayed in the house overnight and she came back the next morning. That is when I found out she has a daughter (around 13 years old) that lives with her at the house. She never told me about her child before I moved in, even when we discussed her many pet animals. That is also when she told me she runs a massage therapy business out of her house. She told me she would work around my work schedule, and I said I wasn't bothered if she had clients while I was at the house.

I saw the basement apartment on June 4, and she then informed me it would not be open until June 19. She also told me she booked the apartment with another tenant the first two weeks in August, and I may need to move back to the private room. This means I would only spend five of the ten weeks I originally leased the apartment for in the actual apartment.

During my stay, it was clear that she was not comfortable with me using her bathroom or kitchen while she or her daughter was home. I was also told that my cooking made the house smell, which would bother her clients. She also neglected to pay her electric bill and power was shut off for an afternoon, melting some of my food.

Yesterday I got a text from her at 1:00pm saying she had a client coming for a massage from 6:00pm-7:15pm, and I was to not enter or exit the house during that time. I could either be in my room the entirety of the massage or not enter the house during that time. My room has a private entrance that would allow me to enter without going through the main house. She then texted me at 5:40pm to tell me that the massage time changed, and I was now restricted from 6:30pm-7:45pm. I take public transportation home and I changed my schedule to accommodate her first request (I normally arrive home around 6:15pm), so this threw me off.

Additionally, yesterday she texted me to say that she entered my private room to print something. This was after she entered the room without any notice.

I am frustrated beyond belief, and I want to move out. I have alternate living arrangement available immediately if I move out. However, I would like to get the rent back for the last two weeks of June and the month of July. I believe she violated the lease she sent me in multiple ways and has been dishonest with me the whole time we have been in contact.

I have drafted a letter to her about moving out citing everything above. I don't know if I have standing to get my rent money back, but I am willing to go to small claims court (total rent for the two months was ~$1350).

I have most of our conversations in text, the rental agreement, and the original ad I responded to.

Do I have standing to break the lease and be repaid, given her actions during my stay?

TL;DR: Rented apartment for 10 weeks, landlord double booked apartment for about half the time we agreed upon. She also was dishonest about living conditions in the private room she gave me instead and may have violated my privacy.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 This is going to be highly dependent on what your lease says. If it says you are paying rent for the basement apartment and you're not getting the basement apartment that's a breach and you can move out and sue her. The sooner you move out the sooner you can send her a demand letter and then go to court if she doesn't pay. As to most of the other things in your post it's going to depend on what your lease says.

>  and I was to not enter or exit the house during that time.

That's complete crap, ignore it. You can come and go as you please.

Answer #2: If you are a student in any capacity at OSU (assuming the "large research university in Ohio" is in fact the premier academic, athletic, and research institution in the Midwest), check out the student legal services.


Title: (UT) Employer didn't notify me of drug testing policy when hired.

Question:
I recently got and was fired from a job at a gas station. During the hiring and training process, there was no mention of random drug tests. I confirmed this with the other employees and will speak with the manager about it on Monday when he's in.
On my third day working, I was called aside for a random drug test which I failed (lots of alcohol at a party the night before). I was terminated the next week when the results came back.
My question is this: What, if any, legal action could I take against my employer? I'm debating whether or not it would be worth getting a consultation with an attorney or if the rewards for doing so wouldn't be worth the trouble. Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide.

Answer:
 Unless you had an employment contract, which I sincerely doubt, there's nothing you can do. There's no legal requirement they notify you of drug tests, and they can fire you for pretty much any reason outside of being a member of a protected class. And being a consumer of alcohol is certainly not one of them. Especially in Utah.

edit: according to /u/countykerry, there must be a written policy. Did your employer have an employee handbook?


Title: Deadbeat dad left me with a 85k in debt.

Question:
So my dad left when I was two and I had contact with him as a teenager but other than that no contact. Found out he died, I haven’t heard of a will but now the Escambia County has sent me a final judgement of $85, 356.40 as debt due to a property he owned.

I sent them a letter a couple of months ago when this filing first happened stating I had no contact with him in several years and he was not apart of my life. I can’t go to the hearings because I’m in the Navy and I can’t just leave my command.

Any word of advice or anything I can do to separate myself from this case?

Answer:
 You do not inherit your Father's debts when he dies; that's not how this works.

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If you are managing his estate, it is your responsibility to pay debtors from his estate. If you are not managing his estate, all debtors should be pointed to whomever is the executor of the estate.

&#x200B;

The debtors are harassing you in hopes that you are the executor and either have control of his funds or that you'll make a mistake and pay them yourself.

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Start by finding out who is controlling the estate, it's usually a surviving spouse, parents, or next of kin. If noone has claimed the executor position, the duty falls to the state.Answer #2: DO NOT PAY THEM ANYTHING.

It is very possible that by paying some of the debt you assume responsibility for all of it. Don't pay. Just ignore the letter unless you get served.Answer #3: It sounds like he owned a house and it is now in foreclosure.  If he died without a will, his real estate passes to his next of kin.  If you do nothing, then they will foreclose and that will be that.

That being said, you should at least find out how much the property is worth before deciding to go that route.  If there is a house worth 150k and only 85k owed on it, then it would be worth it financially to hire an attorney to probate the estate, sell the house, pay off the debts, and keep the remainder.Answer #4: Talk to your unit legal officer, or your CO.


Title: We broke our lease, does that mean the landlord doesn't have to tell us why they're withholding our security deposit?

Question:
We live in Virginia and broke our lease about 6 months early because we bought a house.  I gave the landlord 30 days notice and tried to help them find a new tenant myself, but no one wanted to live there because it wasn't the nicest apartment.  My landlord never told us they were keeping the security deposit to cover rent or damages and a neighbor told me that the apartment had been rented by the middle of the month after we left, so I knew I wasn't responsible for any rent past that date...

I sent a letter to the landlord (certified mail) saying that we never received our deposit refund or notice of why they were withholding the deposit so we would be expecting the full amount to be returned or we would sue.  The landlord wrote back that they "don't have to itemize damages if a tenant breaks their lease, but here is the list anyway"...

Rent lost through the middle of the month -$303

Commission for processing a new tenant - $125

Temporary power through the electric company - $54.64

4 hours labor - $80

Hardware store supplies to RE-clean the apartment (which we left spotless) - $24.68

For a grand total of **$587.32** (our security deposit was only $495)

The landlord also wrote that in the lease it states if any portion of the contract isn't upheld by the tenant that the security deposit will not be returned.  All the lease said was the deposit was "to be refunded upon vacating the premises, provided the resident has kept and performed the conditions of this contract.  In the event the resident defaults in any provision of this contract, the deposit may be used by owner to apply against default of the resident."

The worst part is that the apartment was filthy and falling apart and full of mold and mildew that we personally cleaned, and we had to have radiators replaced and a bunch of other repairs done by the apartment manager when we moved in, so they obviously don't keep up the apartments, but they're trying to charge us like they keep them clean and repaired...

Anyways, my question is -- has anyone ever seen a judge rule in favor of the landlord when they kept the security deposit even though the law says they have to tell you why within the notice period?  The last landlord that I had to threaten just gave in and sent our deposit when I threatened a lawsuit but this landlord is very wealthy and I suppose isn't afraid of losing.  I sent two demand letters, the second one was ignored.

It's another $100 I have to spend to file the lawsuit to try and get back the $495 so I'm a little nervous that I'll be out even more money...

The state law says that the landlord has to tell you why they're keeping your deposit within 45 days... but I am worried a judge will say breaking our lease nullified that...  Help?

[https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodepopularnames/virginia-residential-landlord-and-tenant-act/](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodepopularnames/virginia-residential-landlord-and-tenant-act/)

Answer:
 I would walk away because I don't think you'll win this one.  I'm sure your lease had an end date on it.  That was the part of the contract you didn't uphold.  Unless the lease also had an early termination clause, you probably don't have a leg to stand on and will cost yourself more money fighting this.  It also seems he gave you a pretty decent itemized list that you are only contesting $24.68 which still leaves the remainder above your security deposit.

Enjoy your new house and be glad to be away from crappy landlords.Answer #2: Listen, it sounds like you got off easy, as the LL could have sued you for the rest of your term of your lease.    And this would all drag out in small claims court, where, in the end, I suspect he will get most of your security deposit.Answer #3: "provided the resident has kept and performed the conditions of this contract." - you did not perform under the contract.

"In the event the resident defaults in any provision of this contract, the deposit may be used by owner to apply against default of the resident." Seems like that's what they did. What's the issue? You are responsible for the rent, electricity, and labor. That pretty much eats up most of it.


Title: UC sexual harassment allegations

Question:
Hey /r/legaladvice, I have a problem that seems to be consuming my thought process immensely (throw away account). I started going to a University of California this last fall and basically ended up trying to talk to a lot of girls from my classes. Usually I would come up to them after class and introduce myself. A lot of the time they'd be going home and I would walk with them and make conversation along the way, as my apartment is almost in the very back of our College town so they would be on the way most of the time. Most of the time they would give me their phone number, but would not actually ever respond to me when I would text them the next day. I would get frustrated and basically send mean/sarcastic texts to girls who chose to simply just not ever text me back instead of telling me that they weren't interested. I would call them fake, bitches, cunts.
I was called in by the dean two weeks before finals this last quarter who told me that multiple girls made complaints about me and that one girl made a no contact order. The next week the school sent out an email to all the students talking about how there were reports of stalking going on. All the information in the report was accurate about me except for the last sentence which stated that I would show up at their residences. I never showed up at their houses besides the initial moment I said bye and got their numbers.
The next day I met with the dean again who presented me with the no contact order.
Then in the middle of finals week I was called into the Dean's office yet again where he suspended me. I was forced to immediately move out of my place as I was living in university owned housing. The suspension papers stated that there is a Title IX investigation being conducted and the dean told me that there is in addition a police investigation as some of the girls went directly to to UCPD with their complaints.

In addition to all of this and more importanly, I went through some legal trouble back in high school. I threatened a girl with sending her nude pictures to her friends, this resulted in my getting arrested. I got charged with two BS rape charges on the same girl (I picked her up twice to hook up). This ended with me pleading guilty to those charges in order to avoid the case going on longer. I got two strikes on my child record in order to avoid sex offender registration.

I already talked to to a Title IX lawyer who told me that the school cannot see my child record. The dean told me he will make a decision about if/when I am allowed to return to school within the next several weeks. I am wondering if I will still be in a legally troublesome position if I am allowed to go back to school.

I tried to only include essential information in this post, so feel free to ask for any details that may help you evaluate my situation better. Please help me reddit. Thank you.

Answer:
 So, some clarification; you walking them home like a 'nice guy' can be construed as stalking. It is pretty common for someone who is feeling threatened by someone else to placate them by acting congenial. So what you likely did was creeped them out, and because they were afraid of you didn't tell you to fuck off. You followed them to their place (read stalked) and wouldn't go away without a phone number. Hence the reason why you never got responses back. On top of that you didn't take the hint in some cases and stalked them on social media.

See the problem here?Answer #2: A miscer who doesn't think rape is bad. lol.


Title: [Kazakhstan] New property law?

Question:
Hello redditors,

Me and my family are living in germany, our grandmother is living alone in Almaty Kazakhstan. Since she started to suffer from dementia we are here to take care of stuff for her here.

We heard from a relative that there recently have been changes to property law in kazakhstan and that some have to re-register themselves as proprietor, but they dont seem to be sure either. She owns a plot with house + garden where she herself lives in.

My question is, whether there is such a law, since its hard for me to navigate their sites due to lack of language (reading) skills. And if there is, what do we have to do now?

Answer: If someone comes up with a valid Kazakh legal citation I’ll donate $10 to a charity of their choice.


Title: Two drunks fighting on my car, bashing my bash glass shield.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The cop told you your insurance rates would rise if you filed a police report?

 I'm actually not sure insurance covers the willful destruction of property. You can still file a police report and sue that guy in small claims court, for which you shouldn't need a lawyer.


Title: Is this even legal?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 Pot will be legal in July. It's not July. If your landlord discovers you're smoking pot in the unit, they can legally evict you whether or not the smell is a nuisance to others.

If the condo association wants to they can also call police about the smell and the cops could get a warrant, though given the pending legalization of weed I doubt they would.

Once pot is legal, the story changes, though if the smell gets into the carpets or walls the landlord can charge you or evict you for damage.

Being in a condo makes things more complex because a condo board has more power over an owner than a landlord over a tenant (for example they can ban pets). As a tenant in a condo, you are also bound by the rules of the condo board.


Title: [UT] Can parents legally demand repayment of all expenses incurred from a child after the age of 18?

Question:
Fortunately, I personally am not in this predicament, however my fiancee's parents are demanding that he pay them back for every cent they spent on him after the age of 18.  It's a hefty sum that we cannot afford to even consider right now, considering our income and assets.

I know for a fact that his parents earn enough to have an AGI above the threshold of being eligible for education loan credit on taxes (as in they earn too much to qualify to take tax credit for educational loans for dependents).

If we somehow manage to take them to court over this, what may be the probable outcome?  I'm interested to know the legal structure behind this.

Answer: No. Do not give them money. They are not owed anything. Answer #2: This would be an excellent reason to never speak to his parents again. Legal advice:  don’t associate with insane abusive family members. Source: thousands of posts on this sub.


Title: Sold cellphone on FB. Buyer is now threatening to contact police.

Question:
I sold a cellphone on Facebook marketplace for $500. Have owned it for over a year, is fully paid off, and have called my carrier many times to verify all of this.

I listed it as an unlocked phone as my carrier has reassured me it was and I even checked on other carriers websites and it was all compatible. It has both GSM & CDMA as well.

A lady in her late 50s/early 60s was interested and so I got a ride (I can’t drive) to meet her halfway which was still an hour drive. I showed her the phone and how to use it and she checked it over and then paid and we went our separate ways.

Next day she messaged me saying that her carrier says it’s not unlocked. I called my carrier and they said sometimes it can take up to 72hrs to be unlocked for other carriers to work. So she waited 72hrs then took it back and same thing happened- so I called again and sent her a recording of the call where my carrier once again stated that it’s completely paid off and unlocked and suggested trying to factory reset it and then it should be fine.

I’m out of state till later in the week and told her I wouldn’t be able to meet up till I’m back if it wasn’t working but my carrier has assured me countless times that it’s unlocked so I’d rather not have to find another ride out there if it was as sold. I’ve also had family and friends advise me that she could have tampered with the phone- but I don’t think she’s a scammer, just not very tech savy.

I don’t want to provide a refund as I believe the phone is as described in my listing. She’s now threatening to contact police. Could I be taken to small claims for this? She doesn’t have my address but does have my full name from FB and the plate number of my friends car that drove me.

Should I just block her or will that cause more issues than worth? I haven’t opened her messages in a couple days but she has sent multiple.

Sorry if flair is wrong.
North Carolina. USA
Topic:
Small Claims Procedure

Answer:
 There's nothing preventing her from suing you in small claims if she believes she can demonstrate losses, so just make sure to hold onto the evidence supporting your side of the case. It's really out of your hands at this point.

If she's being particularly obnoxious, blocking her wouldn't be an issue from a legal standpoint, but it could add fuel to the fire.Answer #2: Good news: police won’t do anything as it’s a civil matter.

Bad news: you sold an unlocked cell phone. She bought an unlocked cell phone. If it isn’t actually unlocked, you have to refund her, since you didn’t provide her with what she bought.

Frankly, carriers have a bad track record of providing actual unlock status; the surest way to check is to insert another companies SIM card and if it works, it’s unlocked. Your carrier saying it’s unlocked might not be the slam dunk defense you think it will be if she actually sued you.


Title: USA - If someone steals evidence of a crime from you and gives it to the police, can it be used against you in court?

Question:
As mentioned, this is a question about US law. This is mostly hypothetical, though it is also concerning a number of leaks about a company I used to have a business relationship with that have come out over the past 2 days. A number of people would like to see the company prosecuted for defrauding tons of investors, and the leaks are extremely damning.

To my knowledge, the constitutional protection against illegal search and seizure protects you from the government illegally searching you. However, another person like a thief or a hacker is certainly not the government. So if they uncover evidence of a crime being performed (suppose they hack into someone's email account), that should be admissible, correct? Because it wasn't a government agent who took it illegally?

Answer: Correct , but good luck getting it authenticated.


Title: I lost my wallet with my fake ID in it. Police found it. Is it safe to get back?

Question:
A couple weeks ago I lost my wallet. It had my real Ohio ID in it and then my fake ID, which has my picture and real name on it. I just got a letter in the mail today that the police found it and that I can come get it. It basically said that belongings to me have been recovered and that I can come claim it. It also listed everything that was in my wallet, including my real license and a PA license.

I leave for school tomorrow and my house key is attached to my wallet. I really want to get the wallet for the key so I don't have to pay a bunch of money for it and I'd need to get it tomorrow before I leave. Is it safe to go? It didn't mention anything in the letter about being in trouble.

Answer: Before this past week, I never realized how common of a problem this is.


Title: How to stop stoner neighbors from being a nuisance when smoking marijuana?

Question:
Even before CA voted to make marijuana legal we've had neighbors in our condo complex up all night coughing and causing their smoke to waft throughout the area. Complaints to our property management has gone unresolved since they comply for a few days or a week - just long enough to get off the RADAR and then back to it. This actually happens from a couple of others around our complex, but there are still more "who get it" - they smoke and no one's the wiser.

I honestly am not one of those people who think I'm going to get high and I actually don't care who smokes what. It's incredibly annoying (and gross) to hear coughing-to-the-point-of-puking and also not being able to enjoy my outdoor patio or have the windows open without this several-times-a-day intrusion.

I've done a bit of homework and see that the laws that allow pot smoking also define how/when it becomes a nuisance. In short, you may smoke (and possess/grow a certain amount) as long as it's A) not done in view of the public; B) consumption is not in view-of OR can waft into the public; C) other provisions like not doing it a car, etc. They are clearly violating this (especially when friends come over and drive away after (just like drinking).

What can we do - there are about a dozen residences affected (in several pockets of our complex)? How are nuisances like this enforced in SoCal, and ideally without my causing extra busy work for our local police?

Answer: Have you tried calling the police non-emergency line and asking them?


Title: Retaliation for discrimination

Question:
Im trans and very late into my transition and fully pass as a man. Recently I have complained to my boss about outing my original gender to coworkers. We have no HR department as we are a small restaurant.
When I found out by a coworker asking about my transition, I had texted my boss and said, "This is exactly what I didnt want to happen this is all your fault."
I then demanded my owners number as he is the only one above my boss.
I was denied his number and told that my owner would be told to contact me. 3 days later with no contact i took it on myself to find my owners number myself and ask him to call me. He said he was too busy and to ask him the following day to call. Five days after this incident I had complained about descrimination and no call from my owner and no meeting with my boss about what had occured- I then told my owner in a text that I needed his email. He gave me his email and I told him the problems I was facing. He said it was my fault and the manager had worked for 12 years and he wasnt "playing this game"
I had then sat down with my boss and owner and after we talked about everything I had asked why my hours had been cut. My owner told me straight up that he told my boss to cut them.
Even if they want to claim descrimination didnt happen, (although it did) do I have a case for retaliation? I had asked my owner why he didnt respond to me and talk to me about the situation before he cut my hours and he said "no ones perfect"
Im very frustersted because even after i complained I still worked a few shifts with my boss and I didnt misbehave and worked just as hard as I normally do. I just dont know what I can do from this point on.

Answer:
 I don't see discrimination. Your boss has no obligation or requirement to keep your secret. In addition, you went directly to the owner with an issue, bypassing the chain of command.

In some states, you can file for unemployment in the form of a constructive dismissal, but without knowing how much of your time was cut, we can only speculate.


Title: (CA) How to evict family member from home. No rental agreement.

Question:
My mother moved into mine and my wife's home in August.  She behaved well, just like she did in her previous dwelling for 3 years and follow the rules we set forth before she was even allowed to move in.  She is now destructive, smoking in the house (I am extremely sensitive to smoke due to health issues as a child), burning the carpet, leaving rotting food under the bed and bathroom sink, leaving her room filthy and breaking all rules which were agreed upon.

My wife and I can no longer tolerate her and need her out. We told her she needs to find new living arrangement by the end of October and she will no longer be welcome to visit either of us.

We are willing to offer to pay her 400 a month for a year to move out and stay away.

If she does not agree do we have to go through a formal eviction process to have her removed?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You don't need to pay her. If you believe it'll accelerate the process, negotiate in writing.

You do need to give her 30 days' written notice, and to take her to court if she refuses to vacate after the 30 days are up.


Title: Brother-in-law got a DUI... can he get off on a technicality?

Question:
We live in Alberta, Canada. He is in his 20s and this is his first time getting in trouble with the law. Just giving you some background.

He didn't hurt anyone thank GOD and while he's had some drug and alcohol problems, this has opened his eyes and he's working with employer to get help.

So he blew just under double the limit. He was texting us in the back of the police car and at the station before they took his phone away. That's probably not a technicality, I just found it off because if he had been a dealer he could have deleted everyone's number.

Anyway. They wrote his ticket incorrectly. He has a GDL which means it's a restricted license. He isn't allowed to drive with ANY alcohol in his system, and they would impound his car for 30 days.

The ticket they gave him was for a regular license, and they only impounded his car for 3 days. They ticketed him for a regular license, not the GDL.

He's already lucky with that as he saved thousands on the impound, but my question is the following:

Because they wrote the ticket to him saying he had a regular license and not a GDL (which is what he actually has), is this a technicality that could get the charge thrown out... or lowered... or anything?

Answer:
 Sure.  Go tell them that they didn't punish him enough, and they'll throw out the current charge, write him a new one, and then impound him for even more days.

Answer #2: >is this a technicality that could get the charge thrown out... or lowered... or anything?

If anything, it could increase his penalties.  But, let his lawyer decide if they want to argue that angle.


Title: HELP! Accused of rape. Expelled from school. Can she do more?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 > Can she continue to do more to hurt my reputation? Can she tell people at school about what happened? Two of her friends have unfriended me on FB so I bet she's telling people. Can she go to the police? I am in England now, no longer in the states. Can she still do stuff? Would she have enough evidence for me to go to jail?

Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes.

Congrats on being a rapist.

Hire an attorney.


Title: deceptive used car trade in FL.

Question:
I financed a used vehicle from a dealership. They marked it at 15,000 and charged me $399 TWICE for replacement keys even though they already had the keys and gave me warranty. This was never spoken about during the deal.

My biggest concern is that they had it listed on their website for $11,427 AND marked as Sold. Same make and model. The only one they had in stock. I returned the car, as i haven’t even made my first payment on it yet. They were telling me if i do this i’ll kill my credit score, etc. They tried to keep me in. I returned it anyways. They knew I caught on to them.

How do i report this dealership correctly in the state of FL?
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 I can change the price of what I'm selling every hour on the hour if I want to, so long as I clearly state the current price. If someone agrees to pay a higher rate, then good on me for making more money.

If you agreed to a lower rate or amount and then they financed you at a higher rate/amount then that would be one thing. But it seems you saw a price, agreed to the price, and now have regrets because you realize you may have been able to negotiate it for less. Tough nuts. Answer #2: Report them for what?


Title: Under what circumstances do ISPs or social media companies have to unveil your identity.

Question:
Please don't judge but I recently began an affair with a married woman I met online. Unfortunately, I live in a state with an alienation of affection law (basically a relic from the early 1900s that allows a lawsuit against an ex-spouses lover). So far I haven't given her any identifiable information other than my first name, a burner phone number purchased through my phone and a email address not tied to my real name or info.

She understands my concerns and knows that at the end of the day, if I stopped emailing her she probably couldn't find me. However, since my fake accounts were purchased or signed up for using real information like my apple account and phone number, is there any way that if here husband (who as luck would have it is a lawyer) were to find out he could file a civil suit and through that the courts could compel the information from google, apple etc?

Utah - United States

Answer: A subpoena.


Title: [NY] My wife's mother destroyed our credit

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Put a credit freeze on your wife through all three credit agencies.

Your wife will be responsible for any debts in her name unless you report Bernadette for fraud.Answer #2: Immediately put a credit freeze on her record, and call the police. This is fraud and identity theft, and the only way to unravel it is to report your mother in law.

I've dealt with some similar situations with my mother. If you confront her, she will cry and play on your sympathies. She will beg forgiveness, and promise that she'll make it better. She will lie to you and tell you there's nothing else when there may be. But the time for that is long past. She's being incredibly selfish and hurting you and your wife for her own benefit.

Seriously, report her and, when you have the police report, dispute the records with the credit bureaus.Answer #3: Please tell me you let "Matilda" know that her credit was compromised. Answer #4: Notify the credit agencies, get a freeze on your wife's credit file and other info and help her build her credit back up. Once that freeze is in place go after Bernadette for the money to pay off those delinquent accounts so you can do it yourselves and be sure it's all set.

Keep your wife's credit file flagged until Bernadette kicks the bucket. She clearly can't be trusted and can't help but commit identity fraud to indulge her unsustainable lifestyle.

You and your wife will have to keep really close tabs on your credit scores and all related data, potentially forever.


Title: If someone says a cop assaulted them but it didn't really happen and he just lied to get out of a charge, and the cop kills themself after she is suspended and about to be charged, could the person who lied get in trouble?

Question:
Asking for someone I know. They know he lied and that he wasn't assaulted by her. Her assault charge hadn't started in court yet. He lives in California if that makes any difference. I want to know what could happen to him.

Thx.

Answer:
 > could the person who lied get in trouble?

Yes, absolutely.

At a minimum, filing a false police report, or some variant of that.  Assuming it got that far.

It is possible that the false report / claim did not proximately cause officer to committed suicide.  However, it is theoretically possible.  It all depends on the facts of the case.

Your friend needs an attorney.  A good one.


Title: Cox communications

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Whatever you mail, just know that some low level intern or part time employee will see it, throw it away and it will never be seen by anybody of importance.

So not only will you waste money on dildos that you could be using on yourself, but your message will not get to anybody.


Title: Can a car be insured in one state while registered in a different state?

Question: Edit: Want to insure in NY but registered in Connecticut. Also does it make a difference if the insurer lives in NY?

Answer:
 Ask in /r/Insurance

But I'll tell you: if the driver/owner/insurer are all the same person,  and they permanently live in NY, then the auto needs to be registered in NY.


Title: SC (GA/FL) - My company is being told we owe over $38K in overcharges to a customer. Is there any recourse?

Question:
I'd like to start by saying that I am NOT trying to justify an overcharge or ripping anyone off. I've already told my boss we very may well need to pay up, but to speak to a lawyer. This is just to see if anyone has any thoughts.

Long before I worked here, a person I never met who was the head of our sales dept at the time signed a contract with a customer agreeing to bill approx $2200/month for services rendered to multiple of the customer's business locations. Apparently that contract was written by the customer for some reason, rather than by us (the service provider). The contract was signed in Jan of '14. Now, as far as I can tell, they've been customers of ours since at least 2010. Their bill has consistently been over $4000/month and hasn't changed since 2010. I have no idea why the person signed it or why it says we'd only bill them for $2200, but there you have it. We now got a "notice of breach" for the overcharges.

My boss is a good guy. He's not absolving himself of responsibility but he's understandably concerned that they may have intentionally deceived us (yes, we know it was on us to make sure we knew what was in there). He thinks that they may have known they were being overcharged and just waited this long to notify us. Or rather, that they knowingly cut the price in half hoping we wouldn't catch it and got lucky with an incompetent employee who signed their agreement. Our accounting dept just kept charging them the same amount since they were preexisting customers. If it was all profit we wouldn't care as much but our profit is only like 20%.

Another peculiar fact is they're only asking for reimbursement for charges dating back to '15 rather than '14 (although it's possible the contract was signed in '15 and the person wrote the wrong date, I honestly can't tell. We opened a new QB file for them in '15 so I'm thinking it's possible).

Does anyone have any thoughts? We're just trying to see if there's any recourse here. We're not opposed to paying if that's what needs to happen, but we're obviously going to look into it and ask around first as they've been a longtime customer with a consistent bill that long surpassed this contract.

The contract says it's a year long with an evergreen clause to renew with "like terms" unless cancelled in writing.

The contract says it is to be bound by the laws of SC & GA without conflict. We are located in FL. They are in SC & GA (their HQ in SC).

Any input is greatly appreciated. At first look it seems pretty black & white, we owe them money, but we 're still going to contact a lawyer to get "official" advice but I figured I'd ask here too. It's just a lot of money so we're covering our bases.

Thanks!

Answer:
 When that kind of money is at stake your bosses first move should be to call his insurer, and his second move should be to call an attorney. As you've already planned on contacting an attorney, that's the best move.

We can't give a better answer without knowing what your business is, your relationship with this client and the former employee, and reviewing the relevant contract.  This is not something that anyone on this subreddit will do, or at least not for less than their hourly billing rate.

FYI - nothing is as black and white as it may seem.  A good attorney is the next thing to a miracle worker in situations like this.

Good luck.


Title: Turned right on red, got red light camera ticket.

Question:
But here is my situation. Admittedly I didn't fully stop. Maybe that's enough that the ticket is justified. HOWEVER, I don't believe I should be ticketed. The intersection as I approach it consists of three lanes. A left, a straight through, and a right/through lane. I have a red light. As I approach, I see that the traffic approaching the intersection to MY RIGHT has an advanced green left turn. I didn't execute a full stop, but why should I? There isn't any oncoming traffic from the left (they have a red due to the advanced green left opposite them). By the same token, there shouldn't be (and weren't) any pedestrians crossing either in front of me or on my right hand side since the advanced left drivers have right of way through both intersections. My red stop light by all right SHOULD BE A GREEN RIGHT TURN ONLY! I doubt I will succeed fighting this in court, but I'm tempted because it is stupid. Is there any point trying to fight this, or is failure to stop at a red light going to be impossible to fight, regardless of how little sense it makes. My ticket says "my actions could have endangered vehicle and pedestrian safety". Explain how?

My location is Saskatchewan Canada.

Answer:
 >I didn't execute a full stop, but why should I?

Because in states where it's required, you must make a full stop on red even if it's stupid.Answer #2: Right turn on red means "right turn on red after coming to a complete stop" in every state that I'm aware of. I don't see you have any options.

>My red stop light by all right SHOULD BE A GREEN RIGHT TURN ONLY!

And if it was you wouldn't have got the ticket. But it wasn't so you did.

As a matter of interest you seem certain that there should be no pedestrians crossing at this time. Have you actually checked what happens from all directions and all permutations of a pedestrian pressing a cross walk signal?Answer #3: Location matters. I'm california you are required to come to a complete stop before turning right at a red. Road conditions and traffic don't matter. You must stop. You can be the only car on the road at 3am and this would still be a valid ticket.


Title: Can my boss fire me if I report her for welfare fraud?

Question: We work in Vermont. She brags about lying to get welfare all the time. It's pretty messed up because people like me that could really use it make a few dollars a month too much but someone like her making 50k + bonuses a year with the same amount of kids and adults living with her as I do gets help. I've seen her pay stubs so I know how much she makes and that she doesn't pay rent where she lives. I was thinking about doing it anonymously but if she somehow finds out it was me can she fire me? If she does would I have any recourse?

Answer: Report her and find a new job. This is not the kind of person you want to be working for. If she's willing to scam the system, then she may not be properly paying taxes or any number of other things. The likelihood of you getting screwed here is pretty high.


Title: Having some possibly dangerous mold issues in our condos in Austin, TX and seeking advice on what we can do about it regarding our goofy landlady

Answer:
 Home Depot sells an $8 test.

Landlords don't like to deal with mold because you can't see it in the air, the cause-and-effect is not clear cut, and it's expensive to remediate.

I would do the cheap test, ask the vet if the skin issue could be cause by mold in the house.  Dogs have skin issues a lot, so there's a decent chance it's unconnected. If you were having symptoms, I'd tell you to get out with as much prof of the mold as you can get. That's a breach of the warranty of habitabiliy, and generally grounds to break your lease (still have to follow your state's process for that.)


Title: [HELP] My Mother sold her SSD on eBay. Buyer restored it and stole all her private information...

Question:
I posted this on /r/privacy but I was advised to post on here for additional help as we are trying to do something about it.

[UK based] I'm kind of at a loss for words right now. So, I had no notice of this until I got a call about 30 minutes ago. My mother sold her SSD on eBay. Now the buyer is saying that he has all her details unless they get a cash sum or a refund with additional extra amount. She formatted it three times although I'm pretty sure they used some type of restoring programs as they have now mentioned it in exchanges we had. I've used in the past when I accidentally formatted my HDD. My Mother said all her information is on it along with passwords and bank information kept on Word documents. She was fairly new to using a computer and only purchased one in the past 3 years. I have this users postage address, contact number and email from eBay. What can I do from here on out? Really looking for some help.

Thank you!
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 That sounds like extortion to me.  Have her call the police.  They're really good at handling that sort of thing.Answer #2: Contact the police. This is textbook blackmail, as defined by section 21 of the Theft Act of 1968.Answer #3: You contact the police. I mean really, what else would you do? This is extortion pure and simple.Answer #4: Formatting ≠ Erasing/Overwriting.

Call the police, report the extortion.Answer #5: What the other two posters said AND immediately change all her passwords to everything and contact her bank to let them know somebody has her details and follow their recommendations when it comes to identity theft