Title: (US) (Ohio and Colorado) Transferring a Colorado custody decree to Ohio?

Question:
I have called the courts in both places and nobody seems to be able to help me and what I have found online has been as clear as mud.

Back in January I was granted a divorce and given full custody of my three daughters.  My ex is in the wind and has zero parenting rights or visitation with them.  She can't even petition the courts until she meets some requirements.

During the divorce back in September I lost my job (shift work is a bitch for daycare) and petitioned the Colorado court for permission to relocate the children to Ohio (where I have family) and that was granted.  We have been here since late September.

My pickle is now that we are here and the case is still a Colorado case, if she somehow cleans up her act and petition the court for something, I can only respond by fax which is a pain.  Also the child support is through Colorado.

Can anyone tell me how to transfer this decree to Ohio?  Colorado says I need to Register a Foreign Decree but the Ohio clerks looked at me like they didn't even understand the words, let alone the process.

I have done all of this (the divorce and custody) Pro Se and would prefer to continue that way if at all possible.

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can provide.

Answer:
 PDF Warning:

Here's the form for Cuyahoga County.... You'll need to find something similar in your county, but it may help to bring a copy of this and tell them you need the same thing for your county.

http://domestic.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_domestic/en-US/Parenting/Rule%2030%20UCCJEA%20Petition%20to%20Register%20Foreign%20Parenting%20Order(4).pdf


Title: [Update] Ex gf made a gay fetish porn Tumblr in my name.

Question:
Hey guys! Sorry for the wait I had midterms.

Canada BC

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/426ysn/angry_ex_made_a_tumblr_in_my_name_and_puts_up/

So I sent three support tickets.

One where I mentioned that it was impersonation got ignored.

My second was tackling 3 of their rules, this was not responded to :(

The last one I sent saying it was my ex, bullying me for my sexuality got responded to within a day and the post was taken down.

I hope to be a bit active on Tumblr to push some of those search results that linger down and thank you to everyone who helped figure this out with me.

God damn crazy exgfs.

Answer:
 Moral of the story - "bullying" is the key word that tumblr cares about, but their own rules or (mild) identify theft.

Thanks for the update.


Title: [California] My grandma died with a notarized will. My sister, the executor, wants to disregard what my grandma stated in the will...

Question:
My grandma was very meticulous about her will. It's been the same for about 20 years, and she got it notarized every year until her death. Basically it said that when she dies, my aunt gets all her furniture and my sister and I are to split her savings 50/50.

My sister is the executor of the will, and she was also added as a joint account holder on my grandma's bank account so that she could help her pay bills and things. My grandma died in June, and my sister said she needed time to pay her bills and deal with the cremation.

In September I finally asked her about the savings, and she 1. refused to tell me how much was left in my grandma's account, and 2. said that even though this was not in the will and my grandma never mentioned it, that in the last month of her life she had told my sister that she wanted her savings instead to be split 3-ways between myself, my sister, and my sister's boyfriend.

I frankly have no idea what to do here. I'm not sure if it's legal for her to go outside of the will this way. I know my grandma didn't have much worth fighting over, let alone trying to get a lawyer (likely less than 10K).

So, questions: is what she's doing legal? Do I have any options here? Would it even be worth fighting if a lawyer would likely cost the rest of my grandma's money? Is there a time-frame I should be aware of for making her execute the will before it's too late?

Any help is appreciated. Thank you very much.

Answer:
 >refused to tell me how much was left in my grandma's account

You're named in the will, she has to give you an accounting of the estates assets.

>said that even though this was not in the will and my grandma never mentioned it, that in the last month of her life she had told my sister that she wanted her savings instead to be split 3-ways between myself, my sister, and my sister's boyfriend.

I hope you don't seriously believe that.

>I'm not sure if it's legal for her to go outside of the will this way.

It's not, that's the point of the will.Answer #2: >My grandma was very meticulous about her will. It's been the same for about 20 years, and she got it notarized every year until her death.

Well, actually, she wasn't.  Wills in CA are supposed to be witnessed, not notarized.

Someone needs to hire a lawyer and open probate.  A court may have to determine if the will is even valid.Answer #3: The executor has to follow the will. That's not optional. However,

>and she was also added as a joint account holder on my grandma's bank account

This might (usually does) mean that the account just becomes the property of the joint account holder - in this case your sister - and doesn't pass via the will.


Title: (New York State) Wedding contract violated, do we have any recourse?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: There are no next steps. You have no damages from this.


Title: [AUS] My friend has just found one of her drawings for sale on a website that never contacted her for permission to use.

Question:
My friend has never sold one of her pieces or put them up to be sold, but she has just found two drawings from 2014 on their website. They give credit to her in the title of the drawings but never asked for permission and, from our understanding, have no intention to give any profit to her. One of them states, "out of stock" so they've been selling them. Anything that can be done?

The website is wallpart.com

Edit: They don't respond to phone calls and multiple reviews of the website are complaining about them stealing people's works.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: Wallpart is a phishing scam. [This article](https://fstoppers.com/news/website-will-steal-your-photos-and-then-hack-your-computer-77511) talks about how the site isn't actually selling prints, but instead luring in artists to use their copyright violation form that will provide them with information to spam them and to possibly infect them with malware/spyware. (Here's [another article](https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2015/07/30/phishing-scam-targets-photographers-protecting-copyright/) explaining it.)


Title: Mother crashed her van into our garage at the house we rent, pretty much totalled it. Landlords angry, what options do we have? What could happen?

Question:
Hey everyone, in a bit of a bind. Yesterday my mom accidentally drove her van into our (closed garage) she went through the garage door, the personal door and the right wall taking out a support beam in the process. Fortunately she is okay but the same cannot be said for the garage (which still has power connected).

Our property manager came and I asked if there's a way to cut the power to the garage and he pretty much just said 'probably' and left it at that but I'm concerned that its a huge fire hazard atm.

We had no valuable stuff in the garage but a lot of 'junk' kind of stuff, we used it as a storage area/rec room.

The big concern is that our landlord and us have had a VERY contentious relationship due to broken promises and lies on his part. As per our contract, we're supposed to have renters insurance but haven't been able to due to falling on hard times after moving in. Is this grounds for eviction? We're really scared, we get married in two weeks and now we're fearing that we'll have to devote our (very hard fought for) honeymoon fund towards first/last mo rent on another place assuming anyone will take us. We're currently halfway through our 1yr lease.

Even if we had renters insurance we probably wouldn't be using it anyways since there was nothing of value that got broken but from the contract standpoint it is scaring us. We feel like we're stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Its been an incredible challenging year before all this and all signs point to it getting worse before it gets better. Any and all advice is welcome.

Niagara Region, Ontario Canada

Answer:
 Renters insurance would have been a hundred or two a year... now you are looking at thousands in damage.

>The big concern is that our landlord and us have had a VERY contentious relationship due to broken promises and lies on his part.

You seem to contribute to this too by violating the terms of your lease, which may be grounds for eviction.

Leaving the house does not erase your obligation to fix the damage you caused. Hopefully, your mother's auto insurance will pay for it. If she has any.

>my mom accidentally drove her van into our (closed garage) she went through the garage door, the personal door and the right wall taking out a support beam in the process.

I do not want to even know how someone can do that accidentally... but your mother may be in need of medical help. Please make sure she is well taken care of.
Answer #2: Her auto insurance should investigate to see if they can cover the damage to the garage. Have her contact them immediately to start a claim and have her give your landlords information, however yes I’d likely expect to get evicted for violating your lease terms.


Title: Defense against a photoshopped image

Question:
So this is a little odd, but someone recently uploaded images, photoshoped to show me making Nazi symbols (On facebook). They are badly done and the whole thing is more pathetic than amusing. But given that such stuff is illegal in Germany (where I'm from). The perpetrator is US American and i live in the UK. It was posted on a common friends fb page.
Now what are my options here? (in Germany a law suit would result in a hefty fine for him, but given the trans border stuff, what is the situation?)

Answer:
 Have you reported the photo to FB? It will likely be removed.Answer #2: Generally speaking, since posting Nazi stuff isn't illegal in the US and that's where he posted from there's no standing for criminal charges. If you suffered actual financial damages from what he posted (fired, kicked out of school, etc) you could hire an American lawyer to sue him for defamation, but it will be very expensive and you are unlikely to recover much.

Practical advice - its an internet troll. Request FB removes it, deny you're a Nazi to anyone who directly asks you, and go on with your life. Attacking him will only make it worse.


Title: (San Diego) Can I be sued for knocking down a drone flying in my yard and then erasing its memory card?

Question:
This occurred in San Diego. Someone has been flying a drone around the neighborhood for the last few weeks. No one knew who it was, but it has been taking video of people as it has a camera mounted below it. It has caught my daughter and her friends in the pool in our backyard multiple times. Yesterday, I saw it and grabbed our powerwasher and my son and I managed to knock it to the ground using it and the garden hose and our lawn furniture cushions. It got a bit damaged so I took it inside to see if I could find the owner. I saw the multiple videos on the memory card including multiple ones of my daughter and her friends in their swim suits and ones of other neighbors as well and erased it. My son is very good with computers and he did a permanent wipe of the data.

About that time, one of my across-the-street neighbors came over and demanded his drone back. I refused at first until he could prove it was his. He threatened to call the police and I agreed and did it right then and there. Eventually a cop came and after talking to both of us, told me to give the drone back, which I did. He got angry that it was damaged, but the cop said it was a civil matter and that he could sue.

About an hour later he came back threatening to sue me because the memory card was erased and that I destroyed the "propeller foil" or soemething when I "illegally" brought down his drone, and that I am liable for damages for erasing his memory card. He said he couldn't recover anything and that he was going to sue me for "thousands." I laughed openly at him and told him to get off my property or I would call the police again. He left yelling.

But, am I really in danger of being sued and losing for knocking the drone down when it was flying about just over our backyard and erasing the videos he had taken from inside our's and others' backyards? That seems way more illegal to videotape us from within our own yard without our permission. Sorry if this is too long, but I'm not sure what to include.

Answer:
 This thread is full of horrible advice.

There are peeping Tom laws. Also, being 20ft above the property can definitely be considered OP's property. Houses are higher than that in many cases. There are also laws against stalking/illegal surveillance.

OP needs to consult with a lawyer who is familiar with local, state, and federal ordinance regarding this matter, and not take advice from reddit.

Also, do not admit to destroying anything. Tell them it crash landed, you don't know how. Also be careful putting random memory cards in your personal computer. If you want to really get him, run a strong magnet on it.

Unless you admit to something, which hopefully you didn't already, it's his word against yours. When dealing with a situation such as this, it's best to just keep your mouth shut and contact a lawyer.


Title: Brother & dad leave bruises on me. I get arrested ?!

Question:
I'm 16 female in Oregon. About a year ago, my brother and I got into a fight. He ended up throwing me into a bathtub leaving bruises (I've kept pictures as evidence) My brother has a bad temper and a history of this kind of stuff. I grabbed a knife to defend myself in case he came at me again. He did. I panicked and threw the knife (which was in a case) but it hit the ground leaving him with no marks.  On New  Years Eve, I got arrested for punching my brothers girlfriend. What happened was they were both yelling at me and i was backed into a corner. Yes, i hit her. My brother tackled me and then my dad ended up coming upstairs and he backed me against a wall I was trying to get away from him and i kept screaming get away. We have some spare doors in the storage area where i was backed into so i crawled in the corner and was pushing them at him so he might get away from me. I've only seen him like that with my mom (they are divorced, she's not living with us) I was terrified. He slammed the doors back against  me.
I ended up calling the cops. They found out about the incident from a year ago and the one on new years eve. My brother, his gf and my dad all worked together against me. They were questioning everyone then later read me my rights. they asked if i wanted to keep talking and I complied. I told the police the 100% truth and i admitted to punching his girlfriend. They took pictures of her face (which the cop said had no marks or even swelling or redness) They took pictures of the redness I had all over my body (the marks were to fresh and i didn't have bruising yet). They listened to everyone's story and after mirandizing me I kept telling my story. They twisted my words and said since I threw a knife I'm at fault. i didn't know what else to do. at the time i was 15 and my brother 18. He's obviously a lot bigger than me and i didn't know how else to defend myself. Anyway i got arrested that night for menacing and some other charges. they didn't really tell me my charges upon arresting me. I don't even know where they took me but they finger printed me, asked me questions, etc. I was allowed to leave a few hours later after they were done. After two weeks my bruises are just going away. I've taken pics of them for record. btw, my brother is on probation and using drugs. I told the cops this and they didn't care. Can i report him to his PO? And what should i do?? I know this is partially my fault for hitting her and i admit to that and take full blame and responsibility. i honestly have no idea what to do or who to tell ?? I have to live here and i don't feel safe anymore..thank you.

Answer: This is going through juvenile court correct? Listen to your attorney, this is extremely fact specific.


Title: Weird car accident situation. Trying to figure out exactly how this works

Question:
So I havent really found any information about this type of incident and most will probably get a good laugh out of this because it was such a stupid mistake.  So anyways we were at the park and my friend asks me to move his car to another spot. So I take his keys and unlock the car door and jump in. I lift down the parking break and to my suprise the car rolls back and bumps into the car next to me scraping both cars. Thats when I realized. This is a stick shift... And my friend drives an automatic. And it turned out to be someone elses car that was unlocked that I just crashed. We exchanged information but... Now what do I do. Ive never been in an accident before and im not even really sure how insurance works especially in this sort of situation.  I'm stressing out over what can happen to me and more importantly, cant shake off the embarrasment. I need advice/some sort of direction.
I live in california

Edit: not sure if it matters but the damage looked minimal. Front bumper of the car I hit was scratched up but it just looked like paint damage. The car I was inside of was scratched on its side with one line of paint missing.  The car wasnt even on as the keys that I had obviously didn't work for that car.

Answer: Sounds to me as a case of (accidental) joyriding. Owners insurance is liable for the damages caused and will try to get this back from you.Answer #2: If you're saying you got into the wrong car by mistake, your insurance won't cover you as you didn't have the owner's consent to drive it.


Title: City is assigning garbage tickets randomly without any possible way of knowing who is at fault

Question:
Where I live in Boston, there are rules (like many other places) about how to dispose of trash. Rules such as, garbage in opaque plastic bags and recycling in clear plastic bags, trash must be put out AFTER 5pm the day before pickup.

The problem is, a lot of people live in multi-unit apartment buildings, and the trash ticket police have no way of knowing who broke the rule in the building, since we all put our trash out on the sidewalk in front of the building (which is what you are supposed to do).

My question is, how is this law legal? Basically, a city government employee knows that the violator is one of 5 possible people, then just assigns the ticket randomly to one of the 5. The reason this is so annoying is because I'm on the 1st floor so the employee often just assigns it to me when it isn't me.

Can I sue the city for this?

I should note, you are allowed to appeal and when I have, it has always been approved. But I just don't think I should have to prove my innocence every time when the city has no reasonable basis to believe it is me rather than my neighbors.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Well, I would assume that there are ways to find out (like mail with a name on it in the trash).

But that aside, they need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the suspect is guilty to get a conviction.  If their whole case is "the trash was outside in front of the building where they live" and there are 5 other units in the same building I would call that reasonable doubt.


Title: Employer retroactively cancelled health insurance

Question:
I recently switched contracts in my job, and my old employer gave no information on when my insurance coverage would cease, nothing on COBRA, etc.  I called the insurance carrier and they said I'd have coverage until whenever the employer filed their paperwork.  My new employer has a 30 day window before I'm covered with them.  During this 30 day window, I was required to get vaccinations for an upcoming work trip to Africa.  The earliest appointment I could get was unfortunately 3 days after my old contract ended.  However, I called the insurance company the morning of this appointment and they confirmed that I was still covered.  I had them email me a letter which stated I was covered.  SO, I proceeded with the appointment and got my required $600 worth of vaccinations and subsequently filed a claim for reimbursement from insurance.  They denied the claim and said 2 weeks after my appointment my employer filed their paperwork and cancelled my insurance retroactively.  They will not stand behind their verbal confirmation of coverage on the phone, nor the written confirmation of coverage that they sent me.  Basically, they said "well we thought you were covered, but then your employer told us you weren't."  Do I have any recourse for this?  I was hoping I could get reimbursed by my job, but the trip has since been cancelled and they have ruled that out.  In the state of Georgia if that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance

Answer:
 NAL but I do work in insurance. For the cobra question, I dont have the legal specifics (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong), but the employer is required to give you information on cobra. It may take 15-30 days though. Your insurance company should have that information as well if you want to call them.

Retroactive cancelations are common. The employer sends updates to the insurance company, sometimes weekly, monthly, sporadically. This does involve retroactive dates a good deal of the time.

You can try to appeal but the insurance company is unfortunately not responsible for the employer not updating on the exact date your coverage ends. The insurance representative gave you the correct information at that time, and an appeal will from my experience not work.

There are three options:

-If you decide to pay for cobra, the coverage will be retroactive to your plan's end date. The claims for your vaccinations will then be covered for that time period. Cobra can be VERY expensive for even one month and depending on your medical benefits on the previous plan you might actually lose money.

-Check with your new employer. The new employer might be able to make your new coverage retroactive, which would again cover the vaccinations.

-Accept the lose.


Title: Practical advice not allowed?

Question:
I have one simple question for the mods here.

When people come here seeking advice, do you want correct advice to be given? Or do you only want legal advice to be given?

Recently I have seen comments in threads being deleted that say stuff like. "Your boss is not doing anything illegal. Look for a new job." Perfectly sound advice right there. Question about who get who is responsible for debts when they die. Top comment was "If you are thinking about suicide, there are people to reach out to etc etc." It got deleted for not being legal advice.

Ive seen people perfectly answer a question but started their comment with. "Not legal advice, but practical advice" These comments get deleted even though they answer the question asked by OP perfectly.

SO I have to ask again? Do the mods want question to be answered only in regards to legal? Or do you want questions to be answered?

IE: My boss is mean to everyone.

Should the answer be. "Not illegal." Or should it be. "Not illegal. If it bothers you find a new job."

Cause I have legit seen excellent advice get deleted recently because it was not strictly legal advice.

Answer:
 There are times where legal and practical advice overlap, and times it doesn't.  It's difficult to break down every time it falls into one camp or another, but if you can provide examples that would help.

In my experience in the sub, "practical" advice is downvoted or pulled only when it doesn't work, isn't legal, carries a risk of negative consequences for the OP, or is relationship advice style "Everyone is bad and you're great and it'll all be ok".  Answer #2: > It got deleted for not being legal advice.

Can you cite a source for this?

I have never seen a post recommending someone get help for suicidal ideation be deleted.  I've seen the thread locked.  I've seen mods and other starred users give that advice routinely in those cases without deletion.

And there is also plenty of practical advice that seems to be allowed.  "That's legal, look for a new job" is a good example.  I've never seen stuff like that get deleted, ever.


Title: Is it illegal to fail a drug test if you were drugged without your knowing?

Question: Lets say you were leaving for work, and your roommate left some pot brownies in the fridge, but you didn't know they were pot brownies. So you drive to work, and being high on accident get pulled over, and test positive. Now, you haven't realized yet you were intoxicated. Can you make a plea that you didn't know you were under the influence?

Answer: You can claim that but it is highly unlikely to be successful.


Title: Cop came to my door last night?

Question:
So I’m weirded out, a police officer knocked on my door last night;
Naturally I didn’t answer the door because I was confused and scared to death, but I heard him say that someone took a picture of my license plate?
I called the local police department later that day, and this morning, to ask the dispatcher why a police officer was at my door, and she sounded confused and said there were no notes/reports whatsoever for my address.
I didn’t even drive at any point yesterday, so I’m really confused and a little freaked out?
Is the police officer going to come back?
Should I just wait? I’m not sure what is going on.
Also I live in Colorado!

Answer:
 It's possible he just went to the wrong address, and that's why there's nothing in the system for your address.

Also possible it was some idiot running some kind of scam.Answer #2: If another one comes back call 911 and ask


Title: Stepfather of 3-year-old child (raised from birth) with no biological father on birth certificate wanting equal rights. US, KY

Question:
**Summary of situation:**

I have raised and financially supported in all aspects of my step\-child's life since birth with only good faith, even cut the umbilical cord. I simply want a shared legal right over the child I raised who calls me dad. This is a preventative measure, the mother almost died during our marriage: and it's been a constant up\-and\-down struggle. The situation is that the child has had no present biological father in said child's life since birth, nor is a biological father listed on the birth certificate. Now the complexity: the presumed biological father lives in another state bordering our state. Said "possible" father was aware of the possibility that the child could be his, but never request a paternity test. A judge made this apparent after issuing a restraining order on said "x\-boyfriend" after child's birth due to violence in the past. Both biological parents have a criminal history of substance abuse. The biological father has other more serious crimes. I do not have a criminal history. The issue is that no one wants to contact said possible biological father: let sleeping dogs sleep. As said biological father could interfere with stepfather's adoption process.

Long story short: I want to legally be my child's father and have legal rights. It has been three years: this uncertaintity causes so many restless nights! I do know that there are things such as "legal guardianship". But my aim is to not take all rights from the child's from her mother. Just to have the same rights as an acting father. And I want to be proactive now, rather than later, in taking steps to eventually adopt my child.  My fear is that if the mother relapsed, went to jail again, or anything just happened to her: the biological father could step\-in and issue a paternity test, or the grandparent of each biological parent could aim to take the child away. What can I do? I've raised my child since birth and treated \*\*\-\-\-\-\-\-\*\* as my own. I pay for daycare, food, housing, to family vacations and the lot... About to be off of medicaid and pay for healthcare, dental, and vision. Thanks for any advice in advance.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: You want to adopt. You need an attorney who can navigate this. There is no other magic option


Title: Mom's job is telling people to come to work, but not paying them. Or is paying them using unemployment.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This is, of course, illegal, but she really needs to find a new job. Unemployment all over Long Island is really low. She's worth more than she thinks, probably thanks to this guy's games.


Title: I am a server at a restaurant in NYC. Can my boss force me to share a tip given by check written out to me alone?

Question:
This past week a group of 30 people came in after a wedding. The restaurant was swamped, so while another server helped me getting their drinks, after that point I was the only server working with them.

Since it was a large party, the bill had a 20% gratuity amount assessed. For small parties, tips go mostly to the primary server (80%) and the last 20% is tipped out to others (e.g. bussers). However with large parties the policy is the 20% gratuity be split between any/all servers who worked with them, the cook and the busser.  The restaurant handbook explicitly states "the 20% gratuity" and does not address any additional tips, so I assumed it followed the regular 80/20 tip policy.

Any how, this group paid their bill with one check, but in addition to that the person paying wrote a check to me alone for $500 and the note said "for excellent service" so it's obviously intended as a tip.

I recorded the tip and paid out 20% as usual ($100) but now the manager (who they asked to get my full name to write the check out to) is upset and says I must split it 5 ways between myself, the server who helped get their drinks, the two cooks and the busser. Obviously there's a big difference between $400 and $100 so I pointed out that the handbook says "the 20% gratuity" is to be split that way and doesn't even address other tips.

I had already put in my 2 weeks notice because I will be taking a different job shortly. Now the manager told me today that since I only tipped out $100 that night, the other $300 from the 5-way tip will be deducted from my paycheck. I DID authorize them to take money out of my paycheck (even though it was worded on my employment forms for being for stuff like meals and uniforms) so I might be screwed there.

Is this worth fighting / able to be fought? $300 may not seem like much but for me it's a small fortune.

Answer:
 An employer cannot legally deduct that from your paycheck unless you signed something that you allowed them to do so.Answer #2: New York is pretty different in that they can require a percentage be tipped out. I'm not sure any other state does that, even though tip pooling is fairly common.

Here is a FAQ. I would say you did the right thing with tipping $100.  I would file a complaint here if they deduct from your paycheck. http://labor.ny.gov/legal/counsel/pdf/tips-frequently-asked-questions.pdfAnswer #3: He has no standing. You should definitely fight this.

You tipped out the 20% as written in the policy.


Title: Is it legal to not allow toilet trained individuals in a community swimming pool? [PA]

Question:
I live in a community in PA where there is a swimming pool. Our rules have always been that diapered children, regardless of which type of diaper they use, are not allowed in the main pool. There is a small "kiddie" pool at the same location. It is very shallow (18 inches) and is specifically designed for children and to be drained, filled, and chlorinated quickly. There have been some complaints, however, no legal action has been taken thus far. I was just wondering if this is legal to do. Thanks!
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 It's not only legal to require that swimmers be in control of their rears -- it may be unlawful to not require it.

What kinds of complaints/legal action are you envisioning here?


Title: Car Passenger Liability (CA)

Question:
So I'm currently under my parents' car insurance and they told me to not give people rides because they said it wouldn't cover passenger injuries if i got into an accident. Is there a form my passengers can sign that says that my insurance and I won't be held accountable in the event of an accident?
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 >So I'm currently under my parents' car insurance and they told me to not give people rides because they said it wouldn't cover passenger injuries if i got into an accident.

It's highly unlikely this is correct.  How old are you?  Are you still under license restrictions?  Because if so, you need to follow those anyway.

>Is there a form my passengers can sign that says that my insurance and I won't be held accountable in the event of an accident?

Probably not.

It sounds like your parents just don't want you giving people rides.  If you're under 18, you need to do what they say.  If you're over 18, you can get your own insurance or follow their rules for remaining on theirs.


Title: Is it legal for me to transport my girlfriend's medication (legally prescribed to her) across state lines?

Question:
My girlfriend and I live on the east coast. A family member is getting married this weekend in the state where we grew up, on the west coast. She had more flexibility with her calendar than me, so she flew there last weekend and I am leaving tomorrow to join her.

She has a bottle containing a small amount of Diazepam (the drug was legally prescribed to her and the bottle has her name on it and was legally dispensed to her by a pharmacy), which is a Schedule IV drug. She uses it sparingly to treat occasional severe muscle pain. She forgot to pack this medicine and is asking if I could bring it to her when I fly there tomorrow.

I cannot find information about potential legal restrictions governing the transportation of medication not prescribed to the possessor, but I would imagine that such restrictions do exist. I would like to know whether or not I am legally permitted to bring her medication to her, stipulating that the drug was legally-prescribed to her and the fact that I have a written (text message) request from her asking me to bring it to her.

If this were an antibiotic or a topical cream or another medication without potential for abuse, I probably wouldn't even be thinking about this. I'm only worried because Diazepam is notorious for abuse and thus likely to draw greater scrutiny if it were noticed. Would like to confirm whether or not my transport of the medication is legally permissible.

I'm thinking/guessing/hoping that since I have demonstrable evidence that she asking me to bring it to her and it she's legally able to possess it, I'm legally in the clear. But it wouldn't surprise me if that's not the case and I'm hoping someone here can confirm.

Answer:
 You're allowed to carry her prescription if the pills are in the bottle and the original label with the person's name is on the bottle. If you were stopped with them, there's supposed to be an effort to contact the person on the bottle and ascertain that you're delivering the medication. Printing out the email from your girlfriend might be enough. If they're in the original bottle and you have her letter I don't think it will be an issue.

I'd pack them in a bag and include a couple of other things of hers. Maybe throw a bathing suit or a change of underwear in there and a hairbrush or something she's got laying around. *My girlfriend forgot some stuff, she asked me to bring it with me.*

If you're really concerned, could you go to your girlfriend's pharmacy and explain the situation and ask them to put it the pill bottle in one of those paper bags with the information stapled on it? Or maybe have your girlfriend contact them and then go over and have them do it.


Title: [MN] 4th degree DUI due to prescribed medication

Question:
So I apparently took too much of a prescribed medication (clonazepam) and decided to drive home. I didn't mean to take however much I took. (One of the side effects is amnesia.) I know I was slurring my speech but did not feel impaired in any way and I wasn't driving erratically or broke any laws. I got pulled over, the officer assumed I was drunk but of course I blew a 0.0. They took me in a for a blood test which came up clear except for the clonazepam.

Now the prescribing information for clonazepam says to not operate machinery until you know how it effects you. I know how it effects me and it does not impair my ability to drive machinery. I was not pulled over due to any moving violation I committed but it was a Saturday night at about 1 am so I suppose they were looking for drunks.

I'm scared of what will come with this. I have the prescription bottle I was given but I do not know if that will consist of any defense. Would a letter from the prescribing doctor have any effect? I will have to resort to a public attorney since I'm broke and I'm not sure how much time they will have to spend on this.

Answer: It does not matter that you are prescribed the drugs. If you are impaired then you get a DUI, having a prescription doesn't change that.


Title: Can a bar in the US (MN) deny a driver's license from Guam or other US Territory?

Question:
This happened a while ago, and I was reading another conversation about US territories and got curious. I went out for a drink and movie with some friends and one of them got her driver's license on Guam when she was living there after college. The bar refused to take it; she's never had trouble like that before and was really surprised.

All the rest of us had out-of-state (WA and TX) licenses and we were all 25-27. You don't even need a passport to go to Guam, shouldn't her driver's license count as acceptable ID, or is it really up to the discretion of the bar?

Answer: yes, they can deny any license they want for any reason.


Title: A bus I've taken while previously visiting NYC changed their payment format and I got a $100 citation for not having a pre-paid receipt.

Question:
Backstory: I used to live in New York City in 2004. Loved it. I still have a New York phone number. I've come back a few times over the years and if I previously ever flew out of LaGuardia, I would usually take the M60 to go back which is a straight shot from the Upper West Side to the airport. I even wrote a Yelp review of it when I was going through a review everything on Yelp craze in 2009. Yes. I reviewed a bus route on Yelp. Not my proudest moment.

Anyways, this time, I was catching an early flight and got on that bus. I tried to insert my card a few times into the reader but it wouldn't accept cards. The driver wasn't really helpful and I figured it was just out of order. I live in Chicago and bus fare collection boxes break every once in a while. Pretty rare but when that happens, the operator just lets people on.

A police officer came on the bus a few stops later and demanded to see everyone's receipts. Baffled by this, I showed him my Metrocard and he took me off the bus to write me a citation for not having a receipt. The citation is for $100. I told him I had more than enough money on my card and tried to pay but couldn't yet he wasn't budging and pointed out the new fare boxes located a 1/4 of a block down from the bus stop. I got on another bus and barely made my flight.

For what it's worth, he didn't write the time of the report, made a horrible guess at my weight without asking and also put that I declined my SS# and place of employment even though he never asked me.

I feel like a patsy for a quota fulfillment. I don't have any plans to return to New York for a hearing either. How do I go about fighting this?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Whats the fight? You didn't pay for the fare. That Chicago does it one way has absolutely no bearing on what New York does. The Bus Driver was likely unhelpful cause he/she was looking at new fare box and thought you were just being a dick.

You weren't a pasty for a quota, you were a non-fare paying rider who was leaving the jurisdiction.


Title: Discovery extension from plaintiffs not the court

Question:
I'm being sued by a former employer and have to produce discovery in NY Southern District. I asked for an extension from the plaintiff.

I haven't been ordered (& served) by the court for this to produce discovery documents. Do I have to produce discovery based on what the plaintiff is requesting? the deadline would be this Monday.

Is this a bully tactic?

Answer:
 > I haven't been ordered (& served) by the court for this to produce discovery documents.

You wouldn't be.  It would come from the plaintiff.

> Do I have to produce discovery based on what the plaintiff is requesting?

Yes.

> Is this a bully tactic?

No.

Discovery is conducted pursuant to several rules of civil procedure.  The court is (generally) not involved unless one party is not complying.

If you bring a discovery issue before a judge, you're going to have a bad time.

Depending on the general hostility or amicability of your Bar, discovery extensions are commonplace.  I don't see why they wouldn't grant your request.

Please don't take any offense when I say that you're in way over your head.  This is a very basic process and entry level knowledge.  If you do not grasp this, then I worry for your chances in the rest of the litigation.  Please consider consulting an attorney.


Title: Question about HOA... are their rules the law?

Question:
I currently rent a condo, and each condo is assigned one carport. My car broke down over the weekend, and I had it towed back to my condo. One of the HOA managers saw the tow truck move my car back, and he told me that it was against their rules to have inoperative vehicles in a carport.

He said that I had a few days to get rid of it, or my car would be towed. I can't have the car looked at and fixed until the weekend, since I work everyday, and don't have time to WFH this week, since work is really busy.

What can I do at this point? Can he legally tow my car just because I'm violating a stupid rule in the HOA rulebook? Is the HOA even legally allowed to make a stupid rule like that?

Edit: I live in the Bay Area, California

Answer:
 HOA rules are not laws.

But you agree to follow the rules when you buy the home and become a member of the HOA.  They can't *arrest* you for violating them, but you can be fined as laid out in the HOA agreement and bylaws.Answer #2: Unfortunately, yes. HOA's sound like a good idea in theory but in practice, you often get little hitlers and busybodies policing the neighborhood.

I'd get it towed to your mechanic ASAP if I were you. You're going to pay to get it towed anyway, might as well get it there now.


Title: A tree branch fell on my head on the quad of college campus. I went to the ER because of injury. Is the university responsible for my injury and damage?

Question:
I was walking on the pathway on the quad of college campus with my friends. We heard a snap from up above all of a sudden. I didn't remember much from me trying to run away and me laying on the ground. I think I was unconscious for a brief moment. The tree branch hit me in my head and caused mild symptoms of a concussion. According to my friend’s description of what he witnessed, the entire tree branch fell from about 2 meters high, snapped on the ground first and then hit me in the head. I was lucky that I didn't have serious injury.

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I checked myself into the ER in the hospital. My knees were examined with x-ray and were diagnosed with soft tissue damage. I had mild symptoms of concussion. My personal belongings (phone and camera) were damaged. The college has claimed this accident to be an act of God and stated that they would not be responsible for my damage unless the tree is in bad condition.

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For more information, there was a storm approximately on week before my incident. And a tree fell on a car across campus 4 days before my incident. I have reached out to some legal firms online but they declined my case without explicitly addressing why.

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Do you think the university is responsible for my injury?

Thank you so much for your time and advice in advance!!

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Answer:
 >The college has claimed this accident to be an act of God and stated that they would not be responsible for my damage unless the tree is in bad condition.

This is most likely true.

Just because you own property, it doesn't mean you're legally responsible for every single thing that happens on it.  Some things are beyond any reasonable control.Answer #2: Sounds like an Act of God, and not negligence to me.  Makes perfect sense that the attorneys you reached out to declined to take on your case.


Title: I live next to a sex offender. He lies about his real name.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > A few months later, we got to thinking about how weird it is that he uses a false name. So my fiance did a little database searching on our neighbor and turns out he was convicted of sexual misconduct with an 8 year old in Texas

Former dispatcher here: congrats your wife just violated privacy laws and used that information for her own personal gain and violated it a third time by telling you about all of this.  The very least of which could cost her, her job.  Had your neighbor found out, he could also sue her and her department!  That shit isn't cool and a massive violation of ethics.  See the other comment about the police likely already being aware of everything.  If he is all in order, leave him be.


Title: 4 month old house flooding

Question: I bought a house July 26th of this year had all the inspections done and everything went well. I started noticing water staining in the basement on the cement(unfinished) and didn’t think anything of it because the sump pump worked and I put a dehumidifier down there. Come fall it has been super rainy this year and I am now getting water coming in through the foundation. My sump pump is kicking on every 2 minutes and I cannot get a foundation repair company out until December 20th to fix it. Insurance won’t cover it because it is ground water and I don’t need flood insurance where I live in Rhode Island. I feel like this is something maybe the home inspector should’ve caught?

Answer:
 > I feel like this is something maybe the home inspector should’ve caught?

Let's just address this.  Home inspectors are generally only going to be able to give you advice on what they can easily see just from a visual inspection.  If there was no issue at the time of the inspection, the home inspector had no way to catch it.  They can't see through walls or see into the future.  This is generally written into their terms to limit their liability in cases like this.  Even if you were able to prove they missed something obvious, they usually have a set amount they are liable for which you also signed in your agreement with them.


Title: My friend (who totally isn't me) is involved in an abusive marriage and is very worried about what she can actually leave her home with legally. There's a plot twist, unfortunately... It gets complicated...

Question:
1. My friend, here on out referred to as MF is in her late twenties.

2. MF lives in the rural midwest USA.

3. MF is married and has been for a bit over a year, after living with her now-spouse for approximately 8 years prior to the wedding.

4. Her husband is very controlling as well as abusive both psychology and physically (well, has been in the past), as evidenced by the fact that he has already been arrested once for domestic battery. She did **not** cooperate with Law enforcement to prosecute in that instance.

5. MF has been unable to search for any type of employment per husband's orders, additionally she is unable to actually possess more than around $10.

6. She has *very* little time that isn't directly supervised by husband.

7. She wants to leave but is unable to do so peacefully and has no financial means to do so on her own.

8. Husband keeps roughly $10k in cash in their home.

9. He cannot reasonably explain where this money has come from.

10. She has no intention of disclosing any source of this money, or interest in taking it all. She is, however, interested in taking a couple thousand because she has no means to leave otherwise and will not as long as he is in the picture in any capacity.

11. She is aware that the police would wait there while she packed her clothes and things but is unsure about this cash that is "jointly" owned but would never be released to her with the knowledge that she would use it to "escape"

**How do her outcomes look? Is she entitled to any of it? How wild the police handle it on site if he threw a stink? She is concerned that if eh walks away from it, he will make it disappear.**

Answer: She should just take the cash and leave.  Doesn't he ever go out of the house? She should leave while he is gone.


Title: [NJ] being threatned with prosecution over bad review

Question:
A few weeks ago I left a bad review for a local business.  Everything I said in my review was either a fact, or my actual opinion.  Today I noticed the business owner replied to my review, and other reviews that were posted in a similar time frame with:

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>This is a fake review we've gotten over the past few days, along with the others
This review are currently being  investigated by google and our attorneys and the culprit will be  prosecuted.  So I suggest this person remove it immediately, because we  are investigating the IP ADDRESSES.

&#x200B;

Is it possible for google to have released my IP address to a business owner?  And if they do and somehow they are able to identify me, am I going to have to be worried about being roped into a lawsuit that has nothing to do with me?

Answer: Google isn't releasing anything to anyone without a court order.


Title: Being banned from restaurant due to perceived racism? (NJ)

Question:
I went to a restaurant, big chain, to eat a meal with my spouse. I'm always very generous and patient, and I overtip a lot of the time. Last night, I had a waitress (of a different race than us) serving who was being very rude. Like, she came over and asked what we wanted, then "suggested" that we not get food that will make us overweight. I let it slide, figuring she was just opinionated. When she came back with our meals, she dropped our rolls on the floor, said she would get another, then never did. On top of it all, she never refilled our glasses or further waited on us. I was pretty angry but bit my tongue, so did my spouse.

I took the check to the counter, and left zeroes under the tip line. I just didn't want to reward the way she treated us. However, I also didn't want to get her fired because I have a soft spot for waitstaff. Mostly, I wanted to leave. The manager stopped us as we were leaving, she stormed over, and claimed we were being rude to her waitress and calling her derogatory names. I told her what had REALLY happened, the manager didn't believe us.

The manager called the police, and had them escort us out for her waitress' safety. I felt it was unnecessary and humiliating. The police seemed to side with the restaurant on the matter, and asked us to stay out of trouble in an accusatory tone.

Do I have a legal case of some kind here? I tried calling some attorneys but only got voicemails. Though I have no idea what kind of attorney to even get for something like this.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 >had them escort us out for her waitress' safety.

Why? You could have just left.

Sorry, but it's plainly obvious you were antagonizing the staff. Normal, calm people don't need to be escorted out by police because the waitstaff feels like they are in danger. The restaurant wouldn't call the police on you if you were being calm.

Anyway, no, there's no legal case here. They have the right to refuse service to you. They did.Answer #2: Why did you wait around for the police to remove you from the property instead of leaving immediately after paying?Answer #3: Handle something like what?  Hurt feelings?  If they told you not to go back to their business, don't.


Title: (PA-AL) National Office To Implement Retroactive Wage Reduction Policy

Question:
Long time commenter, first time advice-seeker.

I am a site director in Pennsylvania for a national security company based in Alabama. Today I received a memo from my regional director informing me that effective immediately, our region will begin enforcing a policy that other regions have used.

This policy states, effectively, that an employee failing to give two weeks' notice of resignation will be paid any wages due to them at time of resignation at minimum wage instead of their agreed rate.
Leaving aside the questionable ethics of this policy, this doesn't seem to pass the smell test on FLSA's related regulations. However, I'm not a labor attorney, and I'm old enough to not necessarily be surprised by somewhat distasteful corporate practices.

So, a couple of specific questions:

1) Is this legal on its face? If not, specifically what about it would violate FLSA or PA labor law?
2) Does the blanket policy memo count as prior notice for the FLSA for wage reduction?
3) Am I exposed to personal liability as a representative of the company if this is challenged?

I know that last question is a bit CYA/weaselly. However, I assure I'm trying to look out for my people in the face of what feels like a problematic policy. Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 Retroactive pay decreases are not legal.  This is so  illegal, I would question that this policy has ever been used by any region in your national company.  The first thing most employees would do is to complain to the respective state labor department.

Edit: OP can decide if he want to contact the Pennsylvania department of labor and industry and get clarification on whether or not this policy is legal, reporting that it is not to his company would probably result in OP finding  a new job.  On the other hand, who would want to continue working for a company that does petty stuff like this?


Title: I crashed into a cop - I don't believe I was at fault, but I was issued a citation. (FL)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Florida is not the kind of "no fault" state you think it is.  That only refers specifically to how bodily injuries are treated by insurance companies.

If the officer had his lights and/or siren on, you have to yield.  It seems that he did, which means that you failed to yield.

You should hire a lawyer if you have any intention of fighting this.  You are well out of DIY territory, especially given the potential punishments if you are found guilty.


Title: Is it legal to charge for access to a downed airplane?

Question:
I am investigating an aircraft accident in Texas for work. (fairly minor, no injuries.) The aircraft was forced to land in a farmers field on private property. The landowner charged the recovery crew a large sum of money before he would let them have access the aircraft. I have heard several people in the industry say that this is against federal laws, but I can't find any statute that discusses it. Does anybody know where this law might be?

I have already skimmed all of the FAR's, but I don't see any subsection that deals with downed airplanes... Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 can a landowner block or demand payment from sightseers, crane operators, and other private individuals ("investigators")? yes.

can he claim the airplane as his own and forbid recovery? no.

can he block government officials? probably not. Answer #2: If its a private plane he can charge for access to the aircraft for recovery. Its private property, he can do that. Its part of the recovery fee.  He cannot impede law enforcement, first responders or federal investigators, etc. from their duties.  If it was a military, government aircraft, space shuttle.  He cannot impeded in any way the recovery or investigation of the aircraft.   He can how ever file a claim for damages with the federal government.  They usually pay up in a timely manner.


Title: In California revenge porn is illegal now. I have not committed this crime but I am being accused of it based on events that transpired in 1989 and 1995. What are my options?

Question:
1989: In college. Girlfriend X had nude photos of herself taken for an art project. She gave me 8x10 prints. We broke up about a year later.

1995: Met a girl on AOL and she visited from out of state. She found the photos and asked me to tear them up. I did. I never saw her again, and I cannot find her to provide testimony, her name is common and her AOL handle is dead.

June 2015: Girlfriend X (no contact since 1990) finds me and emails me that those photos ended up online recently, "spreading like wildfire" and that I was the only person she gave copies so I violated the law. I said someone else must've stolen them or something, because I don't even own a scanner and my copies were torn up 20 years ago.

July 2015: My phone rings and it is a detective. Or he said he was. He asks me about the photos for his investigation. I told him I am innocent of all charges and do not wish to speak further on the matter without the support of counsel.

Can I ignore this unless they call me again? I'd rather not hire an attorney as money is tight, we just moved in to a new house. How can I prove it wasn't me? Is this something that they might come and arrest me at my house for? My new neighbors are snoopy and gossipy and you can imagine this would thrilling gossip for them for months.

Answer:
 Probably relevant to note that if something becomes illegal in 2015, you can't be charged for something you did in 1995.Answer #2: Shut up for it and hire attorney if the come a calling. You don't even have to answer the phone. You have no information that would make this go away.Answer #3: She is full of herself if she literally said "wildfire".

You never have to agree to meet or talk with the police. If they want to arrest you, they know where to find you.

If this was an art project and not sexually explicit then they may not even fall under the law anyway.


Title: Payroll Check not in my legal name

Question:
hi i think this is the right outlet to ask.

i worked a couple day temp job and i go by my birth surname but for anything legal ie payroll, taxes, insurance. i have to go by my legal name which is still my married name. i recently got a divorced.

the temp company guaranteed me the paper check would be in my legal name.

i pick up the check and its in my birth last name, that i have no id for.

how cani cash it?

what i do have is my original birth certificate and my certified divorce docs showing the name change. plus my DL with my ID with my legal name.

will those forms of identification,  be enough to cash it at Walmart or at the bank that issued the check? i don't have a bank acct right now but i don't usually have issues cashing checks since the last name always matches my ID.

Answer: Why don't you just ask the company to reissue the check in your actual name?Answer #2: Just deposit it. The bank won't care if the issuing party doesn't. If you are using a check cashing place, they might.


Title: How does a second home affect state benefits, like WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid/CHIPS?

Question: We'll call my husband Joe. As I understand it, when Joe's maternal grandfather died, he left the family house to Joe, who was a minor at the time. The reason was to avoid Joe's father from gaining control of the property. Since then, Joe's parents got divorced, his father moved out, and Joe lived in the house as his mother's dependent. He left for school, then officially moved out when we got married. His mom still lives there, handles all the renovations and maintenance, and pays all the taxes, which even come in her name. Joe makes no claims on the house and doesn't plan on ever living down there. Since he moved out, we have visited as her guests but never as the house's owners. In all practical, day-to-day purposes, the house is hers. It probably would have been left to her if there hadn't been concerns about her husband trying to take control of it away from her when they were still married. So the concern is, would this house count against our family for state benefits? Does it depend on the benefit? And if we could get it officially transferred to her name, would that count against us as transferring assets?

Answer:
 Yes it is an asset for him. He needs to claim it on any documents that ask for info like that. Their is no reason for tax payers to pay for him when he has a property he could be renting or sell. Answer #2: Does your husband actually own the house now? If so, it's his asset, even if he lets his tenants run the place and pay the taxes. He'll need to account for it when applying for any benefits; depending on the specific requirements of the benefits he's looking for, it may or may not disqualify him.

The lookback period for each benefits program is quite long (measured in years). If he transfers an asset to a close family member such as his mother, without receiving commensurate value in return, then it may be viewed as a fraudulent transfer; while she'd keep the house, it may render him ineligible, just as if he retained the house.

What's the house worth? Can his mother afford to buy it from him? If not, what rent could the property sustain, if he chose to charge it?


Title: [GA] Someone is trying to collect company's debt by harassing me, a non-owner of the business

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Send a certified letter to the provider telling them you have no involvement in the debt, and that any letters sent on the debt needs to be rerouted to the company.


Title: Drug test

Question: My friend has a court ordered drug test (he's on probation) - we live in California - if I give him pee, what kind of trouble can I get into

Answer:
 You can go to jail for a variety of very serious charges.

No one here is going to help you commit one or more felony crimes.


Title: Religious Custody

Question:
My husband has filed for divorce and he is asking for shared parenting for our 2-year son.

We were a very religious family and we were married in the church by our pastor and when our son was born we had a dedication ceremony, my husband was very involved in the ceremony. There was also a verbal agreement that we would always raise our son in this religion. My husband has since left our faith, so my question is, Can I file for shared parenting with sole religious legal custody until he is old enough to decided on his religion? Say 12 years old? Would the dedication ceremony hold up as proof that we agreed to Rise our son in this religion prior to his filing for divorce

Answer:
 It's not called "religious custody" but you can request control over religious upbringing -- as long as activities like church don't impinge on his parenting time.  Don't expect him to be required to take him to church or to Sunday school during his time.

If your ex doesn't object, the judge won't either.  If he does, then you're probably both going to be allowed to do what you wish during your own parenting time.  Whether that means taking him to a different church, or to no church at all, or teaching the child that God doesn't exist, that's his prerogative as a parent, too.

>Would the dedication ceremony hold up as proof that we agreed to Rise our son in this religion prior to his filing for divorce

No.  People are allowed to change their minds.  It's not any more enforceable against him than it would be if the church tried to enforce it against you.


Title: On what basis are stores able to request that customers all leave their bags with staff at the counter? what happens if it gets stolen?

Answer: They can refuse to do business with you if you refuse to leave your bag.


Title: Autobody shop goes out of business with my car still inside... (Boise, ID)

Question:
Boise, Idaho. I needed some minor body work and paint done on my jeep. Took it a shop that is part of a large national chain and paid $700 down payment.

Since then there's been one issue after another and it's 2 weeks past when it was supposed to be done. After they stopped answering their phones I drove down and they went bankrupt with the jeep still inside, disassembled, and sanded.

I've called their corporate office who told me they will see about releasing the jeep to me so I can take it somewhere else.

Since the jeep isn't legal to drive as it is, I'll will probably have to pay for towing, putting it back together, ect.

What steps should i be taking now? Is there something I can do to get the 700 back if they refuse to refund It? I understand they already did some work, but towing the jeep in pieces 2 weeks later wasn't what I had in mind when I payed. What about compensation for a rental car? I'm in the middle of moving and I will have to rent a vehicle now.

TLDR dropped jeep off at shop and paid 700 down. Shop went under with the jeep disassembled and locked inside. What should I do?

Answer:
 First off, dispute the charge with your card company or bank.
As for the Jeep, try calling around to the local shops. Explain the situation and ask if they can help you out like maybe do a free tow or a payment plan.Answer #2: But yeah,  wait til you have the jeep out before you dispute the $700 charges.  They definitely don't have legal claim to it if they failed to provide the services you paid for.


Title: [IA] Dispute with roofing company - I haven't paid and I'm not sure what to do next

Question: I hired a well known local roofing company to install a small EPDM rubber flat roof on a residential property at a cost of $4000 with a signed contract.  A few days before the roof was to be installed I found out the company I hired was subbing it out to another local roofer.  I found this out by chance and the original company didn't tell me. The roof was installed in mid June 2018.  I inspected it and immediately could tell it was done very sloppy. It looks awful. I contacted the company I hired with my concerns and they immediately threatened a lien on my property and to report me to credit collections.  I met with the sub contractor on the roof and he was very intimidating and basically yelled at me and told me it was all done 100% correct and I don't know anything. I pointed out the product installation guide and how he didn't follow the guidelines. He said every installer does it a different way. I told the contractor and sub contractor that I did not want them back on the property to make any changes unless I approved it. The next day they showed up without my knowledge and cleaned up some of the hack job work (lipstick on a pig).  They completely ignored my request.  I hired a third and unbiased party EPDM installer from a neighboring city and they gave me a report on the roof and everything that was done incorrectly. Along with the long list and details saying everything that was done incorrectly there is a bullet point that says "The overall installation of the roof appears to be functional".  That line might bite me in the butt if this goes to court.  I sent the report to the contractor mid July and he emailed me about 2 weeks ago stating that he wanted to meet again on the roof with the installer.  I told him I didn't want to do that because they already gave me their opinion on the install and I disagree with it. I asked if they would be willing to make some kind of compromise.  I also don't really want to be alone with this guy that looks like he's spent most of his life in prison.  I haven't heard back since from them.  I'm not sure what do to. I don't trust the contractors skills to do more work on my house. I'm not sure who a judge would side with if this went to small claims.  Should I have my attorney send a letter? Should I meet with these contractors at my attorney's office?  All of my communication has been through text or email. The installer has been fairly hostile in the communication at times and I have been very restrained and calm.

Answer:
 They're willing to come out and at least take a look. If you refuse them even that what do you expect them to do?

If you don't want to be alone with a rough-and-tumble looking guy, invite friends over.


Title: International adultery limits

Question:
Hello fellows.

I'm a Spanish guy living in Japan who felt in love with a Japanese girl. The thing is this Japanese girl had a long distance relationship since years ago with a south-american guy living in America, and they got married last year (DC maybe?).
They almost don't meet at all because he's in America and she's in Japan, but lately the husband discovered this relationship and claims to have evidences.

I would like some advice in case he decide to take legal actions... what are the limits for this? Is the American marriage applying being in Japan? Or more directly, can we (she, me) be sued?

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks :)

Answer:
 Where did the marriage occur, as in, what state? Does she have her marriage license? Your post is unclear, does her apparently estranged husband actually care about your relationship?Answer #2: Typically in the US you cannot be sued for adultery. There are a handful of states where you can be sued for "alienation of affection" (Hawaii, North Carolina, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah).

I don't know if that exists in Japanese law.


Title: I recently moved into a new apartment and the person living in the downstairs unit is a drug dealer and drug addict. What is the best way to handle this?

Question:
I recently moved to a new apartment in Ontario, Canada. Not long after I moved in the ex-tenants reached out to me and told me that they believed the person living in the lower level of the house was a drug dealer and drug addict. They had observed inordinate levels of foot traffic in and out of the house and complained of strong chemical smoke smells which they believed were the downstairs tenant smoking either meth or crack.

I immediately began carefully observing the situation and taking notes. The downstairs tenant smokes some kind of substance which smells like plastic burning on an almost daily basis. The smell is overwhelming, gives me a headache and keeps me up at night. I record all instances of this. There are people in and out of the apartment many times a day and often overnight. I have recorded all times and as much information as possible. I spoke to the neighbours who have also confirmed that they believe someone in my house is dealing drugs.

I spoke to my landlord and he said he is going to send the downstairs tenant a letter mentioning that I, along with the neighbours and the landlord himself have noticed lots of foot traffic in the house. He said he will demand that this behaviour stop.

I am trying to move out as quickly as possible. What should I do in the meantime? I feel that my landlord sending this letter will accomplish nothing but potentially put me in the bullseye of a dangerous situation. I have not confronted the downstairs tenant in any way. Should I call the police?

Answer: Best idea is to just move, sounds like you have no idea who you might be potentially snitching on and the safest move is to just get yourself away from the situation


Title: Ex-boyfriend wants to make me & my children the recipients of his will

Question:
This is so..... odd. I live in PA, the other person is in LA.
I am in a long-term relationship. I had a boyfriend before this relationship. We were madly in love and absolutely would still be together, except for the fact that his career meant he would move fairly regularly, and I did NOT want my children to have any less than 100% of their dad (my ex-husband).

We broke up. We still love each other very much, albeit secretly. No affair or anything, we just wish things had been different.

He contacted me recently, and wants to make me and my 2 children the sole benefactors of his will. I have no idea how to respond to that, and am not entirely comfortable with it. Aside from the fact that I don't know how my current partner would feel about it, I am not sure how that would work out, legally. His family knew about me, as we dated for almost 2 years, but I never met them face to face. He has a brother, has never been married, has no kids. He feels very strongly about this, that he wants us to have what we would have had, if our relationship had worked out. Is this even legal?

If I chose to accept this crazy and shocking proposition, what would it require (aside from just writing up a will)? It seems as though there might need to be a more rigorous process to carry out the will, given that he would be giving 2 properties in 2 states, plus very healthy financial assets all to a woman and 2 children that are completely unrelated to him. I have no clue, though.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 There's no real process.  He can leave his stuff to anyone, with or without that person's permission.  That doesn't convey any requirement on your part; if bequeathed something you can simply reject it and the estate will handle it.

It's up to you whether you accept his offer.  Personally, hey, free stuff(more or less) but that's just me.


Title: Ex-wife won't pay for car in her possession (post divorce) I want to sue for it back.

Question:
State: Virginina
City: Norfolk

Long story short I use to own two cars but legally settled to only be responsible for one because my ex and I split everything 50/50. Part of the legal agreement was that she would take financial responsibility of the car and refinance it so that my name would come off the loan. Unfortunately she has HORRIBLE credit and can't get a new loan. I tried to set up a plan to have her pay me until her credit was repaired. Now that she has figured out that she has my credit hostage she won't pay for the car all together because she knows I'll pay to protect my credit. What are my options? She has zero income and is a full time college student. The car title is in her name but I'm the primary loan holder. I've also made every single payment for the past 4 years.

Can I sue for the possession of the car in civil court? My intent is to sell it privately.

If I can sue for possession. What do I need in order to prove her incompetence to take financial responsibility? I've had people say I need to write her via certified mail informing her of the legal obligations and after the third or 4th attempt (I'm assuming once a month) to pursue her in court. Does that sound right?

Answer:
 IANAL. If one of the actual lawyers responds, listen to them.

There are posts just like yours all the time on this subreddit. I'd search and link a few, but I'm on mobile right now. IIRC, the best place for you to start is actually to go back to the court that issued the divorce judgment ordering her to refinance the car and file for contempt. If you used a lawyer in the divorce, it'd be a good idea to call him up.Answer #2: Your property settlement agreement rules all, more or less.  If she is not upholding her end of the agreement, you can go back to family court for to amend the agreement.  Here is the rub, the court might decide that you have to pay for the car if her circumstances prevent her from paying for it.

If your agreement states that she is now responsible for paying the car loan, she is violating a court order.  The court that issued the order (signed off on the terms of the divorce) has jurisdiction.  A general civil proceeding will fail on that point.

I have seen other responses to your post that suggest that you can sell the car out from under her depending on the wording on the title.  That, too, is likely a violation of the divorce order. Answer #3: Get a court order to sell the car, pay off the loan, and give any equity left to your ex.  Your estate settlement probably gave ownership of the car to your ex and specified that she was supposed to finance in her name.  She still has the ownership but has failed to pay the debt.
You are not entitled to take ownership, your interest is limited to getting that the original loan paid off.


Title: Ohio - Son's friend is getting kicked out, will be 18 next month, what do I need to register him in school?

Question:
My son's friend (W) used to live around the block, they've been friends since they were 11. Two or three years ago W's mother died. Three months after that W's father moved his girlfriend into their house, and shortly after that they all moved to West Virginia. The boys kept in touch using facebook, cell phones, and x-box.

Well, the dad's girlfriend apparently hates W, and they've decided to kick him out. He's 17 and a junior in high school. He'll be 18 next month. His cousin is bringing him back to Ohio this weekend, and I've told him when he moves in with us he's not allowed to quit school.

What do I need to register him in school? He doesn't have a driver's license yet, I have no idea if he's bringing his birth certificate or social security card with him.

His dad is willing to talk to me, and I have his number, what should I ask him to send to us with his son this weekend? Since they're kicking him out, I can't get in any trouble for letting him live with us, can I?

EDIT1: I found [this] (http://kyjustice.org/sites/default/files/Power_of_Attorney_for_Medical_School%20Decision_Making_Form.pdf) PDF form for Kentucky, but haven't been able to find one for Ohio. "STANDARD POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR
MEDICAL/SCHOOL DECISION MAKING". I'm pretty sure W's dad would sign this. With him living with us and us having the POA, would the school have to allow us to register him? If I can find a similar form, would I have to use an Ohio POA, or a West Virginia POA?

W has had kind of a crappy few years, I'd like to let him finish high school somewhere he'd be happy.

EDIT2: I think [this](https://powerofattorney.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Ohio-Minor-Child-Power-of-Attorney-Form.pdf) PDF will work! Google-fu leveled!

Answer: Since he's still a minor your first call needs to be to Child Protective Services where he lives. They can't just kick out their minor child.


Title: [NYC] Own condo and building management kicked out contractor and refusing work in our apt (mid construction).

Question:
so, me and my gf own our condo in manhattan and have started construction on our apartment. we had an alteration agreement with the building management and everything was cool. we had agreed to remodel the kitchen and put up new walls and remodel the bathroom while also putting in new floors, pretty standard stuff. we decided on the last day of demo (today) to make a semi-open kitchen by taking down half of one of the walls (it's like 2-3ft wide before the concrete beam comes in) and make it a countertop that we can sit at and another wall near the bedroom that is just this weird hollow wall (also like 2ft wide).

ok, so somehow the building heard about it (which is pretty amazing since it was like 12pm and not long after our decision and definitely before we could submit a revised scope of work) and the building manager came up and halted work. my gf and our contractor went down to the management office and the building manager was stating that since we were taking down walls (regardless of them not being load bearing and with the advisement of our contractor saying a permit isn't required for this type of work) that we need to have approval from their architect and pay like a 3 or 4k fee for it. at this point our contractor and the building manager got into some sort of 'respect' based argument where she was accusing us of trying to hide it from them or something and they immediately told our contractor to leave the building and he refused so they called the police. nothing happened when the police arrived (they didn't even remove him from the premises) but then we got an email saying that they notified the board and any lawyer fees will be charged to us. construction has been halted and our contractor is no longer allowed on the premises.

basically kinda not sure what to do at this point. i basically want to just go in and apologize on his behalf and submit the modified scope of work request and try to get it back on schedule but i'm not sure what our options are. are they allowed to force us to leave the apartment in an unlivable state? i'd like to have to not find a new contractor since we've basically paid for half of it so far but that's something we can deal with later.

any advice?

thanks!

Answer: Not a lawyer and might be wrong so someone please correct me if I am, but I don't think they can trespass your guests.


Title: [Maine]Me and another guy can't resolve our dispute with words and we don't have the money for court.

Question:
So this dude and I, go back a year or so. It's a stupid thing, I've tried blocking him on all social media, the works, but he lives in the same town I do and is within walking distance. Frequent shouting matches on the street are somewhat common.

I can't seem to resolve this with words, and neither of us want to nor have the money for court, so naturally the only way is violently.

"A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon rules."

I wouldn't say we're matched physically but there will not be any weapons. I'm taller and weigh more.

I couldn't find any laws regarding a formal duel, so I'm posting here.

I want to write a legally binding document to state that neither of us will be held legally responsible for the others' injuries, and I doubt my city's mayor would want to waste time watching two dickheads duke it out.

Like I said, it sounds stupid, but i can assure you this is the only way to resolve this dispute.

Answer:
 >I can't seem to resolve this with words

Have you tried resolving it with not-words?  As in, just not speaking to him, and not responding when he speaks to you?  You mention shouting matches, but it takes two to tango.  Just don't shout back.

If he continues to harass you, report it to the police.

>i can assure you this is the only way to resolve this dispute.

I can assure you that it isn't.  I can further assure you that "not resolving the dispute" is a valid outcome.

Legally-speaking, a contract will not protect you from being charged with a crime if you two duke it out.


Title: My son's ex wants to exchange personal objects a few months after their breakup. We offered to do the exchange at a place and time of her choosing as long as it's not at our home. She refuses and insists on coming, and came with a police escort but missed us. [ON, Can.]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 contact the police yourselves to assist you in making a drop.Answer #2: UPS it to her. Whatever it costs it will be worth it Answer #3: Just go leave a box with her stuff on her porch like she did. Take a video of the contents and of you sealing it with tape. This is being turned into a bigger deal than it has to be with her getting the cops involved.Answer #4: Wow. She’s really stretching for that last little “touché” of power/control, eh?

She doesn’t get to choose. Since it was somehow okay for her to leave your son’s things in a box on the porch? Let her know that her things will be in a box by the curb. (On rubbish day, hopefully)

Get your cameras filming and be ready to have her trespassed when she gets stupid.Answer #5: In Ontario, the police won't do anything.  She does not have a right to access your home.  If there are DV concerns, they will supervise to make sure that nothing happens, however if your answer at the door is to say that you are happily using all of her stuff and she can go pound salt over it, the police will tell her to hire a lawyer to go to Small Claims or (depending on length of cohabitation with your son), family court.

If you know where her parents live, the simplest course of action would be to make an inventory of her stuff, put it in a box, and have one of her parents sign a receipt saying "I received XYZ from you".  This would prevent her from suing you in small claims over it later, and gets the stuff out of your hair.


Title: Can you really drive without a license?

Question:
(MI) Hear me out before dismissing me as stupid, and I also like to point out that I DO have my license but I watched [This Video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VqFgUZcVDfo) and am very curious about how legit this actually is. And I understand this isn't exactly advice but I'm not sure where else to post.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 No, you cannot (without being ticketed). This question comes up from time to time, there is no constitutional right to drive a motor vehicle. The often cited right to travel applies to moving between states, not driving around.Answer #2: This is sovereign citizen BS. As a general rule, don't take legal advice from Alex Jones, Infowars, or Prison Planet.

You are not required to have an ID to live in this country, but you DO need one to drive.Answer #3: That was hilarious. As in hilariously ridiculous.

But to literally answer your question, yes, yes you can drive without a license. You'll just eventually get a nasty ticket for it.


Title: First offense DUI in Ohio

Question:
Last night I got pulled over by a state trooper. He pulled me over because i drifted toward center line but did not cross it, then i drifted toward edge line, again, didnt cross it. He conducted field sobriety test, i think i passed the eye test (nystigmus?) I did stumble on the heel to toe a couple times. He arrested me, took me to the barracks and booked me. He released me on my own recognises. He gave me breath test and i blew a .097. I have a clean driving record, no tickets for the last 15 years at least, and was cooperative with the officer. That being said, on the ticket he gave me, the year and make of vehicle are wrong. In addition, the roads were wet and there was a strong wind advisory in effect all night. Also, not sure if this matters either, but he conducted the sobriety check behind the cruiser, so i am assuming it was not captured on his dash cam.

My questions are what can i expect to happen and what are the chances my lawyer can get the charges dropped? I plan to plead down to a reckless op charge if nothing else.

Thanks

Answer:
 What color is your car?  Will it clash with yellow plates?  Your grasping at straws with most of your points.  The officer is going to give his interpretation of your condition and he is backed up by the breath test.Answer #2: The clerical errors are entirely meaningless and will have 0 effect on your case.  You were well over the legal limit and since the test was done after you were taken to the station it's clear that your BAC was higher when you were driving.

Your attorney will be able to tell you what they may be able to do, but here we are just speculating.

Get an attorney first thing tomorrow and stop drinking and driving.


Title: Texas - Water Heaters right next to my Bathroom, in my closet

Question:
I was trying to find an apartment specific subreddit but there doesn't seem to be one. Welp, the thing is that there are two water heaters on my walk-in closet right next to the bathroom. They already look rusty and I would like them to be moved out but I simply know this cannot be done like that (the apartment would invent lies to refuse to do so). Anyway, I was looking into the legality of having water heaters inside the bathroom under the code of Travis County/The city of Austin? They are supposedly electric but if anyone can identify them it would be great. I don't know which one does what, and that is important because then if one is a gas heater it should NOT be inside of the rooms.

**Pictures**: http://imgur.com/a/IAmEz

Answer: They're not gas. The complex has no obligation to move them.


Title: [KY, USA] Physician's office being forced to move; every place we view and like, we are told "We won't rent to you because of the type of patient's you treat".

Question:
I'll try to make this as short and simple as can be. I'm not really interested in pursuing any legal action, more so wanting to know if what is being done is legal and what, if anything, we can do to stop it.

I work for a physician's office and recently a new landlord bought out the building we are in and is not renewing our lease because he wants to take over our suite for his own business that he has moved into the building. That's all fine and dandy but finding a new place to move in 30 days has proven to be an enormous task.

We view properties and are upfront about our business. We are a program that offers MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) for opiate addiction so our patient base is primarily people with substance abuse problems. Once they learn about our patient base, we are immediately told "We don't want to rent to you because of the type of patient's you treat". Because, you know apparently only poor white trash become drug addicts and addiction would never come near higher class, educated people. -_-

Anyway, it's starting to get closer to the end of our time frame at our current property and of course we could choose a shit hole that looks like crap, has a horrible landlord that doesn't want to fix anything and looks unprofessional. We just want to find a nice professional office but *no one* will rent to us.

Are we just screwed and destined to move to a complete shit hole? I'm sure this is legal (although my operations manager seems to think it's a form of discrimination but I don't know about that) but is there anything we can maybe do or say to prevent this from continually happening to us?

Answer:
 You never wondered why methadone clinics are always in bad neighborhoods before?Answer #2: This is not legal advice, but have you considered asking a potential landlord to come by your current location at a busy time to see what it looks like?

They're operating out of fear. Fear often comes from ignorance. If your clients are well-behaved, normal looking people, let them see that.

There may be HIPAA quandries around this, but I don't see how allowing someone to sit in your waiting room, or even your parking lot, causes issues.

But I'm not a lawyer.Answer #3: There's nothing illegal about discriminating against type of business, or socioeconomic status of the clientele.  It's an unfortunate truth that a lot of services for the poor have to deal with.


Title: Would I get detained coming back into the US while being on probation?

Question:
Hey guys...this is a stupid question, the obvious answer here is to not risk it and finish probation and then leave the country, but this is kind of an emergency situation and I'm trying to go to Nepal.

I'm on my second DUI(I blew a friggen .089 and my first one was for weed but I get it, I suck). I JUST started probation in May(it's been 2 months) and so I have a feeling if I ask to leave the country my PO will say no. However, if I ask her to leave just the state I think that should be ok...

If I were to get permission to leave the state though and then leave the country, when I come back in through customs would they question me or would I get in trouble?

Obviously, if I'm guaranteed to get caught I'm not leaving. If I can just get permission to leave the state and then still go to Nepal though and come back with no problems, I'm sorry I'm going to because it's really important. I know it's a risk but I just need answers, not scolding. Thanks!

Answer: I need to hear the emergency that requires you to go to Nepal in violation of your probation.


Title: NJ Can an employer make you wait for manager confirmation of your clock out time before permitting you to leave?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: When clock out time comes, why not call the manager first, and THEN clock out in front of them?


Title: Uber Back Ground Checks

Question: My girlfriend has been working for Uber for the past year and a half. She's done approximately 4000 rides and her rating was a 4.96 (ridiculously high). Uber was her only form of income. They ran a back ground check on her when she initially started even though they knew she had one reckless driving offense in 2013. She was hired with no problems and was allowed to drive for a year and half. 2 weeks ago she tried logging into her account and they basically told her they are running a background check. The back ground check was left pending for almost 2 weeks. Today, she received an email stating that she can no longer drive for the company. She has no way of contacting support because they refuse to let her speak with anyone about the decision. My questions are: Should a law suite be filed? Does uber have the right to do that after knowing that she had this offense and still continued to let her drive? What would be the proper protocol to handle this situation?

Answer:
 >Does uber have the right to do that after knowing that she had this offense and still continued to let her drive?

Yes.

>What would be the proper protocol to handle this situation?

Get a different job.
Answer #2: Uber has the right to change the parameters of employment - and you're not truly employed by Uber anyway.


Title: (VA) My friend was caught with an a little over an ounce of marijuana

Question: He's fifteen, this was his third drug related offense. He was caught at a school, if that matters, selling to another student. He's been expelled and is currently in police custody. Do you think he's going to jail and for how long? He received just probation the last two times, but idk those were for lesser drugs (PCP).

Answer:
 For your own sake, get new friends. You do NOT want to be associated with this kid. Answer #2: Dude forget him. Get this guy the hell out of your life. For your answer though, after this being his third time being caught and possibly being on probation then he needs the best possible lawyer he can get and even then he's probably going to see juvy until he can go to jail. Answer #3: Yeah he will probably go to Juvy for a while. How long all depends on his behavior and if he gets a god lawyer. Answer #4: Hopefully they pursue with the full extent of they law  .
Get new friends


Title: Being fired for not covering a shift

Question:
Hi all. From NSW Australia here.

Co-worker fell sick today. She asked the team group chat if someone can cover her shift. Only one person responded they can. I'm a full time student and work there casual, I never cancel shifts but I don't pick many up as I dedicate my days off for study. My boss hired me knowing I'm a full time student and have study commitments.

The restaurant is a very dodgy place. Two co-workers are paid cash as to avoid tax, we have to buy our own uniforms from the supplier, and our boss makes people stay back any time they spent using the toilet (yes he times us on the toilet).

I found out from a co-worker who is cozy with the boss that I'm being fired.

Is there anything I can do?
Thanks

Ps I have screenshots of my boss saying these things if anyone wants to see lol

Answer: Sounds like a horrible work place, if I were you I would find a different job and report that place to the tax authority for the tax thing. Answer #2: Try r/AusLegal mate


Title: Company raised the price on a product, then put it on sale for 50% off. Shady, but is it illegal?

Question:
Exactly the title. The company had a particular product priced at $1,000, then dropped the price to $700 for about 2 months, then raised the price back to $1,000 and made it 50% off with certain prerequisites.

It's definitely shady and shitty, but does that violate any laws?

Answer: No, you’ve just described Black Friday deals and basically every other sale in every department store in the US


Title: SO fell in the grocery store. Ankle is injured and possibly broken. What do we do next? [Ontario, Canada]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Since your medical care is covered by OHIP, your only damages will be for any pain and suffering related to the accident, and perhaps for lost wages if applicable.

For the store to be responsible, they need to have caused the spill, or known about it and ignored it, or reasonable stores would have known about it.  It's possible that that happened.  But it's also possible that the spill happened ten seconds before your SO came along, and was caused by a customer.  Most grocery stores have diligent procedures in place to clean up spills.

You can feel free to consult with a personal injury lawyer, especially since this is probably at no cost to you.  But don't be surprised if nothing much comes of it.