Title: Do lawyers take losing cases?

Question:
On top of this, can a Lawyer just deny someone or is there a requirement to deny someone?

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For example, say that someone comes to a lawyer, looking for a defense in a murder trial. The victim was found dead and the accused has his fingerprints all over to place, on the murder weapon etc etc. Is the defending lawyer there just as a formality at that point?

Answer:
 Lawyers can refuse to take cases, but it's more frequent for civil suits where the potential client has no prospect of winning.

Criminal defense lawyers on the other hand do more than repeating "my client is not guilty". They are there to make sure their client's rights are not violated and the prosecution can prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. So even if the client's alibi is weak, the lawyer still has jobs to do.


Title: I [22M] had sex with a [16] girl. Is this illegal? State is Florida

Question: Asking this because laws are a little weird here. But yeah sex with a 16 year old girl. I'm 22.

Answer: Gross dude. Get a woman your own age and maybe not have sex with children. Just because it may be legal does not mean its right. Also maybe should have looked this up before possibly commiting a felony. Answer #2: It was legal but still creepy AF. Stay away from high schoolers.Answer #3: Can’t you just wait two more years?? Damn.


Title: [Question] (United States) Is it legal for parents to take away money that you earned from work as "punishment"?

Question:
Just what the title says. I'm under 18 but I think that if I earned my money independently it shouldn't be legal for a parent to be able to take it away because I did something they don't like.

Any advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 If you are under 18 everything about you, including any money you earn, is your parents. Do I think it right? Mostly not, but it's their call.

Edit - and yes, the other posters are correct that it's far more nuanced than that. But when it comes earnings like this, you are still likely to be out of luck.Answer #2: Legally they can (but I'm not a lawyer or an expert by any means)

However what you can do instead of take most of your money out of your bank account and start stashing it somewhere very secure where it's unlikely they can take it from you. Purchase a locked safe and store money in that and hide it somewhere nobody can take the money perhaps.


Title: [SD] Bought a Used Car with a Preexisting Condition

Question:
On December 20th I contacted a used car dealership in South Dakota (I was in Kansas at the time) about a car they had on their lot. It was priced pretty competitively and was exactly what I was looking for. CarFax was clean and it is fairly low miles ~60k. To hold the vehicle until I returned to SD I had to put 10% down. I filled out the initial paperwork and told them I wasn't going to sign anything until I was able to physically inspect the vehicle and confirm everything was kosher. They were not happy that I wouldn't close the deal before the end of the year.

On January 9th, I went to check out/pick up the vehicle. Evidently, the battery had died during the interim and was replaced before the test drive. I drove the vehicle, no check engine light, no rumble or any troubling signs. When signing the papers they informed me I needed to date them 12/21, I didn't think much of it. I declined the extended warranty and the car was sold as is. Upon leaving the dealership the check engine light came on. I immediately turned around and took the vehicle back to the dealership where they told me it was a low voltage code (something to do with the battery replacement) and cleared the code. The light stayed off for a few hours, but this process repeated over the next few days.

Today I was notified by a certified Toyota dealership that the timing chain has jumped and tooth and needs to be replaced a $3000 fix. The dealership claims this can't be right and refuse to cover any costs.

Do I have any options here?

Tldr: Bought a used car, dealer backdated the paperwork, now the car needs a big repair and the dealer won't cover it.

EDIT: Does the back dating of the paperwork help me get out of the contract in any way?

Answer:
 >  I declined the extended warranty and the car was sold as is.

There's your answer.


Title: My car was towed supposedly for the alarm going off (I heard nothing) and now I owe nearly $500 in towing fees.

Question:
I know it is legal to tow a vehicle whose alarm is going off in the city of Long Beach, but there was never any attempt to contact me or wait for it to go off. I live right next to where it was parked (street parking) and I heard nothing.

Now the tow company says I owe them $441 dollars to release it for an issue that felt very much out of my control?

Is this justice? What can I do here?

Answer:
 I would suggest getting your car out ASAP.

Then you can look into whether you car was illegally towed or not.


Title: [CO] Roommate is moving out of state for 4 months, and doesn't feel obligated to pay for utilities.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Well he isn't using any utilities. Is there a written agreement regarding the utilities?Answer #2: This sounds like a better fit for /r/relationships


Title: Microwave Warranty Repair: Damaged our wall and swapped our vent, now on vacation till 4/7

Question:
Our microwave was brand new with our new house and died 2 weeks after we moved in. Company sent a warranty repair guy, diagnosed, order parts, came back and repaired the microwave.

Well, typically you need two guys to remove an over-the-stove microwave and this guy did it on his own... putting deep paint scratches into our wall (lots of them). Then, when we turn the fan on, it now blows on our cabinets instead of the vent above. To fix that, we'd have to take the microwave back down and swap the fan.

Should we contact the manufacturer directly or wait patiently for repair guy to get back from vacation? Repair guy was extremely hard to get a hold of during the whole process, gave us short notice, and just an old grumpy guy when doing work.

TL:DR Warranty repair man damaged wall / configured microwave wrong, now on vacation until 4/7, what course should we take?

California

Answer: Start with the manufacturer.  The repair guy was their agent, so ultimately the microwave company is responsible for fixing the damage he caused.  Hopefully they'll send someone else out to fix the thing because it doesn't sound like the original guy knew what the hell he was doing.


Title: Termination for tardiness, workplace bullying

Question:
East coast USA

I confided in a superior about the ptsd I developed from being sexually assaulted along with some detail of the assault (which involved violent strangulation) so she could better understand why I would often cry on the job and didnt want to work on a certain floor. She immediately put me in a work team of all males that I didn't know what so ever (stating "they"ll keep you safe) who would make indirect triggering comments as though they were informed of my situation. Shortly there after pictures of Darth vader were put up on the walls from the scene of him choking a storm trooper. I would be talked down to as though I was behaving like a child even after expressing how I felt it was demeaning (dont forget to drink water today, (Halloween) "did you get any candy" in a condescending tone) i expressed to HR that it was making it difficult to work with certain individuals, even causing me severe anxiety going into work/at work.

Answer:
 You didn't ask for any reasonable accommodations, and none of this is illegal. You should move on and find a job that is more manageable with your mental issues.Answer #2: As I put in your other thread. You still aren’t giving enough info or an appropriate location.

On the surface nothing looks like a legal issue unless you have evidence that can connect the Darth Vader pictures to their knowledge of your trauma and then you would have a sexual harassment complaint you could take to HR. Being talked down to or like a child isn’t illegal. You also need to give a state location. Labor laws change based on state, it’s the entire reason they tell you to put the stateAnswer #3: Termination for tardiness is completely acceptable.

If you think it's retaliatory for your HR comments then you'll need to prove that others are getting away with the tardiness and not getting fired.

If you do have PTSD you can make an argument to HR asking for those behaviors to change since that's a clinical illness. If it's self-diagnosed PTSD, not sure.


Title: [PA] Obstetrician initially refused to declare pregnant wife disabled until a couple weeks before due date. Almost two weeks after birth, discover they never submitted paperwork to unemployment office.

Question:
Wife was about 30 weeks along when symptoms of nausea and malaise rendered her too sick to go to work. Employer in NJ was cool with her working from home until she could no longer work. At this time, the OB (in PA) refused to declare her disabled to prevent her from starting maternity leave too early before her due date. The OB was then informed that my wife hadn’t been employed long enough to qualify for maternity leave.

Five weeks go by, and my wife finally convinced the doctor that she qualifies for disability. At this point, her employer files their half of the paperwork to NJ. The doctor has her half of the forms and tells us she’ll submit paperwork. My wife leaves work for the allotted eight weeks of presumably paid time.

Four weeks later, we have a beautiful and healthy child and a twice-rejected disability claim. The state never received the doctor’s portion. We call the doctor and they admit that the paperwork didn’t get faxed. Meanwhile, we have bills accumulating and no supplementary disability income.

We feel the doctor is partially responsible for our current hardship. Should we spend a couple hundred bucks on consultation with an unemployment/disability lawyer?

Answer:
 Many lawyers will often do the initial consultation for free.

Once you let the doctor know you are working with an attorney it will dramatically change how they treat the situation - for better or worse.

There's no harm in asking a lawyer what your options are, but do exhaust all options with the doctor's office before mentioning a lawyer.  Start by trying to figure out if the problem is with the doctor not signing the paperwork, or her office staff not knowing how to do their jobs.Answer #2: They should back pay you once they have the necessary forms. You may ask NJ if they will accept medical records or hospital admission forms to at least start teh claim. Pregnancy claims are very straightforward so proof that she delivered a baby should be enough - it is for the private disability carrier I work for. State bureaucracies are different though. Worth checking on.


Title: Can I ban a person from a hotel lobby? (PA)

Question: I'm in Philadelphia to be exact. I had a guest who physical assulted an employee of mine and I want to ban him from the property. I have a supervisor saving I need to go to court and get some sort of restraining order otherwise I can't legally bar him from the property. I don't want to go through the hassle and believe I can ban him without one. Who is correct?

Answer:
 If you're the hotel manager or person in charge, then yes you can ban the person. You tell them to leave. If they don't leave, they're trespassing, and you call the police to report the trespass.

You don't have to go to court. You don't have to prove he assaulted someone. You can ban someone for any non-discriminatory reason.Answer #2: You are correct that you do not need to go through a legal process to ban someone from the hotel. However, if your supervisor tells you that you need it, you do. The hotel can set whatever policy they want.


Title: Was arrested for a DUI recently. Went to DMV to get a picture ID they said the matter was dropped and gave me an actual drivers license. What is going on?

Question:
I don't understand what is happening legally.  As I mentioned, following a DUI arrest (which I would say was problematic for several reasons but am not a lawyer)  went to the DMV to get a normal ID card.  DMV employee looked at my record for a while, asked if I'd been to court (I had but it was just a "disposition" hearing I think, all they did was tell me the possible penalties, how to get a PD and gave a me a new date 2 months from now).

DMV employee asked me to sit, waited about 30 minutes getting annoyed when she came up to say that there was a note on my file as of that morning and though she could not explain (apparently I'll be getting a letter in 5 to 7 days from the DMV) I was eligible to have my driving privileges restored.  She made it seem like the matter was dropped on the DMV side (it must have been for me to get a real license I should think -else automatic 6 months - 1 year loss here)

She said she had never seen this before.  What the hell is going on?  I still have a court date and understand that a DUI is 2 issues , administrative and criminal .  So I have a court date , my guess is that I am still being charged criminally but the administrative part is somehow no longer a problem?

Any advice or guidance on how to handle the matter moving forward?  I am still in a state of disbelief , that there is no way that this is real but I have a legitimate drivers license in my wallet.  Any input or guidance whatsoever on how to  move forward or what the hell might be going on  would be greatly appreciated

Answer: Count your blessings and please don’t drink and drive again


Title: Is it possible to divorce myself from my parents?

Question:
Hello, I live in Nevada in the U.S. I currently live with my parents and I am on social security. The problem is that all through my life my parents are overbearing and won't let me get a job, career or let me live independently. They truly believe I am not capable of taking care of myself.

I have tried every attempt to sway their opinions over the years but it is proving impossible. I am sure literally anyone else would enjoy this kind of care free life style but it is not for me. I don't have my own bank account since they share it with me.

Is there a way I can create as much legal barrier between me and them as much as possible?

Answer: Get your own bank account and move out.


Title: Interrogation tricks & tips.

Question: What are some of the tricks law enforcement and lawyers use to get information? How can someone avoid these traps.

Answer: Avoid it by not talking to an officer in interrogation without a lawyer present on your behalf.


Title: Michigan: How do I get a cease and desist?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Get a civil attorney to draft a cease and desist letter.

Unfortunately, as ~~your MIL doesn't seem to be physically threatening and~~ the police already know about her and won't do anything about it, any cease and desist letter will likely be toothless.

*EDIT: thinking on it, the threats against your lives and kidnapping your children, should be enough to get a restraining order. But if you have informed the police already and they have not done anything, you are likely SOL. But, you can still file for a restraining order and see if the courts agree.*


Title: Getting married soon need help on protecting myself

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 What you're talking about is a pre-nup (pre-nuptial agreement). Take your girlfriend and go to an attorney's office and they'll handle it from there.

Though be prepared for backlash from the fiancé.


Title: If a guy filed for paternity rights for a 9 month in New Orleans and the mom was ordered to show up to court but a lawyer from the women's shelter instead is she in contempt?

Question: She wasn't there, only the lawyer was.

Answer: Up to judge. Answer #2: depends on what the appearance was. if the court specifically ordered her to appear, then she had to. if it was an appearance for certain purposes, she probably can get away with her attorney appearing in her place.


Title: My employer is suing me. They charged me $50 per wage garnishment and I owe them $1000. California

Question: Is this legal for them to do? I refused to allow them to deduct it from my wages.

Answer:
 A $50 fee for wage garnishment is a tad excessive, because the employer's only fee is $1.50 for processing each wage garnishment.

http://www.courts.ca.gov/34892.htm

> You may deduct from the employee’s earnings the amount of one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) for each payment you make under the earnings withholding order.

*Edit: It seems some or all of that page may not apply when the garnishment is for child or spousal support, or for tax liability garnishments, so it may depend on what this garnishment is for.*


Title: Kansas U.S. - Someone is in my apartment when I'm at work, they don't steal, just touch my things.

Question:
For the last two months I have been noticing weird things in my apartment. For the first month, I noticed my computer being turned on at least once or twice a week and being greeted with the login screen when I came home. My boyfriend thought I was just leaving it on, which honestly could have been true. I started to pay closer attention to it, and then my boyfriend's started doing it too. He thought it was weird but figured it was some electrical issue.

Things like this have escalated over the past month. Things like the calendar on my wall being flipped to different months, my couch being moved just enough for me to notice, lights being turned on, certain switches being turned OFF when they were on ON and the opposite. My boyfriend started noticing all of this too, so I know I'm not crazy. This isn't an elaborate prank by my boyfriend because we have the exact same schedule and have both came home to these things happening when we were both out. We don't really have many friends, they've never been to our apartment, and neither of us have family over either. No one has a copy of our house key besides maintenance and our landlord, that we know of. He is equally concerned and wants to get a security camera, especially because we have pets.

I am incredibly freaked out by this, not because someone has access to my apartment, but because someone has access and ignores all of my electronics and expensive items I have left out intentionally (credit cards, tablets, jewelry etc.)

I don't know if my next step is to call my landlord? When I say it out loud, I feel like I sound crazy. When I do get a security camera, and I do find someone entering my apartment, what do I do?

Answer:
 Do you have a CO detector? That and a nanny cam.Answer #2: Before you leave the house this week, place a piece of clear tape on the bottom of your door, with a tiny bit hanging off, touching the door frame.  If someone goes in your apt, that bit will fold into the frame.

My guess is that you have a LL or super who is (illegally) snooping.Answer #3: > When I do get a security camera, and I do find someone entering my apartment, what do I do?

Police. Personally, I'd talk to your landlord and see if you can change your locks, though your landlord would have a key...


Title: Roommate moving out with no one to cover her rent

Question:
I live in Colorado and have recently run into an issue with a roommate (call her A). She originally told us she was going to leave in August. Well, she changed her mind and left in April, under the assumption that another girl (B) would move in and take over the May rent. Well B changed her mind. We currently have no one occupying the room that A lived in and are scrambling to find someone.

The issue is May rent. It is due on May 5th. No new lease has been signed taking A off. She gave the rental company a 30 day notice that she was leaving and got a verbal confirmation (from a new lady) that she did not have to pay May rent. Well no one came to us about it. We are now being held responsible for her rent. But, again, nothing has been signed removing her from the lease.

Is she responsible for her portion of rent?

Answer: If you are on one lease together,  she would still be responsible yes. However the management company is going to expect you to pay the full rent. If she doesn't pay you,  you will need to take her to small claims court.  This is not the landlord's problem,  unless you have separate leases. Answer #2: Explain to her that unless she finds a new sublease you'll be suing her in small claims for the rent check each month.Answer #3: Yes. She is responsible per the lease


Title: Can i post picture of a thief on social media?

Question:
Yesterday at friend's hair salon a woman walked out to the car to "get cash" after receiving $200 worth of services (color, wash and cut).
As you can imagine she never returned.
Can we post her image (from our cameras) on social media (Facebook,  twittter). We would like to warn other businesses as well as shame her for stealing.
Begore we do, we would like to make sure that this is not going to get us in any trouble.
Location: New York, NY

Answer:
 Thanks guys. Salon's owner (my friend) for some reason is hesitant to file police report. She thinks it's her fault it happened, because she was too trusting.
I've been telling her all along to file report (especially that camera has a very clear view of that lady's face).
That woman did not book a service in advance.  She walked in, got the hair done, and walked out. She only gave her first name (who knows, could be fake). Answer #2: You should contact the police. Show them the video and give them the booking info.


Title: My sister is being sued for an accident that happened in March, where no one was injured

Question:
My sister, as the title says, was in an accident in March in which she slid on ice, and rear-ended a lady in front of her, my sister and the lady both walked away with minor or no injuries. My sister was not given a ticket on the spot. Now, 8 months later, my sister is being sued for $25k on the premise that she was a "reckless driver" and that the lady she hit now has "Serious Physical injuries" I know nothing about law, is there anything we can do to avoid this lawsuit?
Edit: We live in Michigan
Edit: talked to a lawyer friend, he told us to send all the documents to our insurance and that they should cover it. Thank you to every one that gave information though.

Answer:
 No, she can't avoid a lawsuit, unless she wants to settle out of court. She needs to inform her insurance company, if she hasn't already.Answer #2: By the way, the "8 months later" aspect of this lawsuit is not unusual at all. Lawsuits are often filed 1-2 years after person injury accidents after the medical treatment and "chiropractic care" and "physical therapy" are all completed.

"Serious physical injuries" is form language, those words will be in the complaint regardless of how serious the injuries really are.


Title: Suing equifax in a couple weeks in small claims court, looking for advice

Question: How do I develop a legal argument for this case? I don't know if I can prove damages at this point, is there a way to claim potential damage? I want to represent myself.

Answer: Why would you sue someone without having any kind of legal argument prepared?  If you aren't even sure that you can prove damages, the potential for future damage doesn't really matter.  It sounds like you'll be wasting the court's time and your money.  This is frivolous.Answer #2: Oh not this topic again.


Title: How do I get my Dad's ex-girlfriend arrested for harassment against my step-mom. Dad's ex-girlfriend is a crackhead and slashes and vandalizes my step-mom's car periodically.

Question:
My Dad and step-mom break up but remain friends for the last 15 years. Since then he has had a few girlfriends but is now single and living again with my step-mom and me at my step-mom's apartment. (My step-mom is awesome, and let's my Dad stay here because they are still good friends after all these years).

My Dad has had sobriety for 30 years and meets people he has relationships with at AA. Well, his last girlfriend was clearly still an addict but we gave her the benefit of the doubt and tried to accept her at family dinners and when we visit our Dad. The crackhead was clearly jealous of my Step-mom because my step-mom is a stable person (also many years sober) and is still in my family's life even though she's not blood and not "with" my Dad.

Well the crackhead got abusive and the relationship ended and my dad moved back to my Step-mom's. (I had just moved to her place too. To help with bills and convenience for both of us).

For the last 2 years, my step-mom's car has been vandalized. Mostly slashed tires but also windshield wipers ripped off (or bent when the repairs guy bolted them down after they were ripped off the first time), windows smashed, broken glass put behind the tires.

We live in the city, and park on the street,we have no idea how to prove that it is my Dad's ex-girlfriend that is vandalizing the car. We just want to live in peace and can't keep repairing the car from this, it's getting too expensive.

The police say they need proof, is that true? Is a history of harassment enough?

Could a lawyer help? What would a lawyer do?

Note: We live in California, if that affects the law.

Answer:
 The police are more or less correct.  You have no evidence that it's this ex-girlfriend.

Invest in a dashcam, one that turns on and off with movement.  Install that, see what you get.


Title: Are one or both of these parties guilty of sexual assault?

Question:
Obviously the names have been changed, but this is a real scenario. The people involved are in Virginia, USA.

George and Martha had a few drinks one night. Both could be described as "buzzed" but neither was stumbling drunk or anything. They start making out, despite having no previous romantic interest in one another. Martha presents the idea of sexual intercourse. George turns down the idea, but offers to finger Martha. Martha agrees, but neither George or Martha enjoys the act.

George feels Martha guilted him into relenting and doing something he didn't want to.

Martha feels George was the one that wanted to do it, and relented to letting it happen.

Legally, who is at fault? This does not seem to be a case of one party forcing sex on the other, but there is also the fact both had been drinking, so technically could not consent.

Answer:
 Being merely buzzed does not make people incapable of consent.

You are describing a consensual encounter.  Provided that both parties describe it this way, nothing will come of it.


Title: (BC, CAN) My landlord forged my signature to withdraw money from my account

Question:
I've been paying my rent by going to my landlord's bank and directly depositing it into his account (using a void cheque of his). This was fine until a few months ago, when I noticed that my rent had been withdrawn twice. I figured it was an error and had my bank correct it. I told my landlord this to keep him in the loop, in case he saw the reversal in his account.

Then the next month, it happened again. I went to his bank because I noticed that it was marked as an automatic withdrawal. They claimed they didn't know what was going on, and I had my bank reverse it again. The next month, I figured this would happen a third time, so I opted to not deposit my rent. Lo and behold, the money was withdrawn again. I went back and forth with my landlord's bank until finally today they asked me to come in to sign something. Basically, it was a form to cancel the automatic withdrawal I had allegedly set up. However, I never set this up, and the signature was clearly not mine.

I moved out last month due to a host of other issues with my landlord, but should I be taking action against him? He's also ignoring my calls and emails regarding returning my damage deposit.

**TL;DR: My landlord forged my signature to withdrawn money, and I don't know if I should be taking legal action or filing a police report.**

Answer:
 Police. Now. That was fraud.

As for the damage deposit, that's what the Residential Tenancy Board is for. Go make a complaint and ask for a hearing. Plus side: you know where he banks, so if he doesn't pay up after the Board orders him to you can garnish his bank account. .Answer #2: Yeah this is a police thingAnswer #3: Not a lawyer, but in addition to calling the police, you may want to notify your bank to put a fraud alert on your account. If you know of fraud and fail to take reasonable acts to prevent it (at least in the US), you may jeopardize your ability to have your bank cover the fraudulent withdrawals, if they continue.Answer #4: Not in Canada, but definitely fraud. Report, report, report!


Title: Getting brother in Law out.

Question:
I live in illinois and this issue started many years ago but not relevant to now. Two days ago my brother in law was insulting my mother and my sister (he is constantly doing this). I said calm down and stop insulting them. He said what are you going to do about it and he got up to fight me but I just held him down and stopped when my pregnant sister jumped on him to stop. Fast forward today he basically insults me I send back the same insult and he charges me so i throw him against the fridge while he grabs for my throat(gets a few scratches there as well, got pictures). Same thing as last time pregnant sister and mother jump in so I back off. The advice I am looking for is how can I have him kicked out of the house, because he told my sister he will always try to hurt me anytime he sees me and I dont want to constantly be vigilant at my own home, this place is owned by my aunt and given to my mom not in any written agreement. The next question is how to get him deported he is on temporary visa through marriage, my sister plans on divorcing him but she is 5 months pregnant and he is the aggressor.
The questions, how to get him kicked out of house legally binding and how to get him deported.

Answer: If he is a danger to you or the peopke arround you then call the police. At the same time you might want to look into the options of a restraining order and if they are suitable in this situation.


Title: [OH] Girlfriend’s Dad trying to make mother homeless?

Question:
My (16) girlfriend (17) says her dad is trying to make her mother homeless. His plan is to get a new house for himself, her, and her sister, “get himself off the papers” for the current one, and because her mother has no job and would be unable to pay the bills, make her homeless (she is very allergic to animals and all of her relatives have animals.)
Is this illegal? Is there anything she or I can do to deal with this?

Answer: You should have zero involvement in this situation.


Title: [WA, USA] Got into a car accident & was found not at fault, now the other driver is seeking a personal injury attorney

Question:
A few weeks ago, I had another car merge into my lane and cause an accident. She was found to be at fault by the cop that came, as well as both of our insurance companies.

Recently I got a letter in the mail from a local personal injury attorney that is representing her. In the letter, the attorney is requesting that I send them my insurance information, as well as what my maximum liability $ is.

I scanned the letter and sent it to my insurance company (USAA) and the claims representative told me that they'll handle it and send the information over on behalf of me.

Am I going to get sued? If so, does she even have a case since she was found to be at fault?

Edit: thanks for everyone's responses! I'll let them handle it.

Answer:
 She could sue you, sure. She probably won't win, but it's a free country.

You've done what you need to, and let your insurance company know.

If you receive a summons or anything else from her or her attorney forward it to your insurance, and talk to them.

Chance are your insurance will contact her attorney, explain the situation, and he'll either drop her as a client or demand an obscene amount of money to move forward. Answer #2: > the claims representative told me that they'll handle it and send the information over on behalf of me.

Let them do your job. Anyone can sue anyone. Luckily, you have professionals that you have paid to handle this. I don't know the details of the case, so I don't know if she has a valid case, but with what you have said, I do not believe that she will win anything.


Title: [TX]How would I go about claiming lost wages?

Question:
Hi, Reddit!
Over the past eight months or so, I've been working at a retail pharmacy. During this time, I've recently discovered that I've been getting paid less than my peers, who were hired at the same time and at the same level of experience. I was curious as to how I would go about claiming the lost wages, or if there's anything I can do at all about the situation? I've tried talking to management, though they insisted that it wasn't an issue, and were more concerned with the fact that we were discussing pay rates. I appreciate any help that you guys can provide, and I can answer any questions as needed. Thanks!

Answer: This is not a lost wage claim. It does not matter if you were hired at the same time or with the same level of experience. Companies are allowed to be discretionary in what they pay their employees, and if you agreed to what you're currently being paid, management is correct as this is a non issue.


Title: What can I do to protect myself when going through a divorce that's not legally a divorce, with a child that's not legally my child?

Question: So I've been living together, as if married, with a woman for 5 years. We bought a house together recently. However, it has come to light that she has been cheating on me for months, and despite claiming she wants us to reconcile, her messages with her best friend say that she has no intention of doing so. In addition to the house, she has a son who I've known since he was a toddler, and who I've raised as my own for nearly 5 years. His bio dad is not in the picture. My question is, what can I legally do to protect my rights to my son (biological or not, he's my kid)? I'm playing along and pretending I'm trying to reconcile for now, in hopes that is being amicable will help me talk her into signing something. I'd also like to find a way to put the mortgage in only her name (I would give her the house as well).

Answer:
 You would need to file for adoption to have any hope of custody.

>I'd also like to find a way to put the mortgage in only her name (I would give her the house as well).

She wouls have to refinance in her name only. You cannot unilateraly take your name off the mortgage.Answer #2: >Edit: I should mention, the affair is with her supervisor at work, and he could be in trouble if there were proof (I haven't managed to save any). I don't intend on causing trouble, but it could be leverage.

~~leverage~~ you mispelled "blackmail".


Title: Missing smoke detectors in rental home, landlord trying to argue about how many we need (Oklahoma)

Question:
Didn’t know how to title this.
My husband, 5 year old and myself just moved into a 3 bedroom rental home. I noticed yesterday the lack of smoke detectors in the house, and my husband sent him a text about it. There is one detector in the hallway, with no battery in it. This house has the floorboard heaters (no central ac or heat) so it makes me more nervous about using them until we get detectors.
Landlord is saying he will get us “one more” but it isn’t required for every room. I’ve looked up rental laws about this in Oklahoma and of course it says it’s against the law if there’s none, but I’m getting mixed messages from it. Could someone provide me with the correct law on this subject? I am tempted to just go to the fire department and ask them, I think they might even just provide us with some smoke detectors.

Answer: Secretary for a fire marshal here - don't just ask a local fire department, look up who your Fire Marshal is and call them. Tell them exactly what you've said here, including the dates of the detectors you do have (they do have a shelf life of about 10 years.) It's possible there may be no code in regards to detector requirements, but I doubt it. If there *is* a code and your landlord isn't following it, the fire marshal will be all over that.


Title: [PA/NJ] Arrested in PA, recommended for ARD, arrested for floor weed a week later.

Question:
Hi - I want to preface this by saying I know I made mistakes. Just looking for the best course of action here. I am a 19 year old college student.

About a week ago (Monday Jan. 8th, ~1:30AM) I was in my car in a small lot on my street (Bucks County, Pennsylvania - suburban townhouses, very small police dept.) A police car rolled up and the officer spotted a small weed crumb near the gear stick of my car upon shining a flashlight in. She then said she knew there was weed in the car, which I surrendered because there was also alcohol and a scale in my backpack and I didn't want to be searched. Luckily, I wasn't, and she took my jar with ~5 grams of weed and a grinder. was cuffed, booked, and released. got charged with possession and paraphernalia, and the officer told me she was recommending me for **ARD** ([Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition](http://www.buckscounty.org/government/RowOfficers/DistrictAttorney/ARD)) based on my good behavior and cooperation.

This next paragraph I'm 99% sure is irrelevant to my case, but I figured I'd include it anyway: the first officer told me I was the most pleasant and cooperative person she's ever had to arrest, and seemed to imply that she would help me as much as possible with ARD. I haven't received a court date or anything like that related to this arrest yet. I was told 2-3 weeks.

I cleaned out my car (to the point where I thought it was 100% clean) and decided to quit smoking. Last night (Saturday Jan. 13th, ~8:15PM) I was pulled over for obstruction of view in Monmouth County, NJ. the officer asked me to step out of the vehicle and pulled out a [small case that I purchased an ecig in](https://www.blu.com/dw/image/v2/AAQG_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-bluus-catalog/default/dw163583e3/product-images/Blu/products-US/blu-ecigs/blu%20PLUS+%20Xpress%20Kit%20image%201.jpg?sw=1200&sh=1200&sm=fit) from the floor in the back of my vehicle. Stuck/lodged inside the back of the case was a small piece of marijuana that I had missed (if I had to guess, ~0.1 grams). I made it very clear to the officer that I was completely unaware that there was any substance in the car, which he didn't say much to. I was arrested, booked, charged with CDS in MV (controlled dangerous substance in motor vehicle, **N.J.S.A. 39:4-49.1)** and **obstruction of view** (both of which are traffic violations, the former being far more serious). The obstruction of view was because I had an air freshener hanging on my rear view mirror. I was also charged with "less than 50 grams of marijuana" - **N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10(a)(4)**. I received a summons to a municipal court in NJ for January 31st.

While in the booking/processing area of the police dept. in NJ, the arresting officer told me that if I spoke with the prosecutor, he would help me to get out of the CDS in MV charge and that I would only have to deal with the obstruction of view ticket. He didn't mention the possession charge, he didn't mention a lawyer, and didn't go into more detail when I asked what I should say to the prosecutor. If what he says is true and my charges in NJ are dismissed, I won't be found in violation of the ARD terms.

Just to clarify, I haven't started ARD yet, and I haven't been convicted of anything yet.

Now, I know I need to retain an attorney, maybe multiple, but this is where I get lost:

- For which jurisdiction should I hire an attorney?
- Do I have a case, or have I 100% lost my ability to participate in ARD?
- Do I call the first arresting officer and let her know what happened?

Answer:
 You will need an attorney who is licensed to practice law in each state you will be going to court in.  Not sure if Pennsylvania and New Jersey have reciprocity, but I would imagine there’s plenty of attorneys licensed in both if you’re near the border.Answer #2: > Do I call the first arresting officer and let her know what happened?

No, there's no point in doing that. First she doesn't care. If she did care, it would only hurt you.

ARD is at the sole discretion of the DA, not the police officer.  The DA may consider input from the officer but if they do then you don't want to officer knowing you had another arrest.

Talk to a lawyer. You'll need one that practices in PA and NJ ideally. Or one for each.  They will be able to tell you more about your eligibility for ARD. Answer #3: I believe ARD is a form of probation. Since this is two different states. The question is does this violate the ARD. You probably should tell the court about being given ARD.


Title: My employer is forcing employees to spend 20-40 hours a week traveling for work, for FREE.

Question:
You read correctly! My employer is making everyone from their Florida installation team travel for probably 20-30 hours a week on average, and refusing to pay for it. I do contract labor, traveling around the Southeastern United States, and my job sites vary from Atlanta, to Nashville, to as far as Little Rock, AR.
The problem is that when I started, I got to stay in Florida working 4 or less hours from home. This was my normal work area for an entire year. Since about a month into my employment, they've started paying us a "10% travel bonus" for working 4 or more hours from home. This only amounts to 4 hours worth of pay in a 40 hour week, so it was perfectly fair while I was working in Florida ~4 hours away... But then the work in Florida dried up, and they started sending us all to Atlanta, and Nashville, and Arkansas, and Indiana, etc... So if you work in Little Rock Arkansas for example, that's 11 more hours of drive time than their little "travel bonus" will cover. When I ask about how to charge for the 10+ extra hours drive between sites, I was told, "you DON'T get paid for travel."

Is this even LEGAL? These people have taken literally 25+ hours of my life every single week for the last two months and I'm about to quit. They are doing this to about 6 different guys that I know of. The part that's so messed up is that the other employees of the company who are working within reasonable ranges of their homes, they are getting paid the same for their travel as those of us who are sometimes spending (literally) as much as THIRTY EIGHT hours on the road in a single week, (that was me last week!) AND working a real 40 hours on top of that. To me it's just crazy. Please someone tell me they can't get away with that...

Oh, and we had a meeting today, another guy specifically cited his 36 hours of unpaid travel from the previous week, and all MGMT had to say was "it's something we're thinking about."

**Edit:** My employer is based in Massachusetts, if it helps!
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Are you an employee or an independent contractor? Are you the one driving the car during travel time?


Title: Section 8 Housing Fraud (California)

Question:
Alright guys, this is going to be a little lengthy, so I'll put a TLDR at the bottom, but I really need some solid advice here.

Okay so my brother and I moved from Idaho to California in February 2018, where we were set up in an Airbnb for the first three months. This home is owned by one person, but she rents it to a couple who set up the Airbnb (which I'll refer to as the landlords from here on out). After that time was up, we came to an agreement with the landlords to sublease the place to us, where we've stayed up until the present. We first signed a 6 month lease, and after that it has been month to month with no additional lease/contract signed.

Maybe two weeks ago, a man came to the door asking for one of the landlords (we'll call her Mrs. Smith). At the time, I forgot that was her last name, as she and her husband have different last names, and I usually deal with the husband when there are issues with the home or when paying rent. I told him there was no one here by that name and that it was just us. He said he was here for a Section 8 Housing inspection. This was not communicated to us by either landlord that they were signing up for Section 8, nor that there was someone coming to inspect, so we (the tenants) had no idea. He asked if we rent and for how long we've been there, to which I told him the truth. The conversation lasted all of 2 minutes and he was on his way. Fast forward to a few days ago, my landlord (the husband) informs me that his wife is now being investigated for Section 8 Housing fraud, as she doesn't live there at the property. The landlords currently live in Atlanta and have properties here in California and in Atlanta which they rent/Airbnb.

Here's where I think we fucked up. The power/water/trash utilities are in our name, but the rest are in theirs. During the investigation, the Housing Dept discovered this, so our landlord (the husband) asked us to write a letter stating that we put that utility bill in our name to assist the wife with payments so her power wouldn't be shut off, and that we don't live at that address, and to get it notarized. We did so and sent it their way. We aren't that familiar with Section 8 so we were hoping that sending this letter might calm down the storm that the landlords have been dealing with.

After the letter was sent, the husband told me that if there was another inspection, there would be a notification and if Mrs. Smith wasn't there and in Atlanta, to just say we don't know anything about it, that we are house sitting while she's out of town and to talk to her about it. I have a dog at the home as well, and for some reason that might be a problem(?) so they said to just say we were dog sitting as well.

Well unfortunately that time came today. Two men from the Housing Dept showed up this morning asking for Mrs. Smith, who is not in state. I told them so and that I was just there dog sitting. They were visibly annoyed that she wasn't here when she said she would be. They took down my information, asked about the occupants that are normally here and some other questions regarding Mrs. Smith and where she travels and how often. They did not enter the home. After they left, I informed the husband about the visit. He told me his wife (Mrs. Smith) is flying in today (also unknown to us the tenants) to try and deal with this situation.

We did what our landlords asked out of fear of being evicted if we didn't. We have been looking to move into a new place that's actually ours for a month or so, well before this whole thing took place. My dog is a pitbull mix so it's challenging to find a new home for us, but we've been looking. But until then, we didn't want to be thrown on to the street for not lying for them. I feel awful about it and I don't want to be involved in this investigation or take any fall for them, but we need to keep a roof over our heads until we can find a new place, which will hopefully happen soon.

I'm incredibly stressed out here Reddit. Do we just refuse to speak to the Housing Dept from now on and forward them to the landlords? Should we consider getting a lawyer? Should I contact the Housing Dept and tell them the truth about what has been going on, even though that might risk our residency in this home? I don't want to go down for fraud that wasn't my doing/fault.

TL;DR - Landlord is being investigated for Section 8 Housing fraud because they do not live at the home for which they applied. My brother and I have been renting (subleasing) here since Feb 2018. The landlords asked us to lie for them to take off some of the heat from the investigation, and now I fear we might have been dragged into this mess.

Answer: OP, on their first visit you spoke the truth. On the second visit, you lied to a government agent conducting an investigation. And it sounds like they recognize the inconsistency between your answers. What you may face is a federal criminal charge of accessory after the fact. 18 USC Section 3. Stop talking and start planning to find a new place. If you are charged, lawyer up.


Title: Should apt complex association give rent reduction to sandwich shop affected by a renovation project?

Question:
I am on Board of Directors of an 18-story, 150-unit complex with some 50 businesses on the first 3 floors, medical service providers, attorneys, etc.

The complex has started a 4-month driveway renovation that closes access to our main lobby.  People can walk in the lobby, but an 8-foot high wood wall cordons off all driveway access.

All residents and patrons of businesses will enter from side entrances on either wing.  This temporary change is inconvenient to residents and the businesses, but does not prevent access in any significant way.

The renovation has caused a 60% fall in business to the sandwich shop, which is sited in a nook at the lobby entrance and is now flanked by the wood wall.  The shop pays rent to the association.  There is little reason for anyone to walk to the outer lobby anymore, only 2 other businesses are sited there, both attorney's offices, and they are located further inside the lobby.  Much of the shop's business came from building visitors, not residents.

How is the sandwich shop supposed to survive for months on this reduced income?  I have argued to the board that shop warrants a temporary rent reduction.  Other board members disagree, asserting that if the complex gives the shop a rent reduction, it must do the same for other 50 businesses.  I believe that reasoning is misinformed.  Opinions?

Answer:
 I doubt you owe them anything legally, but it certainly wouldn’t be unreasonable to offer any of those businesses that rely mostly on foot traffic a discount on rent.

Alternatively maybe you could provide them with some signage (“Open during construction!”) or temporary walkway covers, stuff like that.


Title: Snooping through someone else's prescription medication. Illegal? MN

Question:
Hi,

Hope it's alright to post this here. I'm just trying to be proactive in protecting myself.

Parents are up babysitting my daughter while I am at work. Daycare starts at the end of December.

I came home from work the other day and noticed our bedroom door was open. I got suspicious, so I started to crack the door at a very specific angle when I leave for work. Several days in a row, the door would either be ajar or closed when I came home from work.

I did something admittedly unethical, and out of suspicion, looked through my mom's phone when she wasn't around as she has a previous 'track record' of boundary disrespect. Confirmed my suspicion. She is texting my dad about how she found my prescription antidepressants in my bedroom closet, and she says she is counting them to see if I'm taking them. "12 pills left today" "9 pills today" "Dr. ___ prescribed them on 10/17, that's weird, is she skipping doses" Along with a bunch of other unrelated, completely unfounded trash talk about how I don't take care of my daughter properly. The trash talking went on for about 6 weeks (perhaps longer) and the pill-counting, as far as I know, had gone on at least the past 2 weeks.

I'm wondering if I have any legal footing here. I'm not trying to wear a tinfoil hat, but it's almost like they're trying to frame me as an unfit mother. I'm a good mother, and I do my best - and that includes taking medication to manage my mental health. The trash-talking was in regards to the temperature of my daughter's bath, the temperature of her milk, the temperature outside and how she wasn't dressed properly, how I "ignore the baby" and "wake the baby up", etc.

In the meantime, I plan to set up a pet cam in our bedroom to catch my mom in the act.

I'd appreciate any advice.

Answer: Why are you setting up a camera? You know it's happening, kick her out of your house and don't allow her access to go through your things. Answer #2: My advice is to get different babysitters.  Or lock the door to wherever your medicine cabinet is.


Title: FMLA again

Question:
I'm in colorado

Tl;dr
Things have progressed with condition have fmla intermittently. New medications have made me incoherent and I wasn't able to report immediately that I would be in 2 days in a row. Boss pushed for me to tell him why I didn't let him know sooner. I let him know that I told him as soon as practable. Next day he pushed for medicine reason, let him know I wasn't comfortable going over my medicine info with him. Company policy states fmla absense be reported in 1 day and I did just that (4 hours). Following this interaction with boss, received harassing text from coworker (texts in quotes below) letting me know that I need to be there for them and team or quit and let someone else take over. Sent texts to hr and director and requested accomadations under ADA for transfer, have meeting setup to discuss options. Am I handling this right, do I have any recourse and is there anything else i should be doing. Thanks.

So things are escalating at work. I have intermittent FMLA approved through my company for 40 hours a month. My conditioned progressed this past week and my DR prescribed some harsh medications that I need to take at specific time periods. Well unfortunately, these medications are taking some time for my body to get used to and are having pretty harsh side affects that are making it impossible to drive and be coherent. I have talked to my doctor and we are going to try some alternate medications.

Due to these side effects and my condition, I have missed the last 2 days of work. I did not expect these reactions and wasn't able to communicate with my boss that I would not be in. As soon as the effects wore off, I sent a message. The next morning I took the medication at the same time and had similar affects, although it didn't last as long, I still couldn't report that id be in. My boss texted me stating it's an expectation that I let him know before my shift starts that I won't be in. Also that i need to let staff know that im using FMLA for the day. The first day I let him know that I let him know as soon as practable. The second day he was more aggressive and I let him know that there are extenuating circumstances and I don't feel comfortable releasing my medical information to him. He stopped replying.

I looked up our employee handbook and it states for FMLA, I need to let them know within 1 day.  Then today  I received the following from a peer. He started out by asking if I'm okay, and I stated no. And then stated

"We are your team nothing has been communicated to us?!! These no call no shows to your peers is not okay! Get your shit together bro! I know life is hitting you with a lot but it could be a lot worse with out a job! You are going down a bad path bro, clean it up!"

And

"Wow name! We are a team of leadership and you are Ffing over your peers! We need you! Your team needs you! This takes time away from my family dealing with your shit name. You need to do what's right for your team and us! Either be there or allow someone else to do the job that you can't do"

And

"I spoke my opinion! I'm done talking! You won't hear shit from me! Moving forward if have something please email it to me unless it's customer impacting.  Best of luck to you!"

This is my boss's "favorite" and I question whether my boss had influence on this. We manage over the same teams, and interact daily. It's almost impossible for us to communicate over just email.  My boss has been hostile over me for awhile and the hostility coming from my peers as well, is making my condition worst, not better. I sent these texts to my hr team as well as the director and requested an accomadation transfer to another team. There are 36 other teams local and several vacant spots, so I don't see how this could cause undue hardship.

I just want to know if I'm handling this right and if there any other steps I need to take to cover myself and also if I have any recourse. Thank you.

Answer:
 >I just want to know if I'm handling this right

No

>and if there any other steps I need to take to cover myself

You need to contact your employer if you are not going to be at work. I'm not entirely sure what type of medicinal side effects would incapacitate you to such a degree that you couldn't call and notify your employer. Were your arms and hands not operational? Were you unable to speak?

>and also if I have any recourse.

Recourse for what, exactly?


Title: [US-UT] can I get fired for missing work due to school-related events?

Question: If so, what is the extent to which I can get fired for missing work?

Answer:
 > what is the extent to which I can get fired for missing work?

You can get fired to the fullest extent; that is, completely fired.Answer #2: The full monty of firing.Answer #3: You can be fired for voting for the wrong person on american idol. So yes. Missing is a very valid reason to fire someone


Title: My waste collection company is trying to charge me $100 for a tote that was left empty roadside during a windstorm because I didn't immediately report it.

Question:
This was a recycling tote. I didn't report it immediately (2 months ago) and that's my own fault. Since then ive just left my recycling in a cardboard box that they've taken each time with no issue.

I mentioned in passing that it was lost while paying a quartetly bill by phone and that started this whole ordeal.

I have asked them to show me where I signed accepting responsibility for their tote and if they don't, am I off the hook?

It was lost in an unexpected windstorm while I was at work. The collector emptied it and left it curbside at which point it was too light and blew away.

I've cancelled service with them over this, maybe I'm being an ass but $100 is a lot of money and their tone left a bad taste for me.

Answer: So to summarize you think you should not be responsible for their property because you never specifically agreed to be responsible for it?Answer #2: What makes you think you wouldn't owe for their tote that you lost?


Title: Someone wrote me a check for services for $2300, I went to cash it 3 weeks after I received it and was told he had closed his checking out? What can I do?

Question:
I have his signature on a form detailing that I did these services and that he owed me $2300 and paid by check. Do I have to sue him somehow? This all happened in Minnesota, USA

EDIT:He is purposely avoiding me as well

Topic:
Small Claims Procedure

Answer: You contact him and let him know, if he refuses to do anything you sue him.  Also let the police know he gave you a bad check, that is illegal.


Title: Disabled parking. Can anything be done?

Question:
I am in the state of FL. I work in an office building that has several tenants. The parking lot has different colored spaces designated for each company. We are only to park in a specific colored space. If there are no spots in our color we are to park in the OverFlow lot which is 1/2 mile walk maybe more.

I am disabled and cannot walk this far. I have been told I may park in any designated handicap space regardless of the zone. (I think there are enough for the size of lot) The problem lies that I work the PM shift, which comes in before the AM shift has left, resulting in no spaces in our zone or any of the disabled spaces. I have been told to park in overflow lot and my car will be towed if I park elsewhere. Even though there are empty spaces directly in front of our entrance.

Our previous building had "medical" spaces reserved for those with hang tags or you could get a permit from security if you had a temporary issue like a broken foot. I asked leadership if we could add some of those spaces in the front of our section. They said the building landlord will not allow it.

Can anything be done. I cannot walk 1/2 mile. I cannot work another shift because my seniority is too low. I cannot park in the almost always empty spaces because they are designated for another company even though they are closed after 6 and on weekends.

Answer:
 Does your employer have more than 15 employees? If so, you may be (probably are) eligible for accommodation under the ADA. The ADA requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, and a closer parking spot is almost always considered a reasonable accommodation. If you have HR, point this out to them, and if not, then point it out to your boss. Good employers will try to remedy a problem like this before you take any legal action, which should always be a last resort.

If your employer has under 15 employees, you may be out of luck, at least legally. You could try to convince the building landlord, maybe.


Title: [KS] County has no HOA documents on file, does this mean I can opt out of the HOA?

Question:
This doesn't seem likely but my curiosity is piqued and it sure would be nice if this was a way out.

In short,  I was trying to ensure I had the accurate CCR before bringing an issue to the board so I reached out to the county asking for the CCR associated with my property. Their response was that there are no hoa documents on file for my address. Does this mean I'm not subject to the deed restrictions, CCR, or HOA rules?

I can't find where I signed a document agreeing to join the HOA but I also realize it may have been included as part of a larger document. I looked through what I signed at closing and nothing jumped out at me.

What do you guys think?

Answer:
 I reveiwed the General Warranty Deed which lists our names as owners, the sellers' names, and a legal description of the property. It also has the following statement: "subject to all easements, restrictions, if any, now of record."

It turns out that I may be more ignorant to the paper trail of owning property than I thought so I appreciate everyone's insight so far. I know this isn't golden ticket out of the HOA but at this point it is more about understanding how this all works.

How can I show what rules and restrictions this is referring to? Answer #2: Don't rely on a county employee for legal advice (rely on random internet strangers instead), or for a thorough record search.  You need to go to the record room yourself or have an attorney do it, and see if there are any property records in on file from the time the property was subdivided until now


Title: Law changes after arrest.(TX)

Question:
About 10 years ago I was arrested for felony theft. 1.5K-20K It was barely over 1.5k from what I remember. I did deferred adjudication (yes you can do this in Texas if you're lucky and first offense). I completed the probation and it was deferred. Of course it took a while (7 years) to be able to apply to apartments and get a job, but of course government agencies can still see the charge.

&#x200B;

I was thinking about applying for a pardon when my research turned up that the amount has been raised from 1.5k to 2.5k. Of course it was a while ago and I'm in a much better place now. Also I understand inflation and what-not.. But is there something that can be done if the new law would have qualified my charge as a misdemeanor rather than my felony? Just out of curiosity.

Answer: Nope.  The law as it was when you committed the offense is what stands.


Title: If someone handed someone else a handgun and told them it was full of blanks and they’re gonna pull a scare prank on a third party, what happens if they’re real bullets?

Question: Who’s at fault here, the guy who told the other guy that the gun is full of blanks and that it’s safe to shoot, or the guy who shot his friend dead thinking the gun was full of blanks?

Answer:
 Shooting at someone with blanks in order to make them fear for their life is already a crime. It's not a prank, it's at least assault, probably aggravated.

So both our "pranksters" have entered a criminal conspiracy to commit assault. The defense of "oh, but I just wanted to commit a lesser crime and things got out of hand because I'm an idiot" tend not to work that well.

The first prankster is guilty of first degree murder, there's premeditation and everything. The second prankster is also going to be convicted of first degree murder even if people believed him when he said he didn't know it wasn't blanks (which no one would).Answer #2: Just a safety tip here, in case it needs to be said: if somebody hands you a firearm, the first thing you must do is make it safe. Check the load. If you’re not shooting any time soon, unload the firearm. Check to see if the safety is on. If it’s not, put the safety on. Do not take the safety off unless you’re just about to fire the gun. And never, ever point a firearm at anyone or anything you’re not planning on shooting, even if that gun is unloaded.


Title: GA - Can I let a friend stay in my apartment and pay me?

Question:
I live in an apartment in Georgia. I am planning on breaking my lease but the cost of breaking it without notice is the same as breaking it with notice (2 months rent) so I'm just planning on turning the power off, moving out, and leaving it empty for those 2 months.

I have a friend who is looking for a place to stay until he finds the right apartment and I am wondering if there is anything illegal about letting him love in my apartment alone and charging him a portion of the rent.

Answer:
 What does your lease say about subletting the apartment?Answer #2: As long as your lease does not prohibit subletting. However, if you do this be aware that you become a landlord and so if they stop paying rent or refuse to leave at the end of the two months you will have to deal with evicting them.

Also, if you are moving out be careful about shutting all the power off. You don't want any pipes to freeze.


Title: HOA harassing me for hosting couchsurfers (CA)

Question:
I live in a community that has a homeowners association.  They have rules which state that you cannot sublet any portion of your home, either long term (with a lease) or short term (through a service such as AirBnB), but you are allowed to have personal guests.

For those of you who don't know, Couchsurfing is a hospitality exchange site where you can host travelers who are visiting your town.  In return, you can request hosts when you are traveling.

One of the HOA board members ran into one of my visitors who told him she was a couchsurfer, but he didn't seem to get the concept.  Later on, the HOA issued me with a notice of violation saying that I need to stop "renting".  I sent back a letter explaining that I am not renting, these are my guests, and no money is exchanged.

Now a couple of the board members are starting to harass my guests.  I was hosting a girl from Germany last week and the HOA president told her the police would be called if she didn't leave the complex.  I told her to stay and let them call the police, but she was obviously shaken.

Then I got another violation notice, this time saying that I am not allowed to have "unknown persons" staying with me.  It doesn't define that term, so I e-mailed the president, and he said that I'm not allowed to have any guests who are "not family or long-time friends".  I asked where it says this in the by-laws, and got no response.

So where should I go from here?  I don't think they have any legal case, but they seem to be just harassing me, and my guests.  I tend to host a few times a month (trying to build up karma before I travel to Europe next year) so this is getting rather annoying.  And no, I don't want to move.

Answer:
 >So where should I go from here?

You can get a lawyer and start a legal hassle with them over the meaning of the HOA documents, advise your guests and deal with the harassment, or stop hosting couchsurfers.

There is an argument to be made that the "karma" you're getting is indeed something of value in exchange for your hosting.


Title: Work Incident Not Taken Seriously by HR

Question:
I work at a warehouse distribution center in New Jersey and a few weeks ago three employees broke out into hives, including  myself, someone who works at a standing desk parallel to mine, and someone who works in my department but more than 25 feet from my station. When we told our supervisor about it he had me and another associate go to HR which then sent us to the offsite Accident Care and Treatment Center. Both me and the other associate were diagnosed to have some sort of bug bites and were released with the instructions to use a topical cream and to have my work treat the area for bug extermination. Despite relaying that information to HR, no treament or spraying was ever done.

Fast forward to today, 2 weeks later, and i noticed the bumps are returning once again after benig completely gone and when i went to HR to once again make a report they told me that HR talked to the Treatment center and was told that I was bitten offsite and that it didn't occur at the work site(information that is impossible to know, and unlikely due to the circumstance that multiple others shared the same symptoms). They said that i should just buy the topical cream once again(since they had me buy it with my own money the first time) and treat it myself and that other than that, there is nothing that the company can/will do for me.

Is there any legal action i can take? I feel as though that my problem is not being taken seriously and that HR is trying to dismiss it before it becomes a problem by making it seem like its not a big deal. Any help is welcome and appreciated. I've also kept copies of all medical and incident report forms including the ones that state the need for the company to treat my area for bugs.

                                                                         Thanks,
                                                                          Yama

Answer:
 Contact regional OSHA office.Answer #2: Here is the contact information for your local OSHA field office: [OSHA Area Offices for New Jersey](https://www.osha.gov/oshdir/nj.html)

Also, what kind of warehouse do you work in? Is there a risk of HAZMAT materials passing through it?Answer #3: OP are you sure they are not bedbug bites?

*EDIT: Just wanted to clarify, this comes off as if I am insinuating that they could be bed bugs originating from your home. That's not what I meant. Just wanted to suggest checking your workplace for an infestation.


Title: Husband ticketed for 81 in a 45!

Question:
So I just got a call from him about this.  He was on his way to work and there's an empty stretch right before his office where he apparently got on it.  He was shot with laser and his ticket shows 81 in a 45.

He has a clean driving record, the only thing on it is an accident 4 years ago where the other driver was found to be fully at fault (other driver ran a red).  I'm freaking out a bit about this....What are our legal options?

This is in Plano, TX if that matters any.

Thank you in advance!!!

Edit (to include citation info):

The violation is listed as:
CITATION CO 12-74 Speeding
Alleged Speed: 81 MPH Speed Limit: 45MPH Speed Det: Laser School Zone: No Const. Zone Workers Present: No Accident: No
There's nothing else on the ticket other than him having to appear within 15 days.

Answer: You should strongly consider getting a traffic attorney for a ticket like that. He won't be able to get your husband off the hook entirely, but you'll have much better odds of reducing it to a significantly less painful infraction.


Title: [VA] Landlord Question

Question:
Hi all - I have a couple questions. I am a semi new landlord that shares a house with 2 tenants. Recently one left and in lieu of paying her last months rent she left a note saying to use the deposit. There are a few things I was planning to withhold from her deposit however such as the last months utilities, the replacement of two pans which she burnt to the point that they are not usable and for cleaning fees. These are my questions:

Given we all share spaces, hiring a maid to clean would cost more and not focus on the messes she left (rotten food on white counter - stained, rotten food in refrigerator, leftover foods in fridge and cabinets, broken glass in basement, bottle of transmission fluid in basement, clothing item, 3 pans with food stains on the bottom (so clear you can see exactly what was cooked) that I have spent hours soaking and cleaning getting back to normal). Given I can clean her messes in isolation, what do/can I charge?

Secondly, she burned two pans beyond use (one handle burned, cracked and melted, one pan was non-stick and no longer is because of all the burned on items, I spoke with her during her time and asked her to exclusively use those pans or her own going forward so as not to damage any others). Do I charge her the cost of what it will be to replace these items, or their worth at the time of destruction (they weren't brand new when she moved in).

Thirdly, I am looking for a tool like this: http://www.mdrealtor.org/AssociationInfo/DepositCalculator.aspx to calculate any interest I would need to include in the deposit, but for Virginia. I have looked online and haven't found anything. Does anyone know of a similar tool? I believe the Federal Reserve Bureau's interest rates are less than 1% so I'm confused about how much I should allocate.

Thanks!
Landlord

Answer: If the costs and last months rent exceed the deposit, you can sue her for the remainder. Probably in small claims.


Title: How can I get joint custody of my son?

Question:
This is my first post and I'm very emotional right now so I may sound all over the place.

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I live in **Florida** and I want to know what steps to take in order to get joint custody of my son

Background: I was in a relationship with (lets call her Cindy) for around 4-5 years. Towards the end of our relationship things we're getting extremely toxic and I decided to end the relationship. A few days later, we find out she's pregnant (He's 100% my child).

At the time, we had both moved back home from college and were staying with our parents. I was staying with my mom and she was staying with her dad. When she told her dad about her pregnancy, he kicked her out. I had no choice but to let her live with me and my mom. We have previously lived together during college and we would consistently bump heads. After about 2 weeks of her moving, we were at each others throats. It just wasn't working out. So in order to keep us from fighting all the time, I talked to my dad who lives 2 blocks, and asked him if she can stay in his extra room.

After explaining the situation, (pregnancy, dad kicked her out) he was more than happy to help. She moved into my dads on March 2016 and moved out in July 2017. In between this time we would try and make things work between us. She would be living back and forward from my house and my dads house. (Whenever we got into fights she would sleep at my dads). She was staying at my dads rent free.

During her pregnancy she was nanny for this rich family. She made around 600$ every week for about 6-7 months. Without my knowledge, she applied for government assistance and stated she was a single mom who was "homeless". She also stated that the father wasn't in the picture in order to qualify for these benefits. She hasn't done her taxes since 2016 because she knows it's going to show up that she worked when she told the government she wasn't.

Our son was born in September 2016 and started daycare around January/February 2017.

Our relationship wasn't improving and we officially ended things when she moved out in July 2017.

I wasn't paying child support because we had an agreement that if I paid for daycare and the supplies for daycare (diapers, wipes) we would be okay. (Big mistake I know). And because I had helped her out in her time of need and let her stay rent free at my dads place and my place for over a year (even after our son was born). I've been the only one paying for daycare since he started back in February 2017.

I've very much involved in my sons life. I pick him up everyday from daycare at 5pm and I have him until 9pm and then my mom drops him off. I even watch him on the weekends. Whenever I get into an argument with his mom she loves to say stuff like "I have custody", "If you don't do this, then i won't let you see him". Thats actually putting it VERY lightly. She loves to dangle that across my head whenever things dont go HER way. She also refuses to let him to stay the night over at my place.

A few days ago I got a letter in the mail stating that The Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program is going to deduct child support ($568.92) along with backpay (Around $11,000) directly from my paycheck and that I have no control over it.

His daycare is 600$ a month, which I've been paying (i have a few of the receipts but not all). I just think 11k in backpay is a ridiculous amount. And I'm sure they aren't taking into consideration that I've been very much involved in Jasons life and I've been supporting him AND her for a long time.

They last thing I want to do is get a lawyer involved but I think I have no choice.

I have NO problem paying child support. I just want to make sure that I'm not paying more than I should be. I'm tired of her telling me I can't see my own son whenever she's upset, especially after everything I do for him and her.

What steps can I take to get joint custody of my son? Do I have to get a lawyer? How can I make sure I'm not paying more than I should be in child support after all the money she received from the government when she clearly wasn't homeless.

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Answer:
 You absolutely need to consult with a family law attorney. They can advise you on what needs to happen and what life will look like moving forward.

The law and legal system can be very unforgiving and can also be counter intuitive. You need an attorney to at least tell you what your options are.

Good luck Answer #2: Without a custody order, neither of you "have custody." If there isn't one, nothing prevents either of you from denying access to your son to the other.


Title: I'm designing a card game similar to CAH or A2A. If I sell the cards/decks, is it legal to use trademarked entities (Mickey Mouse, Harry Potter, etc.) as cards?

Question:
If it is legal, what are the limitations?  Do I need some form of clearance?  Does it make a difference if the cards are digital rather than printed?

This probably isn't relevant but I live in Florida.

Answer:
 You will need a couple buckets of money to pay to use their images. And they will sue you if you infringe on their trademarks. That will cost a lot more buckets.

If you say want to use the names you will need to hire a local attorney to see what you need/can to do. But those specific characters, it is unlikely. The guard their interests well and will sue you if they don't like something you did with their entities.


Title: Questions concerning a party I hosted that was recently busted...

Question:
So my six neighbors and I (all 18 years old) got together to celebrate a birthday at my house while my parents were out of town. We live in Texas. We purchased a six pack and drank it outside while watching movies on our patio and we planned for all of us to spend the night at my house so we don't get tempted to drive drunk. A cop rang the doorbell and asked if there was any underage drinking going on. I admitted that we were drinking and the cop asked for my name. I gave them my ID. She got the name said thank you and waited at my door. There was an awkward pause so I was asked if there was anything else I need to do. She said I was free to go but I had to pack up all the stuff and kick the kids out and turn off the lights. So I complied. So my two major questions are:

1) Because I was scared and needed company, I went to stay the night at my neighbor's house. Should I have remained at my house in case the cops come back?/would they come back?

2)Now that they have my name, will they send me a ticket or something in the mail or comeback later?/Am I /really/ free to go?

Answer:
 1) No/irrelevant. If they came back it would have been just to confirm the party's over.

2) they can mail you a citation.


Title: Did I just get scammed?

Question:
Ok so I've been looking to buy a dog online (I know, bad idea) and I found a pet site that was listing a dog with the qualities that are very hard to find.

So I sent an application to the advertiser and she contacted me shortly after. After discussing things about myself and the dog she told me to make a deposit so that noone else can take the dog. She said I can pay the $350 deposit with PayPal and to  pay $1000+ in cash or cashiers check when I pickup the dog. She also offered to ship him and then we went on to discuss the costs of shipping.

Since I live 8 hours away from her I thought that shipping would be the easiest option. So we agreed to ship the dog. She provided her PayPal email and said or I can use zelle or venmo instead. So I sent it with PayPal instead of the latter.

She notified me that she received the PayPal payment and proceeded to draw up a contract.
So she said I can go ahead and research and choose which airline I want to use to have him sent to me while she finishes the contract and we will talk again tomorrow.

So the next day she told me the day his certificate would be available and when he would be able to fly. She then asked if I was going to mail the cash or bank wire the rest of the funds. Those were the first red flags.

I asked if there was a safer way to complete the payment due to scams. She said "Breeders only accept cash or cashiers check usually because people will call credit or merchant and reverse. Then they have the puppy and we can't do a thing about it" she then said I could pick him up if I'm worried about that. I told her I would think about my next move and respond later. (We are texting)

So I figured out I wouldnt be able to drive due to personal reasons. So we then moved on to discuss buying a crate and stuff and all the shipping costs and logistics. Then I ran across another problem. Its summer time and airlines will not ship animals when the temperature is forecasted to be over 85 degrees. It is going to be blazing hot for at least the next two weeks.

So I decided to fly down and while I was looking at tickets she texted me and said she could have a relative take the dog and meet me closer to where I live (5 hours away instead of 8 hours). So I thought that would be better and agreed to make the drive.

This is where things took a turn. She still wanted me to wire her the money first before she handed the dog to her relative to meet me. So I told her I'm not comfortable with wiring money but I'm willing to meet her relative at the local police station. From there I would wire her the money as soon as I see the dog. She refused and said she wouldnt send the dog with her relative until she has the money.

I thought meeting her at a police station and then wire the money would be the most reasonable risk free thing to do.

Now this is the legal question. She refused the service because I did not want to wire money with venmo or zelle. She also specifically said that I have protection using those services. Both of the websites say that neither zelle or venmoof offer buyer protection and their services are not to be used to sell goods. So she lied AND tried to force me to break the legal terms of those payment processors. Correct? So should I file a PayPal dispute to get my $350. Or should I just take the loss since I paid for her to hold the dog for me which she claims she did?

Answer: This is 100% a scam. Don't listen to the other user. Do not send anymore money to this person. I also don't recommend buying a plane ticket to "meet" them.


Title: I have a small cellphone repair business and a customer is accusing a employee of invasion of privacy

Question:
A customer went to my establishment to fix a battery on a iPhone. Today I get a call stating we invaded her privacy

We check in devices for service and request passcode (optional) customer assumes we went through her information and we (employee) attempted to log in to some application (no further info on which specific apps) she claims she’s a federal agent or within a branch. I reviewed the cameras and can clearly see the battery replacement done and no other action taken just left aside after repair with zero tampering.

I advice her to stop by with police department to review cameras but she’s stubborn that we did foul play etc. I’m backing up the video footage and making personal notes to document what happen but should I be doing anything else? Contacting a lawyer/police department etc for further documentation or any other action I should do

Texas
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 She sounds like a crazy person.

Generally you're best off ignoring crazy people.


Title: Do you have to answer the door when police knock?

Question:
I'm watching Live PD and they spotted a parked truck that the cop knew belongs to a man with a warrant. The house the truck was parked at was not the mans address. The cop then goes and knocks on the door and a woman answers.

Did that woman have to answer? Can she close the door and ignore them? Does she have any legal obligation to answer any questions? I'd assume if they asked her "Is X here" and she says no, but then they find him she would be in trouble for lying to the police? If they ask her that and she simply does not answer the question and they end up finding the guy, can they say she lied? Can the police walk around the property shining lights into the houses windows looking for the guy? If they don't actually see the guy do they have any authority?

The location I believe was in Florida, but I'm in MA.

Answer:
 You don't have to open the door. If they have a warrant, they can break it down.

As far as your question of "Can she close the door and ignore them?" the problem is that once you open the door, the police officer will immediately step inside the house or into the threshold or at least put his foot in the door, and then if you make any contact with him or his foot while trying to close the door you can be arrested for assaulting a police officer. It's better not to open it at all.

You don't have to answer questions. You don't want to lie to the police officer when they ask where a fugitive is.


Title: [DC] Lease is up and want to move out, but subtenant refuses to leave

Question:
I currently live in an apartment in DC and my lease will be up at the end of May. I've already given my 30 day notice to my apartment and they have accepted my request to vacate. Unfortunately, I got a subtenant last year and we have a month to month agreement between ourselves. One of the criteria on the agreement was that if either of us wished to end the agreement, then we would just need to give a 30 day notice. I have a notice of my intention to leave already prepared and ready to be sent but when I mentioned it verbally, I was flatly refused; my subtenant would not be going anywhere. I should also mention that the subtenant is not on the lease with the apartment complex.

Two things are extremely worrying:
1. I am worried that if I left after my lease ended and I'm no longer on the lease, my roommate will remain and later get a lawyer to say that I was trying to kick her out, which is difficult to do so in DC (and also something I am not trying to do).
2. The complex had said that if the subtenant wished to stay, then the subtenant could just pay the rent. However, I am worried that the lawyer will bring up some legality issue because the rent would be doubled and a potential lawsuit where I would be on the hook for half. Also important to mention that rent can only be increased minimally ($25 per year for my building). The complex has also refused to get involved as this is an issue with a sublandlord (me) and a subtenant (my roommate).

I am aware that any evictions have to go through a formal judicial process and in DC, there are very defined reasons why you can evict someone. As stated earlier nobody is trying to evict the subtenant. This is a situation where my lease has legally ended and I wish to move out but have a subtenant, whom has no agreement or lease with the complex, refuses to leave. Please help.

Answer:
 You need to terminate your subtenant's tenancy. If they refuse to leave, you need to evict. Your tenancy isn't going to be terminated until they are gone, so I wouldn't recommend giving your notice until you are certain they are gone or leaving soon. Answer #2: A sublease is only valid if the master lease is valid. You have to notify your subtenant that since the master lease (between you and the landlord) is terminating on May 31, that the sublease (between you and the subtenant) is also automatically terminated as of May 31.

If the subtenant wants to stay in the property, s/he needs to negotiate a new lease directly with the landlord. If the subtenant refuses to do so, the landlord can sue you for not returning the premises in vacant condition and begin to charge you holdover rent or start eviction proceedings against you. I would suggest strongly pressuring the subtenant to sign a direct lease with the landlord starting on June 1 and/or having eviction paperwork against your subtenant ready to file for June 1.


Title: Can an employer force you to have a healthcare plan if you don't have one? I know the governments policy is you are supposed to have healthcare but isn't that the job of the government to enforce that policy and not a company?

Question: Aurora, Colorado

Answer: As a note, understand that your employer has the right to fire you for declining coverage.


Title: Shared driveway and land use problems (New York)

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice. The problem I'm having is not quite mine; it's my parents'. They live on a flag lot with a shared driveway that looks like [this](http://i.imgur.com/4ouH6Yr.png). The property line splits the driveway right down the middle. It is a beautiful wooded property off the main road. However, my parents had issues with the owner of the adjacent property since they bought the property over 20 years ago. He is a dangerous ex state trooper. His son was arrested for armed robbery and I've seen a gun on the passenger seat of his car when I talked with him.
The adjacent property that he owns doesn't have a home on it. It just has a sand pit with an old cement mixer on it.

He left an old dump truck and a pay loader type construction vehicle on the corner of the property for maybe 10 years. Firstly, is he allowed to leave a dump truck and pay loader on a residential lot like this? It hasn't moved since he left it and I don't think he has any intentions of moving it. There is no homeowners' association here or anything, but is that legal? The property is a nice wooded flag lot and it sucks to see a rotting dump truck and pay loader out there.

The other issue is more recent. The adjacent landowner has been letting a large group of landscapers use his lot. They drive up and down the driveway throughout the day to pick-up and leave equipment. Their trucks are making large potholes in the driveway. My father works very hard to maintain that driveway. The owner of the adjacent property said that he would fix the potholes weeks ago but he hasn't done anything. The landscapers fixed potholes on the dirt trail that leads to his sandpit, but not the shared driveway. Again, this is a residential lot. Is he allowed to use the property in this way? I don't know if he is getting payed for this land use, but I'd like to think that zoning laws don't allow this.

Finally, please consider that this guy is dangerous. When my parents moved here, they had some kind of dispute and this guy flipped my parents car over and threw a large rock through their glass door. They never had any evidence that this guy did it, but it wouldn't have been anyone else. It's likely he knew how to hide the evidence because he was a state trooper. My parents are getting too old to deal with this shit and I want to help them. Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer:
 You questions mostly relate to local ordinances, so you should make a call to code enforcement and report possible violations.

Repairs to jointly owned driveways need to be worked out between the parties absent a more formal arrangement in place.Answer #2: On top of looking at local ordinances about land usage in that area you might want to also look at your parents deed for any easements on that drive way. I am surprised that the two lots would share a driveway in a rural area unless one of the properties does not have road access, then there is most likely a easement for access, and if this sand pit has been used for many years, its sounds like 10+? It would be very difficult to now restrict their usage, if your parents are the ones with the easement on their deed.


Title: Simple Legal Question

Question:
Hi,

I have a simple legal question to ask, it has to do with semi-trucks driving on the highway. Sometimes they will have signs on them which say something like "stay 200 feet back, we are NOT responsible if rocks fly out and damage your car" something like that. I live in California btw.

I was always under the impression that if something flies out of your car and hits another car and causes damage, the car that the thing flew out of is at fault.

I think it's just the truck driver trying to trick people into thinking it's not the truck driver's fault if rocks fly out and damage their car, but legally, how does this work? Is it true that the truck driver won't be help responsible? How would any reasonable person even know what 200 feet back looks like while driving on the freeway? If stuff flies out of a semi-truck in California, isn't it additionally considered littering?

Can someone set the record straight? Thank you

Answer: Insurance adjuster here. Yes, they are responsible for having an improperly secured load but good luck getting them to pay for it. Even with their license plate, the argument is always that we can't prove the rock came off the truck, as opposed to being run over and kicked up. My company is a major insurance company and we have had almost no luck recovering on these. Realistically, they don't tend to be worth pursuing.


Title: If someone punches you but then runs away, and you chase them down and punch them back, does it count as assault, or could you claim defence in court?

Question:
My thinking is that it would be assault in both cases, because the guy has run away, he isn't posing an immediate threat to you anymore, so you chasing him down and punching him is effectively assault motivated by revenge. Location: England
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Assuming it's the same in the UK as it is here in the States:

Once the threat is over, you can no longer legally defend yourself.  So you were assaulted, and then you chased the suspect down and assaulted him back.  You both committed the same crime.

Also: /r/LegalAdviceUK


Title: Parents Died and Sibling has Barred Entry to House other Siblings

Question:
Location: Alabama

Parents died.  No will.  Four siblings. One sibling (call him BROTHER) moved into the house and changed locks so no one else can enter.

BROTHER is never home and will not answer phone calls.

How can we get a judge's order to compel BROTHER to provide access to the other siblings?

Answer:
 If the parents died intestate, you will need to petition the appropriate probate court to appoint an executor. Likely it will be one of the siblings, and likely it will be whoever takes the initiative to petition the court. The executor will be given the authority to manage the affairs of the estate, settle the debts of the estate, and distribute the assets of the estate to heirs, including the house. The brother will be ordered to surrender access to the property to the executor of the estate or the agent appointed by the executor of the estate. If the brother has establish tenancy in the house by Alabama state law, he may need to be given legal notice and possibly even evicted from the property. It will not be just as simple as getting a court order to let all the siblings into the house.Answer #2: Did you live there?

Hire an estate attorney.


Title: On the Run in Mass... help

Question: okay I am not sure where to start but I will start from the current case and what has happened so far. So I was arrested for a B & E and indicted bc I gave a confession. I was able to have my bail lowered to a personal to go to the salvation army program. My disposition was pushed off by 6 months to complete the program. I made it 5 months in the program and was kicked out for a personality conflict with the manager. I was suppose to appear in court if I was kicked out. My fiance told me she was pregnant a few days before and just couldn't turn myself in and possibly miss the birth of my first born. This is tearing me up bc I am working a full time job and doing the right thing but I could be scooped up and any moment... please help. I do have a previous B & E and the DA's first offer was 2-4 upstate

Answer: The longer you wait, the worse this is going to get. Contact your defense attorney from the original charge.


Title: NV- Reasonable Accommodation? Can we request that management requires sick people to wear masks when they are sick?

Question:
I have a serious autoimmune disorder that I am currently taking chemo for. My employer is awesome and knows my issues and has been nothing but supportive. That being said is it a reasonable accommodation for me to request that management requires ill people to wear masks? Getting ill can literally require me to go to the hospital and be put on a ventilator for months, it has in the past. My assistant is often coming to work sick.. Today she is in here coughing and sniffling and looks very ill... She refuses to go home because she wants the money... I have asked her if she wants a face mask ( which I wear whenever anyone is sick or when I go out in large groups of people) but research shows they work much much better at stopping the spread of virus when people who are sick wear them ( something like 98.6% of the time, vs 70%ish when someone who is not ill wears the mask to stop from being sick)...She refuses to wear them citing that they are uncomfortable for her to wear.... So my basic question is am I requesting a reasonable accommodation by either asking them to send her home or to telling her if she is going to be here that she needs to wear a mask?
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer:
 You can ask. You can also expect people to refuse to wear them and say this is your problem not theirs. I know that may sound insensitive but that's how some people will react.  Generally speaking reasonable accommodations do not include making other people uncomfortable. Depending on the type of business it may also be very off putting if customers see them. Answer #2: >That being said is it a reasonable accommodation for me to request that management requires ill people to wear masks?

That's not reasonable, no. Your accommodation cannot affect other people.

You could ask to work from homeAnswer #3: You say you wear a mask.  Does that not provide you adequate protection?