Title: I made enemies on a forum, they made a thread about me with all my info, falsely accusing me of being a pedophile. The thread shows up on the first place when you search my name...[Netherlands]

Question:
I'm having the worst time ever now.
To make things worse, the admin of the site is asking (blackmailing) me a large sum of money to get it removed
The forum is hosted in the US but I'm from the Netherlands...
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 http://www.amsadvocaten.com/blog/litigation-2/libel-slander-and-rectification-in-the-netherlands/

http://www.hg.org/law-firms/defamation,-libel-and-slander/netherlands.html

http://kellywarnerlaw.com/netherlands-defamation-laws/

>As a general rule, defamation constitutes a criminal act under Title XVI (Defamation) Articles 261 upto 271 of the Dutch Penal Code. Moreover, it is a criminal act to insult the King, spouse of the King, his presumptive heirs or the Regent, and shall be punishable with imprisonment ranging from four to five years. (See Articles 111 and 112 of the Dutch Penal Code,).

>Article 267 of the Dutch Penal Code on the other hand, provides protection from defamation against public authority, a public body or a public institution, an official in the legitimate exercise of his ministry, or the head or a member of the government of a friendly state.

Here's what I could find on libel in the Netherlands, from a cursory google search.

General advice would be to consult with a lawyer and see what they say.  Answer #2: Find out where the forum is hosted and where their domain name is registered. Then complain there and you'll likely have luck in getting it removed, or having the entire forum shut down. Feel free to PM me the domain name and I'll let you know what the registrar and hoster are.


Title: Cell Phone Company isn't respecting Military Orders

Question:
Currently residence: Florida.

- Wife is active military.

- She was stationed in XYZ state and I am a current worker of a major cell phone company in ABC state.
- Transferred from ABC state with unpaid time off to XYZ state to be closer to my wife as she completes her training for a few months.
-As my wife received orders to be relocated after her schooling, I alerted my management literally the same day, emailed the management and have emails from them acknowledging my final day I will be at their location as a worker.
-Simultaneously, I applied for a position in her next duty station area where we will reside for at least 4 years. Got the job with the same company I've been with for a couple years, not hard at all.
-2 days before we move, since we packed up everything, cancelled lease of Apartment with military clause, and mailing things back home, management informs me that they thought my wife was moving to her new duty station alone, I was staying in XYZ state for a month more by myself, and that I would need to find a way to travel to my next store location in my own time.
-They said either I work at this location for another month, they refuse to let me take vacation to move, won't give me unpaid time off, refuse to work with me at all, and they understand that even if I do stay, I will have no where to live, no way to travel since my wife would have the car, and don't seem to want to help me at all. I have moved before with the company for 2 weeks before with unpaid time off, however this "market" refuses to help me like my last market did.
Do I need to consult a lawyer about this? I feel like I have taken the proper steps to making this as smooth as I can for the company I work for and for myself. However, I am being threatened with termination since I will not physically be in the state to resume work since military orders my wife to another state.

Please help!

Mendax205308

Answer:
 Here's the thing your wife is in the military not you.

You're just a civilian, so you have no protection.Answer #2: >However, I am being threatened with termination since I will not physically be in the state to resume work since military orders my wife to another state.

Respectfully, nothing legally binds your employer to be over the top supportive to you. It sounds like they have been in the past, and may have told you they would be this time. It is unfortunate and crappy if they mislead you.

However,  it would be both completely reasonable and legal for them to not allow you to transfer or terminate you for not working as long as they want. The fact your spouse is in the military does not oblige them to bend over backwards to be convenient.

If it is company policy, you can try escalate the issue to make sure the company follows its policy. They are not required to.


Title: [CA] I moved into this apartment in March. In April, they started doing extremely loud construction on my building. Do I have any options?

Question:
I moved into this apartment on March 15th. In mid-April they began construction that is still ongoing. I'm not 100% sure what they are doing but it looks like they are removing all the stucco from the entire building and replacing rotting-out wood underneath. I received a notice that they don't know how long it will take, and that I can't use my patio anymore during construction, that builders may need access to my unit (but with no mention of when), and that they are going to rebuild the stair case so I won't be able to enter my unit at some point (again, no mention of when).

The workers work every weekday, Monday through Friday, from 8 am to about 4:30 pm. I stay home with my toddler during the day, so I hear the construction all day long. It wasn't super intrusive until last week. Last week they ripped out all the landscaping around the building and the erected scaffolding all around it. There are beams across the stairway so I have to duck whenever I walk up or down (not an easy feat carrying groceries and a squirmy toddler). As I type this, the drilling and sawing and banging is so loud I have to shout in order to be heard. I can't hear my television. My toddler has a hard time taking naps, and that's when I get most of my work done (I'm taking online classes, plus there's housework to be done, etc.).

I tried talking with the "community liaison" about all of this, but they weren't really willing to do anything other than say, "Sorry!" Honestly if we knew they were about to launch into months long construction we might not have moved in. Other than this construction I really like living here. I like the location and the community, and my unit is really nice on the inside. I understand that this type of construction NEEDS to be done in order to keep the building safe, but I feel like I'm being ripped off. Since I can't use my patio I have all my patio stuff inside my house. I'm getting less space than I paid for and I don't have ANY peace and quiet for 8 hours out of the day. It's really affecting my quality of life.

I'm not interested in suing anyone, but is there any sort of legal code or tenant's rights I could show them that would give me some sort of compensation for this hassle?

Thank you.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You could check your city laws to see if there is any relevant noise ordinance but other than that there's not a whole lot you can do


Title: I made a reddit trade and the other participant says he never got my shipment so He is going to take me to court. Im 15 also.

Question: I did a 12$ toy trade on reddit and the guy says he is going to take me to court and ruin my life by destroying my credit score and making me pay him 50-100$. He lives halfway across the country and he wants me to fly to his town and go to court. not to mention im only 15. I offered to refund him retail value and he says he wont accept it. what do i do? Im really scared. I live in Indiana

Answer: Ignore him.


Title: Can I lie to police about black mail

Question:
So last year me and my bf were drunk and got into a fight and a gun was involved.
I called the police and my bf left.
The police officer told me that the best thing for my bf to do would be to call him and explain what happened.
So he did and they took it as a confession.
I told the detective and the da's office that I didn't want to press charges but they said they were now going to press charges on their behalf and not mine and put a restraining order between us.
My bf got a lawyer but it's been a year and it's looking like he's going to be convicted for false imprisonment and assault with a deadly weapon.
The only route that his lawyers have tried is  to make me seem like an alcoholic, and I assume so that they can say I don't remember exactly what happened that night.
I've complied completely with them and told them I have an alcohol problem and anything else that could help.

So now my idea is this.
If I tell them that I called the police and made up all of that because I was mad at my bf,
And black mailed him into calling them the next day and confessing to something he didn't do

Will I get into trouble and will it make any difference?

My apologies in advance if this is hard to read.

Answer: Yes you would get in trouble. Generally, you cannot lie on a police report, and you're a couple of yards beyond that based on your story.


Title: Ex-wife Entitled To Half Of House Purchased AFTER Divorce?

Question:
So I am posting just trying to get some kind of legal advice for a member of my Destiny 2 clan. We were talking last night and he was trying to get any sort of legal advice from another member who is an attorney but unfortunately that member is  very much of an elitist and would not offer him any advice in the slightest even in the most general sense.

Facts I know: He lives in Canada. He went through a divorce and they are legally separated and he is confused as to why his ex wife is entitled to half of the new house that he purchased after the separation.

&#x200B;

I know it is really vague, he is just a really great dude and I want to be able to give him some kind of advice that might help!
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 It’s no more elitist for a lawyer not to give you free legal advice that for a baker not to make you a free cake.

If your friend is separated, he’s not divorced. If he’s not divorced, then the house is marital property. Your friend needs to take a lesson from his wife and get a lawyer, who should cost less than half a house, and actually get divorced.


Title: Professor abused me with threats and a complete abuse of authority, recorded office visit, want to report it to the professor's superior

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 1. Not a legal matter.

2 through the rest: Texas is a one-party state, but your proposed idea (the YouTube video) is a spectacularly bad one. The professor would identify you immediately anyway.


Title: Father-in-law with dementia, continues international travel at 85 years old

Question:
 We’re in Texas. Pardon the long story.

My father-in-law (FIL from here on out) is 85 years old. For most of his life, he traveled the world/lived overseas as an English as a second language teacher. He would occasionally visit family, maybe once a year, in Texas or in Iowa. He has been divorced for many years, and has no girlfriend/companion. At this time, his only income is Social Security/VA Aid and Attendance.

While my husband and I were ourselves living overseas in Mexico about three years ago, he came to visit us from Thailand (his home for 5 or so years), and we noticed a sharp cognitive decline. We encouraged him to live close to us, and he did for a while, but he’s a big one for his “freedom.” We did get him to move to another part of Mexico, where he lived in a hotel for a few months, then he called my husband and said he couldn’t walk/was having physical issues. My husband flew to his city, got him fed and got him to a doctor…patched him up enough for him to fly to Louisville, KY, where there’s family and a VA hospital.

Once FIL was in the hospital and he got “fixed up,” eating regular meals and receiving his meds for high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, and high cholesterol, he started feeling better and immediately was chafing to leave the US. Which he did. But he eventually came back to Mexico where we were.

Since we could see firsthand his memory was getting worse and worse, my husband and I decided to move back to the US (Texas) in 2018 so we could take care of FIL. FIL agreed that he needed assistance. We found a very nice assisted living place and got him situated. He hated it immediately, he doesn’t like being with “old people and cripples.” Again, he chafed, and finally left (losing a bunch of money in the process) so he could go overseas to Thailand.

Because of his memory, he ended up overstaying his visa. He was put into visa detention….Thai jail, essentially. Two bowls of rice, dirty water to drink (he got hepatitis), sleeping on bare floors. It took over two weeks of my husband, his uncle, and the help of the US Embassy to get him out of detention and back to Texas.

We found him an apartment, but his behavior was so obnoxious towards the women residents, he was asked to leave. And again, he got on a plane to Guadalajara…living in another cheap hotel room, where he stays all day and surfs the internet. That’s all he can do anymore, he doesn’t have the physical or mental capacity to do anything else.

In addition to all of this, and I hope this doesn’t sound too terrible, my FIL is a vain man with narcissist tendencies. He thinks that since he has lived mostly overseas, he is special and better than others. He is also convinced that he is very charming, and that all women love him. Dealing with this mindset, as his filters drop away, is exceedingly difficult.

He was examined and tested by the VA last year; he has been diagnosed with middle stage dementia. He strongly fights this diagnosis.

Okay. So, he flew back to the US on December 22, and has been staying at a hotel. When he came to the house for Christmas dinner, he forgot my husband was married (we’ve been married for 6 years), he kept calling me by another name. He thought it was New Year’s Day, not Christmas. When he was in Mexico, he lost his laptop, he lost his Mexican visa (which is, thank god, not the ordeal it is in Thailand; you just pay a fine and get a new one). He also got off the plane stinking, because he had taken his clothes to be laundered in Mexico…and he forgot where he had taken his clothes. Most alarming, he is forgetting to take his medicine for chronic conditions, so his blood work was off the charts terrible.

My husband told me this morning that FIL’s hotel room is like a clip from “A Beautiful Mind”; pieces of paper everywhere with things like his flight number, what day it is, passwords for his (new) laptop…everything you would have in your short-term memory is on pieces of paper. And his long-term memory is starting to go as well.

So there are a million reasons why he needs to NOT get on a plane in two days for Guadalajara (he already has a ticket) and stay until June (180 days is the max you can stay in Mexico.)

Brass tacks: what can we do to prevent him from getting on a plane? Have him declared incompetent? Is there a special kind of lawyer for that? I understand that to be an arduous undertaking, because judges do not want to take freedoms away from adults. But it feels like we’re allowing a toddler to go overseas by himself; he is most definitely not capable taking good care of himself, on a day-by-day basis.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: For the short term, make his passport and all other identification disappear so he can't travel.  Then, seek out a lawyer specializing in elder law.  Find out what it will take ($ and documentation) to file for guardianship.


Title: I have a couple ideas for mobile games, but don't know how to code. How can I enter into a partnership with a coder without worrying about my intellectual property being stolen?

Question: Basically title. I understand that ideas are worth nothing, but I'd like to be able to work something out with a coder where both of us stand to profit. What legal routes can I take?

Answer:
 I won't give you legal advice but I will give you practical advice.

Like you said ideas are worth nothing. What you didn't say however is that there are 100's of people with a new multi million dollar idea every day. So I don't know how you intend to work something out with a coder but coders (especially those with experience) see right through bullshit, they will expect to be paid based on either an hourly rate or based on an estimate for the whole project. They really hate working "with" "idea guys" who have no intention in paying anything upfront and don't want to invest in the idea themselfs showing that the idea is worth nothing to the "idea guy" and that the time of the coder is worth even less.

edit: and if it is anything blockchain related then get readdy to pay a lot because there are a limited number of quallified people and they'll charge accordingly.


Title: Utility man walking through backyard

Question:
I'm in a suburb of Chicago, IL.

Today, a utility man came to my house doing normal checkups. On his way out, he walked through my backyard, which is totally fenced in/gated. He did not have to do this as all the utilities are 100% accessible from the street. Is this legal for utility companies to do?

Answer:
 Utility companies have a lot of leeway, yes. Maybe the guy didn't realize he could access the meter or whatever from the street? Did he forget to close the gate or something? Stomp on flowers? Let an animal out? Answer #2: Just FYI, in addition to what others say, Utility companies sometimes have a duty/obligation to check your connections, or to look for lost/stolen meters, do visual inspections of the lines from the overhead drop into the house, check transformers, and do a lot of things.

If they're damaging your grounds you can call the company and talk to them about it. But just walking through a yard isn't an issue and they'll ignore you.

Look at it this way: the actions are not only legal, they're mandatory. This is about health of the electric grid and preventing fire, keeping electricity going to your neighbors, and making sure people aren't stealing power.Answer #3: Did he do any damage? Why is this an issue? You'd have to prove he did it maliciously or prove he did harm. Chances are the guy's new and he didn't know where your meters were. Answer #4: Have you read the terms of service for your electricity? It is entirely possible that you agreed to them having what they deem reasonable access to your meter and to inspect your lines.


Title: My girlfriends parents owe money to the IRS. Recently the mom had my girlfriend open a savings account to put $3000 in so that it wasn't garnished. It is not a joint account, they aren't actively putting funds into it. Is she ok?

Question: I posted in personalfinance earlier, but after getting more information they sent me here. My girlfriend's family, who lives in California, is terrible at personal finance and owes more than $50,000 in taxes. The IRS takes money directly from their accounts, so the mom opened accounts with her 3 children to put money so that it wasn't garnished immediately by the IRS. Fortunately, the mom is going to close those accounts,  but had my girlfriend who is 21, open a savings account to put 3000 dollars. Since parents can give money to children, gift up to $14,000, it isn't a joint account, and they aren't actively putting money into that account, is she ok?

Answer: Sure, parents can gift their children money. But *was* this a gift? From the way you're phrasing it, it sounds like your girlfriend and her mom both agree that this $3000 is still mom's money, and they just set up this account in order to trick the IRS into thinking it wasn't. That could be fraud.


Title: [VA, USA] My friend (under 18) is getting a tattoo tomorrow by going to some tattoo artist who does it at his house. If I (over 18) go with her just to watch and spend time, and somehow cops end up at the house, can I be in trouble for anything?

Question:
The only thing I'm doing is driving her to and from the place. I'm not paying for her tattoo. But I'll have knowledge of it going on and will have been the one who provided travel to the illegal activity. What trouble could I get in if she gets caught getting tattoo'ed?
I'm in Virginia.

Answer:
 As someone with several tattoos I cannot express to you how bad of an idea this is. Tattoo shops are highly regulated for cleanliness and processes for a reason. Some guy doing it out of his house is an awful idea.
If you care at all for your friend, have them wait. Atleast don’t drive them.
Tattoos are no joke, your skin is being pierced thousands of times and you greatly open yourself up to infections if not done in a safe sterile environment. Answer #2: Off the top of my head, it could be charged as contributing to the delinquency of a minor (maybe, it'd be a bit of a stretch). On a non-legal front, do you really wanna help your friend potentially expose themselves to hepatitis or a variety of other nasty things (including HIV/AIDS) that you can get from an unregulated/illegal tattoo "shop"?

> § 18.2-371. Causing or encouraging acts rendering children delinquent, abused, etc.; penalty; abandoned infant.
> Any person 18 years of age or older, including the parent of any child, who (i) willfully contributes to, encourages, or causes any act, omission, or condition that renders a child delinquent, in need of services, in need of supervision, or abused or neglected as defined in § 16.1-228 or (ii) engages in consensual sexual intercourse or anal intercourse with or performs cunnilingus, fellatio, or anilingus upon or by a child 15 or older not his spouse, child, or grandchild is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This section shall not be construed as repealing, modifying, or in any way affecting §§ 18.2-18, 18.2-19, 18.2-61, 18.2-63, and 18.2-347.


Title: Alcoholic GF, attacked me, punched me, split my lip, beat herself up with a cooking pot, ran outside in the snow barefoot. Neighbors called cops...she told them I hit her and I got arrested. NH

Question:
Update 2:  Had arraignment.  She went.  Judge was, for lack of a better term and I mean this with as much r spect as I can...a dick about it.  We bo b asked for the no contact order to be lifted, AND we both commented on the fact that she lied to the police.  God bless her for at least doing the right thing, albeit slightly too late.  I found out she never told police I hit her in the face, but they saw the bruising from her hitting herself with the pot.  RIP Pot XMAS 2015-XMAS 2017.  They also noted I “hit her in the Ribs” after observing an old, already purple bruise on her hip.  Regardless, she didn’t say as bad of things to them as they made it seem to me.

Judge did not lift no contact order, and frankly, that’s okay.  She’s on her own now.  At the very least she told the judge she’s looking into a detox/rehab program.  She was wasted.  It isn’t fair they arrested me instead of her, but I need to rem nd myself: what would I have done?  Arrested the built 275lb man with a bloody lip or the 130lb pretty girl with bruises on her?  I’m not angry with my PD, I’m just upset they literally paid no mind to what I was saying happened.

Filed for a Court appointed attorney, postponed arraignment until I am represented by counsel.  Judge raised my PR from $500 to $1000, I’m assuming because...you know...dick and stuff.  Whatever.  I don’t do a single thing illegal and will steer clear of her.  I can only hope she maintains the truth if it goes to trial, which is scheduled in a few months.  I’ll get counsel, and I have to remind myself again if the evidence that will be presented.  I have bloody lip, bloody rag, bent pot, AND the victim admitting she lied to police and what I’m saying happened is really what happened.  Add to this the bruises they said I gave her were already official bruises, and wouldn’t have formed to this shade of purple if only 10 minutes old!

I emailed my probation officer and he hasn’t gotten back to me.  It’s pretty clear things are shaping up to be truthful and go my way, and I’m confident he won’t act on this.  My probation is over in 4 months after 3 years with no issues, no issues before that, and I’ve completed all other four appointed classes and Evals etc.  My mistake has been not realizing how serious of a savior complex I have, and falling in love with a beautiful mess.  Maybe some sunny day she will be sober and walk back in my life.  That’s not up to me :)

Thanks again for everyone’s advice and well wishes.  I’ll ask the mods to lock the post because I have definitely gotten my Reddit’s worth of information,  I love you all and hope you had a better Christmas than me and a happy new year!

Oh, and she spent the night in jail last night in PC until 6 am this morning.

UPDATE: Arraignment in an hour.  She called me, I did not answer.  She left a 3 minute voicemail crying and telling me how much she fucked up.  She doesn’t want to drink anymore and just wants me.  The police paid for a hotel for her in town.  She said she is trying to get to my arraignment but doesn’t know if she can.  If she can’t, she “wants me to tell them it was all her fault and I did nothing wrong”..she obvs wants the no contact order lifted.  She said she will try calling again, but I will not answer her.  Is it a bad idea to offer to play this voicemail to the judge?

Basically sums it up.  I did not and have never hit her.  This time, and the time this happened before, I restrained her.  The first time this happened, she was arrested for DV simple assault.  The ADA dropped the case because they didn’t believe I was the victim.  She punched me in the nose and admitted to this at her arraignment.  They still dropped the case.  Since then, she’s drunkenly told me that “next time the police come, she’ll know exactly what to say”.

Today, once I told her she was out of Gin and we didn’t have money for more until next week, she punched me, fat lip and blood.  She then bent a metal pot hitting herself in the head, then tried swinging it at me.  I had to wrestle it from her and proceeded to gently, but firmly hold her to the ground until she calmed down.  That’s when she ran outside. She hid my phone so I couldn’t call the Police.  I locked the door while the neighbors called the police.  She smashed her head against the door repeatedly, trying whole time crying and begging me “not to do this on Christmas”.

Police came, put her in the cruiser, then —as I’m holding a bloody rag to my lip—they arrest me because she said I punched her repeatedly.  She had bruises EVERYWHERE, but she drinks a ton and frankly, is clumsy.  Last week she fell getting into the shower and has multiple bruises from that.  We read that alcohol consumption can increase bruising.  She was not charged with anything and I have no idea where she is.

So, I’m scared to death.  I’m on probation.  I have 5 months of 3 years left.  This was for a non-violent offense. From what I understand, even an arrest can mean they put me in jail.  But that’s not my basis for posting this. I’m wondering what I should preserve, if anything, from the scene today.  There’s marks from her forehead on the door, the out-of-shape pot is where she left it.  The police literally have not a single care to the real root cause for them being there.  I even had to ask them to take a picture of my split lip to add to their report.

I have arraignment tomorrow, I will qualify for a state appointed attorney and will do so.  I will postpone my arraignment until I’ve met with an attorney, but my biggest concern is what I need to save and bring to the table at my arraignment.  My PO knows I’m a safe, honorable man, so I doubt I will face any crap from him...but if convicted that’s another story.

I feel very helpless.  I’m a big guy, and she isn’t...none of this looks good.  I have no texts or anything other than a snippet I saved from the first time where she threatens to stab me in my sleep.  She has bruises for sure.  I believe I caused some from restraining her BOTH today and last month sheen this happens.  She has marks on her face from her own doing.  She has a history of self harming behavior and has frequently told me she will kill her self if I leave her.  She has no friends or family to stay with other than me.  She isn’t officially on my lease and barely has anything here.

I know I will speak with a lawyer and look forward to doing so, I just want to make sure I maximize this person’s time, as I know it will be limited.  I’m honestly hoping she shows up at the arraignment and tells the truth.

Regardless, I know this relationship has to be over now.  I’ve tried as hard as I could to help her overcome her alcoholism, but the bottom line is it isn’t my addiction to fight.  What I do need to fight, however, is false accusations.  I read about this happening all the time and I’m scared out of my mind.  I believe I’m doing what I should be doing, but like I’ve said....I’m so flipping scared I can’t stop shaking. :/

Edit:  if you’ve made it this far, thanks for taking the time.  any advice will help me sleep.  Merry Christmas :(

Answer:
 First and foremost, you need an actual lawyer, and need to document your abuse as much as you can.

Second, you need to break up with your girlfriend.  Now.Answer #2: Do not talk to her. You need a good lawyer. NOW. Answer #3: Domestic Violence is a very serious matter because it can have a drastic effect on your rights, such as; right to own a firearm or weapons, you could be denied insurance/loans/entry into schools or programs, some jobs disqualify you for having DV incidents. This could be a good thing for actual offenders, but a bad thing for the accused party. In some states (I wouldn't be surprised if it was many states) arrest the "primary aggressor" if witnesses or either parties indicate ANY fearfulness, or physical action occurred. It is a he said she said battle most times and law enforcement must establish probable cause. Sometimes both people are arrested, sometimes no one is arrested. So..... with that being said...

1. You need a lawyer, ASAP.
2. You need to ensure you have all documentation from texts, to emails, to previous incidents.
3. You need to stay away from your girlfriend. The courts will probably issue a no-contact order until the hearing and even beyond it.
4. Don't say a peep to anyone except your lawyer

Good luck, friend. Answer #4: Are you going to leave this woman?Answer #5: Back up and store that voicemail in multiple safe ways, consult your lawyer about it pronto. CDs, on the cloud, on your phone, a flash drive, etc. The more the merrier.

She just saved your ass


Title: MY BOSS ISN'T PAYING ME ON TIME

Question:
I work for a privately owned VERY BUSY Dermatology office in Maryland and the doctor doesn't pay her employees on time! Her employees only consist of myself, one other medical assistant, and a billing lady. When pay day comes around she says she doesn't have the money... She might give us $100 and wait to write us our checks about 2-7 days later. Pay day was DEC 16th.. I didn't get to cash my check until the 23rd. And pay day is coming up on the 30th and I have a strong feeling I will not be getting paid again. I have bills..? I'm not trying to work for free. My coworker has been dealing with this docs shit for 20years. After 4 months I'm fed up.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO ABOUT THIS??

Answer:
 /r/legaladvice answer:

In writing ask for your wages in a timely manner, and to be paid in full up to the current pay period.
If this doesn't resolve the issue contact your states labor board / department. For you that would be the [Maryland Department of Labor](http://www.dllr.state.md.us/).

If that doesn't resolve it, you can sue for missing wages in court.

/r/personalfinance answer:

If possible start looking for a new job. A business that is constantly paying late signifies financial problems, and you might not have a job in the near future anyway.


Title: Target Lawyer called my wife for 500 dollars.

Question:
My wife was fired from Target bc she was ringing up some items she was purchasing for our wedding and accidentally forgot to ring up an item.  They fired her for stealing.

She applied for unemployment here in St. Louis Missouri hoping we could get it to help with expenses and they denied her bc she was fired.

A few weeks later she got a call from a Lawyer from Target claiming she owes 500$ to pay for the investigation to prove that she had stolen.

What can we do?  We don't have an extra 500 dollars and the fact that they are making her pay for the investigation after denying her unemployment (still has yet to find a job) is completely unfair.

Answer:
 In Missouri, you can be denied unemployment if you were fired for misconduct.  Your wife shoplifted, therefore there was misconduct and cause for her firing.

As for the $500, it's a civil demand from Target and is something that a lot of retail stores will pursue in order to offset loss prevention and their investigations.  Target is well known for their pursuit of shoplifters and their civil demands, so you may want to consult with an attorney.


Title: I work at a restaurant in Alabama, but don't get to keep any of the tips I earn. Is this legal?

Question:
I work as a server at a restaurant in Alabama. I am not sure if there are any special rules that apply to my state, but the general idea that I have come to is that the practice of the employer taking our tips is illegal. However, I am not certain if my specific case qualifies as being illegal.

Originally servers were paid $6.00 an hour in addition to tips(we had a tip share), however this was eventually changed to $7.25 an hour with the tips being collected and "put back into the restaurant"(whatever that means). However, this is only for the lunch/dinner shift. The original rule($6.00 plus tips) still applies to the breakfast shift.

Is this legal for employers to do? I am given many of my tips in person by the customers I serve who thank me for my excellent service quite frequently, and I feel quite cheated to be forced to put this money that is by all rights *mine* potentially into the owners' hands.

I have thought of saying something about it, but am fearful of losing my job. I have also considered simply keeping my tips, but am afraid of legal trouble that could be taken against me. Any advice/knowledge would be welcome.

Answer:
 Alabama [has no minimum wage or tip rules of its own](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/alabama-laws-tipped-employees.html), so you're subject to the Federal rules [under the FLSA](https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.pdf).

A restaurant can pay you below-minimum as long as your tips bring you above minimum, but they cannot pay you minimum wage and then confiscate your tips.

Start with the [Wage-Hour Division](https://www.workplacefairness.org/complaint-pay) of the US Department of Labor.

> am fearful of losing my job.

That's one of the reasons your employer thinks it's OK to steal your tips.

One element of the FLSA law is that there's a large penalty for an employer who fires an employee for making a wage claim.
Answer #2: As far as I can tell Alabama is still subject to federal law in regards to tipped employees, so the FLSA would rule.

Please read: https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.pdf

> Tipped
 employees are
those
 who
 customarily
 and
 regularly
 receive
more
 than $30 per month in tips.
**Tips
 are
the
 property
 of the
 employee.
 The
 employer
 is prohibited
 from
 using
an employee’s
 tips for
any
reason
 other than as
 a credit
 against
 its minimum
 wage obligation
 to
 the employee (“tip
 credit”) or in
furtherance
of a valid tip
 pool.** Only
 tips actually
 received
 by
 the
 employee
 may
 be counted
in
determining
 whether the
 employee is a
 tipped employee and
 in
 applying
 the tip credit.

So, if your employer has keeping the gratuities and *"put back into the restaurant"* then your employer is violating federal law. You should look to contact the nearest DOL office to you: https://www.dol.gov/whd/america2.htm#Alabama


Title: Anyone know how to fight back against stall tactics in custody cases? What the hell can I do?

Question: 5 months later and I have went without seeing my now 8 month old daughter since my wife ran off to Florida overnight January 14th. I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars and not so much had a temporary relief hearing. I have not spoken or seen my wife or daughter in the last 5 months, not so much as a picture of my baby since she was 3 months old. I finally got a temporary relief hearing for June 10th and the day before the hearing at the last hour her attorney files for a motion to continue. The judge although mad grants the MTC and sets a new hearing date 3 days later. Her lawyers complain and ask for mediation, etc, etc and the judge gets pissed. He denies every one of there stall tactics. Today at the hearing they ask for a new judge. Please God tell me what I can do to get my daughter back here? I had it won today at the hearing and they ask for a new judge and my wife and daughter head back to Florida. What are some dirty tricks my lawyer can play? We will never win if we don't start playing they're game. They will stall and stall to allow my wife to keep my daughter in Florida. I cannot go one more month without my baby girl. It's killing me! Her lawyer and mine had an agreement and they did a complete 180. My wife will do anything to keep me from seeing my baby. I can't take this anymore. Please God help. I had it won today and they found another loophole.

Answer:
 It states on the sidebar "If you've posted about the same or a related issue before in this subreddit, please provide a link to your previous post"

You have posted about this issue half a dozen times and your posts are all over the place: http://www.reddit.com/user/Jcolt84/submitted/

It sounds like you need a very good lawyer. Answer #2: > Her lawyer and **mine** had an agreement and they did a complete 180. My wife will do anything to keep me from seeing my baby.

Dude, stop posting here and speak to YOUR lawyer. We can't help you even close to better than he can. He knows your case and all the details. We don't know shit. You're paying him, utilize him.


Title: I just tired to cancel a carpet install 2 weeks in advance and now they’re charging me $2,500.00 for the cancellation. Has anyone had similar experiences? Is there anything I can do? (Detroit, MI)

Question: Apparently, I only had 3 days to cancel even though I scheduled it 1.5 months in advance. The company that gave me the quote was "The Carpet Guys". I was able to cancel 4 other quotes without issue or charge. I honestly felt coerced into signing without any explanation as to what the penalties were.

Answer:
 > I did sign something

As soon as you sign something, you're bound to that contract. What does it say about canceling?

> the charismatic sales associate told me "not to worry about it" and I can cancel the day before install if I want.

Words are meaningless after you sign a contract. If the "nice" sales associate is trying to **tell** you something, make them put it in the contract. If they don't want to put it in the contract, time to walk away. Answer #2: Their website offers next day installation, so it is weird that so far in advance you would still have such a huge penalty.

What is the language in the contract you signed that defines the cancellation policy?


Title: [FL] Someone stole my parking spot

Question:
I live in Canada and have a vacation home in a condo in Pompano Beach Florida that we owned for over 30 years. After coming back to the vacation home two weeks ago I found a car parked with a tarp on it in my assigned parking spot. According to my neighbor, he parked there at around thanksgiving and wont be coming back until the new year. Since this is a busy spot of the year, there are not that many guest parking spots so we want to be able to use it.

First, we called the president of the condo's board to see what they can do and they said they were looking in to see if there was a way anyone here could move it such as a spare key.

Next we called the management office and they just said that they would get in touch with the board to solve the issue.

We contacted the owner of the car after finding out his number through neighbors and he said that if we tow his car, he will sue along with other vulgar words.

My husband contacted another member of the board since the president was on a cruise and they said that if we wanted to tow, we could and that the board would pay the bill. I then called them ten minutes later asking if the board could call the tow company because I did not want to deal with the car owner any more. After this, the board member back pedaled on his prior statement and said he never told my husband that it should be towed and that the board would pay. He also said that we should not tow because the spots are assigned and not owned

The same guy called ten minutes later and said he really wanted to advise us that we should not get the car towed.

What can we do to get our spots back?

Answer:
 > He also said that we should not tow because the spots are assigned and not owned.

I would call the board person again and ask if they could assign you another space, so that you can use your parking space while you are visiting your condo.  You are "owed" a parking space.  Let the board deal with the neighbor who is hogging "your" parking space.  Is the neighbor also occupying the "assigned" space for his condo (essentially taking two spaces)?  In any event, make it the HOA's problem.


Title: [NH] My well water dug for new construction has 167ppm iron. If we use the water at all, it will stain everything it touches. We have not yet closed, what could we do?

Question:
We reached out to every water treatment company in the area, and nobody will even touch it.  We have not yet closed, so we could walk away, costing us roughly $35k.  The alternative was a $15k system, and 30lb of salt a day, adding up to thousands in maintenance each year.  That's on top of the nightly labor of swapping cartridges.

We are requesting a new well be dug before we close, but have not yet heard back.  The secondary EPA requirements are not enforced in my town, but the iron is ~550x their suggested limit.  Everyone in my neighborhood has had a similar issue, and the builder has generally said to pound sand.

Is there anything we could do?  We have twins coming in two months, so we want to close... But bad water is a deal breaker.

Answer:
 I grew up in the country. Everyone Around had well water and a water softener they had to add salt too. It's really not that big of a deal to deal with the salt. Some water companies will even deliver salt to you.

If everyone in that neighborhood has the same problem, maybe see how they're dealing with it and decide if they have any solutions that would be reasonable to you.


Title: Defamation suit?

Question:
Husbands disgruntled ex business partner posted online link to another business partner's criminal history, alongside my name and posted I am working with a criminal.

I am not associated with my husband's business, do not and have not ever worked for them. I have not invested in them either.

He hacked their business FB page and posted it there. I want to sue, what steps shall I take?

AZ.

Answer:
 If the page was hacked, you can report it to the police.

Posting criminal history in and of itself is not defamation.

edit: spelling


Title: Bullying from HR

Question: My wife has been working at a non-profit in Oklahoma for a few years now and today she was called into HR. They told her that they had received complaints about her jokes offending others then demanding that she drive an additional 120 miles a week on her dime to go to a location that she normally doesn't have to go to. I am trying to be vague which is why there is not too much detail but wondered if this behavior is lawful.

Answer:
 What jokes? You're deliberately being vague, but if she's creating a hostile work environment by telling racist/whatever jokes, HR's solution here is actually the soft option compared to firing her.

Actually, that's what it sounds like BECAUSE you're being vague.

Though, as has already been noted, your wife's employer can choose to tell her to report wherever they want, and she can choose to tell them she quits. I don't think that this scenario meets the requirements for constructive dismissal, especially given (120 miles / 10 back-and-forth trips a week) equals a location change of only 12 miles.Answer #2: If I read this post correctly the question is can your wife’s employer can dictate where she has to report to work?

The answer is yes, they can dictate the terms of her employment and do not have to offer her compensation for additional travel time.  They can do this for any reason or no reason at all, so long as the reason isn’t membership in a protected class.  Telling jokes other employees don’t like (even if those other employees are being irrational) is not a protected class, so the employer is free to do this.Answer #3: That's not bullying or illegal. If she doesn't like it, she can quit.


Title: [US/VT] Company is treating us like shit.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Do I have any ammunition?

You can quit.


Title: I witnessed what appeared to be a kidnapping and called the police. Can they accuse me of lying/prank calling if they don’t find the car I told them about?

Question:
Location: Wisconsin, USA

While I was walking home after picking up food this evening, a car stopped at a red light and a woman opened the passenger side door, frantically yelling that she wants to get out NOW. The man who was driving the car yanked her back into her seat, and when the light turned green, she started screaming for help as the car sped off.

I called the police and explained what I witnessed, but I wasn’t able to describe the car very well. I told them the location at which I saw this happen, the direction the car went, gave a description of the victim, and the color and shape of the car, but I didn’t know the license plate number, make, or model of the car.

If the police don’t find the car, will I be held responsible for sending them on what might seem to be a wild goose chase?

Answer:
 >If the police don’t find the car, will I be held responsible for sending them on what might seem to be a wild goose chase?

No. You truthfully and accurately described what you believed to be a crime in progress.Answer #2: No; they would have to prove that you did so maliciously, and they won't bother with charges unless you're doing it repeatedly.Answer #3: As others have said, they're very unlikely to take any action with regards to it being a prank/wasting their time on purpose. One of the reasons for this is that they wouldn't want to put people off reporting suspected crimes for fear that they themselves might get into trouble. Also, kidnapping is the kind of crime where it's really important for the police to take action as early on as possible so in a kidnapping case it's important that they get the kind of information you provided as soon as possible.


Title: After writing one star review, business posted personal information

Question: After having some work done at a local automotive shop, I was unhappy with some of the hidden fees, and gave them a one star review. They responded to this review by posting a link to their website claiming they did nothing wrong ( a typo filled, misspelled rant) , and included pictures of documents that included my personal information (full name, last four of my card number, area code of my phone number, make, model, most of vin number, millage, of my car, picture of my google profile picture). I took down my review, so it is harder to find the link to my personal information. Any thoughts on what I should do? I have contacted my credit card company and have not heard back yet. This seems like the kind of thing that should be illegal?

Answer: Take screenshots and evidence, put a freeze on your bank information as your identity is at risk to be stolen now, and contact an attorney, ASAP.


Title: [TN] I'm being threatened to be sued for not providing RAW files from a wedding I took photos of. (x-post /r/photography)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >  I wasn't able to photograph the rehearsal, simply because it was held at 5:30 pm and the sun had already disappeared on a cloudy day.

...

> $800 is a steal for nice photos of your special day.

If you are holding yourself as a professional photographer, you'd have brought a high-ISO camera to a 5:30pm appointment. If I were advising the other side, and the photographer who held himself out to be a professional and failed to come with even the most basic equipment, and then suffered inexplicable "corruption," and then failed to produce a work-for-hire in a reasonable timeframe, and then insisted that he wasn't going to produce part of the work - in the absence of a contract, I'd start wondering how much it might cost to restage the entire wedding with a new photographer.

You should give them everything they want and hope that's enough.


Title: I work at a pizza chain resteraunt, our drawer was under a total of $198 over two days. My bosses say everyone has to pay. (Michigan)

Question:
I am the assistant manager at a chain pizza place in michigan. The past two days our deposit to the bank has been $100 short the first day and $98 dollars short last night. This either means that two people do not know how to count money or someone is stealing. Our camera systems aren't working so my bosses have no way of finding out who it is. They are now saying that everyone who worked that shift now has to pay part of the money at the end of our period. Can they do that? What should I do in my situation? Thank for the help, it is much appreciated.
If any more information is needed I can most likely provide it.

EDIT: There seems to be a bit of information needed so i shall provide. The drawer itself is with a lock and key and is not connected to the system at all, that is the first flaw. Second flaw is there is a spare key sitting in our office for anyone to grab and every employee knows that it is there. We also never signed anything stating that we would have to pay for anything, nor did any party say that they were doing it until this incident occurred.

EDIT 2: When i refer to the "boss/bosses" i am referring to the stakeholders.

Answer: Plot twist : The boss stole the money and is pinning it on the employees.Answer #2: Well the general consensus seems to be that we do not have to pay although someone will probably get fired. It's a shame but, we'll see how today goes. Thanks everyone :D.Answer #3: I'm curious, what is the best course of action for the employees here? Assuming that the owner deducts this from their wages without consent, do they file in small claims? If so, what can the reasonably expect to get? Just the actual loss, or are they entitled to treble damages+costs? Could they file a class action suit and if so would there be any benefits?Answer #4: When our safe kept coming up short, it was the manager who was stealing.


Title: Facing false charges (general warrent issued), already on probation, what do I do? Colorado.

Question:
So I'm actually asking this for my friend who is freaking out about what to do. He is currently on probation for a DUI but if he has any police contact its a violation of his terms. He has a probation meeting on Wednesday (Today is Thursday) and is afraid that they will take him into custody at the meeting.

My friend and his girlfriend were having a small party a few days ago and they got wasted and there was drama and some grabbing and pushing, nothing major no blood or anything. Dude gets pissed and leaves the premises. His girl proceeds to call the cops after he left. The cops get there and they see she has a couple of light bruises on her arms, and they search the place and find a couple dozen hits of acid. His girl denies knowledge of the acid. She told the cops he was rough with her and threw her down on a bed. She doesn't say that he actually hit her. They confiscate the drugs, and issue a warrant for my friends arrest.

Dude doesn't know he has a warrant until a couple days alter when him and his girl are at lunch and the cops call her, asking where my friend is. (She forgot what happened that night because she was wasted). The cops inform her that they are charging my friend with assault.

Dude calls the police station and they tell him they issued a "general warrant" and he will need to come down and turn himself in. His girl feels really bad about calling the cops because she was drunk and mad and is willing to say that she lied about him roughing her up.

So what happens now? Should my friend be worried about the drugs they found, even though he isn't getting charged with them (for now)? Again, the warrent is just a general warrent but the cops said he was facing assault charges.

Can his girl come down when he turns himself in and give a statement she lied? Will this exonerate him?

How will this effect his probation? Is he looking at jail time?

Answer:
 First, it's *warrant.*

Anyways, your "friend" is gonna be in prison for a bit. If the PO doesn't have him arrested right then and there, they'll get him some other time.

As for the charges:

* Assault in CO (I'm going to assume it's third degree) is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and can carry up to two years incarceration.

* Possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I drug (like LSD) is a Class 3 felony, and carries 4-16 years in prison.

* Violating his probation means he'll end up finishing the rest of his term in jail from the original charges.

So, to answer you're question: yeah, he's looking at jail time.Answer #2: Yes, he should be very worried about having a couple dozen hits of acid. That is a trafficking amount. You probably will not be seeing your friend for a few years.


Title: I need urgent the device

Question:
 I am a physically disabled, medically retired veteran, from the United States Army. I have a disability rating of 70% with the VA. I make roughly $3200 a month from the VA and Social Security, which is my primary source of income. I also work part time for my parents landscaping/snow removal company, for which I plow snow. Do to the lack of snow this year and my physical disability, I am only making $200-400 a month from this job. Giving me a total income of approximately $3400-3600 a month.

     I have about $3100 in bills a month including (but not Limited to): rent, food for my two children and myself, electricity/Gas, truck payments (which I need/use at/for work), Vehicle Insurance, life insurance, credit card, and phone bills.

  I have physical custody of my kids, (aged 4yo and 7mo) about 60% of the time. I was also the primary care giver and educator to both kids prior to my wife moving out on the 25th of January, 2015. I filed a order of protection on behalf of me and my two children against my wife on January 27, 2015, because  she physically/mentally assaulted me and threatened to kill me, and mentally abused our two children (which I have proof and or witnesses to all statements). The first court date was February 2, 2015. My wife did not show up to the first court date. Another court date was set for February 18,2015, But before the second court date she filed for her own order of protection against me on February 11, 2015. It was filed and served the same day and the court date was the next day February 12, 2015. The judge that singed her order of protection is now also the divorce judge. My wife also stated under oath in court that she only filed it to get her voice heard in court not because she felt threatened.
  My wife is an alcoholic, she would get drunk while watching the kids by herself while I was at work. She is also mentally unstable to the point that she was committed to a mental hospital for a few days. She stated in court, under oath, that she sees nothing wrong with drinking while watching the kids. She also stated, under oath, that her medication for her mental issues do not work and she is getting worse

  I am now ordered by the court to pay my wife $1000 in child support and $750 in spousal support for a total of $1750 a month. Giving me a total debt a month of around $4900 dollars. I am also Ordered: to give her all of the tax return, To pay $2500 to her lawyer for his services (after he said in court that he is working Pro bono), and all her debt prior to February 26, 2015 is mine to pay.

   The judge is clearly not impartial in this case. I have not been given the opportunity to defend anything my wife has put in the divorce papers/ order of protection or dispute the amount the court says I make per month.

  I am left with about $100 to pay all bills a month, except the $1300 rent, but including buying baby food for my 6mo and food for my 4yo for the 60% of the month I have the kids. I am no longer able to care for my children or pay my bills. I am now forced to break my lease on the house I rent and move out this month. I will also be forced to sell my truck that I use for/at work.

   I would like to get my story out. To get the public aware that the legal system is completely biased towards dads. So maybe a dad's rights advocacy program might be able to help me AND anyone else going though this.

  If you have any advice or if you know of any resources I can use to fight this, please contact me. I am desperate right now!

Answer:
 Your narrative is very long and difficult to read.  You should consider re-writing this to be more clear and succinct.

It appears that your complaint is that the judge is favoring your wife in a divorce or custody case.  In general, it's not problematic for you to be losing the case; in general, one party always loses.

What does your attorney say about this?


Title: Was speeding significantly over limit, pulled over, he didn't get my speed, no ticket written but was told to expect something in the mail

Question:
As soon as I was pulled over he started asking me how fast I was going repeatedly. I kept insisting that I didn't know, and he told me to guess, and I said I didn't know again.

I have a radar detector so I know he didn't get my speed. He took all my info down and came back 10 minutes later and told me I need to slow down. Was cool about it, told me to be careful but that he understands I have a fast car. He then told me to expect something in the mail and we said goodbye. He comes right back and says

 "tell me this, did you see all of the cars you were passing?"

No sir, I wasn't paying attention to that.

"Fair enough, stay safe"

Is he bullshitting by telling me to expect something in the mail?

I live in California, SF Bay Area

Answer: Nope. You could get a ticket in the mail or court summons for your violation in the mail.


Title: (TX) My car was stolen but was just found, what are my next steps?

Question:
 My car was stolen one week ago from the parking lot in front of my apartment. Early this morning I received a call that it was found. They said a teenager was driving it and was pulled over. The teen changed the license plate. The car was towed to the lot the city uses for all stolen cars.

I need to recoup everything I've had to pay for like a rental and missing work for one day, even paying to get my car pout of the towering company lot and a new license plate.  Also I had a small amount of money in the car as well as a money order for my child's weekly tuition. Do I sue or go through court? Do I come to the trial? How does this work?

Answer: You can ask for restitution, but don't have an expectation of ever seeing it. Criminals generally don't have any money


Title: When an American criminal defense lawyer sees a docket with an extraordinary number of severe felonies which were all nolle prosequi'd and a single misdemeanor or summary conviction, what do they think?

Question:
e.g. someone charged with attempted homicide, attempted rape, attempted arson, etc. who was convicted of disorderly conduct.

EDIT: by "what do they think?" I'm wondering whether this strikes them as normal or abnormal, whether they would believe it to be a problem that such a thing could occur, what they might think about how this happened, etc. Are things like this accepted at face value, or are they considered some kind of problem that needs to be resolved?

Answer: Probably that the prosecutor had a shitty case.


Title: [MD] Car accident took my partner's leg. Person at fault has no assets and insurance companies are not paying a lot

Question:
First time poster – throwaway to keep our anonymity.

About a month and a half ago my partner was involved in a car accident. He lightly tapped the bumper of the car in front of him at a green light because the person in front didn’t start moving. They got out to exchange information. (Technically the middle lane of 3, in the same direction, but the right most lane was a right turn only lane so they were as far right as they could go without impeding the turning traffic.) My partner was standing between his car (4-way hazards on) and the car in front (the car he hit; also with their 4-way hazards on) when a third car plowed into my partner’s car. My partner’s leg was severed immediately and a large chunk of “meat” was taken out of the back of his other leg’s knee. The third driver didn’t flee, and the police have their information.

We contacted a lawyer and, after a month of back and forth, we just received the final settlement offer from the insurance companies: considerably less than $100,000. (Not that $100,000 is a magical number, just that I’m intentionally trying to be vague as I’m not sure what the rules are for disclosing settlement amounts before accepting the offer.) The person who hit my partner had the Maryland legal minimum of liability coverage of $30,000. The lawyer also performed an asset check and discovered that this person has nothing in their name; they are currently living with a parent in the parent’s house. Our lawyer has told us he will be withdrawing from the case (so that we do not have to pay him a cent, including all fees incurred during this time) and will give us all the information that we need to accept and receive this settlement.

My partner and I are very upset with this news, as prosthetic limbs are not cheap and do not last forever. Not to mention all the out of pocket expenses to make life easier at home now. We have several questions and would like any, and all, advice:

 * What may be other options in this case? While we’re not intentionally trying to screw this person’s life over, our future medical bills will be high. Wage garnishment perhaps? (However, we’re unsure how exactly $20 every other week will help :/ ) Emptying this person’s bank accounts?
 * Should we contact a second lawyer?
 * I’m pretty sure my partner has a $50,000 liability coverage plan, so why was our offer less than the two liability coverages combined? Should we consider suing the insurance companies for more money?
 * Does anyone know of any resources where amputees can go to get financial help for the purchase of prosthetic limbs, besides insurance?

Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

*EDIT: Formatting*

Answer:
 >I’m pretty sure my partner has a $50,000 liability coverage plan, so why was our offer less than the two liability coverages combined?

Because your partner's liability is only if HE is liable, not if someone hits him.  What would help him here is medpay, or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on his policy.  I expect his lawyer already looked into that, unfortunately, but it couldn't hurt to double check.Answer #2: You can consult with another attorney, but if at the end of the day the driver had the state minimum personal injury insurance and they have no recoverable assets, you are pretty much out of luck. accepting the settlement is likely to be your best option.


Title: What is the most I can get out if I go to the police and report this person?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 OP, your post history suggests that you are a man who posts regularly (indeed, you have your own subreddit) about your anger or hatred toward women who are uninterested in you romantically or sexually.

It is generally discouraged in this subreddit to propose this sort of offender/victim swapped story in order to garner sympathy or advice on violating laws or social norms.   It's not explicitly against subreddit rules, but it discourages people from helping.

Anti-stalking and anti-harassment laws may come into play at the criminal level, as may civil court orders of protection.    The precise mechanisms and details differ by state.

If the girls calls the police while you are sitting outside her house in your car, the "waiting for a friend" excuse will generally work once, if you leave.    If the police speak with her and she describes your conduct, they may choose to arrest you based on that complaint.

Or, if she obtains an order of protection that requires you to not contact her and to refrain from coming near her, you could be arrested for violating that court order.


Title: [Indiana] Need some help, found out my 15 year old daughter was being groomed.

Question:
A few weeks ago, my 15 year old daughter had a suicide attempt. We found out when a friend of mine showed up to tell us that she had told his daughter what she did. My daughter ended up inpatient for a week. During this time we found out that she and my "friend" who is 35, had been texting each other multiple times a day for over a year. He was constantly telling her that she was beautiful, that he loved her and wanted her to spend the night at his house. We also found out that he knew she was suicidal for over a month, and only said something once she made an attempt. Most of the comments on her phone were deleted, and when we demanded he send us the texts from his phone, many of them were deleted as well. What we did see was him asking her for specific details of what she had done with a boyfriend on facetime, even going as far as to ask what kind of noises she was making. When we found this out, her phone was taken and her social media accounts were deactivated. We tried to press charges, but we were told that nothing was explicit enough to press charges. We also tried to have a protective order filed, but we were told the same thing and it was denied. What I'm wondering now is there any other actions we can take to ensure he doesn't contact her again.

Thank you for all of the advice, my wife and I will definitely be looking into some of these options going forward.

Answer:
 You can hire an attorney to go over everything and tell you the best options. It is going to depend on a lot of details we can't know (local judges, facts about what is written).

So there may or may not be a legal step. Obviously she needs to not be on social media Answer #2: Call your cell phone company and ask for a transcript. They can sometimes recover those messages. if anything was explicit in the ones they deleted then call the police and they should help you out more.


Title: (MA) Got in Car Accident. The person I hit put in an insurance claim for a completely different car.

Question:
I live in Massachusetts. I hope I'm posting this correctly.
 So on Monday May 23rd, I was in traffic. We were at a red light that had just turned green. The car in front of me hit her gas and then immediately slammed on her break. As she was breaking I had just starting hitting my gas and by the time I hit my break I had hit her, not very hard.  There wasn't much damage.
 Anyway we pulled to the side of the road and exchanged information. I took pictures of everything, her license, registration and also 2 pictures of where there was slight damage to her bumper. I also took pictures of my car. After all was said and done, we drove off. I don't think she realized I took pictures of her car as she was writing down my information.
  So I go over the pictures after and realize her license plate didn't match the license plate on her registration. I continued to look and saw the the registration was under her name but the car was a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I had rear ended a newer Jeep Laredo, I thought maybe she took out the wrong registration. Later that day my insurance called to find out about the accident and I asked the guy what car she was putting in the claim for and of course, she tried to put in that I hit the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  I told the insurer that I did not and I had pictures to prove it.  I emailed him the pictures and am waiting to hear back. I don't know much about the law, but Im pretty positive that's insurance fraud.  What are the likely scenarios that will come of this? Will I not have to pay her damages to the new or old car? Is this anything I can do myself as she technically filed a false claim against me?? Any information at all would be appreciated as I still haven't heard back, other than the appraiser who just took some pictures.

Answer:
 You did everything correctly. Your insurance company will handle everything from here on.  If she did intentionally, then yes, it could be fraud, but it sound like this could be a simple paperwork mistake.Answer #2: Laredo is a specific trim level of the Grand Cherokee, not a different model.Answer #3: Jeep Laredo is a specific ~~model~~ *trim level* of the Jeep Cherokee. Are you certain the license plate numbers didn't match?Answer #4: OP, can you post the pics you described with the license plate blacked out?

And which of these jeeps looks like the one you hit?

[one](https://i.imgur.com/U42Gsdx.jpg)

[two](https://i.imgur.com/IdfGCkg.jpg)Answer #5: > I continued to look and saw the the registration was under her name but the car was a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I had rear ended a newer Jeep Laredo, I thought maybe she took out the wrong registration.

So... she showed you registration for an older Jeep and reported that as the car she was driving in the accident, but she was actually driving a newer one?  That sounds like a mistake rather than fraud, because surely it would be to her benefit to report the damage to the newer, more valuable vehicle rather than the older one.


Title: [TX] I was sexually harassed for the past 6 months and I want to leave my company but afraid they'll make me to pay back my relocation assistance.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I think you should try out seeing the therapist first. You obviously have stress that is really bringing you down due to the awful human being this guy is. You did everything right. Remember that. This isn't your fault. Obviously this guy had it coming and the only person he can blame is himself.

If the therapy doesn't help, is there another branch of the office you can move to? Maybe just being around different people may help. Answer #2: You signed the contract and the company handled the harrassment.  If you feel like you are being retaliated against,  talk to HR again.


Title: [GA] University not paying for teaching position — semester has already come and gone

Question:
My partner began teaching this year at two different public universities that both fall within the University System of Georgia. Because she is teaching at two separate schools in a dual appointment role, the handling of her paycheck involved a lot of back and forth between the two schools' HR departments and USG, but the actual payment was supposed to come from a single source [I think the first university she was hired at writes the checks, money comes from USG]. She returned all the correct paperwork, got all the signatures she needed, etc etc and was told it was good to go.

First pay period she was only paid the salary for one of the positions. Contacted the appropriate department(s), back and forth with different folks, fast forward to 4-6 weeks later — still never seeing any pay for position #2 — and she is finally paid for position #2 at the completely wrong amount. Double check contracts, resend paperwork, do all of the things asked of her to get this corrected, etc etc — long story short, the semester ended a few weeks ago and she has still not received any pay for a teaching position that started the second week of January.  She periodically gets an update from an administrator at USG or one of the universities saying they are working on it, but no money has materialized.  It feels absurd that it has taken this long to get their act together.

My question is in regards to any sort of recourse for the several months without pay. We are hopeful that the situation will get resolved and all of the salary owed to her will be paid eventually, but meanwhile not being paid a significant portion of her income has been a problem. She's fallen behind on loan and CC payments and racked up a bigger CC bill than she would have otherwise, and her credit score is reflecting the damage. Is there any recourse or protections for people who get screwed like this by bureaucratic nightmare hell? Specifically since she is an employee of the state of Georgia, is there any specific protections or awards of damages for unpaid wages? What are the specifics of GA law that cover employers (the state or otherwise) not paying employees for extended periods of time?

Any advice or feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks!

Answer: Tell her to send an email to her the respective academic dean and provost for both schools. Something has fallen through the cracks and this is unacceptable.


Title: truck was parked illegal, hit by a lexus and she flipped over

Question:
Hi everyone, I would just like a baseline of advice. My parked car was hit and the offenders car flipped over. Luckily she had a new lexus and was uninjured. I was parked at a red curb, she hit my car as I was walking across the street unloading boxes.

My truck is old but is lifted, exhaust system, etc. Many aftermarket parts. It is likely my car is totaled.

I have liability only and cannot use insurance to argue on my behalf. The cops did not ticket me (officer said "he did not give a shit" that I was parked illegally. She was fully insured.

Can I argue for replacement value based on modifications? My truck is likely totaled as the axle is bent and suspension is fucked. She was speeding and distracted and fucked up really bad. I want payment for a replacement truck plus the modifications I paid for.

Any advice on how to deal with this headache? I am in California.

Answer: She may be responsible due to the stationary object rule, though you may take some of the blame. So, I would not count on getting your full value for the car. Also, the after market mods do not increase the value of the car -- they actually make it much tougher to sell.


Title: He got $1600 from me, is there anything I could do??? Help!! :(

Question:
I've been hooking up with a guy occasionally for the last 4 months... I won't even consider us friends because we didn't text or anything. Anyways that's just some background.

Thing is I ended up spending close to $600 on amazon on construction tools for him, saying it would be his bday gift apparently .. and my bank card was used on his amazon account. In addition, he took $1000 from me to buy more things for work supposedly. He used me and now he is not responding and I feel horrible.. I am a student working 10 hours a week and I knew I shouldn't have given him the money but I thought I was doing something right... is there anything I could possibly do? He took advantage of me and he was rude and now he has my money and I'm left with nothing...

I was planning on calling amazon to complain about the charges to my card since I didn't get any confirmation. And getting the shipping address since I don't know where he lives to give to the police.

Unfortunately I deleted the messages between us as I blocked him :( it was me asking for the $1000 back and him ignoring me... I did tell him I was TRYING to make the $1000 a gift but I needed to pay for things. ( I should have taken a screenshot, it was on snapchat)

ANY advice appreciated

I'm in Ontario, Canada

Answer:
 Unfortunately this money was given to him as a gift without any structure that it was to be repaid.

You can't just give someone money and expect them to pay it back if they upset you.

Sorry, you learned an expensive lesson.


Title: [Long Island, New York] Found a house for rent on Craigslist, owner wants us to sign lease and then send him money so we can get the keys to move in. Is this safe from a legal standpoint?

Question:
My boyfriend and I are in the process of finding a place to move. We have been looking in Craigslist for basement apartments and other less formal living arrangements because I have bad credit. Well, we found one listing for a house at an amazing price, so I emailed the guy and got a response. The guy says he owns the house and that he initially was going to sell it but his realtor was being dishonest and jacking up the price, so it is listed as being for sale but he is now looking at becoming a landlord and renting it out instead. I gave him the necessary information to draft a lease agreement, but we haven't met in person yet because he is supposedly on a business trip. We went to the house and had a look around but couldn't go inside due to him not being there, so we have seen the house and know it's legit and looks just like the pictures. There is also a for sale sign in the front yard, and despite the low rent, it does coincide with the estimated monthly mortgage for this place. Additionally, I went on sites like Spoke and White Pages and found that current/previous residents listed had the same name as the guy said in the email, so so far the story adds up. Now he wants me and my boyfriend to sign the lease and send it back to him, after which we would send him the security deposit and first month's rent and he would send us the keys in FedEx and we could move in.

Does this sound safe from a legal standpoint? If we have a signed lease agreement, we should be safe right?

Answer:
 This is a common and huge scam. Just walk away.

Anyone can find the owner of the house online in the property records and create an email.

The lease doesn’t really protect you if it turns out it’s someone else impersonating the owner. At that point it’s fraudulent and not valid.

Fits all the scam red flags

*traveling homeowner.
*sketchy realtor story on why they need it leased ASAP.
*online interaction only
*will fedex keys.
*wants lease signed ASAP.
*amazing price/too good to be true.
*wants security deposit first.

If you need anymore, not to be rude but it would be naive to sign this lease.

I’m a homeowner and lease out my homes. I always make sure to do a walk through, always hold another meeting to go over the lease, and a final one where cash and keys are exchanged if we agree on all terms. Answer #2: >Hey man, I came here because we found it a little sketchy. I just wanted to know if, by having a signed lease in hand, we had any sort of legal leverage to get our money back if it was a scam. But since that seems to not be the case, I'll take the advice.

As others have said, it's a VERY common scam.  If you (or someone that you trust) can't see the inside of the place, then it's most likely a scam.  Theoretically you could sue the guy in Nigeria who scammed you, but practically speaking, possession is 9/10ths of the law...


Title: [California] My business client appears to be committing fraud, need to know how far I should back away from this person.

Question:
California.

I'm a freelance web administrator, one of my clients is under investigation by the FDA for fraudulent health claims on his products and website.  He is still in talks with them about other aspects of his business, but I've followed the FDA guidelines and his website is now compliant.  My part is done.  Here's the problem...

He is creating a second website/domain, under someone else's name, and will continue business-as-usual there.  Meaning, the second website will be a big up-yours to the FDA.  I'm willfully ignorant of the details, but he has asked me to help set up and maintain the second website.

- Is he committing fraud or something similar?

- If I continue working on the legitimate side of his business, but am aware of the second part, can I get in trouble?

I had no idea that the greasy bastard was making false claims in the first place, I'm certainly not going to help perpetuate them.  I'd like to arm myself with the legalese to decline helping with the second site, and depending on what you folks advise, maybe drop this client entirely.

Love browsing this sub, can't believe I have to post a question.  Ugh.  Thank you!

***

**UPDATE:**

Even though nobody told me the name of his scheme, with your advice, I was able to figure out what to do.  I'm droppping the guy.

He's a slippery little weasel and I know that at the first sign of trouble he'll throw everyone around him under the bus (thanks for pointing that out /u/A_Soporific).  Not me!  I'm not going to rat him out, he's dumb and will get caught.  But, I did explain exactly why I'm leaving, in writing.  He has a few employees that are on the same page as me, I've passed the information here on to them, and it looks like they're leaving too.

Cheers /r/legaladvice!
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Don't get involved with that. Answer #2: How far back? All the way back.Answer #3: Not a lawyer but subverting a federal regulatory agency rarely works out well for anyone. Answer #4: You need to back away from this client.  Even if you technically do nothing wrong, or you have plausible deniability, you will be dragged into court, your name and reputation will be tainted, and this client is going to cost you hundreds of times what he pays you.

Drop him as a client, lie to him, tell him you picked up a steady job and you can't do his site anymore, just don't let on that you know he's doing sleazy stuff.Answer #5: Go to the relevant investigators now. Most of them have a policy where the first guy to come clean gets immunity. Turn him in. That's your safest play. After all, he's going to be caught.

He was caught for fraud the first time, what magic would protect him the second time? If you know and don't say anything you *might* be clear, or he *might* try to throw you under the bus and try to get a better deal by "turning in conspirators". Given that he knows that you know he has a second site I'm pretty sure he is either planning on it or his lawyer will suggest it to him.

Seriously, nip it in the bud now before people get in way more trouble.Answer #6: You want nothing to do with this, and want to prove you want (and had) nothing to do with the second site.


Title: Is my Mom's trust "idea" fiduciary sound? It sounds bad (CA)

Question:
(edit: sorry about the title grammar).

Hello friends! This question is coming to you from California. I'll try to make this short and simple.

My Mom owns half of a house. A trust owns the other half of the house. The house is held as tenancy in common. My Mom is the trustee of the trust in question. The beneficiaries of the trust are not related to her or me.

My Mom wants to just go and have the trust updated so that the trust pays more maintenance costs ON THE HOUSE (it currently pays none). She is planning on telling the beneficiaries but not giving them any say, really. My question is basically two-fold:

* Doesn't this violate the fiduciary duty that my Mom has as the trustee?
* Isn't her being the trustee while she owns the other half of the house a conflict of interest anyway?

I've basically told my Mom that this sounds like a terrible idea, but she claims she spoke to a lawyer who told her it's fine. Any advice here would be appreciated.

(As a side question, and one that hopefully won't be necessary in the future, what kind of lawyer deals with things like contested trusts and the like? A regular trust attorney? Or a contract attorney?)

Answer: Your mom would probably have the authority to start paying maintenance fees out of the trust as to avoid waste, but she needs to make sure she's only paying the trust's appropriate amount. Meaning she's going to have to fork over half of the maintenance costs so there's no implications of conflicts or self-dealing.


Title: [NJ] Fired for calling the cops

Question: I work in a closing retail store, today was our last day and members of management and some of the other associates, including underage girls, talked often about drinking once we had closed our doors. I voiced my opinion multiple times about it being a bad idea as they obviously have to drive home afterwards. During the course of the day I did indeed found alcohol which I moved in an effort to keep them from drinking and driving. Once we did close however it seems one associate still have alcohol on their person and they were all intending to do shots before leaving. I again iterated how this was a bad idea before leaving. I wound up calling the cops to come check it out and I am being fired as a result. Should I speak to an employment lawyer?

Answer:
 Also consider how much to put into a lawsuit where your damages are already only going to be two weeks' pay, since that's all you were going to get paid anyway.

Answer #2: So by your own admission, you moved personal property of another employee with the intent to prevent them from regaining possession of it?  Because that's *theft*, ya know.  I sure as heck would have fired you were you my employee and I found out.  That's one of the instant non-negotiable firing offenses in my employee handbook, as is common with most businesses.

Edited for speelingAnswer #3: You have no idea if they intended to uber home, call a friend, or drive while under the limit. So no one should be able to drink anywhere but in their own home?
People drink at bars, restaurants, private homes, and office parties all the time. Forget that you’re a big stick in the mud, what you did was just plain stupid, regardless of how you feel about alcohol. I highly doubt you have a legal leg to stand on here. They fired you because they don’t like you anymore, which is not illegal.

Edit: fixed a spelling errorAnswer #4: Underaged girls that I secretly lust for were possible going to be taken advantage of by Chads with liquor, so I had to put a stop to it.Answer #5: Question: what was the result of the cops showing up? Did they actually make any arrests/file charges? If not, you definitely don't have a leg to stand on here. Answer #6: Let us know what the lawyer you contact says


Title: Landlord stole from our apartment, began remodel w/o permission

Question:
We live in Chicago, Illinois. My boyfriend got a job consulting in DC so he will be out of town for the remainder of his lease. We have been paying rent on time every month, but making efforts to sublet. The bathtub and bathroom ceiling were peeling when we moved out, so we put in a work order for it so we could make every effort to sublease a nice apartment. Apparently, when they entered our apartment to fix the bath tub they noticed we had no furniture in the apartment except for a desk and microwave, so they decided to do a full re-model of the apartment without notifying us and throw out the remaining furniture in the apartment without our permission, despite us still paying rent. I went to show the apartment to a possible sublessee today, and there was no fridge or stove, the floors were being sanded, and the place was filthy when I had left it perfectly clean. Most importantly, our furniture and microwave were gone! Do we have a right to sue or break the lease for this?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 IANAL, but did the landlord give notice in writing that he was entering the apartment? If not, then this might sound like constructive eviction. Speak with an attorney tomorrow.Answer #2: Sounds like they broke the lease, but if you did not inform them that you were not staying there, you may also have broken it.  Many leases require that you notify the LL if you will be gone longer than X days, because an unoccupied unit can have problems (vandals, squatters, leaks, storm damage, etc).

However, in order to enter and do what they did, they would have needed to go through proper processes, which they did not. So that's on your side.


Title: Update 2: (Miami,Florida) My husbands former employee is harassing me on Facebook and Instagram.

Question:
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3ttfqb/miami_florida_my_husbands_former_employee_is/

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3u2jnj/update_miami_florida_my_husbands_former_employee/

I spoke to my lawyer, we're going to try to get a restraining order against her but since she hasn't done anything physically threatening it might not happen.

Her little hate campaign has failed. Her blog had turned into people calling her bitter and petty in the comments.

Answer:
 Be sure to get screenshots of that blog in case it's needed later.

I looked through the previous two posts, and it sounds like this is a pretty clear case of harassment. You've sent two cease & desist letters (did you send them certified mail with a signature receipt?) and she continues to contact you for the sole purpose of calling you names and/or making accusations. I'd give her a few more days' worth of rope to hang herself with, and then contact the police. Be sure you point out that you've sent a C&D so they know this isn't Yet Another Pair Of Adults Acting Like Children.

A C&D is what makes the difference between the police telling you it's a civil matter / work it out on your own, and taking interest from a criminal perspective.Answer #2: Rather than just screenshotting the blog, you should also submit the relevant URLs to https://archive.org/web/ and https://archive.is/

EDIT: Note that I am advising that you take screenshots AND archive the URLs, not just one or the other.


Title: Landlord/Tenant Question in Arkansas

Question:
Posting on behalf of some good family friends.

They paid their rent on November 1st. They have never been late on rent. Their year lease was up in September I believe. Within the half hour after making the rent payment, they received a phone call from their landlord stating that they had to be out no later than November 30th as the owners of the house wanted to renovate it and move back into it.

Their questions are:

1. Is this proper procedure? Before they moved in here they'd never dealt with any situation like this.

AND

2. How long until they get their security deposit back? They're working with a fairly limited income and are now having to scramble to find a place to live.

Thank you all so much in advance for any help that you might be able to provide for them. They're absolutely panicking about it all since they'd planned to live there for several years and this was thrown at them.

Answer: After their lease ended, they became month to month tenants and the landlord can end the tenancy at any time as long as he gives proper notice.


Title: Why I can't charge someone for a crime committed against me?

Question:
Let's say a person beats me up really bad. He is arrested and presented to DA. Now, if DA for whatever reason doesn't want to press charges against him. Whatever reason it can be, like DA being busy in more busy cases, the accused is DA's friend etc.

Why I cannot hire a private criminal lawyer and press charges against him ? Why I cannot bring him to justice if DA doesn't want to?

Answer:
 Because that isn't how our system works.  Crimes are prosecuted by the state, not by individuals.

If someone beats you up, you can sue him for damages in civil court.Answer #2: Prosecutorial discretion is a pretty fundamental part of our system. States have on occasion experimented with allowing crimes to be prosecuted by private parties. The main drawback to this is that the rich can afford their own lawyers and then get to prosecute crimes they want to prosecute. A crime against a rich person becomes a more serious crime than a crime against the poor.

If you have a serious problem with the DA ignoring or discriminating certain crimes, you can try contacting the state attorney general's office.


Title: My stolen car was found, but I am having trouble retrieving it from the tow yard(coming out of surgery).

Question:
A few days ago my car was stolen in Berkeley, CA, the day before I had a trip to get (a major, 6 hour) surgery out of the country. I am literally just getting out of surgery as I'm writing this. I told the police that day that I had the surgery and would have my roommate pick up the car if it was found while I was out of town. They said that was fine and didn't inform me that I had to write an authorization letter or file any paperwork to retrieve my car or I would have finished and submitted all that before leaving.

I was informed that my car was found in Martinez, CA, at midnight the day before my surgery, and I tried calling people to try to retrieve it. However, the officer told me I had only 15 minutes before the car would be towed. The car was then towed to McHughs towing company in Contracosta county, and I put it on hold to have my surgery.

I've since had my roommate try to pick it up while I was in surgery but the Berkeley and Contracosta police departments as well as the tow yard keep giving us false or contradicting information. The police department told my roommate and I that with a printed authorization letter (date of birth, signature, copy of DL) and the 285 dollars for the towing and daily fee my roommate would be able to pick it up. When he took bart over to the tow yard they told him no, that he needed authorization forms from the Berkeley and Martinez police departments to get the vehicle released.

After that he contacted the Berkeley police department that we have to fax the authorization letter directly to both police departments before they'll give my roommate release paperwork, and my roommate doesn't have the time to keep driving back and forth from Contracosta(I'm thankful he's doing this for me). The surgeons office doesn't have a fax machine but I'm hoping my hotel has one so I can do that when I get there tomorrow.

Now I have no idea what to do. I have to stay here for a week of recovery before heading home for another week of recovery. I am so so so tired and feel like throwing up from all the stress, but I can't afford to leave my car in the tow yard. There are more conversations with the tow yard and police departments from last night and this morning that I'm forgetting, but I'll try to remember them after I pass out after submitting this.

(OP's SO typing)

TL;DR: Stolen car found while I'm getting into surgery, now taken to tow yard. Police and tow yard keep changing demands and now they're too difficult for me to meet at the moment, while retrieval cost keeps going up.

EDIT: I should add that when they found the car they caught the thieves.

I'd like some advice about suing. How can I go after the thieves to pay for the towing and the damages to my car, and is it worth it?

Answer: Call your insurance and let them know what happened. See if they can help you recover it.


Title: Fired because of Student Discrimination

Question: I am aware that my state of CA has "at will" laws, so I'm pretty sure this might not go anywhere. I worked part time at a restaurant. My hours are pretty limited considering I'm also a full time college student. My boss asks for our availability hours at the end of each in order to create the schedule for each month. April was going to be a very stressful time for me, so I cut my availability by a lot, which he accommodated and never made any qualms about. I had Saturdays off for the entire month of April. He asked me to cover his shift on Saturday, but I said no because I had plans. He then told me I was fired and I do not to come in for the rest of the month. He stated to me that if my free time is not dedicated to school work, then I should be coming into work. I asked if every time I ask for free time, does it need to be validated? His answer was "Yes, sort of." He commented that my schedule is at a detriment to him, but for the past 2 years he has never brought it to my attention. Additionally, this has been the first time I have had to cut my hours significantly. I was fully planning on working 15-20 hours in May. I feel very strongly I was wrongfully terminated. I believe that this rule of "if you're not doing schoolwork, then come here" is only applied to me. All of my coworkers are in their early 20's, but I am the only one who goes to college. None of them are going to school, but they don't work that much more than me. Up until this point, my boss has only ever praised my performance at work. His decision does not seem right to me. Do I have any claim to anything?

Answer: You can file for unemployment, but that's just about your only option.  Students aren't a protected class from a discrimination perspective.


Title: You can't cancel your subscription to New York Times without calling their customer service number. What If I was a deaf customer?

Question: Seriously though. What if I couldn't talk on the phone for any number of reasons? Isn't this somehow discriminatory? For shame.

Answer: You realize most companies of that size have devices to allow that, and deaf people have phone devices. Answer #2: They almost certainly have a TTY device.