Title: What can I do about this situation?

Question:
I live in Texas, specifically Ellis county.
Last night me and a group of friends were playing ultimate frisbee at an elementary school parking lot after school hours on a weekend. This parking lot has no signs saying we can't be there and there's no other public location where I live that's not privately owned that's lit up at night. We've been doing this for years (4-5) at the same time (7pm-11pm) roughly once or twice a week. Several times teachers who stay late, or faculty have left the building, seen us play, just say hello and leave. Over these years we've had cops stop by and ask if we're doing drugs, just watch us for an hour, and eventually just leave. Last night some cops pulled in right onto where we were playing (theres plenty of other spaces in the same lot) and asked us what we were doing, we said playing frisbee (as if they couldn't see) and they preceded to ask us to leave. He said that he knew we weren't doing anything wrong and we weren't damaging anything, but that if he allowed us to be on here he'd have to let everyone on there. (He used the example of skateboarders and said how they damage the property and even if we don't do any of that he has to treat us how he'd treat them. Wen though he admitted he aren't actually vandalizing the property). We pick up after our selves, we don't leave any trash, we don't loiter once we're done, we just come to play and then we leave.
So my question is what are my rights in the situation?
What can the cops actually ask us to do without the school asking us to leave?
Could they still ask us to leave if the school allows us to play there? (I asked the high school years ago and they didnt care as long as it was after school hours.)

Answer:
 You have no right to be on the property.  If you want to continue playing there, I would get a signed letter from the school district stating you are allowed to be there, and keep it on you whenever you go there.  Answer #2: Passive permission by faculty is meaningless in this situation.  You can't know whether or not the school administration hasn't told them "Do not confront these people.  We will have the police deal with it."

Posting of signs might make what you're doing *criminal* trespass, but if you are on the property of another (including the state) without permission to be there, you are at least civilly trespassing and can be removed by the police.

It's not relevant to any part of the discussion that there is no other place for you to play.


Title: Arrested for the first time yesterday...

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Yes, the other incidents may be able to be brought up.  First you said they have video of the other incidents, then you say you don't.

You need to get an attorney


Title: Landlord wrote in start and end lease dates after we all signed lease - Is it a month-to-month and can I move out? (UCLA, California)

Question:
Hi all,

I signed a lease last year. When I, my roommates, and the landlord signed the lease, the start and end dates of the lease were blank. I have this copy of the lease. On the original lease, the landlord wrote in the start and end dates after we signed it without our permission (I have a evidence of him admitting to this). I want to move out at the end of this month and have already given my notice to vacate last month.

Under California Civil Code Section 1944, this is a month to month lease. The landlord says he is allowed to write in dates and legally bind me. I already spoke with the LA County Department of Consumer Affairs and they told me he cannot do this. Basically, I want to make sure I am correct on this since I have no prior legal experience. I don't want to suffer due to loop holes.

I also want to know what happens if he tries to evict me since I don't want this on my record. Also, I am pretty sure he will try to keep our security deposit. What are my options to retrieve it?

Thanks

Answer:
 I guess this is my soap box for this week.

Never sign a contact with blanks. Never. Write N/A in any blanks.

Glad you have your own copy. When you moved in did you know that you were expected to be there for 6mo or whatever the term? Either easy you are probably OK as long as you have notice as per your lease.


Title: [Ontario] Can you be held in contempt at the lowest court level (traffic court for example).

Question:
This is a simple question but I was wondering if a Justice of the Peace could hold you in contempt of court in a Provincial Offences Court. Hypothetically if I were in traffic court for a speeding ticket and I said something rude or did something to disrupt the process would a JP hold the power to hold me in contempt?

My class is learning about contempt of court right now but have only been talking about during criminal proceedings and in respect to judges. My brain was thinking during that time what if I called a JP an offensive word during that 10km/h over trial.

Answer: Sure can. The punishment is a $1,000.00 fine, 30 days in jail, or both. Answer #2: Yes. Ordinarily it would be adjourned for a contempt proceeding before a provincial judge, but a JP *can*, if necessary, deal with it immediately. See s. 91 of the *Provincial Offences Act*.


Title: Father died without a will, many issues follow. Any advice welcome.

Question:
This is kind of a long story so I apologize in advance for that!

In April my father passed away in Illinois. We live many states away and kept it touch regularly, but had not seen each other in a few years. He was disabled and lived in a house passed down by his mother to him, on an acre of land. I am the only living heir, there are no other relatives.

Immediately after he died, we contacted the funeral home and Social Security as people normally do. However, my dad left no Will. My wife and I are completely clueless in this whole process, just so you know where we stand. We contacted a lawyer, and fast forward a couple of months later, and I am now the executor of all his assets.

Last week, my wife and my one year old drove the 12 hour drive to his home. It took a good while just to get the money together for the trip, we live paycheck to paycheck. The house is in bad condition. The roof is caving in, it's extremely dirty, and the floor is also falling in several places. It's not really "a fixer upper", it's beyond that.

However the home was on a acre of land.

The worst part was, his so called "friends" have completely looted the place. It appears they took anything of value (there wasn't much), like the fridge, a few old cars on the property, and who knows what else. There is still a 1970 SS El Camino, in decent condition, on the property, and another 1978 El Camino (not in good condition, but supposedly has a great engine) that was taken off the property and is at one of the "friends" homes. I found the titles for both these cars. My dad did love cars. There is also an expensive wheelchair that I know my dad had paid several thousand for. When we spoke to his friends, they kept saying we should give that to them or sell it "dirt cheap" or something.

I also found a stock certificate worth probably about 10k. However, my dad had two large credit card debts, about $10,000 each, and the "friends" were asking for money constantly so those were drained. Also, his cards were stolen and someone has been spending anything that is left on the card. So one card went from $8,900 to $11,000 in a matter of two months. We believe this is again, one of the friends of his racking up charges.

We cancelled the cards and informed the banks about this, so that's being resolved as much as possible. At one point my dad had about $90,000 in stocks and that has been drained away in the last 2 years, from what I can see on his paperwork he had lying around. So now, the people he owes are going to be informed, and whatever is left with be eaten up by this.

MY FIRST QUESTION IS: How do I sell a dilapidated home, and an acre of land. I figure an estate sale is pointless as the home has nothing but junk inside of it. The land is probably worth a little but does having a junk house on it make that obsolete? I need to get rid of it quickly and try to use this, and the El Caminos, to pay off his credit card debt. I am hoping to be left with the stocks so something of the family investments can still be passed down. We have never sold a house, and have ZERO experience in something like this. Please, any advice is welcome.

Now here's the second issue...

My dad did have a lock box with a gold coin in it, and a bank account, at the local bank. Local, SMALL TOWN bank. This has been a nightmare. We called this bank before we ever made the trip, and they said, yes, we could come get the contents of the box as long as we had the proper paperwork saying I was in control of his assets. I obviously had that. They said that was all we needed, but if we didn't have the key, we would need to pay $150 to drill the box open. Whatever, we hoped to find the key in the house.

The first place we went to when we arrived was the Bank. We gave them the paperwork saying I was in charge of his assets, and the lady said it would be a minute. Then about 5 other ladies proceeded to get into a huddle and talk in hushed voices just out of our range. This went on for about 15 minutes, and was getting very weird.

Mind you from what we have been told, we obtain all of his assets, sell what we can, use the money to pay who is owed, and get what is left.  This also would apply to his bank.

The bank lady comes back and says, "I have bad news, it turns out that social security paid two checks into the bank and then took them away once they realized he was dead. This overdrew his account and his bills have been going out of them. The account is $1,100 overdrawn and we will not let you open the box til it is paid"

I tried to explain to them that they will be paid, but after all his assets are sold, etc. This is where it got weird. The bank lady started getting angry, saying that "You will not have access to that box, sorry". My wife told her not to talk to me that way, I was grieving, and she said "that was a threat!" and called the cops on us! The whole thing was just bizarre beyond belief. They said that the locksmith needed to drill the box could take up to two weeks to come drill it anyway (we hadn't found the key), so even if his account was square, they wouldn't let us have it anyhow.

The cops came, and after all this deliberation and small town bull, the cops finally said they needed to drill the box and let me see what was inside. The coin was there. The bank lady said I needed to pay for the drill but the bank "lawyer" said no don't charge him. They refuse to give the coin unless this bank account is no longer overdrawn. In other words, they are holding his property.

My SECOND question is: Is this even legal???? We were literally in shock on how they handled it. They were so rude and disrespectful. Also, when I opened the box, they ALL insisted on being present. So I had the entire bank staff, and the cops, and the bank lawyer, looking at the contents of the box and staring at the coin. Was that even legal either??

I also called later after I was home and asked for a breakdown of all the charges that the account racked up. They WONT give it to me, and say "you need to come in"! I was there, and they wouldn't give that to me then. They are making this so hard on us.

If you bothered to get to the end of this, thank you so much for reading. My little family really appreciates any kind of advice you guys have.

Answer:
 Have you spoken to the police about all of this missing property? Especially the SS...drool. You have the title, they don't own it.Answer #2: I am an IL lawyer.
You need to hire a lawyer in your capacity as the administrator of his estate. The lawyer should be in the county where the real estate is located  for convenience purposes.

If you post back which County the property is in, I will show you how to find someone who knows what they are doing

Once the estate has been opened in court the parties to whom your dad owed money have a time window within which to file  claims. You get to dispute the claims  if you want.

It is your job as the administrator to gather all his assets and pay his "just debts".

I  can't remember if the funeral home gets paid first or the lawyer.

Here is the Probate Act. Everything that happens will be covered somehow under this statute

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2104&ChapterID=60

You are the administrator not the executor. Your dad died intestate. Look for that word and intestacy.

You need to move promptly about that safe deposit box to make sure the bank doesn't  sell the contents for back rent. Think something like Storage Wars. A local guy will be able to work this out with the bank and cut through the BS they gave you because it is indeed BS.

A local estate lawyer will also know how to best sell the real estate and to recover the cars or other property.


Title: Baby's last name in Tennessee

Question:
I'm a single mom with my baby due in February. My ex boyfriend, the baby's dad, and I are doing okay at working things out as far as the baby is concerned, but cannot agree on the last name.

I want the baby to have my last name. His proposed compromise is to hyphenate our last names, mine is to make his last name the middle name. We cannot come to an agreement.

I know that legally I can name the baby whatever I'd like, but I also know that he can ask a judge to change the name and there's a chance that it could happen.

I'm hoping that making the middle name his last name would deter a judge from changing it, but honestly I have no idea how any of this works. Is it still likely to be changed if I make it the middle name? I'm not so worried about making my ex happy as I am avoiding unnecessary legal proceedings if at all possible. Thanks.

Answer:
 If you're not married, you get to pick the kid's name.

He is not likely to be able to go to court to change that.  He has no naming rights unless he's married to you.

On the other hand, starting fights now is probably not a good plan.  On the other hand, giving a child the name of a parent who is not going to be raising them seems suboptimal.  On the gripping hand, I think it's not permitted to give the unmarried biological father's name to the kid according to [the law](http://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2010/title-68/chapter-3/part-3/68-3-305).Answer #2: Legal proceedings are going to be necessary anyway if you want legal, enforceable child support, custody and visitation arrangements. Failure to get a proper order will leave you in limbo and at each others throats for as long as you do not have one. A real order protects everyone, including the child.

If you are using public assistance or ever do in the future, the state can force the child support issue without your permission to recoup the cost of your benefits.

You will need a lawyer and paternity and support suit anyway, so name the child the way you want and let the judge sort it out later.

By the way ... Congrats on your new family!Answer #3: I see you're getting a lot of "pick your battles" comments.  I feel that this is one of the battles you should choose to fight.  Your child's name lasts forever.  It's important.

For the record, I think the middle name idea is a wonderful compromise.


Title: My previous employer wants to take to me to court based on the fact that I joined a competitor.

Question:
Hello.

I have worked with a company for 5 years in New Zealand. I signed an NDA but I had no contract. I left because my employee refused to pay me my invoices. I am joining a new company and my ex-employer is asking me to disclose who I am going to work for and in what capacity. They are and threatening to seek legal actions based on the fact that I signed an NDA. In the terms there is no point that forbids me from working with competitors and I have not even started working with the company yet! Is there any grounds to their claims?

Thanks!

Answer:
 >Is there any grounds to their claims?

Possibly.  Impossible to know when we don't know your state or know what the agreement says.  Don't post the agreement here, you should see an actual lawyer in your area if you have specific questions on the agreement you signed.


Title: If I'm tied up in a basement as a hostage and the criminal (with a gun) is distracted can i stab him?

Answer:
 Since you're presumably accessing reddit on a phone, I would try calling the police first.  I'm surprised the criminal didn't take your phone, but I guess you said he was distracted.

Good luck getting out of there in any event.  Answer #2: Grammatically speaking, that all depends on whether or not you have a knife and if you are physically able to reach him with it.

/smart ass

Yes, that's self-defense since you would reasonable fear for your life.Answer #3: Do you care about the legalities?  There is a saying among my people: "Better to be tried by twelve than carried by six."


Title: 18, got 4 charges, one for underage drinking and 3 for distributing alcohol to 3 minors. $2000 in fees after spending a night in jail? Is this right?

Question:
I was picked up and spent the night in jail with a knock out drunk college kid, best part of the night because hilarious. Post says it all, got the bonds that said I owe 1,000 for drinking underage and 1,000 for distributing to minors. Seems pretty harsh for my first adult offense. Help? :(
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 Those are just your bond amounts, not the total amount that you will owe in fines/fees/costs/etc.

That number could end up higher or lower depending on how things go for you.


Title: Jewish woman seeking Gett, assistance dealing with abusive ex-husband

Question:
My friend is civilly divorced from a man who lives in Israel, but she is an Orthodox Jew, so she is fighting to get her gett which will allow her to remarry under Jewish law.

Her ex-husband hired an actress to impersonate her so he could get citizenship paperwork. He admitted to this via Skype messenger. From there, he's been harassing her constantly, threatening her, and attempting to control her from Israel.

She is low income, lives in RI, with American citizenship, but was born in Belarus. She doesn't speak English well enough to fight this herself in court. They had a son together, who lives with her, and he's using him as leverage. He's slippery and she can't get a handle on him because he splits his time between several countries.

I suggested restraining order, but does a restraining order have weight in a country without extradition? I also suggested subpoenaing Skype for their records to prove he did what he did. What else can she do?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 I'm not sure what the question is here.

No civil court in the US can compel the husband to give her the Get (just one T in English). There's actually a cottage industry, based in the NY/NJ region, that exists for this exact purpose.

Is your friend considered to be an agunah by her rabbi?

If so, he can point her in the direction she needs to go. If he's not willing, she should contact [ORA](http://www.getora.org/#!contact/c1z94). I don't know that there's a big community where she lives in RI, but they are likely willing to help, and operate under very strict supervision.

From a harassment standpoint, she needs to cancel her skype account and get a new one. Answer #2: Isn't the traditional response to a husband who refuses to grant a Get to get some guys from the synagogue together and exorcise the demon that must be causing him to make such a bad decision by kicking him repeatedly in the nuts?

That's obviously not a good legal solution, but, hey, without tradition, we'd be as shaky as some kind of instrumentalist on top of a structure.


Title: I was accidentaly given (I think) child porn

Question:
So some of my friends went to Japan last summer, and I asked if they could bring me back some hentai because I was curious. They gave me the books yesterday and as I was looking through them, it appeared that some of them contain lolis or child pornography and some with bestiality and necrophilia. I already burned the bestiality, and at this point I am really not sure what to do. I live in BC, Canada and I would really appreciate some advice... Do I burn it and not tell anyone? Do I dump it somewhere? Do I report it to the police and try to explain myself?

The people who gave me the books didn't know that there was bestiality, necrophilia and child porn in them (Or at least they didn't tell me)

&#x200B;

TL;DR I was given anime child porn and I do not know what to do.
Topic:
Canada

Answer: You burned the bestiality but decided to keep the child porn?Answer #2: Dude chill, it's not like they handed you a dead body. If you don't like it just throw it out. The FBI isn't going to beat down your door for a couple books


Title: Can my landlord let a friend in my apartment while I'm away?

Question:
Hello! I'm on vacation for a week and my friend left some stuff in my apartment. I do not have a spare key for her. She wants me to ask my landlord to let her in, is this allowed/legal?

Thanks in advance!

Answer: With your permission that's fine. Your landlord might not agree though.Answer #2: Sure it is legal. It doesn't mean your landlord will do it though. You are just asking a favor, and he is free to say no.


Title: My dumbass friend is going to be charged with property damage.

Question: So last night after bar hopping, my friends girlfriend drove him home. They got into a fight, him being drunk made extremely bad mistakes. He shattered her windshield, took off her side mirror, and shattered the touchscreen dash inside her car. From the research I've done, I'm pretty sure he will get charged with a felony. The girlfriends dad filed the police report this morning. Although he's an idiot with an obvious drinking problem, he's still one of my best friends so I wanted to inquire on what he can expect to happen. Thanks.

Answer:
 You can add domestic violence to that as wellAnswer #2: He should start looking for an attorney. I would recommend no contact with the gf or her father. Definitely no talking to cops without lawyer present.

Anticipate felony for property damage, potential assault charge, and most certainly a domestic violence charge.Answer #3: He should wait to be served with papers. If he is served, he should hire a criminal defense attorney if he is being prosecuted in a criminal court. If he is being taken to small claims, he should hire a civil defense attorney.

e: and for God's sake, tell him to not contact his (ex) girlfriend, at least until the legal proceedings have concluded. Doing so can muddy the water.


Title: If a police officer records someone with his body cam, but its a personally owned body cam because his department does not have body cams yet, and this is in a state where you cannot record a person without their consent, can the body cam footage be deemed inadmissible?

Answer:
 Who wants to enter it as evidence, the prosecution or the accused?

Either way, I can confidently say the answer is: ***maybe***.


Title: California. SWIM was hosting a party at a hotel that let girls in free, their small entertainment company is now getting sued for gender discrimination.

Question: As the title says SWIM was having a small concert at a hotel lobby. SWIM had no prior knowledge that "ladies nights" were illegal in California. The night of the event, two men who looked out of place came into the hotel after the free-entry period and asked to join the concert. SWIM let them know it would be a fee for each of them and they each paid with no complaint and the night resumed. Later SWIMs company was e-mailed a formal letter detailing the gender discrimination that took place and they're worried how ugly this can get? It's causing a great deal of stress just not knowing what magnitude they can take. We did some research and found out these men who came in do this at every club and event they can find ladies night's so they can bring up lawsuits and make money. But SWIM's company is really small.

Answer:
 For the uninitiated: SWIM in internet parlance means **S**omeone **W**ho **I**s **M**e. Somehow, someone got the idea that the third word was 'isn't' and that posting 'SWIM' instead of 'I' or 'me' would be the one weird trick that prevents the FBI/DEA from arresting them. That someone is probably in federal prison.

*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/legaladvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*


Title: (NJ) How do I legally protect my family from a nasty neighbor?

Question:
Backstory: Less than a year ago, our neighbors across the street sold their home to another family. We were warned that the new homeowner is very unpleasant and nearly took my old neighbors to court over some small miscommunication. Because of this behavior, we haven't made contact with them.

Last night, this neighbor stopped by our front door to speak to my father. Allegedly, he was walking home using our sidewalk, the area was poorly lit (the city light pole is typically lit in the evening) and he didn't see a small section of downed [garden fence](http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/simple-garden-fence.jpg) (very similar to the linked image) on which he tripped and fell. He said that he scratched his leg (rolled up his pants to show three band aids), hurt his hand/arm and he will be filing a police report and making an insurance claim. He took no information from us and when asked where is this piece of fencing, he replied that he "was angry and threw it towards our house" where we did indeed find a loose section of fence (likely unearthed during the plowing of the latest snowstorm).

I feel sorry if this man did have an accident on our property, but find it hard to believe the validity of his injuries and story. How is fault assessed legally? Will this raise our home insurance? How can my family best protect ourselves from future events like this?

Edit: Please note this was on the town sidewalk that runs along the road near the curb. Our town mandates that the owner is responsible for clearing snow and ice off the sidewalk within 12 hours of snowfall as I did just a few days ago when it snowed.

Answer:
 If he was on your property, he was trespassing and generally speaking, you owe no duty to trespassers who injure themselves on your property. Tell him you'll contact the police next time he trespasses and to stay off your property.

Edit: wait, was he on the sidewalk *in front* of your property and not on your property?


Title: Homeless friend is legally dead.

Question:
I have a friend who is homeless, and was declared dead after his children chose not to identify the body of someone who stole his wallet many years ago.

He recently broke his hip. While in the hospital a letter from Medicaid was sent to my address (he does not reside with me). The letter says he is approved for Medicaid coverage, they just need proof of his social security and citizenship.

If he's technically dead according to the law is there any potential for criminal charges if I send in proof of his social and citizenship so he can get healthcare paid for?

Answer: Not for him unless he used his death to escape/discharge debts or to facilitate payments from insurance to family members.


Title: Is it legal to have a rolling pay period at work.

Question:
We have a rolling 2 week pay period at work. So one week can go Tuesday - Monday and the next week is Monday - Sunday.
They do this to avoid paying as much over time. I worked 20 hours of OT last week (Sunday - Monday) but the week was broken up as the work week ended on Wednesday.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 No, you cannot shift the pay period regularly in an attempt to circumvent overtime laws.  It can be changed occasionally but a rolling week isn't permittedAnswer #2: Not a lawyer.

The work week can be whatever period the employer wants to set, generally BUT they absolutely can't constantly shift it to avoid paying OT. If it's Wednesday to Tuesday, that's fine -- but it always has to be Wednesday to Tuesday.

Call your states Dept of Labor and file a wage complaint.


Title: I got fired for having to go to the emergency room.

Question:
It took me over my "points" at my job, but isn't there ANYTHING I could do? Even the HR office told me essentially to not get my hopes up. I'm in Indianapolis, Indiana

I was instructed by my doctor to go to the emergency room immediately if my pain from receiving an iud returned, it did, and I went, I do not feel choosing my health over my job should get me fired, is there really nothing i can do?

Answer:
 We cannot know without having a location.

> It took me over my "points"

Commonly, this works as such:

- You gain points by missing a day, being late, going home early, etc...
- Get enough points, and you are terminated

Typically, this system is good for tracking individuals with repeat attendance issues. Therefore, it's not simply the fact that you were in the emergency room this one time, but that you have had ongoing attendance issues.

Is that accurate to say?


Title: Advice on drug video or audio

Question: My abusive husband is blackmailing me with pics or audio of me doing or talking about drugs, not weed. And says if I leave with the kids he will hire a lawyer and take the kids away because of his videos. Hes an iv drug user hardcore and shouldn't have them. I used to use recreationally but not an issue. What can I do to protect my children from him.

Answer: Not much? Dismissing hard drug use as "not an issue" will not go over well. You need to do what is best for your kids, even if that means both of you handing custody over while you get better.


Title: [AZ] Can I face any legal trouble for getting my own things back?

Question: So for a little context, my ex girlfriend and I dated for over 4 years, where we lived together for a couple, but both of us went to live with our parents for the last year of our relationship due to us needing to save money for college. We recently broke up about a month ago and it was pretty nasty, and I won’t go into exact details, but it has led me to block all form of contact with her and not speak with her anymore due to the emotional and mental abuse that led to our separation. My question is, is that I left a lot of stuff at her mom’s house, and her mom had made a key for me whenever I wanted to come over, could I face any legal trouble if I went in to retrieve my stuff while they were out of the house and leave the key behind?

Answer: You should speak to the mother, determine what items are yours, and arrange a time for you to arrive and pick up the items.


Title: (WV) Grandfather took out mortgage without consent of my grandmother.

Question:
So a few years before my grandfather passed away he took out a mortgage on the house that my grandmother lives in with myself. She had no knowledge of the loan and did not consent to it and is now left to pay for it.

My question, is she legally obligated to pay for the loan and if not will the house be foreclosed if she does not pay it? We're in an extremely bad financial bind at the moment living with no electricity and we simply can't afford such a large payment each month.

Answer:
 Something doesn't make sense here. WV requires a nonborrowing spouse to sign.

Were they still married before the passing?


Title: Children's Theater Company needs your help.

Question:
Writing on mobile so please excuse lack of formatting. Tl;dr at the end

Should be mentioned this is in UT

My mom currently runs a company where she goes into schools and puts on musical productions. Peter pan, Aladdin, beauty and the beast are just some examples of the type of productions she puts on. She has been running the business for about 3 years, and has never had any problems before, until this morning.

This morning she got a call from the school district risk manager who proceeded to tell her that she has been circumventing the district rental policies and that she MUST pay the 7000$ fee charged for renting schools. There are a few problems with this
1. There is a fee for students to be in the production, about 50$. If the rental fee was charged, it would be a 700% increase in fees and no student would be able to afford that cost
2. There are other "extra-curricular" activities that DO NOT have to pay this fee. Girls on the run is one for example
3. This business has been going on for 3 years without any issues and problems, and thousands of students have loved these shows. They keep them in school after school and provide them with a good solid experience for not very much money. Hundreds of hours are put into each show and my mom/my family does NOT make very much money on this business. We are not rolling in the dough.

I recorded the ending of the conversation where he threatened to "email all the principles and tell them how you have been decieving them" which is also false because currently all funds go through the Parent-Teacher Association. She told him her attorny would be in touch, but is there anything we can do befoee that or to help out? There are thousands of parents and students on our side and we're just trying to make this a good experience for students to be able to learn and grow. Any advice is appreciated!

TL;DR: Asshole from the school district threatening to shut down theater business because of school rental policy. Cost for students to be in shows would have to go up over 300$ and there are  other extra curricular activities that do NOT have to pay the rental fee. What's the next step?

Answer:
 >Girls on the run is one for example

Kind of you to mention a non profit organisation. Does your mom run a non profit organisation?

But here is the most important question:

**has she been circumventing the district rental policies?**

If she has then the guy calling from the school district isn't the asshole the asshole would be a lot closer to you.


Title: My license just got un-suspended yesterday, pulled over today cop says license is still suspended?

Question:
I was supposed to have my license suspended from November 26th to December 20th. It's currently December 21st, I was out at a park late at night with my girl and the cop ran my license, he said it was still suspended. I told him how I paid all the fee's neccessary, and that I'm positive my license should not be suspended, however he told me that he has the same records as the DMV and my license got suspended.
My guess is that I didn't get issued a brand new license, but before my license suspension was up I had called my local DMV 3 TIMES, just to make 100% sure that my current license should still be good after the date, and they said yes each time. What could have gone wrong? I got issued a Suspended D/L ticket and that was it, what steps should I take and what could have gone wrong? What can happen to me? Thank you.

Answer:
 It may be data sharing delay between the PD and DMV. Often updates are run overnight. Sometimes IT issues can delay an update. Cop may well have got out of date data.

Or the DMV is staffed by underpaid underachievers. Answer #2: State matters.  In California you have to file paperwork after the suspension is lifted to get your license back. The license remains suspended until the paperwork is filed.  Realistically there's a good chance the charges will be dropped or dismissed as long as the suspension was over but the officer was correct to cite you. Again, CA specific


Title: [UK] Safety inspector found switchblade in my room, will probably alert the police. How fucked am I if he does ?

Question: My grandpa gave me one of his hunting knives as a gift and I've always kept it around since then as a reminder of him (around as in my home, I've never carried it anywhere except when travelling). Thing is this knife has a flashlight, a compass, a bottle opener etc, but also a folding blade assisted with springs and a button, which as I've recently come to find out, is illegal in the UK. Fast forward a few years and I go to the UK for University from a country in which the knife is not illegal. When installing in my room in halls, I nailed the knife on my notice board, it was a pretty nice decoration. The title basically sums up what my current problem is. During a routine safety check it has been found and confiscated and the halls people will probably alert the police soon. What is the worst thing that could happen to me? I have no criminal record whatsoever, I'm 19 and a student and the knife never left my room, except while traveling here first time. Also I was not in my room when it was searched, if it matters.

Answer:
 Well, ignorance of another country's laws is no defense.

You can ask that they let you mail it home since it was a gift and it was legal in your country and you did not know it was illegal there.  School's operate differently that local law enforcement but knives are big issue in that country so expect some trouble.

Good luck.


Title: My nMom is Münchausening me, police refuse to respond, medical facilities have abused me & violated my rights

Question:
My narcissistic mother has been munchausening me for years, resulting in numerous mental health problems, surgeries, medications, refused medical treatment.
I went no contact in August and since then she has obsessively phoned blatant lies to my doctors, police, and even sparked DHHS investigations against me ; all unfounded, but relentless.

After throwing me out in the middle of the night for standing up to her abuse, she obsessively phoned my doctor lies, and created a situation where I could not defend myself, and caused me to have to submit a drug test and have my medications (Adderall) counted to prove I don't abuse it.
Someone at the local ER called my mom when I was there to be treated for a UTI, broke HIPPA and called her; suddenly they were insisting on sending me to rehab despite my not having a drug problem.
She had my car taken from me in the middle of the night by her niece(a police) who then tried to spend me to a hospital claiming that I "have a mental health issue," two days after seeing my psychiatrist.  The officer had my mom pick my car up and made me leave the scene, and I still have not gotten my vehicle back. It was registered to both of us, but she is only on the loan for interest rates (and so she can take it from me to financially abuse me) I have been entirely responsible for all payments and maintenance entirely., and the only driver for five years. Then, she calls the police on me saying that I am "refusing to treat my mental illness," and tells them that I am a paranoid schizophrenic, which I am not.
I was refused my right to report a crime on numerous instances, as the local PD have admitted they weren't letting me report crimes because of "paranoia," and on numerous occasions the local PD refused to respond to 911 calls from my apartment regarding the situation.
She also called a false report to DHHS that I am "self neglecting," despite the fact that I have a therapist, a psychiatrist, and a well paying job, and am actually a very happy person.
When all of this was unfounded, I got fired from all the work I had missed; with the promise to return once I could ensure that I would not be prevented from working by her behaviors.
She then claimed that I "threatened her," and had me arrested(which got me kicked out of my apartment) and involuntarily admitted to a psych ward, where I was physically and psychologically abused by the staff on numerous occasions. I am trying to work with an attorney from the ADA about this, but the process has been slow and haven't gotten very far.
I was denied a restraining order on numerous instances because of the way New Hampshire addresses domestic violence, and despite the fact that my mother is highly abusive, the state doesn't recognize interfamily abuse, or abuse of an adult child.

-False personal info has been spread between police stations which resulted in my being discriminated against, and police failed to respond to 911 calls on numerous instances

-HIPPA broken on numerous occasions.
-Münchausen syndrome by proxy
-currently targeted by narcissistic mother
-stole my vehicle, refused to give up my personal belongings, out my dream job, thousands of dollars, forced into dangerous and painful surgeries for no reason, forced to take medications that were not beneficial/highly damaging to me.
-cannot get doctors to see the Münchausens, or the damage it's caused me.
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 1.) Get paragraphs, a TLDR, and a clear and concise question.

2.) Edit to get rid of the nPerson stuff- you’ll find that everyone here hates that and it’s irrelevant to the actual legal situation.Answer #2: Is there even a question? I don’t understand what you’re wanting.

I can say that you should tell all of this to a therapist because that seems like the place you would get the most help for whatever you’re attempting to ask. Answer #3: Are you over 18? If so, move away from her.


Title: Texas: Sister is the primary caretaker of grandfather. Sister neglects and abuses grandfather, but has already seized all of his assets, including his house. What can we do?

Question:
Just for clarification, this is regarding my sister-in-law and my grandfather-in-law. I am posting on behalf of my husband, who is the blood-relative of grandfather.

I'll try to make this as concise as possible:

* Grandfather has severe dementia and can/cannot do the following activities:
 * Able to clothe himself
 * Able to walk assisted
 * Able to bathe himself
 * Able to communicate/verbalize
 * Unable to prepare food on his own
 * Unable to drive
* Sister and mother have POA over grandfather. Mother is not reliable in this situation as she tends to side with the sister.
 * Mother appears to be afraid of sister.
* Sister and her children live with grandfather in grandfather's home. Sister has assumed the role of primary caretaker for grandfather for the past several years.
* There is a hired lady who comes during the daytime (8AM-5PM, M-F) to care for grandfather.
 * When the caretaker is not working, sister almost always leaves grandfather home alone for extended periods of time and does not notify anyone to let us know he is home alone.
 * Grandfather is left home alone on weekday evenings, weekends, and sometimes even overnight. As a result, grandfather is alone and does not get to eat unless my husband/myself, or his daughter (mother) go to pick him up.
* Sister does not take grandfather to his medical appointments (there are letters from VA hospital that record this).
 * Grandfather does have some medical issues he needs to have monitored (diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia, etc.).
* Sister almost never attempts to notify mother or my husband when she is unable to stay with grandfather or take him to his medical appointments
* When sister interacts with grandfather, sister verbally abuses him. Otherwise, both she and her kids ignore him altogether.
 * The most recent incidence of neglect we have proof of is grandfather wearing shoes that had noticeable holes (larger than a quarter coin) in the soles of his shoes.
 * Sister claims grandfather becomes violent with her and her kids, but this is a trend that neither my husband or I have ever noticed when we are taking care of him. What we do notice, however, is sister tends to provoke grandfather a lot and has an overall condescending/angry demeanor around grandfather.
* Sister has sole access to his bank accounts and has "seized" his house.
 * Mother and my husband previously had access to the accounts, but sister removed my husband's and mother's access to the accounts some years ago.
 * Grandfather has **NO ACCESS** to his own money. Sister spends it lavishly and uses it to fund her lifestyle. Sister does not appear to use any of his money to take care of his most basic needs aside from utilities (house is paid off and there are no taxes since grandfather is 100% disabled veteran) and paying for the lady who takes care of him during the weekdays.
* As per sister and mother, grandfather had supposedly changed his will and left the house to sister and her kids. While we are not questioning the legitimacy of this inheritance, we are not sure if this was a decision that grandfather made of his own free will because of the way sister neglects him and uses his assets.

**Question**: How legal is everything that she is doing, and what can we do to improve his situation? Sister has been threatening to put him in a home, but we don't think it is right or fair to kick him out of his own house when the house still legally belongs to him and he needs minimal medical attention. Grandfather has stated he wishes to pass in his own house since his wife did the same.

**Edits:** I will edit this post to include any additional information that is requested in comments.

**Additional information:**

* Husband has medical POA over grandfather. As stated previously, sister does not tell my husband when she is unable to take grandfather to his medical appointments.
* We have spoken to mother regarding sister's behavior. She has not made any obvious attempt to help.

Answer: Contact adult protective services and make a report. They will investigate.


Title: Friend scared of legal action from her mother

Question: Friend is currently under 18 and is in Iowa. About 6 months ago she was brutally beat by her mother. She got out of the house and went to the hospital not knowing where else to go or what to do. After a night, she was returned to her mother's care. No charges were pressed despite many bruises all over her body. A social worker was assigned to the case. The mother said the typical "my daughter is just awful and doesn't listen to me" routine, and long story short the social worker recommend a month of therapy which turned into a day of therapy for her mother before dismissing the case. My friend then suffered months of being locked in the house and emotional abuse as she was constantly bombarded by her mother with things like "you should kill yourself" and other statements. She wouldn't sleep at night scared of being attacked in her sleep and her health deteriorated and had no communication outside of school. She reported to her teachers what was going on and they reported to DHS but were told that the case was already closed. Eventually after a month and a half or so through a friend of her teacher she was able to get the attention and help of the county attorney and was able to file for a ChINA and was removed from the mothers care and moved in with family in the same city. The mother did not fight this ChINA at all. Since being removed she has not talked to the mother but has ran into her once. The mother also followed her to a city a few hours away as well (creepy). Friend has lost a lot of friends from school because of things that her mother has said about her usually to those kids' parents (things like how crazy she is and what not). She just wants nothing to do with her mother. Her mother greatly distorts the events leading up to her losing her kid and has spread this to many different people. The Friend has sent texts to some friends depicting what actually happened that night along with pictures of bruises in some cases. This week she received a letter from her mother's lawyer that the mother plans on suing her when she turns 18 for defamation and harassment. She just currently has a juvenile lawyer but she has said that she thinks its just a threat and nothing will come of it. My friend is very scared currently of the possibility of her mother coming back into her life and causing damage. What should/can she do and what can she expect in this situation? Are threats of being sued in this manner common? Looking for advice and insight. Thank you!

Answer: Making a report to CPS/law enforcement is not a basis to get sued (successfully at least). No reasonable lawyer who values their license would take on a case like this. Your friend should just get on with her life.


Title: [VA] Auto accident; not at fault. My car was deemed a total loss, not sure what to do now.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Each state has a threshold at which point the vehicle cannot be repaired by insurance. This number is a percentage of the value, typically somewhere between 60%-80%. Not sure what it is in VA. You may have the option to keep the vehicle, in which case the insurance company would deduct the salvage value from your payout. Since you own it outright, you may want to ask about this. If you do this, you'll still have a salvage title and a total loss will show up on CarFax, but you can get it fixed and keep driving it. The repairs and a rental in the meantime would be entirely on you though.

Ask about the aftermarket add-ons. Again, whether you are owed for some part of these mods is going to differ by state.


Title: Found new apartment and roommate; lease starts July 1 but roommate wants me to wait to move in until mid-August

Question:
So I'm from Wisconsin and have been making plans to move in with a new roommate in mid-August. Current lease ends July 31st, so that's a pain in the butt, but I figured I could just take out a storage unit and find a motel room for those couple of weeks.

But then, yesterday I called the landlord up to ask some questions about the application (which I'm submitting today), and he told me the lease actually begins July 1st. When I contacted my roommate to ask about this, what I got in response was an email from her mom? Her mom explained that she's covering rent for July and that she wants me to wait until August to move in because she's waiting on a loan to come through, she's having a hard time taking off of work, she wants to clean the apartment before we move in, etc. (Note that her mom's not moving into the apartment with us.)

I explained to the mom that I'm going to be homeless for two weeks and am going to have no place to store my things if I wait until then—I ask if we can discuss a compromise since there doesn't seem to be a good reason to ask me to spend all this extra money for transitional holding spaces if the apartment is available before then. But she just keeps insisting she needs me to wait until August.

I'm not sure where to go with this--can I legally ignore the mom/roommate's request and put my belongings in the apartment early even if they don't want me to? Should I discuss this situation with the landlord? Is it advisable just to suck it up and go along with what the mom/roommate wants to keep the peace if this is gonna be my roommate for at least a year?

Answer:
 If you're signing on the lease, they can't prohibit you from occupying the apartment, storing your belongings there, etc. However, this entire situation comes off as a big red flag. Answer #2: I'm not a lawyer, but my advice is to find somewhere else to live.

As others have said; this is a red flag that this living situation will be fraught with difficulty.  I wouldn't want to live with someone whose mother felt so involved in my housing situation, and this mother seems weirdly controlling and hard to work with.

Back out before you've signed anything!Answer #3: Thanks for the input so far, everyone. I'm currently planning to discuss the situation with the landlord to see what he recommends—another friend mentioned that the landlord might even require tenants to be present at the start of the lease for inspections and such. After I get the landlord's advice, I'll try challenging the roommate and her mom one more time—but if they remain unbending, I'm going to back out and look into finding a different place to live. Even if I can legally move in ahead of time, I'd be afraid of this rigid, unsympathetic behavior affecting the social dynamics of our living situation, and I've had enough drama with roommates in the past to last me a lifetime.Answer #4: Her mom wants to clean the new apartment before you move in?  What?  This whole situation sounds fishy.  Did you ask her WHY she feels the need to clean a, presumably, already clean apartment?  This really doesn't make any sense.


Title: My sister was let go at Wal-mart by telephone Telling her not to come back. They are fighting her claim for unemployment stating she just never showed up. The witness on their side is the manger who fired her. Is this legal?

Question: This is in US. Happened in Oregon. Not asking if its illegal they fired her asking if its right for them to lie about it. I think it should be against the law to lie to stop from having to pay unemployment. The manager called me and angrily asked for my sister so I know for a fact this went down. (My sister does not own a phone) So I called my dad and told him her manger was upset and she needed to call him. He then told her she was fired and not to come in to her shift that day. He is now denying this ever happen.

Answer:
 Of course it's illegal for them to lie.

BUT, did she get a call from someone authorized to tell her that she was no longer working there?  Or was it a coworker or someone else?Answer #2: What phone did the manager call from and to? The phone company may be able to provide a record of what numbers called at what times. If the manager called from a store phone or a phone she can prove was him before her first missed shift the question will be " Why did you call her at x:xx time and what was the convention?" Then it starts to look bad for the manager. If the manager's story is no call no show, her story is manager called and fired her AND she has the PHONE record to prove it AND the manager can't figure out a way to explain what that phone call was about she has a chance to get unemployment.Answer #3: Maybe she didn't show up for a different shift. Answer #4: If your sister used a mobile phone she should preserve the phone call records. You may need to contact your phone provider for the cal records if it was landline.


Title: [FL] Car Insurance: I told my car insurance company I was buying the car outright, not a loan. Got my temp card and went on my way. Well turns out I ended up financing the car. The car is fully insured. Do I need to report back saying it is now financed? Does it change anything?

Question:
Answer: Yes.

Thanks guys

Answer:
 Your lender likely requires that they be identified as a lienholder on the insurance policy.  So yes, you should update your insurer.

You might also double check to see that your insurance coverage meets the minimum standards of the lender.


Title: Can the State force their way into my home to see if I have a home daycare when there is none?

Question: Several years ago, I had a home daycare in Texas. I became ill several years ago and my daughter is terminally ill and needed my care. I shut down my daycare at the time. I wrote letters, returned everything and called the State several times to notify them. Somehow they never got the message. They wrote me a letter today saying that "an inspector would be out to conduct an inspection to ensure no kids are in care" because I had failed to comply with paying fees or requesting backgrounds. I called, reminded them that I had returned everything, called multiple times, etc. The representative says that they can't find any of that and that they have a right (and will be here coming up) to walk through my home. This is beyond stupid. Do I have an obligation to all my home to be searched? As far as I'm concerned they can sit outside all day and watch.

Answer:
 In the general case, you don't have to let anyone into your home unless they have a warrant.

[Here's the policy page](http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/handbooks/licensing/files/LPPH_pg_4000.asp) all about Texas Child Care Licensing inspections, with helpful sublinks.  Not surprisingly, it doesn't seem to discuss the inspection of a daycare that has been shut down.

Personally I would again send copies of your "I am shutting down" correspondence to whatever representative you were talking to.


Title: Store took my friend's ID and bank card (oregon)

Question:
Hey guys, I hoped I would never have to  use this sub... now I do. My friend just attempted to buy a few things from a 7/11 in Oregon. She has been using a bank card with her dad's name on it (same last name)which she has a joint account with. She lost the card with her name on it. She was buying Beer and candy but is 22 years old. The cashier scanned the ID (NY ID by the way) for that and things seemed fine. She paid with the bank card which she has been for the last year no problems.

This time the guy asked to see the ID again and the card again. The Debit card was not signed at all and the ID had her signature on it. He kept both cards and told us to leave the store. This is her only form of ID and she is leaving on a flight next weekend and needs it. Her dad can not pick it up because he lives in NY.

He said it was police policy. Is this accurate? Is there something we can do to prove it's hers or to get at the very least her ID back? She doesn't even need the card, she has a credit card. She just needs the ID back asap? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks all

Answer:
 There is absolutely no reason the store clerk should be keeping the ID if the picture on the ID looks like her.Answer #2: The credit/debit card: if it wasn't signed, then the main credit card companies often do ask that merchants retain the card if it's not in the presenters name.

I don't see any way that the store clerk should have retained the ID though. Yes, as /u/SenorJuansie says: speak to the police.Answer #3: Call the cops.


Title: Are knives and other weapons protected under the 2nd amendment? And why?

Question: My understanding is that lots of city and other governments have laws restricting the carry of knives on the grounds that they are weapons. (Usually based on size or design, distinguishing between knives that are tools and others that are weapons.)

Answer: The Court has held that “the Second Amendment extends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding,” District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U. S. 570, 582 (2008), and that this “Second Amendment right is fully applicable to the States,” McDonald v.Chicago, 561 U. S. 742, 750 (2010).


Title: [CA] My SOs mom was given the wrong medication for 20 years.

Question: She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and now it turns out her physician does  not exactly know what her condition is. They have since taken her off those meds. This transition in medication is really taking a toll on her and her family. What or who can we get help or advise on this

Answer: Medical malpractice is far beyond the scope of this sub. If you're really concerned by it you should consult a medical malpractice attorney


Title: [UPDATE] MN: Girlfriend's employer at a restaurant takes employees' tips, cuts a check once a week - the checks consistently bounce.

Question:
[Original post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/40ig35/mn_girlfriends_employer_at_a_restaurant_takes/)

OP TL;DR:

Owner/Head Chef/Manager of the restaurant my girlfriend work~~s~~ed at takes his employees' credit card tips and cuts them a check every Tuesday. Those checks bounce nearly every time.

Update:

So, a lot of you recommended that we file a complaint with the DoL (Department of Labor and Industry in MN). We tried that, but not enough time has elapsed since the last day she was actually paid. They say they'll only allow someone to file if it's been over 31 days without payment.

I decided to do a little digging into Minnesota's statutes on bounced checks. Lo and behold, there is a [statute that makes it a criminal offense](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=609.535) to issue dishonored checks for payment. (See embedded link)

Now, to file a criminal complaint, the person to whom the check is written (payee) must send via certified mail a notice that the checks were dishonored due to insufficient funds (or other non-relevant reasons) and it must include the notice of the MN Statute and the potential penalties that it carries. The issuer of the dishonored check then has 5 days to respond with payment in full, otherwise the recipient of the dishonored check is free to file a criminal complaint. These requirements of notice are written in the statute linked to above.

I wrote a notice for her to send via certified mail. Never written something in legalese before. Below is a redacted version of what I wrote:

> Dear Sir,

> Subject: Notice of Issuance of Dishonored Checks (checks no. [Check No. 1 REDACTED] and no. [Check No. 2 REDACTED] issue dates 1/8/2016 and 1/12/2016 respectively) drawn on [Bosses bank and branch address REDACTED].

> With notice to the above, I bring your attention notice that a sum of $700.06 (Seven Hundred Dollars and Six Cents) is outstanding as on date.

> You had paid the aforesaid amount against the outstanding aforesaid amount by issuing checks bearing Nos. [Check numbers again REDACTED], both drawn on [Bank name and branch REDACTED] towards collection from your account.

> Multiple attempts were made to withdraw the funds from your Bank ([Bank name REDACTED]), including visits to the bank on Tuesday, Jan. 12, and Tuesday, Jan. 19, during which the checks were returned to me because of insufficient funds in your account to cover the amount owed. Additionally, inquiries over the phone were made by me on dates including January 13,14,15, and 16 before 10:00AM each day during which I was also told that I would not be able to withdraw funds equal to the amount owed me due to insufficient funds in your account to cover the amount owed on the issued checks.

> I am certain you will appreciate that the dishonor of issued checks is not a good business practice in general, and issuance of dishonored checks due your employees is not a good business practice in specific and tarnishes your reputation and business image. I would request in the interest of maintaining your goodwill, you must make available funds in the form of cash payment, cashier’s check, a guarantee of available funds, or other form of guaranteed funds the entire amount due me.

> Further, I hereby demand payment of the dishonored checks amounting to $700.06 (Seven Hundred Dollars and Six Cents). Please note that if you fail to make full payment of the aforesaid amount within five business days of receiving this notice, I will refer the matter to the proper authorities for prosecution under Minnesota Statute 609.535 Issuance of Dishonored Checks.

> A person who is convicted of issuing a dishonored check under this statute when the value of the dishonored check, or checks aggregated is more than $500 (Five Hundred Dollars) may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years, or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000 (Ten Thousand Dollars), or both.

> This is without prejudice to any of our right and contention. We also reserve the right to pursue this matter in civil court.

> Thank you,

> [Her name REDACTED]

I'm definitely not a lawyer, so I have some questions before I send this out via certified mail. Hoping some of you bright young minds can help me out:

* First and foremost, does this notice make sense and actually include everything necessary to count as a formal notice as made necessary by the statute? I've never written in legalese before...

* Am I interpreting the statute correctly in that it is, in fact, a criminal matter for the owner to bounce checks to his employees?

* Does a notice of a pending criminal in any way preclude us from taking future civil action against the owner? Will it preclude us from filing a wage claim if/when the days without payment exceed the necessary amount to do so?

* By sending a notice such as this, do we open ourselves up to any sort of negative legal repercussions? This guy is kind of off his rocker. I wouldn't put it past him to try and claim that we're slandering him to the tellers at his bank or other former employees who have had the same problem. I know a statement can't be slanderous if it's true, but we don't have money to hire anyone to defend ourselves if it comes to that.

Edit to add: Thanks in advance /r/legaladvice. You da real MVPs.

Answer:
 IANAL but personally I wouldnt bother with the legalese, your not a lawyer, dont try to sound like one. I'd simplify way down:

Dear [person] the following check(s). that you provided to [person] have been returned from [bank] due to insufficient funds. We have attempted to cash them both through [method 1] and [method 2] during a time period from [start date] to [end date]. Please provide payment via [acceptable methods] by [reasonable time frame]. If you choose not honor these/this check(s) we will have to pursue the matter through appropriate means which can include requesting redress under [statute] with the proper authorities, and or through the civil courts. Answer #2: > [...] I would request in the interest of maintaining your goodwill, you must make available funds in the form of cash payment, cashier’s check, a guarantee of available funds, or other form of guaranteed funds the entire amount due me.

> Further, I hereby demand payment of the dishonored checks amounting to $700.06

It sounds to me like you're demanding payment twice.  I'd reword this to say something like:

> I hereby demand payment of the dishonored checks amounting to $700.06 in the form of cash payment, cashier’s check, a guarantee of available funds, or other form of guaranteed funds the entire amount due me.

Also, if you have any 'bad check' fees that your bank charges, you should charge him for those as well.

Other than that, spot on!


Title: [CA] My wife had a collision with a car while riding a bicycle and was found responsible. Need advice with insurance.

Question:
Hi, this is our first time dealing with this situation and it's very confusing and scary, we are not really sure about who to talk to or what to do.

1. She extended her arm to change lanes, let a car pass but didn't look back to see if it was clear to change lanes and the car coming behind her hit her.

2. Our health insurance is with hospital A. The ambulance decided to take her to a hospital B, at the moment they said it was because Hospital B has a better trauma team, they decided this even after knowing our insurance was with Hospital A, is this normal?.

3. She spent the night on hospital B and had many different studies and checks done.

4. Hospital B sent the bill to our health insurance and they were in the process of making the payment.

5. Wife called insurance to make sure everything was in order but then insurance found out that a car was involved and told us the car driver's insurance should pay the bill. They were very annoyed that the ambulance didn't take her to hospital A, and asked why they took her to hospital B.

6. Filed a claim with the drivers insurance, they requested the police report and saw that wife was at fault (We didn't know this before). The drivers insurance sent us a copy of the police report, this is the conclusion:
> [wife] caused this collision by making an unsafe lane change, which was a violation of 21658(a) CVC.

7. We are currently waiting for the bill, so far we know it's at least 70k (specialists charges are not included yet).

That's the current situation :(, I have a couple of questions:

1. Should we get legal advice from a lawyer? What kind of a lawyer?

2. Who should responsible for the bill in this case?

3. What should we do next?

Thank you very much, I appreciate any help, this is a scary situation for us.

Answer: Since your wife was at fault, it would be your insurance that would be paying. In this scenario the auto insurance would be primary if the driver was at fault so your insurance needed that denial of liability to proceed. As for the ER, I'm very rusty on my health insurance having not utilized my licensing in it in many years. But if I recall correctly, many insurance plans will pay for emergency treatment at a non network hospital if that hospital was closest and deemed medically necessary, but once stabilized you must be moved to in network hospital for further treatment to be covered. I know there are many agents on here much better versed and yo to date on knowledge in health insurance than me so hopefully one or more will chime in.


Title: [Pennsylv.] Can the borough really charge me with this $1,000 water bill?

Question:
This is my first apartment. Two months into the move, something went wrong with my toilet. I thought it was just a poor flush, so I said nothing to the landlord.

The borough bills the residence for it's water consumption in 3 month cycles.  Edit:quarters

He recently told me that he received a $137 water bill, followed by a $900 bill.
I received no sort of monthly report of the water meter. If I had, I could have fixed the leak and stopped it. Instead, I was left to run up this crazy water bill.
Do I have any option other than to pay? The landlord knows the borough and insists that he pay it all up front and let me work out a payment plan with him...

Edit: bills were 150 and aprox 950
I got new information from the water authority of the borough today, please see the timeline I typed up below for a clearer understanding..
Landlord says it didn't start until I moved in. .

Answer:
 Not a lawyer but I have worked in a leasing office in PA.  It depends on your lease but if you are responsible for water useage in general or the useage over a certain amount and if you didn't tell the landlord about a malfunctioning toilet then the bill will most likely be your responsibility.

You mentioned that the borough bills every three months, which means your landlord probably would not get a monthly report to forward to you (I can't say for sure on this though as our water provider billed monthly and clearly has different practices).  In fact from what you wrote it sounds like he informed you as soon as he received an unusually high bill and became aware of a problem.  Whenever we got a high bill in a unit that had not informed us of a leak we would inform the tenant of the higher charge right away so they could prepare for their statement to be larger and arrange for maintenance to go out and find the cause of the problem to avoid further waste.  If no leak could be found we would then have the meter checked for malfunction and dispute the charge with the water company if necessary.

Nothing sounds unreasonable and the deal you are being offerred seems fair.  It's normal for the landlord to pay the utility and then charge the tenant in cases where the lease specifies the tenant's responsibility, and it seems he is willing to work with you as far as a payment plan.


Title: Is “rolling coal” on someone technically battery? Or assault?

Question: If any of you aren’t familiar with the term rolling coal, it’s when somebody in a diesel truck gasses it hard and soot pours from the tail pipes(usually upright ones). Anyway soot is carcinogenic in humans, it’s obviously bad for your health. So if I were to be walking on the side of the road and two people pulled up in a truck, asked me if I smoked, then sped off covering myself and the immediate area in a dense cloud of soot, would they be committing a crime?

Answer: I tried crossposting an r/idiotsincars post here to ask this very question. You can see from the video that the guy is intentionally aiming all the exhaust into another car’s window Answer #2: Battery. Assuming it’s like blowing cigarette smoke in someone’s face, it’s a physical act that results in harmful or offensive contact.


Title: What is the federal code/penalty for receiving and opening mail that is not yours?

Question:
I sent a birthday card, with a check, to an address just outside of Seattle, WA. The recipient believes it may have been placed in the wrong apartment mail box.

I would like the legal citation reference to write on the back of any other cards/packages that I send to the address.. as in, if it's not yours, return it to the USPS.

Answer: I think you could be just as effective by writing "I'm valuable.  Steal me." on the envelope.


Title: Lawyers of reddit, severely in need of employment legal advice. (North Carolina)

Question:
I believe I was wrongfully terminated and need to see if I have a case against my former employer.  I don't want to go into detail too much on here but do need some serious advice.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: We're going to need details if you want help. If you can't give any? Then you need to call a local labor attorney and see what they say.


Title: My camera was ruined while I was whale watching. (U.S, California)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Seriously?  Your stuff getting wet is an obvious risk of going on a small boat in the Pacific Ocean.  You, an experienced photographer, should have taken proper precautions.


Title: [NJ] Can an employer ask for the social media accounts of an applicant

Question: I don't mean the password - I just mean your handle or URL to easily review what you've posted.

Answer: Sure. They are publicly accessible.


Title: In need of some help here. Fired for doing nothing wrong.

Question: Hello guys, I am a 21 year old college student from Oklahoma who was working for a hotel as a front desk worker. I have only been at this job a few months and today my boss calls me into her office to talk on a day I am not scheduled. The first thing she says is "you're done" and then proceeds to say it is because I called a support line for a corporate website that we use everyday to look up rewards members and redeem vouchers and when I told them my name and what was going on they noticed I wasn't in their system and I told them because I am still new my boss hasn't made me an account yet. This was what did it, using the account she gave me and doing something I was told to do got me fired. This is apparently a big issue for corporate.  Do I have any legal leverage to rebuttal this or other options?

Answer:
 > Do I have any legal leverage to rebuttal this or other options?

You don't post where you're located.  In general, absent an employment contract, they can fire you for any non-discriminatory reason - good, bad or indifferent.

You'd likely have a good argument for unemployment, if they chose to debate it.


Title: Need to get a resident evicted.

Question:
Central FL

Yesterday I was attacked by a fellow apartment resident over an incident with garbage ( I accidentally left it out overnight by my front door as many people do here).  He was arrested and posted bail a few minutes ago. This is an otherwise nice apartment complex, friendly people etc.  The guy who attacked me is old, he hates everything it would seem.  Is hostile, confrontational and starts fights.  Goes through people garbage, smears dog shit on their cars, will not end a sentence without saying "fuck you ya cunt" "Ill stick my fingers up your ass" etc.

The whole apartment building wants this guy gone as everyone is pretty much legit afraid he will shoot the place up ( he is clearly insane, is ex military, in all likely hood owns weapons).  I had most of the tenants of the building sign a petition agreeing with above statements.

We called the property manager:" We cant just evict someone, it's not like he murdered somebody."

We have called corporate: "only the property manager can handle that as we only deal with finances here".

Next step is to call the regional manager, but I was wondering if we (the residents) have any legal rights.

Thanks.

Edit: cleaned up details.

Answer:
 Not to force an eviction, no.  Only the owner of the property or their agents (the management company) can do that.  You can report any crimes to the police, and if you believe you're in legitimate danger, could file for a restraining order.  Answer #2: You have no authority to cause an eviction. Only the landlord can, and if they will not, your only other option is to move.Answer #3: If you have a reasonable fear that this is going to escalate further your best play is to get a restraining order. If he lives sufficiently close it can require that he move, or at least give the owners a justification to terminate the lease.

Tenants cannot evict other tenants.


Title: (USA, New York) Little brother (13) being groomed and molested by older man (38)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >What can I do?

Call the police anyway. You won't know if they can act until you actually talk to them.Answer #2: This is third degree rape in NY, even if he "consented."

He's not old enough to consent, and the police should take this seriously.Answer #3: Call the police. Seriously, now. Get off the internet and call the police.Answer #4: I work with kids this age (public school teacher), and this is something we see happening more and more, in all sorts of families. It's not because you're his brother, or that you're young.

There is no "he might need counseling." This kid has been heavily manipulated. His normal child development has been disrupted in a major way. He needs professional mental health intervention immediately. Since you sound like a good, intelligent person, I'm sure you will take appropriate care to find someone who won't attempt to blame The Gay. Answer #5: Call the police.  Do not pass go, do not collect $200.  Straight to the police.Answer #6: Get a box or a large bag and put all of the "gifts" from the abuser in it. Give this all to the police as they may be able to use some of it to find out who he is.


Title: Emotional Support Animal help

Question:
I will be moving to Oklahoma soon, and my fiance and I have an emotional support animal (cat). We are concerned about housing and if the landlord will let us in.

I have visited https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/FHLaws/yourrights, but have some questions. Particularly:

>"In some circumstances, the Act exempts owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units, **single-family housing sold or rented without the use of a broker,** and housing operated by organizations and private clubs that limit occupancy to members."

This is a single family home we would be renting, and the listing had no pet data. But, we do meet the criteria for Emotional Support Animals, and we can get a note from a licensed therapist. To my knowledge, there is no Registry for support animals that are not dogs.

I have done some research, and it seems like we might be alright to bring our cat with us (https://www.certapet.com/register-your-cat-as-an-emotional-support-animal/ just as one reference). Most websites I find require some $50-$100 fee, which I know we don't need to pay.

Will we be allowed to reside in this rented property if the landlord does not allow "pets"?

Answer:
 Doesn't matter if you meet the criteria, if the law doesn't apply to the property Answer #2: Basically, if the landlord is also the operator/manager and does not fall under the auspices of FHA, he can deny your service animal.

I'd also add that you should strongly consider informing your landlord beforehand. Cats can be quite destructive to apartments. If he has a problem with it, you can discuss it now rather than later.


Title: I purchased stolen electronics on accident and now the detective wants to turn me from a witness to a suspect. What do I do?

Question:
LONG STORY SHORT.
I purchased 3 macbooks off of craigslist, the police came to my workplace and i gave them one, thinking i could catch the guy.
They came back to my workplace and asked for the other two. I did try to call back the detective as soon as he left in order to set up a sting or something.

Now the police officer is asking me to come into the station to give a report.
What the fuck do I do?
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 How much did you pay for the three MacBooks?

If it is close to their actual value, you have a good defense.

If you got an incredible, 90% off deal, then it's unlikely that anyone will believe you would not have suspected they were stolen.


Title: I work at a pool store part time and my coworkers vape inside, what can I do?

Question:
As the title states, I currently work in a Pool supply store that carries liquid chlorine, Muriatic acid, soda ash, and other chemicals of the sort. There are 4 employees at this store, and 2 of us are part timers and we don’t vape, but the other 2 employees are the manager and assistant manager, and they value every chance they get, so much so that I’ve seen vape smoke in the shop when customers are inside.

I’ve brought this up with manager, saying that may be an issue but he simply dismissed it as me just feeling uncomfortable about them vaping in general, when I’m more concerned for the safety of the customers and the fact that our other part timer is very impressionable and could pick up vaping after expressing interest.

I’ve thought of a couple options such as

1. Bringing this up to the district manager, who may talk to my manager and explain the issue with this situation

2. Talking to my manager myself and explain the legality of this situation

3. Call our corporate office and express my concern

The issue I have is that I’m not too keen on the legality of vaping in the workplace, but I’m sure it has to be illegal in the context of the workplace. They always vape inside, never outside, and often hotbox the back room with vape smoke.

What should I do about this situation?

I live in South Carolina if that’s needed

If you have any questions just ask!
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 You need to check the workplace vaping laws in your city. If there are none, your SOL

Kind of ironic that you're worried about vaping  when you work around the chemicals that you do...


Title: Totally hypothetical: can you sue a court or congress?

Question:
I was thinking the other day....I know folks can sue the executive branch....you hear about lawsuits against the whitehouse or DOJ all the time.

But could you sue Congress or the Supreme Court?  For instance....if someone believes (and many times they'd be right) that the Supreme Court made an unconstitutional ruling, could they sue?

For the bot: location USA

Answer:
 >  that the Supreme Court made an unconstitutional ruling, could they sue

Sue in what court?

The Supreme Court is the highest court there is in the US. You cannot appeal a Supreme Court ruling. You cannot sue them Supreme Court.

You cannot sue Congress. You sue the US. That's what the lawsuits against the executive branch are... suits against the US.


Title: What happen if both sides have deniability?

Question:
Short story:
3 months ago my father handed a 90 days notice to end tenancy directly. Now 13 days away from date the tenant supposed to move out, the tenant told Housing Authorities that our notice was improper. It says that we handed to her 13 years old son and didn’t say anything about it.
I also claim as a witness, the owner who is my father handed the notice directly to her, face to face. I also explained in detail that she raged and called my father an asshole and also claimed that it was her house so she will never leave.

I feel like the problem is that we have no way to prove that we didn’t do what she claim. But at the same time, how would the authority decide who is lying?

As for location - California, San Jose.

Answer:
 I don't know how housing authorities work, but in a regular legal case, the judge would listen to each party testify and then decide who was more believable.

Did she bring the 13 year old to describe how it was handed to him? Did you bring your father to describe how he handed it to the lady?


Title: (South Florida/Contract Law) Movers more than double estimate price once possessions already loaded into truck.

Question:
Alright, please forgive me but this is going to go into detail.

I chose this company based upon their estimate, it was the lowest offer I had received. They said they could move our 1 bedroom apt worth of stuff from South Florida to Virginia for $1,450. I scheduled the appointment for 9:00am last Saturday and figured that would be that.

Fast forward to the day of the move, we wake up to finish packing the last of our stuff into boxes, and I give the movers a call because I found it strange that I hadn't heard anything since scheduling the appointment. The dispatcher tells me (in broken English with a thick Russian accent) "Oh yes, I remember this. I cancel appointment. I no remember why. It too early to get truck, I call around and try get you one. Is 12:00 or 1:00pm okay?" To which I respond NO! Its most certainly not okay. He responds with some empty platitudes, and says he will try to get them there earlier.

The truck doesn't end up arriving until noon, and the movers begin to inventory our stuff and pack it away. I notice that, despite us already boxing everything, they still put our boxes into boxes. This doesn't mean anything to me at the time, but I find out later when presented with the bill of lading, that the "packing materials used" is a large percentage of the cost. The bill comes out to be $4,025. Which is more than double the $1,450 they estimated it being. However, everything we own is now on the truck, and Its already 3:30 in the afternoon, and I have to make the 13 hour drive to Va, and be at work monday morning.

The mover explains to me, that I need to pay %50 of the fee now and then %50 upon arrival in cash. I don't feel comfortable doing this, as the services I'm paying for are not yet rendered. However I really have no choice at this point so I head off to get a money order to pay them. When I return, I am told I actually need to pay %70 of the fee up front. After arguing about it for a while, I still really have no choice because they have our stuff, and I have my Fiancee write him a check for $2,900, and we give him the $25 in cash so we should owe $1,100 even at that point.

Fast forward to monday morning, I get a call from the dispatcher saying my fiancees check was written incorrectly, and he wont release the truck until I wire him the money. He also says he never got the $25 in cash we gave the mover. - So he basically held our stuff up for two days, without telling us, and I know my fiancees check was written correctly, because she has the carbon copy. - I end up wiring him $4,050 (because his bank charges him $25 dollars to get wires? I've never heard of that before.). Once he can see the transaction, he says the truck will be here thursday.

Fast forward to Thursday (today), I give the dispatcher a call asking when he expects the truck to arrive. He says saturday. I remind him that he said thursday on monday, and he replies "Yes, I make mistake, we no control this part, the truck have other customer."

At this point I don't even know what to do. He has just been fuckin g us at every turn, and I can't even call the police yet because they said it can take "up to a week" for our stuff to arrive. I really hope he tries to cash my fiancee's check so we can just file a lawsuit against him.

EDIT: Good News, our stuff arrived. So they only scammed us out of our money and not our belongings. Lawyer says we'd end up paying him more than we'd get from the company, so at this point i'm gonna cut my losses and move on. Thanks for all the advice everyone. Let me be an example of what not to do.

Answer:
 You are being scammed, and you will most probably never get your money or your possessions back.  They are stringing you along as long as possible in order to hide your money and obscure their identities.

You should file a police report, TODAY, and start making plans to rebuild your life.  File the report in Florida, that is where the theft occurred.

Your tale is one of thousands you can find in a cursory search.  I feel bad for you, but there's really nothing you can do at this point.  And I hope that other people can learn from your mistake.

NEVER EVER WIRE MONEY, OR PAY CASH, OR MONEY ORDERS, especially for things like this.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=moving+company+scamsAnswer #2: Moving scam. My sister got all of her belongings stole by a moving company. You went with the lowest cost, and not the one with the reputation and insurance and Yelp reviews, and got burned


Title: Just received a separation "agreement" from my wife's lawyer. [MD]

Question:
Before I get into details I will mention that I am a military member, and I am reaching to my legal office to have the document reviewed by an attorney, but ultimately I will have to get paperwork processed outside of the legal office.

My wife put a lawyer on retainer a few months ago, and this past week I received a letter saying I have 14 days to respond to the correspondence, along with the agreement which I am expected to notarize and sign.

First, I am being asked to pay what seems to be an absurd amount in child support (we have one child). One of my coworkers says she receives less than that in 4 months combined, and another coworker says he pays less than that for 3 kids. From what I have researched, Maryland law requires being separated for a year before a divorce can happen. The agreement I was sent states that we have been separated since September of last year. Let's assume that is accurate for now.

The child support amount ($1467/mo) is based on an attached worksheet that has my income $300/mo higher than I actually make, while the wife's income seems to be rounded ($3000/mo). The paragraph outlining our custody schedule for our daughter isn't fully accurate, but it reflects an even split in days throughout the year, however on the worksheet, it has overnights with me at the bare minimum for what can be considered joint custody (128 or about 35%) rather than 50/50. Finally, work related expenses are showing that my wife pays 1500 a month (which is for day care tuition) and I pay 0 (I put at least $750 in her checking account every month specifically for day care tuition - she physically writes the check for the full amount of $1450 or so to the school). The child support will be paid in this amount until our daughter turns 18 (turns 4 this year).

This agreement also states that I will make my wife the sole beneficiary of my life insurance policy for no less than $300,000, and she will remain so until I am no longer obligated to pay child support.

I must give my GI Bill to my daughter (which in all honesty I most likely will, but I don't feel the need to promise it in writing).

There are other provisions including a few instances of the Wife having "tie-breaking authority" in disagreements. There is no real property that needs dividing, and no alimony being requested. That said, my main concern is the heavy skewing of numbers and the unreasonable amount in child support, considering it should be a 50/50 split in time and I definitely contribute half or more to the day care tuition.

Do I really need to respond to the correspondence within 14 days, as the letter says? I haven't even had the chance to find a lawyer to review it, as I am waiting on getting an appointment next week. The agreement also mentions that I was advised to get legal counsel to help with the preparation of the agreement, but I declined to do so. That is not true, and I didn't even know the agreement was being prepared, until I found it in my mailbox.

So what is the appropriate way to respond to this agreement seeing as it is incredibly one sided and the numbers are inaccurate and skewed in my wife's favor (obviously since it was her lawyer writing it)?

Also: there is no abuse, neglect, cheating (that I know of for sure), or anything that really would impact anyone's right to custody...

Answer:
 Don't take legal advice from the opposition.  Get your own lawyer.  Ignore the 14 days nonsense.  Really, ignore the whole letter.  Give it to your lawyer.Answer #2: "I was previously unaware that a formal separation agreement was underway. However, since you have drafted one, I will take this rough draft to my own attorney and we will send proposed amendments to you in a timely manner." (You can make that response within 14 days.)

While you're waiting for an appointment, you can also review the [Maryland Child Support Calculator](https://mydhrbenefits.dhr.state.md.us/dashboardclient/#/csocDisclaimer), start jotting notes about what sort of parenting-time schedule you want and other amendments, gather evidence of what you've been paying towards day care, and figure out what kinds of benefits your daughter might be entitled to as your survivor, to see if those would offset part or all of the life insurance request.Answer #3: This is absolutely lawyer time


Title: Can bosses ask my colleges for my school schedule without my permission?

Question:
I am in college and I simultaneously work a full time job and I was wondering If my bosses can call up my college and ask them for a copy of my schedule without my express permission or would doing so be considered a breach of privacy?

I live in New jersey.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 Are you in the US?  If so, and you attend a public university, then your boss can certainly ask, but it would be a violation of FERPA for the school to release it.

However, he can certainly tell *you* to give him your schedule, and fire you if you refuse.


Title: IRS placed a levy on my rent. Landlord says hold off until further notice. What are my options?

Question:
The IRS notified me of the levy last week, saying future rent checks should be sent to Dept of Treasury (I've already verified that it's legit, and I fully intend to comply). But my landlord has texted me, saying not to pay the IRS until he's spoken to his attorney. I don't want to pay the IRS and be in trouble with my landlord, but I *especially* don't want to pay my landlord and be in trouble with the IRS. My questions:

- If my landlord can't provide legal documentation within a reasonable amount of time, can he try to evict me for paying rent to the IRS instead?
- Does this situation give me any kind of legal leverage to terminate my lease early and GTFO (which is what I really want)?

I can provide a copy of the IRS letter as well as my lease if necessary. Thanks in advance!

Guideline compliance edit: I'm in upstate New York. Good catch, /u/LocationBot!

Answer:
 Tell your landlord you will pay rent at the time it is due to whatever entity is supposed to collect it.

If, on March 1, he has a court order vacating the IRS levy, you will pay him. Otherwise, you've gotta pay the IRS as it says in the letter.

Put all that in an email or letter to your landlord and then see what happens between now and the date your rent is due. I predict you'll be paying the IRS.Answer #2: Your landlord cannot evict you for following an IRS levy order.  Nor does this get you out of your lease.Answer #3: Assuming this starts with the March 1 rental due date:   Give landlord til that time to "contact his attorney."  Without a legitimate proof of rescission, or Order vacating the Levy.

it's best to due what the IRS says...

When does your lease end?


Title: Doctor Not doing his job?

Question:
Denver, CO area.

My wife has had severe nerve pain in her leg. We went to primary care first, threw some pills at her and nothing worked. We were then referred to a neurologist. The neurologist issued an MRI, we got it done and came back that she had lesions in her spine, either from MS or a tumor in her spine. Very bad news to get on a Monday (4/9). The doctor said they will immediately put in a request for a second MRI as they didn't scan her whole spine and needed to do a spinal tap. Her insurance requires a doctor to put ina  request before insurance approves anything like an MRI. After 8 calls, voicemails and 4 days later, we finally get a call back. The Neurologist never put in the request for the MRI and is FINALLY doing it. We are not able to, the doctor has to from my understanding. Does this make the doctor liable for anything? We have been in an anxiety overload for a week thinking we'll get a call any day for the MRI. Turns out he never even scheduled it. This could be life threatening and I feel this was completely uncalled for, but is it illegal? Can we do anything?

Answer:
 You can refer this to /r/insurance for any specific insurance questions.

No, you don't really have any recourse. The office may be overloaded, the neurologist could be called in by emergencies. There are many different situations. If he's part of a practice, you could lodge a complaint about failure to respond and make arrangements. You can also complain to your insurance company about the provider: there's usually a department to handle members complaining about providers.


Title: Mom was in an accident state claiming sovereign immunity

Question:
Sanitation trainé t-boned my mom about a year ago, cracking her wrist and completely totaling her car.  Shortly after she found a lawyer and feet have been dragging, fast forward a year they're trying to claim sovereign immunity. Our mail man witnessed the event, I'm not very well versed in the law but I don't really understand how in any way they're trying to claim no responsibility in the matter.

Edit:This took place in the state of Virginia, Chesapeake

Answer:
 Depending on where you are located, your jurisdiction may have waived immunity via a torts claim act.

The lawyer will know best.  It is entirely likely you'll have to sue the train operator, rather than just the state.


Title: The vet killed my cat

Question: Los Angeles, CA. Took my 14 yr old cat in to the vet because she had a spot of red in her urine. the cat was fine and walking around, purring in the vets office, then they took her to the back to try to extract urine and draw blood for tests. A few minutes later they bring me back my cat wrapped in a towel, tell me the "cat had no urine to extract" and push me out the door. My cats jaw was ajar and her tongue was out and she could hardly breath, i put her down to see if she could stand and she keeled over and died in the vets office. The vet claims that she had some sort of cardiac arrest, but I am sure they squeezed her too hard when they were extracting urine and crushed her. I know that if I sue I wont be compensated with damages but I still would like some sort of justice. I would appreciate if someone could provide me with some info or steps I could take, or a number I could call for veterinary malpractice. Thanks

Answer:
 Catheterization and blood draws can be very stressful for a cat of any age, but especially an older cat. Your cat was wrapped in a towel so the vet techs could safely perform these with the least amount of risk to the cat. Extracting urine doesn't involve squeezing. A tongue out and panting would be indicative of a stress/anxiety reaction in a cat-which at her age can very reasonably lead to cardiac arrest.

That said, you can report them to the licensing board-just be aware your case may not go anywhere due to a reasonable suspicion the cat died of old age related causes.Answer #2: You could try to put in a complaint with the Vetenary Board. I'll be honest though, at 14 years old it's going to be very easy for them to say that the cat died of old age. And it's entirely possible that this is what happened.

But if the vet does have a history of issues your complaint can help establish a pattern.

http://www.vmb.ca.gov/