Title: Can my landlord claim ive abandoned when im on vacation?

Question:
Many issues have been coming up with my landlord. I live in Colorado and had been renting her basement. Our new apartment is opening on Sunday so my fiance and I went to visit his parents u til then (about 6 days). We had a cat sitter take care of our pets but due to threats from our landlord (coming in unannounced and saying she was going to search our stuff) we didn't tell her we were leaving.
We've been gone about 3 days and she called animal control saying we abandoned our cats (I already talked it out with them and proved they're being cared for), but I'm worried shell claim we abandoned (even though we paid rent til the 28th) and move our stuff out.
She's ignored all our calls the past few days and we won't be returning until Saturday. Im having our cat sitter take our cats to her place to protect them but the animal control claimed our landlord went into our apartment a d said it was trashed (everything is packed in boxes in one corner), but she never asked or informed us she was entering and I'm not sure what I can even do until I'm home Saturday.
I know she's supposed to give like a 15 day notice for abandonment, but we have paid rent and told her we were returning Saturday but she tends to ignore us and then come after us for not doing something or telling her something regardless of us trying.
What can I do?

Answer:
 Abandonment is a legal process that sure as hell isn’t 3 days, and definitely not for those who are up to date on rent. You’re being illegally evicted. You can file an injunction to stop this, but the easiest course would be hiring a real estate attorney that deals with landlord/tenant issues to make a call and write a strongly worded letter.

You need to assess any damages and can file in the small claims devision of housing court (or regular small claims, depending on your state).

It sucks but you may have to cut your vacation short to protect your belongings. Have a friend or the cat sitter get anything valuable. Look for a new place because this living situation isn’t sustainable.


Title: Can a landlord perform a final walkthrough inspection after a new tenant has already moved in and claim damages?

Question: I live in Pennsylvania, my previous landlord lives out of state and asked me to give the keys to the new tenant Tuesday 5/30. Landlord performed move-out walkthrough inspection yesterday, Sunday 6/4 and wants to claim damages for claims of uncleanliness amongst other charges. Is this legal?

Answer:
 They can claim anything they want. Proving is a different story

If they withhold part of your deposit, you sue them. If you didn't have a deposit, they sue you


Title: Duplex won't rent to girlfriend and me because we're not married

Question:
My girlfriend went looking at duplexes today for us and our daughter, and they had asked her if it was just for the 2 of them, she said no that it was for her, her daughter, and her girlfriend (me, obviously) to which the lady repeated "girlfriend?" And my girlfriend said yes. The lady told her of a few properties and gave her keys to go check them out. After looking all day and deciding on one she went back to the office to do all the paper work and it was a different woman working and she also asked if it was just for her and our daughter, and she mentioned it was for them and her girlfriend. The lady immediately jumped to say that they couldn't do that. That the only way they could rent to us is if we were married. Otherwise the would only allow it if we were "roommates" meaning we would have to rent a 3 bedroom. Which we do not need. But they were going to allow her as a "single" mother to rent from them? Is it legal for them to do this?

We live in Texas if that makes any difference. We're not completely sure what to do now..

Answer:
 http://www.unmarried.org/housing/

"The following states do not prohibit marital status discrimination in housing: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming."

You should check your local ordinances because there is no state/federal rules on this.
http://www.texastenant.org/discrimination.htmlAnswer #2: In Texas, landlords can discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation


Title: Making a right turn, u-turn, and then a right turn on a red light.

Question:
Is this legal? (ON, Canada)

Assume there is no traffic coming from the left and the double solid yellow lines are single solid yellow lines.

Case in point: https://i.imgur.com/PpRnixi.png

Answer:
 You can't cross double yellow lines like that. That would certainly get you a ticket. Take the right turn and turn around when it's safe to do so and legal.

You can't cross single solid lines like that either.Answer #2: No. And if you think this is legal, you need a refresher course on driving. Also, why the hell can’t you just go straight?Answer #3: Better to just go straightAnswer #4: ITT: Everyone is wrong.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commuting/is-it-legal-to-make-a-u-turn-at-an-intersection-in-ontario/article35841637/

edit: Everyone is wrong about the double yellow line prohibiting U-turns. It may still be illegal to evade traffic signals even if the maneuver would be legal otherwise.


Title: Got a ticket for 19 over, wrote the wrong car make and model

Question:
Can I get out of this? He wrote up my car as a 2017 Mitsubishi starion, I drive 2017 Subaru wrx.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Clerical errors do not invalidate a ticket.

Call the court and let them know. They will be happy correct the ticket for you.


Title: [MN] Landlord not covering medical expenses caused from falling blind.

Question:
Hey guys, just looking for some tips on how to proceed as this has never happened to me before.

So yesterday morning (Saturday the 19th) I was moving into my new apartment. As I was doing so I decided to open the blind and let some sun in, so I could see where I was putting all my junk. When I went to pull the first blind open it fell out of the wall and left a nice gash in my leg that required 10 stitches (7 stitches in one of the cuts and 3 in another). I originally went to urgent care but was told to go to ER next door as the cut was jagged and apparently in an awkward spot on my shin.

I spoke to my property manager an hour ago about the incident (emailed her last night) and she claims that the management company is not at fault and will cover no expenses. She told me that by "heavily recommending" that I get renter insurance at the time of lease signing they are off the hook. I did sign the addendum detailing that why I should get renters insurance, as the company is not at fault for any damages/injuries due to "active fault or negligence of the Owner or its agents".

I do not have renters insurance. I did not want to pay for it as I just left college and am trying to pay back those student loans. I do have good health insurance through my employer, but am still expecting a large bill from the ER.

What can I do here? I cannot really afford to pay the hospital bill, and absolutely don't think I should have to. During our conversation today she told me that these blinds have fallen out before, and claims that it is because people are not supporting them from the bottom as they raise them with the cord. I think that this is a bogus excuse, and that they should install some lighter blinds (the ones they have are very heavy - although nice).

Sorry about the wall of text, and sorry if this sounded like a rant. I am just unsure how to proceed and would love some help. Let me know if there is anything else I should include. I would like to resolve this is peacefully as possible, as I have to live here for another year...
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 >I do not have renters insurance. I did not want to pay for it...

It's like $10 a month. Get it.

It is unlikely the landlord has any fault here, or that you can prove the blinds were not correctly installed. If you feel you can, you can take your brand new landlord to small claims (depending on the amount you are requesting).


Title: Spousal maintenance threat from an alcoholic ex- Texas

Question:
Good evening/morning!

Gosh, I hope I can get pointed in the right direction here!!

I'm a woman living in Texas filing for an uncontested divorce.  I fled my husband due to a long list of issues, but mainly his instability, emotional manipulation and abuse, and financially wrecking us.  He has so far agreed to the divorce.

So far.

*obviously not now*  He is threatening to sue for spousal maintenance, in what is I believe an attempt to muck up my life even longer.  A breakdown:

Married 2 years

He was a semi functional alcoholic until he was laid off.  It became full blown, I tried to stay and help, but he obviously chose sides between booze and life.

Emotionally abusive and loved to set off any drama he could, constantly harassing me and accusing me and trying to control every second of my life.  I became worried as I'm a mom, I have a kid to raise!

Lost his kid to a custody battle which I tried to help him with, but again, booze is more important. I took out a large loan to help cover expenses as he never found gainful employment.  It's all gone and I'm the sole one stuck paying it off now.

Never would work, or would try and fail quickly.  Drank himself into liver failure and now can barely move on bad days and is often in the hospital.  He attempted to kill himself when I made plans to leave, I was stuck with my kid lost as to what happened.

I did try to take care of him because he was unable to do anything for himself for a few weeks before I left.  Last I knew he was trying to claim disability and I'm fairly sure he only avoided his APS case by lying to the agent.. he has always lied to me, I can't confirm if he has disability or not now.

To wrap up, he wants to sue for support and bills I supposedly didn't pay  (I gave him a check each month with what little I had left after paying family insurance, groceries, my gas, my kid's after school fees, the loan, etc.).  I don't understand how he could even get both as they seem exclusionary, but I'm quite worried his self-induced disability may land me on the hook when I spent my own money and hurt myself to take care of him to prevent it from happening  (helping pay his detox and treatment, trying to get him to meetings, researching AA alternatives, paying his meds and keeping track of them, basically being a dang nurse).

Any insight?  I'm so sorry for the tangled rant and I'll clarify any questions!! It just happened today and I'm reeling.  I just want to move on and be a better mom to my kid who's lived through hell these last few years.

Answer:
 >He is threatening to sue for spousal maintenance

Get a lawyer. Tell them everything and make him pay you for the nonsense.


Title: Father passed away, "Step-mom" is doing shady stuff

Question:
My father recently moved from Washington to Florida, passed away in September (Age 62). He had no drawn up will just a few verbal "this is yours, this is yours".  His "wife" (never any marriage certificate) is starting to say she has the right to everything and is going to have an estate sale.  Currently she's sold his car forging her signature to the title.  She got a job working for the Estate Lawyers handling it. The Estate firm is saying that there is marital objects and estate objects. It's just a lot of her talking from Florida and my sisters and I in Washington not knowing what we can do.

What rights do we have to say what can be sold and what can't?
Since she isn't a signatured spouse does she have any right to say what happens?
Does Florida Law have some sort of living together rule that makes her a spouse (something she said)

Sorry if this is scattered. It's been a long drawn out pain

Answer:
 I'm sorry for your loss.

Hire your own estate lawyer immediately to act before she grabs more stuff.

There is no common law marriage in Washington nor in Florida.  In general, if he had no will, then his estate - all of his property - passes to his descendants.  [Florida link.](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0732/0732.html)
Answer #2: Contact a probate attorney in Florida immediately.


Title: An automatic carwash garage door malfunctioned while we were still on the conveyer belt. It caught our hood and did this... Should we think about a lawsuit?

Answer: Have you reported it to your car insurance yet? Did the carwash say anything after?


Title: Am I obligated to pay?

Question:
My grandparents got married very young - 16 (her) 18 (him). Despite coming from poverty, they somehow built a life together that was very comfortable. My grandfather was able to retire from a white collar job with a substantial pension (~$90k a year) and a lot of savings thanks to my grandmother always being very, very thrifty.

My grandmother got sick and died within a year and a half. During that time I took leave from my job (I was 22) & married my boyfriend in a really crappy shotgun wedding that my mom pulled together in an afternoon because it was my grandmothers wish to see us get married.

We had an apartment at the time with a roommate but we moved closer to be near my family. My new husband had to drive 2 hrs to work daily.  During her chemo appointments my grandmother helped me pick out a little house closer to my husbands job and said that they would help us pay for it. The market was competitive and they gave us the cash to buy it. ($150k) We bought the house and refinanced it, paying back back a little more than half. He told us to pay the rest back when we had it and refused to set up a payment plan when we offered.

She dies.

Fast forward a year. He reconnects with a woman he had always had a crush on since high school. She rebuffs him until he starts laying on the gifts. He buys her luxury purses, lets her drive my grandmothers luxury car and invites her on our family trip abroad.

Present day. After a year long courtship he buys her a big diamond ring, planned a fancy wedding at the country club, and took a month long honeymoon in Europe. He has dropped my family and embraced hers.  He spends all his holidays with her, has BBQs and only invites her family, doesn't remember anyone's bday, etc. When he got engaged he didn't tell me or my siblings. We heard through the grapevine.

I attended the wedding but my family was placed on the far edge of the venue.  He didn't speak to me at the wedding.  Since that time he has asked me twice to get lunch. I declined.

A few days ago he asked me to lunch again and I told him that until he learns how to treat me and the people I care about better I want nothing to do with him.  That sent him into a tirade- sending mean messages to my mother and my husband.

I have received a message from him saying that he has had an expensive year and needs to be fully reimbursed as he is planning to buy his new wife a new car as she wrecked my grandmothers car.

Im aware of his financial situation- pension, savings, big boat, beach house, rental property.  But I also know his new wife spends a lot of money on herself and her kids. While my grandmother cooked all their meals- he now only eats out. My grandmother never treated herself- now he is paying for weekly hair and nails appts.

We have no signed contract.

Side note: My grandmother did not leave an inheritance for anyone.  ALSO my grandmother was cremated and he put her ashes in a closet.

Answer:
 "US" isn't a location - you need to list a state.

The TL;DR to this is that your grandparents loaned you $150k interest free to help you buy a house. You're interested in knowing if the fact that he prepared for his retirement entitles you to refuse to repay $75k of the loan.

No, it doesn't. Be an adult and stop being the reason why people tell others not to loan money to family.Answer #2: Being pissed off with his behaviour does not absolve you of paying off a loan.  They bought you a house, be grateful that they did and pay him back his money.


Title: [PA] Engine blew up in my car. My dad took it to his friend to swap me a working car. I didn't like the offers so I want the car back. His friend said he already put a new engine in it and now I owe him parts plus labor. What to do?

Question:
[PA] My timing chain broke and ruined my engine. I don't have the money to repair it. My dad said he has a buddy (Bob) who is a car salesman who could trade me for a working car. Bob inspected my car and liked the condition of the interior and body. He told my dad he would trade my car, as is, for one of the cars on his lot. I live 3 hours away from my dad and Bob, so I haven't been able to see the cars in person. My dad sends me pictures every few days. All the cars look like crap and I think I'd rather just save up money to buy a new engine, instead of giving my car away so Bob can flip it and make a profit, while he offers me crappy cars that he can't sell.

I tell my dad that I changed my mind, I want to keep my car and save money to repair the engine since the car offers are not what I'm looking for. My dad says no can do, cause Bob already put a new engine in and now wont give up the car unless I pay for the costs. I angrily explained to my dad that I never gave Bob the okay to work on my car. I never said any trades were final. I never got to do anything but look at pictures of cars that I don't want. My dad is all defensive like oh well I've known Bob for 20 years and he's doing me a favor by trading your car as is with a blown engine and at least you get to drive a car. I told him I want my car back. He says Bob is going to be pissed that he wasted his time but he'll call him in the morning and see what he can do.

Now I have a feeling that Bob will just inflate the price of the repair costs and rip me off. I never talked to Bob directly. The title is in my name. What can legally be done? Can he keep the car from me because he repaired it without my consent?

Answer:
 If that car is in your name (title) and you didn't sign any contracts with Bob for services or an engine, tell Bob to take the engine out and put yours back in. You need to call Bob up and speak to him. You need to let him know he didn't have permission to put an engine in the car and you're not paying for it and you're getting the car towed (back to your dads or wherever).

I'm not a lawyer, but you didn't inquire about those services and they were performed without your permission. He's either going to eat that engine or replace yours. I'd also check with Bob and ask if your dad told him to put an engine in. But you should be talking to Bob. Answer #2: Did you sign any papers?


Title: HELP! Bf's employer putting less hours on his paycheck than he actually worked

Question:
I am in California. My boyfriend is the assistant manager at a very big fast food restaurant chain that is owned by an independent franchisee. He's been keeping track of the hours in which he works, and on his paycheck, it is said that he worked less hours than he actually did, so he is not getting the money that he is earning. To be completely sure of this, he checks the computer in which he clocks in with.  He met a former assistant manager of the same shop he works at, and she said that this happened to her too, and that said boss "does that to everyone". When confronted, his boss does not deny it. I am confident that this is illegal, but I don't know the specific law/penal code. Can someone tell me what specific law forbids this/what this action is called and what her possible penalties are? We will probably take her to court, but even if we don't, we at least want to know what we can tell her to hopefully make her cut it out.
Topic:
Business Law


Title: Ex stay at home dad of a 11 month old son and one on the way needing advice on how to get full custody

Question:
The reason I want full custody is that the mother neglects and ignores the kid while I was with her. Examples being, spilling ice water on himself and being left to sit in it...knowing he was soaked. Hitting walls and complaining because he cries sometimes at night. (Even in my care) She gives him the bare minimum of food/drinks...if that. And he only consumes food that does not need to be prepared with her. If she can’t be on her phone recording and playing while he is laughing she wants no part of it.  Used to cut herself, when I was with her I got her to quit. also have proof of her saying that she did.
Mentally unstable, on SSRI’s
Audio of her saying that she cant take the crying and her hitting the wall..WHILE in my care..I had gotten him ready for bed and hear her complaining in the other room so i pressed record. “Im so sick of hearing it. I can’t take it.”  Verbatim

All of this is just sitting on my mind while he is there and i’m not.

A little background: I knew full well that this woman was nuts..Before we had the baby I was charged with domestic violence because she had a problem with me smoking weed so she was going to take the baby from me when she had him. I said that I was not going to let anyone or anything come between me and my kids... she had a problem with me smoking weed, but really? Gonna keep him from a good dad because he smokes weed when the baby hasn’t even born yet. It started an argument and she called the cops. They came in and took me out, put me in cuffs and got my statement. I spent 2 months in jail for a verbal argument and lost my job. Got out, got a job, and got back with her to try for the baby. My dad left when I was a teenager and I just wanted to try for him. He deserves an attempt from me I figured. When he was 5 months old or so, i quit my job because she got a better one that could support us. I stayed at home with him up until 2 weeks ago. I left civilly after telling her that she is a shitty mother. I was only staying to make sure he was safe and cared for but I couldn’t take it anymore.

I’m living at my parents’ house again and have to start over. Have a car and I start a shitty job on monday because I have no money. Where do I go from here?

I need any and every angle to prove she is unfit. She has been bringing him here while she works. Except wed-fri this week i had him the whole time.  Please help me..I just know she isn’t caring for him like she should be.

Also the kid on the way may not be mine. Unless one time is all it took

Answer:
 The advice is get a lawyer because you're not going to get full custody without one. Your wife "neglecting" him, in your presence, isn't likely to mean much. If he had a competent caretaker (you) then he wasn't being neglected, she just wasn't helping you. Her screaming about how she can't take the crying is honestly a semi-normal reaction that many parents have at some point. And her being on ssris and cutting in the past won't mean jack to the judge.

If you really think the kid is being neglected then why did you leave him with her? I'm curious and also the court will be.Answer #2: Get a lawyer, because if you go in to court saying your child’s mother is “nuts,” and is on medication you will be ripped apart.


Title: Is it legal to kick out roommates in CA while quarantined

Question:
My roommates have got on my last nerve and I really want to start looking into finding a new roommate. We own our house and rent out a room to someone, there is no lease, and they have lost their jobs due to the quarantine.

My question is, is it legal to evict them during this time? How much notice would I need to give them?

Answer: Evictions are on hold right now. You can tell them you are ending their tenancy (with property written notice and 30-60 days) but cannot evict then right now if they choose to stay


Title: Does the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act clause that prevents eviction without a court order apply to this shutdown?

Question: A lot of fellow Coast Guardsmen right now are being told that if they don't have rent on time, they will be evicted. From my understanding of the SCRA, a landlord has to bring an eviction before a judge, who can issue up to a 90 day stay based on the circumstances. A lot of people are arguing that it does not apply to this situation, and I'm just not sure how this affects us.

Answer: It’s unclear.  Apparently from some posts here and general chatter I have heard some JAG officers have taken the position that an eviction in this circumstance would be stayed and/or would just be illegal.  However I’ve seen no case law to support that position.


Title: [US] Police watching my house.

Question: Cops are watching my house, I'm pretty sure of it. I've done nothing wrong, however my roommates may have paraphernalia in the house or on the property. Can I get into deep shit because of this?   I'm also on probation.

Answer:
 Yes you can get in trouble if there are illegal drugs or contraband in your home and you are on probation.  Are you on any drugs right now by the way?Answer #2: Yes. You can get in trouble.
What you need to do right now is ensure there is nothing illegal in the house. While you can't control your roommates actions you should try to make sure anything he has is not in common areas of the house (a bong sitting on the coffee table can be on you). If you are on drugs you should stop that now. Your house getting raided by the police is more than enough for your probation officer to require a drug test, which could violate your parole.

If your roommate is unable or unwilling to make sure the house doesn't have illegal things in it, you need to consider moving out asap. Answer #3: Why do you think the cops are watching your house?  For someone who is on probation and may be violating, they're not going to set up a stakeout.

However, being on probation is stressful, and an overabundance of stress or anxiety can lead to, for lack of a better word, paranoia.

Unless you or your roommate are into something much, much bigger than possession of paraphernalia or a bag of weed, paranoia is the more likely explanation.


Title: I put in my 2 week notice at a job that is "at will employment" and they fired me the next day

Question:
I put in my two week notice at my previous job and they let me go the next days (about 24 hours later). When I asked why I was being let go (HR was on the phone) they said they were exercising their "at will employment" option. Googling this seems to uphold their status, but is this really legal? It sounds like BS to me.
Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated!

I am located in the US, the company is based out of California, and I was hired in Michigan

Thanks in advance

Thanks everyone for your replies! I already started the new job, I just feel like I left alot of unanswered issues in my wake. It's horrible that this is normal, but thanks for everyone's answers!

Answer:
 This is legal nearly everywhere. Also very common. Answer #2: Legal as hell. And sadly all too common.

I once worked at a place where if you did ever give your 2 weeks you would be escorted out of the building an hour later.


Title: [SoCal] Current job being bifurcated - we have to apply for either new position. I DO NOT want to accept this reality - any recourse? Or do I have to accept or leave? Or?

Question:
Essentially, mgmt of my team is taking the current job description and splitting the responsibilities in two.  We have to choose which new role we want to apply to.

Specifics - I work for a software company and our current role is post sales/post implementation customer management.  We not only are in charge of maintaining the ongoing strategic relationship but we also negotiate renewal contracts.  With new management they're splitting those roles.

Not getting into comp specifics but either role is going to cost me tens of thousands of dollars per year from what the role is now.  I am not happy with this.  The way I see it, I have a few options: 1) accept it and suck it up, 2) leave the company, or 3) make them fire me and collect a severance (maybe unemployment?).

Or are these the only options?

Let's say I wanted to fight the crap out of this and I'm willing to get dirty.  My ideal is to stay and continue to make what I make and continue killing it in my role.  However, CA is an At Will state so I don't know what options I have.  For what it's worth, I've been the top in my position for literally 5 of the last 6 months.

If you were me, or wanted to give advice to your child, what would you say?

Thank you very much in advance, it's MUCH appreciated.

Answer:
 Your employer is allowed to reorganize. They are allowed to cut your pay. There is no law saying they have to keep employing you the way you want.

If you signed a contract, you can sue them to enforce the terms of the contract. Outside of that uncommon situation, you're out of luck.


Title: [MN] Abusive aunt got her kids to lie to CPS. My (innocent) uncle is on the hook now. What now?

Question:
I live on the opposite side of a duplex from my uncle, his wife, and their kids (7/f and 4/m).

Every day from when I get off work until the kids go to bed, I babysit them. I help them get to school in the morning as well. And still, somehow, their mom finds time to be very cruel to them. I'm always hearing from my niece how she beats them (they have bruises everywhere) and tells them she wishes she got an abortion.

She doesn't work (she has a physical disability and gets gov assistance), and she uses meth and other drugs on a daily basis. I've watched her turn from a nice and fun mom into a horrible drug addict.

My uncle works overnights and sleeps during the day. When he's home though, he sticks up for his kids and is a good dad. He yells at his wife for her cruelty, and she is always sobbing about how sorry she is and how he shouldn't expect her to be perfect when he's not/the kids are not.

I've been telling him to leave her or call the police on her for so long now. He thinks she will be able to sue him for everything he has in alimony because she is disabled. He wants to get her back into therapy instead. He is also an occasional user of marijuana/meth and will incriminate himself if he goes to the police. I see all drugs as a "not even once" sort of deal. I can vouch that he uses them responsibly though and has self control, unlike his wife.

My nephew came over with bloody bite marks from a human last Friday, and I anonymously called CPS and took him to the doctor. He told the doctor it was his mom, and the doctor also filed a report with CPS. When a social worker talked to him alone later though, he said it was his dad. His sister told the same story when she was not even there, and she also said that he beats them.

Their mom is obviously getting them to lie, and he's been arrested by police. I called CPS and got them to come again, and somehow she was able to clean everything up and get rid of her drugs to convince them that she was a perfect angel.

This is crazy. Not only is this abusive woman not getting caught, but she's pinned it on her innocent husband.

What should I do now to keep my niece and nephew safe from this bitch that won't just backfire???

Answer:
 You do nothing other than can the police or CPS when they have injuries.

The father can hire an attorney and fight for custody


Title: Client 'does not recognize debt' - options?

Question:
I could go into rather verbose detail but I will try to keep this short and sweet.

About 3 years ago I started writing software for a startup company in the midwest. I started off the relationship like most others with a relatively simple agreement between us and started working. For nearly 3 years everything was great, payments on time and continued requests for more work.

Originally our agreement was for a pre-payment for hours scenario which they honored for about the first year. Over time, though not explicitly stated, this became more of a traditional net 30 - something I just let happen because they had been a good customer and caused me no problems on the payment side.

My last payment was 60 days aged (30 days past due) when I called to complain and the CEO told me they were not getting the progress they wanted, fast enough so they thought they would exert some pressure. This was for work done in July, billed mid-August and was mid-October when this occurred.

In the time between that they asked me to build a mobile app and in September I gave them a plan and a number of hours it would take. In situations like this I typically do not bill for the work until it is complete.

Around the time of the billing complaint I shared the mobile work with them, they reviewed it and asked for some changes which I then made. They expressed satisfaction and released the payment for the previous work.

I communicated to them a couple weeks ago that a bill was forthcoming for the mobile work as I believed it to now be complete.

Today I received an email from their CEO stating that the company "does not recognize any debt owed related to this project". They further claimed that their developers deemed the work to be 'not ready for production' and buggy etc. Bogus claims in large part because any developer could say that about virtually any code.

What should I do from here? If they did not pay for the code I technically still own it correct? Would their use of it would be considered theft?

Answer:
 > What should I do from here?

Sue them for what they owe you.

> If they did not pay for the code I technically still own it correct?

Not necessarily.

> Would their use of it would be considered theft?

Almost certainly not.

Answer #2: Y'all all know what I'm about to refer OP to...

Go google Mike Monteiro Vimeo. He's got some great advice for exactly your situation.

"We're sorry, it's reeeeeeally not what we wanted..."

"Fuck you, pay me"

Or...

"There are two checks I'm happy to write every month. One is to my therapist, the other is to [my lawyer]"Answer #3: If they don't recognize the debt, perhaps they'd recognize being served with lawsuit paperwork.Answer #4: You've got a contract with them right?  You've got evidence of past-payments, emails etc. showing that you had an agreement to perform the work, right?  Do you have the "approval" from the CEO in writing?


Title: Skipping the line at a retail store

Question: If I'm in a retail store and didn't want to wait in line to pay for the goods, Can I just leave enough cash with the store manager/an employee/cashier to cover the cost of goods and the same items I am buying (so they can scan latter for inventory and know what I bought)?  I don't see a legal issue since I'm not stealing but paying for my goods, just skipping the process of having some calculate how much I owe the store.

Answer: It's theft. The store must agree to the transaction, they can refuse sales.Answer #2: How will they know you've only taken what you paid for until they get a chance to ring it up and you're long gone? And, frankly, what kind of jerk skips a line, tosses money a pile of merchandise at a harried cashier and walks out?


Title: [NJ] Not given enough time to plea not guilty before court date

Question:
My girlfriend received a ticket "view obstruction - front" under the statute 39:3-74.

However, what concerns me is that the ticket was issued 10/16/15, but her court date is scheduled for 10/21/15.

On the back of the ticket, it reads: "3. PLEA OF NOT GUILTY:
If you wish to plead not guilty, *you must notify* the court at the address and telephone number as shown below at least *7 days* prior to the court date listed on the front of this ticket."

There's only 5 days between 10/16/15 and 10/21/15. She cannot submit a plea of not guilty.

Is this standard practice? Is she simply not allowed to fight it, or does failing to allow her to plead not guilty provide a case against the ticket?

Answer:
 Have her call the court first thing in the morning and ask.

She will absolutely be allowed to plead not guilty, but the mechanism of that will be dependent on how the court wants to do it.


Title: Rented a new apartment. Parking was issued the first day but was forced to switch my parking with neighbour because he wanted it and he's friends with the manager

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Does your lease guarantee you that specific parking spot?


Title: Roommate in CA using Temp. Restraining Order to break lease early - but her claims are false

Question:
I live with two other roommates and we are all on the lease. One roommate has been a problem since the first week and has brought us one noise complaint away from eviction because she insists on throwing large parties in our small apartment. Police have been called multiple times to remove drunk people from our apartment. We are 8 months into a 10 month lease and suddenly we come home to see that this roommate is gone and all her stuff is gone with her.

About a week later I receive a phone call from her mother notifying me that my roommate will be filing for a restraining order. I was shocked because despite text messages between us all where we asked her to quiet down or end parties there has been no other conflict. Today I looked on my county website and indeed she has filed and been granted a Temporary Restraining Order. I have yet to be served to see the order, but she has told the leasing office she will be using this to break the lease early.

As I understand it California Civil Code Section 1946.7 is designed to allow this exact situation and I am happy for that. But in this case the claims for the restraining order are false, and no one in the apartment is victim of any type of abuse. In this situation is there anything I can do? I plan to fight the restraining order so it doesn't become permanent.

My main question is, lets say I can successfully fight the restraining order but she has already left using 1946.7, can she be held accountable for the rent she skipped out on? Or is it final once she is out even if the restraining order ends up being tossed. I mean she is just purely lying and using this to get out of paying rent, is there anything that can be done?

She is also responsible for causing severe damage to the carpet in the apartment and the landlord has told us it will cost about $1200 to repair it. She agreed to pay this in text messages, but if she leaves using the Temp restraining order is she freed from this as well?

Basically, how fucked are we? Thank you all.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Sue her in small claims court for the carpet damage and her remaining rent. Section 1946.7 terminates her obligations to the landlord, not to her cotenants.


Title: (CA, VA) Setting up a Trust to provide for my divorced parents if I die and shield the assets from my step-parent

Question:
I live in California.  My parents are divorced and my father is remarried, all living in Virginia.

I'll be supporting my parents in their retirement, and have several assets designed to protect them in case I die (multiple insurance policies and some investments), totaling approximately $1M.  I am their only child.

My goals are:

* ensure they can access the assets as simply as possible (my mother is not good at managing investments)
* protect my father's share in the case of divorce (my step-mother has other sources of support from her family, but my father does not)
* protect my mother's share if she ever remarries
* direct how the assets should be disbursed if neither parent survives me

I am not concerned about spendthrift provisions; both of my parents are very responsible.

My questions are:

* How would this trust be best structured (who should be the Grantor and Trustee, in which state)?
* Should I name my parents as co-trustees for simplicity?  Just my father?  A third party?
* What other issues might I need to consider to protect the assets?
* Could I draw this up myself with something like Nolo or RocketLawyer, or will this trust need special handling?
* If a 3rd party was to be the trustee, how much do I need to budget for their services?

Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 You really, really, really need to hire a trusts and estates lawyer for this.  Doing it yourself is asking for nothing but trouble down the line.

Seriously, if you can afford to do this, you can't afford not to have a lawyer do it right the first time.  All of your remaining questions should be answered by the lawyer you retain.


Title: [Los Angeles, CA] - My Landlord forced me to void my lease

Question:
Hi, /r/legaladvice! I'll try to make the story as short as possible.

I recently signed a year lease. It was the same exact lease as the one I had signed the previous year, except the dates were changed. This lease was written by my landlord. English is his second language. The lease is poorly written but everything on there works out in my favor. He's been trying to sell this house for a long time. I believe for about 7 years and he's had no luck. At the end of my last lease, he told me he had an offer on the house and he was taking it.

I looked up my rights and it showed we had 60 days to leave, which was fine. He called me up a week later and said that it fell through and that I can sign another year lease, so I did. A month ago, he told me he wanted to change the lease to month-to-month. I didn't want to do that because I want the security of knowing I'll be here a year without having to look for a place.

After a long discussion, I agreed he can draw up a new lease that would be month to month and if it looked okay for me, I would sign a new lease. He came to my house the following day and wanted me to void my current lease. I said no, he could bring me the new lease, I'd go over it, and if it was okay, I would sign the new one and void the old one. He told me no, his agent needed the current one voided and then he can draw up a new one. I told him that didn't make any sense and we went back and forth until he said, "if you don't sign this, he has to go". "He" refers to my roommate who lives in the sun room, which is kinda like a back patio but it's surrounded by walls. I said why would he have to go and he said because that's not a room. I said, what doesn't make it a room? He had no answer.

After a few more threats of kicking him out, I obliged. I wrote on the lease before I voided it, that he can't sell the house until May of next year or else the new lease is voided. I signed it and then he crossed out what I wrote. He told me he would be by with the new lease the following week but has never showed. No phone calls either. That was 3 weeks ago. I ready to not pay rent since technically I don't have a lease. I'm not sure if that's legal or not and that's why I'm here. Sorry this is so long but I wanted to get all the details out there.

Answer: You're month to month. If you don't pay rent you can be evicted. Was your roommate on the lease? If not, did the lease prohibit anybody else from living there?  You weren't forced to do anything.


Title: [FL] Neighbor improperly pruned my tree on my side of property. Tree is badly damaged. All advice appreciated.

Question:
I don't know what to do. I am very sad that my neighbor improperly pruned my tree on my side of the property. They obviously crossed over when I was not home and destroyed my tree.

I've been having difficulty searching out law on how to proceed in Florida. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Update: Arborist shares that this plant is a Brazilian Pepper (invasive species to Florida), and nothing will happen. If I call the city, they will tell me I need to remove it on my dime.

Looks like the scumbags win yet another one. No amount of head shaking right now can describe how I feel.

If anyone knows something that could be helpful, I'm all ears, but it looks like the little guys get screwed again.

Answer: Call an arborist and get them to come out ASAP to assess the damage. If it's within your small claims limit you can sue your neighbor there. If the damage is above your small claims limit you'll need to hire a lawyer. Depending on the size trees can be extremely valuable, so this is definitely worth looking into.Answer #2: I have pictures if this will help.Answer #3: Sadly, Florida does not do treble damages for tree damage as some other states do, but you may also want to call out the police to put in a report, since damage to the tree likely constitutes enough property damage to be considered a criminal offense, not to mention the trespassing.


Title: Is it illegal to discuss registered sex offender with the neighbors?

Question: Heard from a neighbor that a sex offender moved into a house 100 feet from mine.  I checked the nj registery and confirmed that the case.  I'm really annoyed that we did not receive a notification living so close with two young children and he's  a type 2 moderate threat. Reveiwing the nj state police site here http://www.nj.gov/njsp/spoff/faq.html questions 13 says I'm not permitted to discuss this with people outside my household. Is this not a violation of my 1st ammendment rights to talk about this?

Answer:
 You didn't receive notice because he's a Tier 2 offender. See #10 on your link.

The prohibition about speaking of it to others is referencing the notification (which includes a brief description of the offense) which you did **not** receive. You're free to tell people a sex offender moved in...you said yourself he's on the registry, correct? If so, it's certainly public record.


Title: Cashier demanded to see my id when my mom was buying alcohol. Is this allowed?

Question:
Me (21 female). We went to Walmart tonight and as we were about to check out, my mom noticed that we forgot an item. She asked if I could run back and get it quickly while she was checking out with my little sister (12). One of our items was a bottle of wine. I came came right on time, as my mom had just finished showing the cashier her id and she was about to pay. As I give her the last item (ice cream) the cashier looks pissed and says to me “I need to see some identification for you”

My mom was like “oh no, the wine is for me, she’s just buying ice cream” The cashier says “doesn’t matter, still need to see it.” I started getting mad as this was ridiculous. Why should I be carded if my mom was buying? Also she didn’t card my little sister, so why was she singling me out?

It was so satisfying to give her my id, as I turned 21 last month. I looked her straight in the eye as I did it.

But is this like allowed? Is it some new rule that you have to check everyone in the party’s id or something if they’re buying alcohol?

Answer:
 Yeah, it is allowed and usually it is required.  Usually, anyone that looks like they're an adult has to have their ID checked.

Some states actually put on driver licenses indicators that mark the person as having a DUI, and disqualifies them or anyone in their party from buying alcohol at stores, among other restrictions.

> It was so satisfying to give her my id, as I turned 21 last month. I looked her straight in the eye as I did it.

Grow up kid.  You're not edgy.Answer #2: This is legal to do and is very common in general (assuming USA).


Title: I received a speeding ticket and the pre court notice was greatly reduced. Does this mean anything?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 No, the police officer is giving you a break by writing a lesser offense. He is essentially letting you off the hook easy by giving you a simple speeding ticket instead of everything else. If you fight it, they will drop the under 25 mph over ticket and instead charge you will the excessive speeding and the weaving traffic. It is in your best interest not to bite the hand that feeds you.Answer #2: Pay up, they took it easy on you. Answer #3: Not sure about Alabama, but in Texas doing 25 or more over is when tickets become extremely painful. No option of defensive driving, more fines, etc.

I think the cop is cutting you a giant break here. Find out if you can take defensive driving and slow down in the future.

A cop did something similar to help me when I was 18 and I hope you take this gift and realize that driving 98 mph is completely reckless and that you slow down in the future.

Insurance costs can skyrocket when you have tickets on your record and you might not be able to afford driving a vehicle if that is the case.


Title: Petco sold me a defective pet that needed a vet

Question:
Last week I purchased a chameleon from petco. Animal wasnt acting right, I thought it needed a vet, turns out she is full of eggs, one ruptured damaging her lungs, she couldnt lay the eggs due to them not giving her a nesting box and she has a severe calcium deficiency. Vet says she wont make it. Petco will give me a refund but not cover the vet bill for finding out what is wrong with her.

Im in Maryland, do I have a case to take to small claims court?

The little contract they gave me says that I wont be reimbursed for vet bills if they dont authorize it first.

Answer: That is what it happens when you get a pet from Petco... Please don't buy any animal from any pet store.


Title: [TX] Another student is attempting to press charges

Question:
Hi! I'm 13 years old and need legal advice about somebody attempting to press charges on me for me defending myself and peers. He has previously taken photographs of me before. He was playing fortnite on his iPad and is generally a piece of sh*t. I tapped on his iPad screen once to just mess with him and then he started elbowing and kicking at us and he wouldn't stop. Then I pushed him against a pillar to stop him from attacking us. He is now attempting to press charges. Do I need a lawyer? Could I possibly countersue for FERPA violations? Thanks beforehand.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 You are 13.

The only legal advice you should get from this forum is to talk to your parents about this, then stop talking about it with anybody including the school or the police.

If questions are being asked, your parents should retain legal counsel and take their advice before doing anything at all, including talking to anyone about this.

Remember, many people threaten legal action, but very few actually initiate it.

And the other student cannot "press charges". They can file a police report, but the police gather information and the district attorney decides if and who gets charged.

You are more likely to need to worry about a school administrative investigation and their punishment.


Title: [Orlando, Florida] Is my orthodontist in violation of HIPPA?

Question: Whenever I go to my orthodontist, they have a bunch of dentistry chairs in the back so each patient is getting treated side by side with no privacy. In this same room, there's a big television in the middle with patient's names, reason for visit, treatment for the visit, who they're seeing, appointment time, et cetera. This seems to me like a very clear violation of the law. Am I correct in thinking this?

Answer:
 There is some leeway for disclosures in shared areas (think waiting rooms or pharmacies), but providers must adhere to the "minimum necessary" standard.

"Mrs. Smith, your prescription is ready" would be permissible.

"Mrs. Jane Smith of 401 Cherry Lane, your Anucort-HC prescription written by Dr. Feelgood is now ready" would be a violation.

I would lean towards the screen as you've described it being a terrible idea at best (from a practice management perspective) and a violation at worst.Answer #2: Many ER's across the country use these, also. I'm not sure why it hasn't been pursued as a HIPAA violation. If a medical professional we're to tell a stranger that information, you better believe they would be facing consequences.Answer #3: I work in HIPAA compliance and your post made me cringe. I'm just going to echo what BeezyBaby42 said and say that the TV screen is (of what you listed) the most likely to rise to the level of a HIPAA violation. The main issue I see is the inclusion of treatment and reason for visiting on an open TV screen, they could exclude this information and put it elsewhere.

You could file a complaint with the Florida Department of Health. You could also file a complaint with the federal office of civil rights of DHHS. Even if it's not a violation an investigation may get your orthodontist thinking about better business practices.


Title: [MI] My fiancé’s ex-wife put his name on her baby’s birth certificate even though the father is actually the man she cheated on him with, how to get it removed and make sure he’s not responsible for child support?

Question:
My fiancé and his ex-wife were separated in February of 2017, got divorced around the middle of the year and she gave birth near the end of the year (sorry, exact dates are fuzzy). They had not slept together for months before the baby would’ve been conceived, and she was living with the man she cheated with, who she admitted was the father. She made the divorce process take a lot longer than it was supposed to, and it was before everything was finalized that she became pregnant.

She gave the baby her partner’s last name, but apparently listed my fiancé as the father on the birth certificate because she was told she had to with the birth being so close to the divorce. We didn’t know this until now because they had gone no contact after the divorce. She and her partner have recently separated and she’s trying to change it to his name on the birth certificate so he can have visitation. She told my fiancé that there’s a court date later this month and that he has to call a judge on that date and be involved to get his name off. He’s very concerned about being on the hook for child support for a kid who couldn’t possibly be his and we’d like any knowledge the legal advice community can offer on how to get this taken care of because we have no idea.

Sorry if any details are messy, like I said we just found this out, and I didn’t think we’d have to deal with any of this after we heard she gave the baby his father’s last name. Any advice is appreciated.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Worst case scenario is they’ll want to check the baby’s DNA and see who’s it is. But most likely if everyone is in agreement the judge will fix all of that at the court proceeding and you’ll be fine. If he’s sure its not his, he won’t pay as long as you’re willing to do the proper stuff to take him off.Answer #2: I would consult with a family law lawyer. We are talking tens of thousands in child support so you don't want anything to go wrong. Do not take legal advice from his ex-wife.Answer #3: If the child was conceived while they were married the court will likely consider him the legal father as it’s automatically assumed the husband is the father.  He will want a family law attorney and a dna test.


Title: Employer will not pay overtime

Question: Throwaway, kind of, because employer also uses Reddit. I work for a tree nursery in Colorado that claims to be exempt from paying overtime based on the business having a seasonal agriculture exemption. I've been unable to find any info matching their description of their exemption. I am payed on W2 so there must be some some loophole they've found. I work around 45 hours a week and don't receive time and a half pay for hours over 40. The business is most profitable in the spring and summer, but is active year round. My duties include both manual labor, and acting as a tree salesman(no commission) . The nursery doesn't actually produce any agriculture, it buys trees and shrubs from tree farms and nurseries and resells them, so I would think this would prevent an ag exemption. They claim to be exempt from most labor laws and dock employees pay at their whim, which they say is legal because they are not a "retail" business when they very clearly are. Any help Reddit lawyers? even if its just an idea of who I can talk to about this...

Answer:
 re the ag exemption: my read is that they're [full of shit.](http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs12.pdf)

best definition of what constitutes agriculture i found is [here](http://www.dol.gov/whd/opinion/FLSA/2005/2005_01_11_11_FLSA_BrushEradication.htm).

file a complaint with the [department of labor and employment](https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/wagelaw). they'll sort it out for you.

[colorado wage act - PDF warning](https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/Colorado%20Wage%20Act.pdf)


Title: ADA violation. Suggestions? Have run out of ideas.

Question:
I removed the names of the companies involved.  I wasn't sure if that was a no-no so I figured, play it safe.

Hello all, I thought I would put this out there to get your opinions and suggestions as to what else I can do here.  I have spent days on this already and have gotten nowhere.

My 7 year old daughter is in a wheelchair and has many physical and developmental problems.  A few days ago they announced a new "Ice skating show" based on "a recently popular animated movie" and began distributing pre-sale codes to buy them via "that big ticket company" before they go on sale to the general public on June 3rd.

Well, I have been trying to purchase wheelchair accessible seating for this "ice show" for 3 days now.  It is nearly impossible and VERY frustrating. The "big ticket company's" website doesn't show handicap seating. It says to call them directly. When I called them the next morning (I had to wait because the phone lines were closed) I spoke to 3 people over the course of 35 minutes who were no help.  A customer service woman informed me that the their inventory does not contain any wheelchair seating, which is why the website wasn't working, and she can't sell me any for the same reason.  She suggested I call the box office directly to purchase them.

After calling the box office and getting transferred twice, they confirmed that handicap seats were indeed available but insisted I had to purchase them via "that big ticket company".   Ultimately I called back "that big ticket company" once again.  I was informed by a supervisor that there are no pre-sale handicap seating tickets available and I will have to wait until June 3rd to purchase them.  I felt this was discrimination against people in wheelchairs and is very unfair to my family, and I told her as much, but she didn't seem to care the slightest.  Instead, she blamed the production company for not releasing the handicap seats for the pre-sale.

I checked the ADA regulations regarding ticket sales for reference.  According to their regulations, Tickets for accessible seats must be sold:  1) during the same hours;  2) through the same methods of purchase (by telephone, on site, through a website, or through third-party vendors); and 3) during the same stages of sales (pre-sales, promotions, general sales, wait lists, or lotteries) as non-accessible seats.

That's a direct quote from the law.  So what I did was post on their Facebook page and I emailed as many addresses as I could find for these three companies.  One email response the next day said she would be glad to help.... on June 3rd when the general sales open.  I emailed her back basically saying thanks for trying to help, but its not good enough and again stated the ADA law that requires them to be available in the same hours, methods, and stages of sale.   No response since then.

So as I stated earlier, I am out of ideas here on how to proceed.  Buying tickets for a show should not be this difficult.  I can't help but think that if we didn't have a disabled child, the tickets would have been purchased without issue within 5 minutes.

I've already spent hours over several days and have made no headway.  Is my next step filing an ADA complaint with the DOJ?

Sorry for the wall of text.  I actually shortened it up a bit.  And because the bot yelled at me, I am dealing with a venue in new jersey.

Answer:
 I would file the complaint either way, we all know who you are talking about and fuck'em more complaints the better. I always thought though you were supposed to buy tickets and then contact the venue for accessible seating?  Otherwise, I agree with your reading of the law and think this accommodation should be made.

Lastly, the Bot is not yelling at you out of anger but frustration. To make your post you were told about 5 times to post your location.


Title: (MN) Landlord has not returned security deposit after 39 days.

Question:
My roommates and I moved out of our house on April 30th, 2016. We left our forwarding addresses on the kitchen table and also emailed him about it the day after we moved out. We had lived there for 18 months and there was definitely some wear and tear as well as some small damage (nothing major). He also didn't come on our move out day to complete a move out inspection.
We had a Standard Minnesota lease and #4 states "Security Deposit. Landlord may use the security deposit A. To cover Tenant's failure to pay rent or other money due Landlord B. To return the Premises to its condition at the start of the tenancy except for ordinary wear and tear. Within 21 days after the tenancy ends and Tenant gives Landlord a forwarding address, Landlord shall return the full security deposit with interest or send a letter explaining what was withheld and why."
On June 7th, after going 38 days without hearing anything back from our landlord I sent him an email asking when we could expect our security deposit. He told me he is still working on it and that there was damage to the house. Some of which I don't think is true, but unfortunately we did not take pictures while moving out.
Since we had not received any contact past 21 days are we entitled to the whole deposit regardless?

Answer:
 Not a lawyer.

[Minnesota Law](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=504b.178)

>(1) within three weeks after termination of the tenancy; ... return the deposit to the tenant, with interest thereon as provided in subdivision 2, or furnish to the tenant a written statement showing the specific reason for the withholding of the deposit or any portion thereof.

He did not do this. You get it all back, default:

> 4.Damages. Any landlord who fails to:
(1) provide a written statement within three weeks of termination of the tenancy;
(3) transfer or return a deposit as required by subdivision 5,
after receipt of the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions, as required in subdivision 3, is liable to the tenant for damages in an amount equal to the portion of the deposit withheld by the landlord and interest thereon as provided in subdivision 2, as a penalty, in addition to the portion of the deposit wrongfully withheld by the landlord and interest thereon.

No damages though.

Write a letter informing him of the statute, that because of his failure to return your money or provide a statement of what/why he was witholding, he has forfeited any portion of your security deposit. Feel free to quote the statue.

If he tries to mess around, small claims court will settle this quickly.

Standard advice: save a copy of that letter and send it certified mail. Keep track of any further communication with him, preferably written.


Title: (USA/Canada) My father is banned from the USA for no real reason. How to appeal this decision?

Question:
My father is a dean of a small university in a third world country. Every year, he organizes a field trip with the seniors to the USA, so they can gain valuable experience in whatever field they're graduating from. Well three years ago, one of his students decided to use this occasion to flee. She did not show up to the airport to leave with the group, stayed in the USA, then made her way to New York, crossed the border into Quebec Canada, got her sister to pick her up, applied as a refugee, and she's been living legally in Canada since as a permanent resident. The USA caught wind of this and decided to penalize my father. He is not allowed to go into the USA at all. While this girl got to live there and now lives in Canada without any consequences.

My father is a Canadian citizen and has been travelling to the USA legally for most of his life. He got his post\-secondary education there and he works for the Anglican church of the USA, but in that 3rd world country. He has many contacts in America, and anyway his jobs requires him to have proof of all his activities in the USA, and with the stamps in his passport I think it's enough proof that he doesn't go to the USA to do funky business \(he doesn't go there for more than 2 weeks usually\). And this student was a grown ass adult who decided to use my father to illegally enter Canada.

So please help me. What can we do to appeal that decision? I find it incredibly unfair that he gets penalized and she gets to run free. I kind of want to call the police on that girl too. Is that at all possible?

Thank you.

Answer: Talk to the US Embassy. They can point you in the right direction.


Title: Pulled over for speeding: 64 in a 55mph zone. Cop said he'd "Cut us a deal" and tickets us $170 for going 45 in a 35 zone.

Question:
Got pulled over yesterday- Officer told my husband he clocked him going 64 in a 55mph zone. Then the officer told us he'd cut us a deal and do us a big favor by putting 45 in a 35 zone on the ticket, with a fee of $170.

I'm having a hard time looking up the exact laws, but I noticed insurance goes up if you have a ticket for speeding 10 miles above the limit. The cop himself told us we were going 9 above. We are okay with paying the ticket fine, but having our insurance premium raised is something we really don't want.

We're inclined not to go to court because of having to miss work and legal fees, but again, the insurance is something we're worried about.

Should we fight this ticket? Did he really do us a favor, or screw us over? We are in Minnesota.

Answer: Does the ticket say where you were pulled over? If you were cited for doing "45 in a 35" on a street with a 55 limit, I'd be awfully tempted to show up in court and point out the inconsistency.


Title: My ten year old daughter has lived with me her whole life. If I formally establish legal custody and/or obtain child support, does that "open the door" to the father getting visitation rights?

Question:
I have a ten-year old daughter who has lived with me and my parents for her entire life. Her father moved out shortly after she was born. He wasn't making any money at the time and thankfully my parents were able to take care of her, so we informally settled custody such that she would stay with me for the long-term - this was never "agreed upon" but it worked out that way. We never formally established that I had legal custody. I never asked for child support, and he has made no attempt to visit her. I have not spoken to him for almost ten years.

I recently learned that he is financially stable and is getting married to someone else. I would like to establish legal custody so I can take my daughter overseas. If I were to do this, does this "open the door" to him potentially getting visitation rights? My family and I have raised her on our own and have gotten comfortable, and we would rather not give him an opening to interact with him and/or establish visitation. Does it become more likely that he will get visitation rights if I also ask for child support?

(San Francisco, CA)

Answer:
 Hey, I just got certified as a passport agent, so this is relevant to me! [Here is a scan](http://imgur.com/a/2I1oC) of the paper we give out regarding minors under 16, as well as a scan of the form you can get your daughter's father to fill out. There is also another form you can fill out if you cannot get in contact with him.

If you have more questions re: the passport process I can try to answer them!Answer #2: My friend found herself in a situation that sounds identical to yours. After not hearing from him for years she found out he was stable and getting married, building a nice life for himself. She pursued child support. He told her if she kept it up he'd ask for visitations and weekend visits. She stopped pursuing support and he never asked to see the kid. Pretty shitty all the way around.


Title: [USA] If the President was murdered while in a state (outside DC), would the investigation be handled by local police?

Question:
Since murder is covered by state law and not federal law, would the local homicide office have jurisdiction? Or do special laws apply to the President?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 No. It's a federal crime to kill the president.

Edit: [18 U.S. Code § 1751](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1751).


Title: (South Carolina) Brother came upon hundreds of chips for a local casino cruise, are there legal repercussions for sneaking them aboard?

Question:
For the record, I'm against this idea, and would like to show him some legal proof that it's a bad choice.

My brother's boss bought an old, no longer running casino ship to sell its contents. Among some of the things on board were boxes of casino chips with the name of a local casino cruise. Further research shows that this casino cruise still uses these chips, just obviously at a different location. My brother has this "foolproof" idea to somehow sneak some of these chips onboard, gamble a little, and then eventually cash all of them out, supposedly without the casino knowing. We're talking about thousands of dollars of casino chips. I understand this is grounds for him to be banned from the ship and have all of them confiscated, but what about the legal consequences of this plan ?

Answer:
 Your brother is attempting to obtain thousands of dollars through fraud. This will often be a criminal matter; he could go to jail.

On a purely practical level, casinos have some of the best security in the world. Trying to defraud them is perhaps one of the least effective ways to steal thousands of dollars.


Title: [NY] Caught school owner on tape... can I approach her about paying my off?

Question:
Going through a horrendous divorce.  My wife went off meds a few years back and just got worse and worse.  She’s had multiple professionals see her emotional irregularity and has manipulated several to lie and cover for her.

I had an exchange with our child’s preschool.  Two months went by and everything was fine.  Then she obtained a letter from them and submitted it to court stating I screamed at them, acted inappropriately, and acted as if I were on drugs.  I recorded the convo and I never raised my voice, never cursed, never demanded anything.  I was polite and straightforward with them even stating that I wasn’t mad at them, thanked them, and there was no point at discussing things again with them.  They pretty much lied about our entire conversation.

Can I sue them?  Can I go to them and make a deal to keep it out of court?  Every teacher and mental health professional has told me they said a lot of unprofessional things, didn’t handle the situation well at all, and did not have the authority or classification to make a judgement about me that would negatively impacted the custody and visitation of my child.

Answer: You really should let your lawyer deal with this.


Title: Wife estranged from family, but does she have any legal rights to property when they pass away?

Question:
My wife has gone no contact with the majority of her family, and the one cousin that she does still talk too, has also gone no contact with the same family.  However, it's highly likely that my wife's mother owns or co-owns property, that the last I heard, would go for $300k+ on the real estate market should they try to sell it.  Knowing them like we do, her mother and her uncle (potential co-owner) will likely never sell, and will likely stay until her last day.  My wife also has a brother, she doesn't talk to him either.  Her uncle has no children to speak of.

My wife's mother is in poor health, she has a terminal disease and has been "hanging on" for years now.  Her uncle is also in poor health.  While she never wants to associate with that family again, it's apparent that legally my wife might have rights to a considerable sum of money within this property.  What should we do?  Should we keep an eye out for a death, and then try to make a claim?  How do we do that?  Should we hire someone now to do research for us and figure out our options?  We have no real idea of legal ownership here or our rights here, but want to be prepared to claim anything that legally belongs to us.

I should also add, these aren't the type of people who plan ahead, so I'm assuming there is no will.  I could be wrong of course, but I doubt it...

Answer:
 >it's apparent that legally my wife might have rights to a considerable sum of money within this property.

How is it apparent if your wife has no contact with her family? If her mom and her uncle have wills and they don't leave her anything, she has no right to anything.


Title: I [26F] reported my boss [45M] to HR for sexual harassment and now an investigation has started. [US]

Question:
FIRST - I apologize that I don't know much about reddit, but I do know it where people go to find answers to problems they might have. I know you guys have a way of posting things on here, I'm just not knowledgeable on that and I apologize in advance. I can learn.

I work for a corporate resturaunt as a server. On Friday, I got fed up at my job and I reported my boss for sexual harassment in the work place. In the beginning, when I first started working there in October, I started developing a "father-daughter" type relationship with my boss (or so I thought). Anytime there was a problem I ran to him and he would solve it without getting aggravated or upset and I liked that. He was the playful type boss. He would make jokes. Some were perverted jokes, but just in general. In the beginning there were times he would come up behind me and untie my apron. I'd awkwardly laugh and carry on. I would need something right in front of him and he wouldn't hand it to me or move out of the way. He would say "there you go" and I'd just have to reach over or around him. There were times he would just stare at me... literally stare at me for a good time. And at first I just thought he was trying to make sure I was working. I noticed that he would occasionally accidentally (?) rub or bump up against me as we would be passing by eachother on the line. I would go on trying to dismiss it, or at least try to dismiss these things for months. Until it started getting worse. The jokes started to change and become more directed at me instead of just in general. My nickname is cat, and I'm sure you could imagine what kind of joke my nickname can be turned into. Example, one day it was raining and I come walking in and I say to my friend "I'm seriously soaked right now." And my boss heard and said, "oooh are you a wet cat?" My friend and I just stared at eachother like did he really just say that? Jokes like these started getting worse. One day I was wearing a waist apron instead of my usual "around the neck" apron. I was also wearing a tighter fitted shirt, so yeah I probably looked a little busty. My boss says, "Cat there's something different about you today" while looking at my chest. I tried to play dumb and say, "my hair is straight." He said, "no that's not it." I said, "I'm tanner?" He said "no that's not it." And I looked at him and said "I'm wearing a different apron man come on". He said, "yep that's it!". All while staring at my chest. I felt so sick this day. These jokes are made all the time, more frequent now. The stares have gotten so much worse to where I can just feel someone staring at me I look over and it's him. And, normal people would look away when someone catches them staring... not him. It's like he wants me to see him staring. I bend over to grab something he is always right there. I'm working and he comes up behind me and just stands. I move out of the way so he can do what he needs to but he just stands there and stares... almost like it's an intimidation thing. The instances of his "accidentally" rubbing or brushing up against me is more frequent and last week I felt his junk all on my arm. Whether this is an accident or not, it happens way too much! I'm tired of it. Last Sunday he was on the grill line talking to another employee and they were both cooking. I was through the window and I could hear them talking. I heard the girl cook say sorry because she was trying to squeeze by him. He says "no problem I can get by you easily" (referring to he tinier figure). And they were bantering back and forth and I heard that, so I smiled and laughed at them. By boss saw me laughing and said, "But Cat on the other hand when you try to get by her she sticks her butt out and *puts 4 closed fingers up to his mouth and stick butt out* says "OOPSIES!". I just looked at him and gave him a dirty look and said "NO!". And he goes on to joke with the other female cook. Talking about bootyrubs. I walked away and the other female cook says, "Cat come back here *boss' name* wants a booty rub". And I could hear him laughing. I was mortified. There are SO MANY more comments and jokes made, these are just examples. He is very careful what he says and a lot of the jokes have double meanings. And sometimes I just try to pretend like I don't get it... but I do! This boss does not know what personal space is. He is always right up on me, purposely. This is why he is always rubbing and brushing up against me. There is always plenty of room for him to get by. Somehow we always end up cornered together in the break room and freezer and I try to get out because I know he's going to come up to me. Whether it's to get something right behind me, so that we have to cross paths or whether he's just teasing me coming up to bother me. It seems very intentional. I'm just tired of it all. All the jokes. All the stares. All the rubs up against me. It seems as if he is very careful about what he does so that he does not cross the line. But all of this makes me think it adds up to crossing the line. There have been coworkers who have seen this stuff, so I know I'm not crazy. BUT I feel absolutely insane. I feel crazy. It's weighing on my mental state and effecting my work. I feel like its effecting my quality of service to customers because I am just not there mentally. I'm worried about being stared at. I feel like screaming while I'm at work. I feel like running out of the building. I feel like hiding. And anytime he walks out of the kitchen I am going to the other side. If there is something I need, I will walk around the entire kitchen to avoid crossing paths with him. I have felt like I shouldn't speak up for a long time. I have tried to dismiss it over and over in my head. I've been trying to convince myself that it's all in my head. It's been weighing on me for a long long time. I've left work crying. I have lost sleep over it. I just feel crazy. And finally, on Friday after leaving work upset I decided that I had enough. I went home and wrote an email to Human Resources explaining everything. And now, I have opened a can of worms. They opened an investigation. Today our Director of Operations was in there questioning everyone. Including me to make it look like it wasn't obvious. They are going to try to keep this as anonymous as possible. I was informed that they will be having a talk with this manager tomorrow to let him know that there have been accusations made against him. So, he's going to know it was me. I know he will. A lot of the other servers have known that I have been feeling uncomfortable around him and they are going to put two and two together. He's going to eventually find out. I'm so worried and I feel so anxious and uncomfortable to even have to face him and work with him Every. Single. Day. And now he's going to know that I made this complaint. What should I do?

My main concerns are what if it just gets dismissed and I look so stupid for even saying anything?  What if they can't prove anything and I'm a liar? What if he just gets written up and I'm forced to continue working with him? What if he gets fired and I ruin his life? I just don't think I can go on working with him and if that's the case and I must quit... this will all be for nothing. I'm so upset and so nervous about going to work tomorrow and the rest of the week. I truly just need some advice. Is this a legal problem? Is this considered sexual harrassment? Am I absolutely crazy? I just don't know what to do.

TLDR: I reported my boss to HR and now an investigation is open and I still have to work with him during the investigation. I don't know what to do. I feel crazy and I feel like this might come back on me some how negatively.

United States, Florida.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: At this point all you can do is wait for them to investigate. They have a duty to stop the harassment. If it continues, be sure to report it again immediately.


Title: Help Testifying at my sons trial[NY]

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 > What is legal or illegal to say ?

It's illegal to say things that aren't true.Answer #2: > I plan on testifying that most of the weed wasn't mine as I had rented the car out as storage space to the boy's deadbeat father.

Uh... what? I can't make out what this sentence means. How can you rent out a car as storage space?

> I know that this is tecnicaly prejury but his dad's got a criminal record and the jury will probably belive me.

This is idiotic. If you testify that you rented out a car to somebody and have no record of basic things like 'taking payment' or 'written contract,' then no, the jury will not believe you. On top of this, you risk getting yourself held in contempt *and* ruining any credibility you would have had as a character reference. I'll add, too, that you're not really helping your kid any by testifying that you somehow rented out a car as storage space to a known drug dealer that your kid then drove around.

> What is legal or illegal to say ?

It is illegal to lie under oath. This is perjury and is not a small-fry issue.

You need to:

- Talk to your kid's defense attorney and/or public defender; and

- Not lie; and

- Not try to outwit the prosecutor, who does this sort of thing every day.Answer #3: >I know that this is tecnicaly prejury

No it's not technically perjury, it IS perjury.

If you don't want to be charged with perjury, don't lie.

If your son doesn't have a lawyer, he needs one. You might need a consult as well.


Title: What can I do if my friend is wrongfully placed into a treatment facility with the intention of long-term residency?

Question: So, I have this friend and she is 17. We live in Montana, Great Falls area. She has been in treatment for drugs and things of that nature but has been clean now for a while and has been really working on herself. She was supposed to graduate by the end of the month, but her probation officer has just informed her that she is being sent back to treatment because she has "anger issues". I know her and I know that isn't really the case, and that her parents are just trying to drop her off at an institution because they don't want to deal with their daughter. I want to know what I can do to help get her out as soon as possible, because I am worried that her PO's recommendation of long term residency (staying in treatment until she is 19) is going to be the major influence in the duration of her residency. I don't really know if it's a legal question or what, I'm just really concerned that this girl is going to be incarcerated for 2 years because her abusive parents can't deal with her. Seriously, anything that I could do would be amazing, I haven't been able to find anything on the topic even though I'm aware that this kind of thing is nothing new.

Answer:
 >I know her and I know that isn't really the case,

Knowing her personally makes it *harder* for you to determine whether she really has anger issues, not easier.

> and that her parents are just trying to drop her off at an institution because they don't want to deal with their daughter.

Are you claiming that the PO does not actually believe she has anger issues, and is lying about it because of her parents' desires? Do you have any evidence of this?


Title: Is ADHD a valid defense against failure to appear?

Question:
A friend of mine heard from somewhere that if she had a letter from a doctor that she has ADHD that she "can't" be punished for 2 failures to appear.

I can't find anything on it and it seems more that a bit far fetched. Anyone have more info?

Answer:
 > A friend of mine heard from somewhere that if she had a letter from a doctor that she has ADHD that she "can't" be punished for 2 failures to appear.

LOL..... no.Answer #2: "I was told" are the three most dangerous words in the english language.Answer #3: Jesus Christ get a better circle of friends. You have at least one pumping a dry well.Answer #4: lol. no.Answer #5: If she was incapacitated in a hospital she could still be charged with FTA.


Title: Illegal use of photograph

Question:
I have a *very* small business. I made my own website which included "royalty free" images from Getty Images. I thought this meant I would be free to use them on my website. I got a cease/desist letter from them today, also billing me $900+ dollars for having used a picture without having purchased it. I of course took it down immediately. I called explaining that I had no idea, and that I don't even have $900 to my name, let alone the money to pay for that. They basically offered to take $100 off, which is still way too much for me to afford. Is there anything I can do?!?! I emailed the photographer begging for his retroactive permission a moment ago, haven't heard back yet.

Edit: I'm in Colorado, Getty is in Seattle.
Edit 2: Technically I'm unemployed. My business doesn't make enough to pay me any wages. (but I am married, in case that matters)

Answer:
 Getty is almost definitely not going to pursue the matter beyond angry letters. That said, stop emailing the photographer or anything of the sort.

I'm not your attorney and I'm likely not licensed in your jurisdiction, but if I were in a similar situation, I would send a letter back to Getty that stated, in no uncertain terms, that you were unaware of any copyright claim Getty had to the images, all such images have been removed, no payment will be forthcoming, and that you now consider this matter resolved.


Title: What are my right's if my landlord's neglect led to me contracting Histoplasmosis?

Question:
I rent an apartment in New Castle County, Delaware. Over the past few months, I have developed persistent breathing and lung issues, despite having never had any such issues in the past; I've never had asthma, and I'm not a smoker, and these lung/breathing issues cycle accompanied by fever, cough, and muscle aches. During the process of trying to figure out what was wrong, my doctor asked me if I had, to my knowledge, been exposed to bird, rat, or bat feces. I told him no.

A month or so later (last Friday), I was conversing with a neighbor in the building about why the neighbors directly below me had moved out so suddenly. She explained that the woman who lived there with her six children had a problem with some bats in the ceilings and walls, and our complex delayed dealing with them for so long that she moved out early. I was flabbergasted, and went to look up what kind of diseases I could get from bat guano. It turns out my symptoms closely resemble Histoplasmosis, a disease that is easily picked up from guano, and tends to persist in people with weak immune systems (like me, of course...) I called my doctor this morning and am being tested later this week.

My question is, if my landlord's neglect or failure to properly remove all bats and their waste from the building caused me to contract Histoplasmosis, what are my rights? I don't have the money to care for these new and possible chronic lung issues, and I'm appalled that the building was not notified or checked for bats.

Answer: As a renter in NCC who's been sick for a couple weeks, I'm worried. Would you mind PMing me whatever management company or complex it is?Answer #2: if a contract, state or federal law, or standard reasonable care in your area dictate they were required to, and you can show a nexus to your condition, then yes. I would advise talking with local attorneys, who should provide a free consult and let you know more.


Title: University employee damaged my gf's wheelchair. Can we ask their department to help pay to fix it? [PA]

Question:
Hoo boy, this is a doozy. Throwaway for obvious reasons. X-posted to other forums in an attempt to gather advice; names changed to protect all parties involved and for clarity.

My GF (Beth\*) has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair to get around. Power wheelchair during the school year, manual chair when she goes home or visits me on breaks. She left her chair with the department that handles disability accommodations on campus (one of the major selling points of this school is that it has all kinds of special things in place for students with disabilities, e.g. a dedicated certified wheelchair mechanic).

She got her chair back today, and it was missing the tailor-made cushion. The employee that released it to us didn't know what had happened to the original, and the replacement was obviously wrong size/shape/thickness.

The employee (Judy\*) who she'd released the chair to in May was fired over the summer for unknown reasons. Beth was able to reach her, and Judy confirmed she had disposed of the original cushion because it smelled strongly of urine and was allegedly unsanitary. (We have this via text and are saving it.) We've done the research, and a used cushion with comparable specs is over $100 on eBay. Beth is on disability and the start of the semester is already a tough time for her financially, because of books and fees and other large bills that come due.

In addition, Beth and most of her friends who also use wheelchairs have been going to Judy for several years for wheelchair repairs. Judy is **not** the certified mechanic. Judy has stripped several essential bolt channels in the armrest, which Beth has taken to her multiple times to fix. Multiple bolts are missing and have obviously been replaced, but with smaller bolts that work loose with minimal effort. As it stands right now, I've identified where all the pieces go, but Beth's armrest will not be able to reattach to the chair until the certified mechanic supplies the missing bolts. We are going to him tomorrow or Monday.

The question is, since the university agreed to house the chair for the summer, was it obligated to return the chair and all associated parts in the exact condition that they received them? Can we ask the department to provide a correctly sized cushion from their stock of spare parts (yes, they have these) or if they don't have one, to help with the cost of replacing the cushion their employee destroyed? Do we request reparations if the mechanic is unable to reattach the armrest or restore the chair to full functionality? Thank you for your time.

Answer:
 >The question is, since the university agreed to house the chair for the summer, was it obligated to return the chair and all associated parts in the exact condition that they received them?

That certainly sounds like a bailment with an obligation to return it in the same condition, but IANAL.Answer #2: Why have students been going to Judy instead of the certified mechanic?Answer #3: You can certainly ask.  If the disabilities office doesn't help, then go to the ombuds office or whatever other resources there are on campus.  Don't make this into a legal issue.Answer #4: Your story is really confusing regarding Judy. It sounds like Beth and other students are doing things outside the codified process, and that's going to be a problem. Even if it's more convenient or has been working in the past.

I am certainly sympathetic to disabilities that require accommodations, but ADA guidelines and 508 (the government guidelines, whatever number) make people's jobs very difficult at times and people lose jobs over not following the letter of the law. It sounds like Beth and her cohorts aren't exactly sticking to their half of that equation.

Personally, I would start with the department and tell them you received a chair not in the same condition you left it. Document what you can and how you followed the process, I would expect them to eat a $100 cost (or else, you and Beth should probably work on a way to have $100 saved for an emergency in the future, disability or not...). If they don't, you may need to tread lightly and speak to the ombudsman in person, then off campus counsel.


Title: [NJ] Boss wants to dock pay for not coming in early.

Question:
For tax purposes, he files us as Independent Contractors (1099).

He sent us an email recently that states that if we do not arrive 10 minutes early, then we will get docked 15 minutes worth of pay. As far as I know, when my coworkers arrive late, they stay the extra time they need to in order to complete their job. The job requires working with clients (who go out of their way to arrive at a set time), so obviously being late isn't a great idea since it often keeps people waiting. However, the clients get their full time. It is also my understanding that being an "independent contractor" implies that our boss can't demand we be there at a certain time-- we are to set it ourselves (which we do-- our schedules are flexible).

Our boss is doing this because there have been too many clients waiting around, and they get understandably irritated. However, I consistently show up 2 to 5 minutes early. I always start on time. Under his new rules, I would be docked pay. I used to come 10 or more minutes early, but it was a waste of my time, so I stopped.

I don't plan on making any changes to my arrival time habits. However, what am I supposed to do if they don't pay me even though I arrived on time?

Edit: What if I do if I am running late? I always stay to complete my work. Should I stop staying late if my pay is docked for being late? This only hurts the client, who pays for the time, so I don't want to do that. But I think it's important to set boundaries, too, and I refuse to work for time that I will not get paid for.

Edit 2: In case it's relevant, I'm getting paid above minimum wage, and docking 15 minutes pay won't put it below minimum wage.

Answer:
 So, two issues.

First, your boss **HAS TO HAS TO HAS TO** pay you for all time worked. That's federal law. Period. No discussion. He cannot dock your pay without your consent. If he does, file a [wage claim](http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/wagehour/complnt/filing_wage_claim.html).

Second, you are possibly mis-classified as a 1099 contractor. [Read and review.](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee)


Title: Defamation via Reddit (all states)

Question:
Location: Rhode Island.

I have an internet stalker on my main account;  we can call that that person a former acquaintance. We parted ways most unceremoniously, to say the least.  I did not know until recently that person has been following my posts (took a bit of work to unearth my account and real name) with great interest until that person took great umbrage to a post(regarding my suspicions of mental illness among other facts) I made in reference to that individual without naming him or her. That party then made a throwaway account and threatened me to delete the post, claiming lies and assorted ad hominems and then sent a follow-up e-mail again threatening me.

What are the legal implications of this? As said, I never directly named the person and I do think what I wrote was of fact, rather than opinion. Do I risk a defamation lawsuit even under the supposed anonymity of Reddit by referencing this topic again, or am I safe and should not mention this individual again?

PS-I honestly believe this person is now unstable and will resort to means to complicate my life. However this is a tangentially different matter.

Answer: You know you can ignore people on the internet, right? I highly recommend it.


Title: Lawyer wants proof mother financially supported child

Question:
There are more factors to the situation, not sure what the best approach would be to provide this.

Mother has a 8 year old child, the child has lived with the mother for all 8 years around 90% of the time.

Mother and biological father were never married and never went to court for child custody. They split up when the child was 1 year old.

I am the boy friend of the mothers, I moved in with her after the split at 1 year.

The mother worked part time as a bar tender for 2 years. After that she quit and went to college for 2 years. She's never really held down a full time job since then.

I've provided most the financial support for her and the child for the past 6 years. I pay rent, utilities, phone, internet, vechicles, insurance and some food.

The biological father started a custody case against the mother. They are asking for all the standard custody requests. Full parental right, child support, for the child to live with them, etc...

The mother has never requested child support from the biological father. The father has never offered her any financial assistance towards the child. Since the child started school the father mother would send him back with maybe a pair of shoes and 2 outfits once a year, then a couple gifts (toys or cloths) for Christmas once a year.

The mother and I have had to hire a lawyer because only 1 firm offers financial assistance in our county and the father is using them.... The mother has countered most the requests and also is requesting back child support and current.

What's the best way to respond to the lawyers request?

Answer: Proof that the mother financially supported the child and the child lives with the mother? Just make a copy of your bills. That is supporting the child. Your rent/mortgage is putting a roof over the child's head. Your power bill is providing the child with electricity. Your water bill is providing the child with water. Your grocery store receipt is providing the child with food. If you pay for a babysitter, list that. Provide an accounting of everything you spend on the child. It's not that difficult when you sit down and start thinking about all the money you spend on a 8 year old and basic necessities.