Title: How do i get custody of my son!

Question:
My son is on probation in another state(WV) (academic probation), his father has custody and the living situation is not fit for a 17 year old to be living in. How should i go about getting custody of him? The courts said his father could submit some papers and get him here but his father is refusing to do so. The change of custody takes 30-60 days he said. I need him back up here as school is about to start. (OH)

How do i get his probation transferred, as well as how do i gain custody in time for school to start?

- If it makes any difference, he has been with me for over 2months for summer break, this is where he said he wants to be, he said he wishes he never left.

Thanks!

Answer:
 "Academic probation"? That sounds like the school has told him his grades or behavior must improve or he'll be expelled/punished. That's not a "legal" thing, that's between the parents, the child, and the school.

The custody thing is a different matter. It sounds like the court said the father COULD give up the custody, but not that he HAS to. If he has custody, then "refusing" to give him up is within his rights.


Title: [Denver, Colorado] Family friend is scared of everything.

Question: Basically, her dad has become a drunk. He's a wall-jumper and has been here for years, but now that she is old enough to work, he has quit his job, and he is now becoming an abusive father/grandfather. She feels that she cannot do anything about it, as he has "connections", and seems like he will do what it takes in order to continue to keep the 'order of things' going. She wants to take all her siblings, children, and mother away and move while sending her dad to jail, but she's afraid of any repercussions. I don't blame her. Is there anything that can be done?

Answer:
 Your friend’s mother can move out, potentially with the assistance of a battered women’s organization. If your friend is an adult she can move out.

It sounds like some counseling is in order as well.


Title: Need some legal advice about a dog on dog bite.

Question: Hey guys, so long story about an incident that happened the other day that I would appreciate some advice on.  First, a little back story.  I live in Nanaimo, BC Canada and I have a neighbor that has a Rottweiler that has always aggressively charged the fence whenever anyone went outside.  The neighbors solution to this problem was to put a tarp covering the fence, which was a terrible idea because it started the dog to aggressively jump at the fence.  It has done this for so long that our fence is bent in from the dog jumping on it.  Enter into the situation.  I recently adopted a second Husky from the local pound and he is a super gentle dog. The other day my neighbors dog was jumping, barking and growling at the fence like usual, and my boy jumped up and bit her dogs paw that was on the fence.  My neighbor is now threatening to sue for damages and I don't really have a clue where to begin other than I took some photos of our fence being bent in and have build up the fence two feet higher in hopes of deterring further conflict.  Any help on what I should be doing would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 > he is a super gentle dog

> my boy jumped up and bit her dogs paws

hmmmm... That's not exactly what I'd call gentle. But that is the first thing that popped up for me.

Dogs are property, so this is a civil matter. You can refuse to pay and he can attempt to sue you. You would present your case in small claims. If you choose to go this route, I would deny responsibility every time it comes up.


Title: Landlord received cashier's check ripped in half. Broker who mailed it wants me to get a new check.

Question:
A few weeks ago I signed a lease for a new apartment. All of my interactions have been with the broker, so I've never met the landlord. When I signed, I provided the broker with two cashier's checks: one made out to them for the broker's fee and one made out to the landlord for 1st mo. rent + security deposit.

Today the broker contacted me to say that the landlord received his cashier's check torn in half. The broker provided me a picture of the torn check and the torn envelope it was delivered in. For what it's worth, the broker's address is visible in the return address area. The broker wants me to have my bank place a stop payment on the check and issue a replacement.

How the heck should I proceed in this bizarre situation? It was my understanding that cashier's checks can't even have stop payments placed on them. If I were to file a claim that the check was destroyed, am I on the hook for the full amount? If the landlord actually has both halves and is scamming me, could he cash the original and then cash the replacement after 90 days, putting me out twice the original amount? Is this even my problem or should I tell the broker to go stuff themselves?

Answer:
 "Dear Broker.  Thanks for your email.  Please have the landlord return the two parts of the check to me and I'll take them to the bank and have them reissue the check."

First, check with your bank to make sure they will, but there's no good reason they won't if they have the original.Answer #2: These are questions you should ask your bank. They'll have the answers you need. Some of them are policy questions in regard to the bank's operations. There's no way we'll know the answer to themAnswer #3: You need to talk to your bank.

Any additional fees that the bank imposes should be figured out between the broker and the LL. (As i assume the broker mailed the check to the LL)


Title: I was jumped at bar, the staff did nothing and want to explore my options (VA)

Question:
(VA)

I was visiting my home state of Virginia and went to a bar/concert venue. A person approaced me and tried to pick a fight over my wearing of red shoelaces (apparently that is an indicator that you're a neonazi, I am not.) I thought i had deescalated the issue but 20 minutes later he and a few friends start swinging at me. The bar staff broke it up but kicked us out. We were on the second floor when this happened, I descended to the second floor where another guy started swinging at me. A bouncer split it up and I mentioned that I woukd like to go out the front exit (the rear is primary there) because my car had been parked there and there was a group outside staring at me waiting to come out. The bouncer refused my request, and walks me through the rear exit and parking lot. All the while I hear people yelling to wait until I'm off the property. As soon as i stepped on the sidewalk the bouncer walked away and watched as a mob of 8-10 people beat me to the ground and kicked me in the face repeatedly. I eventually was able to get up and ran away. They chased me for a few blocks. I eventually got away and found a person who said he woukd stay with me until police/ems got on scene.

Police got my statement, went to the venue and collected video (vellphone and bar surveillance) of the assault. With that they detained 3 people. EMS checked me out and i had to go to the hospital. Broken nose, broken sinus bone, lots of cuts and bruises. Fortunately no concussion or other bones.

The three detained are being charged with felony assault and attack in a mob or something like that.

I'm flying back home to California tomorrow and will have to sort this out from a distance. I would like to explore my options for pain and suffering on all the guys who get detained. As well I'd like to explore negligence/endangerment suit of some kind with the bar/bouncer.

I was compliant with every request from the staff and police. I didn't initiate the fights, only tried to defend myself.

I hope I have enough details, if you have any other questions let me know, thank you.

Answer:
 Yeah this is outside of the sub abilities...

Just call a lawyer. Find one in the area where it happenedAnswer #2: You may have a potential claim against the bar or the premises owner for “negligent security.”  You should hire an attorney In the city where it happened ASAP and then if that attorney is smart he or she will immediately Fedex a letter to the bar demanding that they preserve all relevant surveillance video from that night, however your attorney wants to phrase it.

Pay no attention right now to the fact that the police may have gotten some video themselves. You don’t know what it shows, how many minutes/hours it is, whether it shows the inside or outside of the premises, how long the police will preserve it, etc.

It’s imperative that your lawyer demand footage from the bar, before that footage is deleted or taped over in the ordinary course, which is often only 7 or 14 days. Answer #3: Contact a personal injury attorney and go over the details.  You may have something, especially if the customers were overserved and the bar didn't stop selling them drinks.  Consults are usually free.Answer #4: Dude make sure your doctors have cleared you to fly with a broken sinus bone...that could be extremely painful with the pressure changes


Title: [NC] Combined records won't add Middle name to felon with same name, DOB.

Question:
Several background check companies have erroneously added a felony to my name, leading to issues with apartment renting, loans and even job opportunities.

I noticed that this criminal with a different middle name has three felonies. These records are online. The main issue is that on one of his felonies, they didn't bother putting his middle name.

I emailed the Department of Public Safety the following:
"At the very least I would really appreciate it if you could add his middle name to his third felony as his middle name is only displayed in two of them.
I believe this is the reason his case is linked to my name."

Their reply:
> I am sorry but we are unable to add information to our system that is not on the judgment and commitment issued by the court and signed by a judge. Most background check companies use more identifiers other then the name like a social security number and date of birth.
>

the THING is:
Background check companies (Like First Advantage) have already prepared reports linking me to this felon and this has led to me not being able to lease apartments and just last week I was denied a job due only to what the report said. They only used name and date of birth in their report. Of course I disputed twice but it has never been corrected. No matter how many times I call they tell me that there's already a dispute open and to wait.

That's why I thought I would try and fix this from the source.

Offender search:
http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi/offendersearch.do?method=view

Any advice with clearing my name would be heavily appreciated.
Thanks!

Answer:
 This is how background checks work, your issue is common, but your disputes should end in an amended report being supplied to the landlord/employer. Note that this amended report is not permanent and the charges will likely show up again in future background checks. How long has your dispute been open for?

You can sue the background check company and/or the employer depending on the circumstances. Did the employer provide you with a pre-adverse action letter (with a copy of your report and summary of rights under the fair credit reporting act) prior to denying you employment? That is required by federal law.

If you want to be proactive see if you can get a letter from the jurisdiction where the offenses occurred that they do not belong to you. This will usually require you being fingerprinted. Answer #2: They're not doing their job. Same name and DOB happens all the time. They should be calling the court and confirming with your social or at the very least your middle name.


Title: (US-NYS) My father wants to buy a house in my name. Situation described further below.

Question:
**TL;DR** - Father wants to pay for a house but put it in my name so it is my asset, not his.

So, My father is a retired firefighter who gets a pension. On top of that he gets some disability money from *somewhere that I really should remember but always forget.* Anyway...

My father is also a Type 2 diabetic with kidney issues. He currently rents an apartment from a friend. He has mentioned to me that he is currently saving up to buy a house in full with cash and he wants to put it in my name. He says that he will pay for the taxes and everything associated with the house. Literally everything he buys he buys in cash all at once; he recently bought a decent used car in cash. Anyway, his train of thought, in regards to putting the house in my name, is that if his health issues get bad to the point where he would be unable to pay for any medical bills he might have, "nobody would be able to take the house from [me] since it's in [my] name."

* **1)** Is that train of thought correct? I don't see any flaw on the surface with that train of thought, but I, admittedly, don't know much about how it would work.

* **2)** Assuming he actually can pay for the house, in full, with cash and can subsequently pay for the taxes until he passes, is there any downside to having the house in my name? I imagine when I eventually go to buy my first house, this arrangement would kill any "first time homeowner" program thing that might be available to me.

* **3)** If he does buy the house in full in my name and then later has health complications to the point where the financial burdens of the house fall on me, I imagine that having to pay for the taxes would be a good quasi-"investment" considering I could just sell the house if it becomes a financial drain on me. Is there anything glaringly obvious that I'm not realizing about this situation?

As of right now this is all just a thought and even under ideal circumstances this is easily a year or two away. I am simply trying to get a better perspective on if this is a good idea or not.

Answer:
 Hiding assets by putting it in someone else's name could well make both of you potential felons.

Consult with a lawyer (alone) to protect yourself here before you do anything.


Title: Kids of my angry neighbor drew on On my car.

Question:
A little backstory.
Ever since the first day i moved in to the house, my neighbor has been a complete asshole. My First "Hello" to him i didnt get a respond. We usually meet every single day but he just gives me an angry look and ignores me. I have not done a single thing to him and have tried being nice.

Now what happened.
One day at around 8pm, i hear kids laughing and making unordinary noises. i look out of my window, I see his kids drawing on my car! I look around and i see him just staring at them with a grin on his face. I go outside and the kids flee. All the doors on the left of my car is drawn on and a little bit on one of the winows.

I am completely clueless on what to do here, i have no evidence at all that his kids did this.

Florida.

Answer:
 Call the police and file a report.

Once you get the report, call your insurance company (or before you have a report).

Think about getting cameras to record the outside of your house, after determining if it's legal in your county/state.Answer #2: Call the cops right away and file a report. The police will at least be able to question the neighbor.

Open a claim with your insurance if there is permanent damage.


Title: Is it illegal for a parent or guardian to take your devices if you bought them?

Question:
Basically as a minor what do you own if you bought it yourself?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: Your parents can parent you. They are your guardians and as your guardians they can control your possessions.


Title: Ticket for blocking sidewalk in my own driveway

Question:
Hi all.
I know there are a couple posts on here of this already but wanted to add my situation. A couple days ago I was working outside my house and there is a fire hydrant directly across from my driveway, on a curbed portion of street that is about 20ft long with two mailboxes. While outside, this car pulls up (delivery driver) in this spot and gets out maybe 5 min then leaves then same thing 10min later only his time I politely asked if he could park in front of there driveway or further back only about 10ft max and explained obvious reasoning. Obviously no one likes being told what they can and can’t do so he got mad, said some choice words and left. Well that brings us to today. I park in my driveway towards the end of it close to the sidewalk but never blocking it. But it just so happens we picked up some fire wood and put it in the front of my driveway closest to the house and I parked behind it causing my car to block the sidewalk. Well early this morning I received a parking ticket at 02:38 for parking on a sidewalk (2151.01A Columbus City Code). The city has never been through our neighborhood to cite people for this and there were three other houses on my street that had cars blocking the side walk and I didn’t see tickets on their cars. So at this point I’m pretty positive the our lovely neighbor that had the delivery called the city to report me.

My questions are is there something that could give me a fighting chance if I appealed this ticket?
On the ticket they spelled Cruze, “cruse” which isn’t correct and technically isn’t my car but is still a mistake so would that be grounds for dismissal?

Thanks in advance

Answer:
 > My questions are is there something that could give me a fighting chance if I appealed this ticket?

Did you block the sidewalk? If you did, then no.

> On the ticket they spelled Cruze, “cruse” which isn’t correct and technically isn’t my car but is still a mistake so would that be grounds for dismissal?

Clerical errors are not a "get out of jail free" card. They will simply adjust the ticket and proceed. If you committed the violation, pay the fine. Answer #2: Here's the thing: Even if it were grounds for dismissal, all the court would do is immediately refile with the right name.  There is no "haha gotcha!" technicalities for stuff like this that makes charges disappear.

If you go to court with this, the judge will ask "Well, is it true?"  And you'll have to answer yes, because you were, in fact, blocking the sidewalk.  And then you're paying the ticket anyway.  Is this really the hill you want to die on?

The money lost/PTO to attend the hearing and fight this will likely exceed the cost of the ticket.


Title: Friend written out of will of Grandma after her cousin convinced her that my friend is evil

Question:
My friend has been her power of attorney, and beneficiary for the last 15 years up until this last April.  She's taking care of her grandmother in every way possible,   mowing her lawn,  grocery shopping, maintaining her car, cleaning her house, basically doing everything a 90 year old needs help doing.  Her grandmother's physical and mental health took a severe turn last year, and it was decided to put her in assisted living.  Her grandmother threw a fit and wanted to go back to her house.  Resentment built, words were said, and my friend cut off communication because grandma was being too nasty, and hurtful.

Grandma with failing physical and mental health reached out to another granddaughter (my friend's cousin).  Her cousin, who has had 0 contact with her for the last 15 years swoops in and moves her in to her own home.

Long story short, the will was changed a couple months before her death yesterday.   My friend has certificates from a couple banks that state she is entitled to the money upon her death.  The bank informed her that everything was changed and put in the name of her cousin.

&#x200B;

Is there any recourse?

Answer: Your friend cut off all contact and expected to still be in the will? They can try to contest it, but I can certainly understand why they were removed. Your friend put them in assisted living, and their cousin was willing to take care of them at home instead.


Title: [Houston, TX - USA] Ob-Gyn is being awful to my wife on top of accusing her of being an addict.

Question:
I have no idea what, if anything, can even be done about this, so really, just a direction to look in (even in what type of lawyer to ask) would be great.

THE BACKGROUND: wife has a severe pain condition caused by viral nerve damage (among other conditions like vagal nerve damage that caused an arrhythmia... the list goes on). She is on opioid pain medication for this (and is genetically resistant to these and all drugs with narcotic effects and so is on extra-large doses) which always leads to doctors (if not always directly) accusing her of being drug seeking when she inevitably needs some while having one of her many other issues (brain lesion and an immune deficiency causing worse illnesses) dealt with. The point of all this being, there is no MRI etc that show hard evidence of a source of pain, so we're no longer surprised by this, especially with the DEA having a hate-on for Houston doctors, and already know there is little to no recourse for such things. The best we hope for is an apology from the doctor after the blood work (or spinal tap lab) comes back and shows that she is, in fact, very ill.

THE PROBLEM: Her ob-gyn, however, has taken this to a whole new level (for those of you wondering why we bothered to come back, it's because there are very few high-risk ob-gyns).

It's been months of insinuating my wife has a problem and not wanting to give pain treatment every time she had to go to the women's hospital ("we don't treat that here!"), but caving because of the obvious extra vomiting induced by intractable pain, as well as the nurses seeing that she was in an appalling level of pain. This time, she not only directly says "I think you're drug seeking and you're only here because you ran out of drugs," but pulls out all the stops, sending in a social worker to "talk" to her (more accurately, trying to lead her into saying she has a problem) and having a doctor that actually specializes in helping pregnant women with addictions. We actually liked the addiction doctor because he asked questions that weren't already assuming she was human trash (like, how did you function before your illness?). Whatever the addiction doctor said afterward, my wife started receiving her pain meds like she should have been for the past 36 hours... whatever, not a surprise, too, and the subsequent continuation of hyperemesis and diarrhea showed there was a legit issue. Just today she gets documentation of "proof" that my wife double-filled her script for one of her pain meds, and claims this made all the doctors agree she has a problem, and has cut her meds, and has been hounding her trying to get her to leave the hospital and demanding she check into a rehab program. I'm going to get the documentation from the pharmacy showing that the double-fill is blatantly false, as well as procure a copy of what the doctor is holding, ASAP.

She also has directly caused pain: she demands my wife sit up when she (the doctor) enters the room. Since my 27 week pregnant wife in excruciating pain can't make it past the fetal position, the doctor demands the nurse forcefully raise her upright with the bed controls. This induces extra pain and a bout of vomiting minutes later (witnessed by the nurse).

I'm just so blind with impotent rage and feel so helpless because I don't know what to do. Or even if I can do anything... thank you for listening, any advice helps.

Answer: The solution is ridiculously easy. Find a new Doctor. There's **PLENTY** of high risk specialized/qualified OBGYNs in Houston.


Title: Is there any law regarding needing sinks in restrooms?

Question: (California) The gym that I go to has a locker room with a few stalls and urinals but there are no sinks. Showers, but nothing else. I'm wondering if there is any actual legal requirement besides it being a bad idea for health to do this.

Answer:
 The building code would require it, there are many requirements for specific occupancies and the amount of toilets, sinks etc. be a hard thing to get a certificate of occupancy without satisfying these requirements. Are there sinks you can access anywhere in this gym? I've seen bathrooms that have a common area for hand washing
Answer #2: Municipalities have their own plumbing codes that reference the International Building Code. So your local code could be stricter then the IBC, but not more lenient. You would have to talk to your local code official or see if code is listed on your county website for all of the requirements.

But anyway the IBC requires one sink for occupancy of 1 - 200 people [Table 2902.1].


Title: (US) Consequences for resisting subpoena?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Removed - PII Removed

Answer: If you refuse a lawful court order, the requesting party can seek an order to show cause. Failing to show cause, or refusing to appear, can lead to jail time for contempt of court.


Title: [Michigan] Can adults harboring my runaway (minor) cousin be charged with a crime?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It is illegal to harbor a minor "with intent to encourage, counsel, or assist the juvenile in evading lawful custody." Just letting them live somewhere knowing they ran away is not enough. If they are lying for them, or encouraging them to avoid their parents, that would be illegal.

MCSL § 722.151


Title: [CA] Can you designate a secondary custody of your children?

Question: Hi there, new Mom here. Is it possible to legally designate who would be granted custody of your child in case of something happening to one or both parents? The reason being, if something happened to me or both of us I don't want there to be problems for my partners family or my partner himself with custody. I feel that my family would try to gain custody over them, and our preference would be for his parents or our child's god-mother to have custody. I am sure in court none of us would be deemed "unfit". My family is just toxic and already showing to be territorial over my child, and showing signs that they don't respect my partner or his family. So we feel preventative action should be taken if it's possible. Any advice or insight to how this works in California would be appreciated.

Answer:
 You can express a preference (such as in a will or other estate planning document).  Note, however, that at the end of the day, a court will decide who will have custody/guardianship based on what is in the best interest of the children.  That may or may not be the same person(s) the parents specified in their estate planning document, for various reasons (e.g., if the parents wrote the document 10 years ago and the person(s) specified are no longer in a position to take the children, etc.)

If you have not already done so, you should consult an estate planning attorney to make sure that you have all your bases covered both in terms of expressing  a preference for who will serve as guardians for your children should you and your spouse pass, as well as to ensure that you have proper financial security for your children in the event of the death of one or both parents.


Title: I rent and my gas stove blew up last night, is my landlord required to replace the stove?

Question: I was preparing chicken Parmesan last night and while heating up a pot of oil on the stove, the burner it was on exploded, sending the pot of oil in the air, and coating the walls and ceiling in hot oil. I called the fire dept after it happened because I was worried about a gas leak. When I asked if they had ever heard of this happening they said that they have never seen such a thing happen, but they said that I should call my landlord and have him replace the stove. Can he be required to replace it? The stove has been there since before I moved in about 3 years ago, and I am pretty sure it is almost as old as I am.

Answer:
 Yes he is required to replace it.

Whether it not you are responsible for damages may be the argument here.


Title: Fall in a water meter hole

Question:
Don't know what to put this under for flair but earlier today around 10 am I was teaching my little brother how to ride a bike I ran back in the grass to the house a I stepped in a partially opened water meter hole that was not secured. I fell in and it hurt my knee really badly I don't think it's injured enough for the hospital but enough to leave a bruise. Now we didn't open the water meter hole cover at all I am assuming it was one of the workers from a while back. So my question is can my family sue for this for the water meter hole being open and me falling into it and bruising my knee if not worse? Or would a hospital visit have to be in play to sue? And would that water meter hole still have to be open (My little brother ended up putting it back unfortunately) I live in the US in Kansas City, Missouri
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: The value of a bruise in a personal injury suit is negligible. So even if you were to have a claim based on an injury that happened at your own house, it would probably not be worth your time.


Title: [FL] [Update] The unemployment office is still screwing me over. What should I do?

Question:
[Part one is here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/53hda2/fl_the_unemployment_office_has_been_screwing_me/)

I got another call today for a hearing, bright and early this morning. But they never sent me any notice of the hearing. And furthermore, they still haven't sent me the required document that I need to have to participate in my own hearing.

"Okaaaaay," said the mediator, "I guess we'll reschedule. Again." Like this was my fucking fault. She told me this time they would be sending my notification by mail (she checked my email address and asked how I'd gotten the first notification-- seemed to pass the test) and that it would be certified so, "you can't say you didn't get it."

I checked my email and my unemployment account while I was on the phone. Neither had any notification listed of any sort.

I told her good, I'm glad it will be certified, but I doubt it's ever going to show up.

I am so fucking livid to be treated this way. This is my money-- I'm entitled to it, I have paid into this unemployment account since I started working at the age of 16. I was legitimately laid off, they even approved the money back when I filed in June and then suddenly withdrew their approval for no stated reason. I have gone through enough shit while unemployed. This woman is supposed to be a mediator for the state, but she's treating me like I'm fucking up here when her office hasn't sent me dick.

I did some research after their last fuck up and found that this isn't unusual. Only 12% of qualified people in Florida get the unemployment money they are due because of shitty mistakes like this. I don't want to let go. I spent all my meager savings to survive until I found work again. It wasn't a lot of money, but it's money I shouldn't have had to spend.

Who do I go to to report her? Do you think I should speak to a lawyer? Honestly, any help at this point would be a godsend, so thanks in advance.

Answer:
 You can contact your state rep. They will have a staffer assigned to do casework, which basically means they'll make calls to important people, who will let the mediator's office know that their legislator is interested in what they're doing. A lot of time, that's all the motivation that's needed.

I used to do some casework like yours as a staffer, and I'll offer one piece of advice for this process: you seem angry right now, and you very probably have right to be. But it really helps if you just keep it to the facts at first--i.e. "hearings have been postponed for months because their office isn't sending me the necessary documents, here's my case number." You can talk to them about reforming the unemployment benefit system later.

Good luck.


Title: [GA] My employer is retroactively refusing to pay 60-70% of my salary because I "didn't do enough work." What are my options? (Update and more questions!)

Question:
Thanks to everyone who gave advice in the [original post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2r8eqn/ga_my_employer_is_retroactively_refusing_to_pay/). Thought I'd give an update and ask a few more questions.

So this whole conversation started on December 19. On January 4, I drove in person to talk about what I thought was a very fair compromise. The deal I offered was I get 50% of the money ($2150) he owed me now, I continue working at a similar salary ($5000 for 3 months of full time work), and we come up with five project-based milestones where I'd get 10% ($430) of the money he owed me. Everything would be documented and in writing. That way he only pays the full $4300 after getting specific progress done, and I still end up with the same amount of money I would've gotten anyway. It seemed more than fair.

He said he'd get back to me the next day. He didn't, and I checked in a few days later. He said he's "going to bat for me to give you as much as we can," but he had to convince the cofounder. Every time I asked (including driving down to see him in person), I got this same, "I've been emailing the cofounder, and he's slowly coming around. I'm on your side. I want to get you as much as possible." excuse. Keep in mind he owns over 50% of the company, so he could override the cofounder at any time. This is the same cofounder who did no work during my tenure at the company, which is why the company made no progress in the first place (which is also why they're insisting on not paying me my full salary).

Also keep in mind I put everything on hold for a month (Dec 19 to Jan 18). I didn't know whether to cancel my gym membership, to more actively start looking for new jobs, to more actively look for a place to live, to potentially move somewhere else, driving over to him (3 hours round trip) several times to try to work etc. Even my relationship with my girlfriend suffered because of all this turmoil. There was a real opportunity cost for me to keep waiting.

On Jan 12, I gave him an ultimatum. I said I can't keep waiting, and I'm going to come see him in person on Jan 18, and that would be the final deadline to work something out. He promised he'd have something for me on Jan 18.

Jan 18 rolls around, and we meet up. He says, "we can give you between $1100 and $2000 by January 31." I told him that's not good enough, I need a concrete offer. He said he'll go ahead and call the cofounder, and we can reconvene in three hours. I'm pretty angry, because he could have called the co-founder AT ANY TIME during these two weeks and gotten a concrete offer. Instead, he keeps emailing this guy back and forth for two weeks, even after I told him that everything was put on hold because of this and that I needed a quick resolution.

I come back three hours later, and he isn't there. I text him asking where he is, and he says he'll be back "soon." 20 minutes, later, he says he's "getting some food and gonna make some calls." I sit around for *an hour* before he finally shows up and says, "the cofounder is asleep because he partied a bit too hard. I'll send you an email with the details tomorrow, but yeah it's gonna be in the $1100-2000 range, and any future salary will probably be 20-30% less than before.

I'm pretty angry at this point, but I keep my cool. The next morning he emails me and says they can offer $1200 by Jan 31, and then chides me saying that "we have to show investors we're making ample progress for the money they've invested. So really, we should just be getting money to pay for living expenses. All money raised for the company should be supporting the company."

So at this point, he's made me wait a month, been extremely disrespectful and unprofessional, waited until the very last minute to even reply to my compromise, and rejected it with less than a third of the money I'm owed. I haven't replied to his email yet, but I'm going to let him know that I will be filing a lawsuit for the $4300.

A few questions:

*  **Should I tell him my intention to sue before I get the $1200?**

I'm basically broke since he didn't pay me the majority of my salary (forced to move back in with my parents...), and that $1200 could really, really help with my cash flow. However, if I tell him I'm planning to sue for the full $4300, he could decide to withdraw the offer and not give me anything. It may not seem like much, but that $1200 could really, really help me out right now.

* **Would taking the $1200 mean that I forfeit my claim to the rest of the money?**

His email said, "We think $1200 is a fair compromise for now, and we can discuss working together in the future. Regardless of whether you want to work for us moving forward, we'll have the $1200 for you by January 31."

* **Is there anything the Department of Labor can do? Can I file a complaint or something?**

Just want to know if there are any options here.

*  **All of a sudden, he's asking me to fill out a W-9 tax form. Should I?**

I don't like this, because the W-9 form is for **contractors** when I was a full time employee (I think the form was W-4 for that), not a contractor. I don't know if this is intentional or not, but misclassifying me as a contractor seems like a great way to screw me out of the portion of social security tax the employer is supposed to pay. Also, filling out the form means giving him my social security number, and based on how unprofessionally he's been running the company and the fact that I'm about to tell him I'm going to sue him, I don't feel comfortable with him having it. He either wouldn't keep it very securely, or could possibly do something nasty with it as retaliation. Are there any consequences to not filling out the form, or insisting that I get paid the full $4300 before I fill anything out?

Answer:
 > Should I tell him my intention to sue before I get the $1200?

Not if you want the money.  The second he knows you're suing, he gives you nothing and cuts off all contact.

> Would taking the $1200 mean that I forfeit my claim to the rest of the money?

The statement he gave makes that sound like a settlement offer.  So probably, yes.  It's not a formal contract, but agreeing to take a lump some and no mention of any further debt seems like a settlement in full to me.  I wouldn't suggest it if you think you can actually collect the full amount.

> Is there anything the Department of Labor can do? Can I file a complaint or something?

Only if you are an employee, and not a contractor.  It's difficult to say for certain how you were classified, let alone how you should have been.

> All of a sudden, he's asking me to fill out a W-9 tax form. Should I?

One way or another, you're going to owe taxes on this money.  If you're disputing your status as a contractor, you could offer to fill out a W4 instead and see if he bites.  There's no real advantage to filling this out yet, especially given that he hasn't paid you.


Title: Water company is demanding that we pay our old tenants unpaid balance.

Question:
Hi, representative of a prop. management company in the bay area of California, USA.

Dealing with a water utility company which is private and contracted by the city for their utility service for a specific property that we own.

Long story short- we had to evict a tenant because of numerous code violations, late rents constantly, basically if we did not go through with the eviction we would lose our property.

Current situation now is the water company forwarded us a bill for more than $2,000.00 of unpaid services from the tenant. Looking at the payment history that they gave me, it's clear that the tenant wouldn't pay their bill for 6 months at a time, sometimes more sometimes less, and the company would keep the water on, and keep increasing the bill.

When calling their office and pressing them on this, they said that they had made payment arrangements with the tenant and they would keep the water on. I said if they had an arrangement with the tenant, they need to take up the unpaid balance with them and not with us.

At the bottom of every bill is the following verbiage:

> Bills are due in full upon presentation and are delinquent 30 days after presentation. A LATE FEE of $5.00 or interest charges of 1.5 percent per month, which ever is greater, will be added to all delinquent accounts. Water service will be disconnected if the bill is not paid within 60 days of the delinquency date and a charge of $20.00, in addition to all charges, will be collected prior to renewal of services NOTICE WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR U.S. MAIL DELIVERY. FAILURE TO RECEIVE BILL DOES NOT EXCUSE PAYMENT. Billing form June 2015

Speaking with my supervisor we have had similar issues with this water company before displaying these 'Tenants are saints' type of tactics. Obviously they betrayed their own billing policy with the tenant, but my question is if we took them to small claims court or similar, would we stand a chance of winning? This is the second or third time something like this has happened. If we don't pay they threaten putting a lien on our property.

Answer:
 You need to pay the bill and sue the tenant for the amount you paid.

If the tenant fails to pay a bill, it defaults to the owner to do so.

It isn't that the tenants are saints, it is that at the end of the day, it is your land, and if you want utilities to be provided, you need to take responsibility for your lousy tenant.

This would be one reason for a security deposit, if your location allows for such a thing.


Title: Tenant Scheming / Handyman overheard tenant talking

Question:
I'll try to keep this brief for now. I own a home in VA that I recently began renting out at the start of August. The tenant had a few maintenance requests, and I had a handyman there last week taking care of them.

While the maintenance workers were there, both workers overheard one of the Tenants (Father of the family) saying concerning things about potentially planning to get out of paying rent, or getting hurt on the property. Comments like "it would be a shame if some one were to get injured on the property", and things like that.

The maintenance service informed that about all this, while also letting me know that everything in the house is up to code (He also does home inspections), so there should not be any issues.

My question is, what steps should I take moving forward to protect myself from this tenant who seems to be scheming.

Thanks in advance for any resposnes.

Answer: Insurance, insurance, more insurance, umbrella insurance, then some more insurance should be adequate protection.


Title: No proof that husband was divorced before we were married

Question: Okay so I’m gonna make this as short as I can so please stick with me. My “husband” and I got married in 2013 in Vegas. He left me, moved to Texas, and begged me to come to him when we were separated. He begged me to take him back. I never really did. We lived in the same house for my daughter’s sake but we weren’t in a marriage so to speak, but we never got divorced. He refused. Fast forward about a year and he ran off with another girl and married her. When I told him he was going to go to jail for bigamy he informed me we were never married because he didn’t divorce his first wife until after our marriage. So I messaged wife number one and she said they still weren’t divorced and she didn’t know where to find him. Well flash forward a few months and he’s in jail for fraud and now swears I’m the only wife. I have no idea what’s true but based off the information I have I do not believe we were legally married. I need to know a reliable way to find this out. How can I know 100% whether I need a divorce or an annulment or what? Can someone please help. He adopted my daughter which also could be in question if we weren’t legally married because my state requires a full year of marriage before a step child can be adopted. Not to mention he entered into that adoption under false pretenses if we were indeed not married. All I have ever known this man to do is lie and cheat and steal so nothing is out of the realm of possibilities with him. Also wife number one blocked me so I don’t know if she ever got her divorce but I do have a copy of her marriage license. I have no reason to not believe her but now that he is in legal trouble I really need a concrete answer to make sure I’m not caught in all of this. Thanks to anyone who has stuck with this for this long and if you have any advice I’m completely open.

Answer:
 https://www.shouselaw.com/nevada/family/annulment-in-nevada

You had what's considered a "void" marriage, which was not legal to begin with as your "husband" was already married.  This is a case where the marriage is automatically "void"; the law treats a void marriage as if it never happened.  The jurisdiction you were married in (Clarks county NV?) may be able provide some document declaring that the marriage was a non-marriage, or some court may make a “declaration of nullity of a void marriage” if asked to do so.  I'd call the authority you got your marriage certificate from and ask them.  I'm sure they get similar questions.Answer #2: Not a lawyer, I work in background investigations. When searching for public records, google “XX county clerk of court” and see if they have records online. Some counties (certainly not all) put divorce records online. It may be worth at least trying. Of course figuring out what county the divorce may have been filed in could be tricky.Answer #3: A private investigator might be a good idea. They often have access to many databases that are not available to the general public and can search multiple jurisdictions for any divorce proceedings.

You can't definitively prove a negative, though. If all of the searches do not yield any proof of divorce, you can probably safely assume he is not divorced and talk to a lawyer about legally voiding your marriage to this guy.


Title: Fired from a job where I was paid early each week, employer is threatening to sue if I don't leave the money I didn't earn yet on his porch by next week

Question: North Carolina. I worked off the books for a blind man selling products on ebay. He paid me and the lady I worked with every Wednesday for what we had earned plus the work we would do before the next Wednesday. Today (Saturday) he fired me when I did not deserve to be fired but I don't want to go into the details. He called me a pussy and said if I don't give him the money I haven't earned he will see me in court. Like I said this is all off the books so the pay each week came via a bank envelope with the dollar amount on it. Can he even sue me for not working if he fired me? I don't see exactly how that would be justifiable.

Answer:
 Your former employer isn't very bright. If he sues you be is going to be admitting in court to tax fraud. He's more than likely bluffing.Answer #2: A blind man told you he'd *see you in court?*

I'll see myself out.


Title: Ex wife wants me to pay half a dentist bill but...

Question:
I provide medical and dental insurance for my kids. Their mom took them to a dentist 3 times last year and did not file it under my insurance. She also did not tell me when or where their appointments were nor give me an opportunity to verify if they were in network.

When i called the dentist to inform them those services should have been filed on my insurance, they said they do not accept United Healthcare dental insurance.

I Always pay any dues and have never been late or missed any payments etc. I pay about 1300 a month in support on top of all insurance.

I am refusing to pay it because I paid 700.00 for their dental insurance in 2018 and she didnt use what Im ordered to provide.

What are my options? She is threatening to get an attorney to come after it. Its only 300.00 but i dont feel i should pay.

Thanks.

Answer:
 If she's getting an attorney to come after you for $300 the joke's on her.

&#x200B;Answer #2: What does your custody order say?


Title: [CA] I'm 16 and I have enough income to live on my own. Can I move out legally?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >I'm 16 and I have enough income to live on my own.

Or....are you an 18 year old [sugar baby looking for your sugar daddy?](https://np.reddit.com/r/sugarlifestyleforum/comments/5xpt18/new_sb_need_some_tips_for_first_meeting/)


Title: (NE) Can my employer force me to sign a "Do not audio record" private conversations I have with them right after they found out that I recorded a written consultation that they had with me?

Question:
I work for a grocery store chain in middle management, and there is nothing in the official policies for the company against recording. I felt the need to record the conversations with them after one of the upper managers indicated that he was going to try and get me out via a constructive discharge.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 If given the choice, being fired for refusing to sign is much better than being fired for knowingly breaking a policy you have been personally warned not to break. The former would likely qualify you for unemployment, the latter would not.  What's better than both those things is to sign it, obey it, and keep your job. If you are not happy with the policy you can look for another one.

There is something you may not understand. Unless you have evidence of *illegal* discrimination, your recording means squat. Your employer doesn't have to listen to it and certainly doesn't have to consider it as evidence.

You also don't seem to understand that as an employee, you do what your employer wants you to do or you risk losing your job. The only time you would ever have recourse other than unemployment would be if it was a wrongful termination or you were being asked to do something illegal.


Title: As an (former) employee, do I have a duty to inform the investors/board about a criminally negligent CEO and a cyberattack?

Question:
Throwaway account to protect my identity.

I recently quit a startup where the CEO was blatantly lying to the investors. I'm less concerned about that, the investors have seen little value creation and understand that he's a bozo.

However, a few months ago the company was the victim of a cyber attack where the bad guys got away with essentially the equivalent of the previous year's revenue.  A lot of money for a small startup (25 ppl).  The bad guys owned our network and could easily - if they wanted - have placed backdoors or malicious code in our software solution.

Worse, the startup is a so-called 'cybersecurity' startup, but they're clueless about security.  They sell their solution to large enterprises, including banks, telecoms, governments and more.

The CEO has covered up the crime to save face - if word got out that they were the victim of a large cyberattack, their reputation - and the company - would be dead.  The 3rd party in the cyber-attack - the distributor acting on behalf of a large national telecom (the startup's client) - is also keeping quiet for, I assume, the same reasons.

I'm sure the failure to disclose a cyberattack would violate law in California and Europe (GDPR).  The client is in Europe.

Additionally, the client now has software inside their network that is potentially adulterated and a vector for attacking large enterprises. This is what cybersecurity people talk about when they talk about supply chain threats, and it's being installed in the telecom's network, and will be installed elsewhere.  My former company has no intention of doing an investigation or code audit to see if this occurred.

I think cybersecurity should be taken very seriously and while I understand that the startup founders are fighting to keep the company alive, I don't feel good that my former bozo employers purport to be cybersecurity experts while allowing themselves to be a massive potential security threat.   At the very least I think the CEO should be removed.  The investors also have othe, large and successful cybersecurity companies in their portfolio that could potentially take a reputation hit.

Advice and thoughts appreciated.

Answer:
 You most likely have no legal obligation to report this.

You could face lawsuits of various kinds if you do so without protecting yourself in some manner, either some some kind of whistle-blower protection or via some type of (possibly anonymous) report to an independent company that specializes in this type of thing.


Title: License expires today (Xmas) DMV is closed. Is there a grace period for renewal?

Question: I'm from Minnesota. I obviously should have got it renewed earlier, but December is a busy month. I won't be able to go in until Monday on my lunch break. How much trouble am I going to be in?

Answer: If you get caught before renewing your license, you will get a ticket for driving without a license. Most of the time, if you show up to court on the designated date and show your new license to the ticketing officer, the officer will *nol pros* (dismiss) the ticket.Answer #2: You won't be in any trouble if you don't drive between now and then. Answer #3: You cannot legal drive until it is renewed. If you get caught driving you can be charged with whatever crime you are committing (driving without license)


Title: [Minnesota] Dad wants to get restraining order against friend

Question:
So a bit of background first, I am a minor and a few days ago I went to the police to talk to an officer about my rights after parents did some things I had thought they could not do , I was wrong and the police told me there was nothing I could do. My parents have called the police on me after I left my house and stayed at a friends after being told to get out of their house.
My father now wants to place a restraining order on one of my friends because my friends is 'ill advising' me. This friend has never abused, stalked or harassed me in any way.
Can my father do this?
If he gets a restraining order against said friend will this cover/affect me as well.
TL;DR Legal issues with parents in past, father now wants a restraining order against a friend in attempt to isolate me from my support group. Can he do this and if he can how will it affect me.

Edit: details
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 Your father can prevent you from visiting or communicating with this friend, with or without a restraining order. If your friend keeps visiting you or contacting you against your parents' wishes, he can ground you and take your phone and computer away. If your friend _still_ keeps in contact, your parents can seek police assistance, including having him warned off for trespassing or served with a restraining order. Whether the order would ultimately be upheld, I can't speculate, but it's not something either of you want to test.

However, your father _can't_ kick you out of the house without making sure you're housed, fed, and otherwise cared for. (Obviously, there's a difference between "get outside for a while" and "go away and don't come back.") Child neglect is a crime. If your father habitually kicks you out, or if he kicks you out and you reasonably believe he won't let you back in, call the police (911, this is an emergency) or call [CPS](http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=id_000152).

I'm going to regret asking, I'm sure, but what are "some things you thought your father could not do?"


Title: Hypothetical: what would happen if an undiagnosed schizophrenic person kills a cop due to a delusion who came to do a welfare check, gets put into a psych ward, and becomes “health” with aligned reality once medicated? Would they let him go?

Answer:
 There are a lot of "what ifs" involved here, it would depend largely on a psychological evaluation. In Canada you certainly might be released when considered mentally healthy again https://globalnews.ca/news/4360713/lawsuit-over-greyhound-bus-beheading-in-limbo-10-years-later/
Answer #2: Freedom's a dimmer switch, not a circuit breaker. You can release someone into the community (which would probably happen in your example; yes) and still have them under supervision and mandatory monitoring.

Answer #3: Ask John Hinckley Jr.Answer #4: I know in Alasla you'll be put into what's called API. It's sorta like probation, you get pissed tested, they work with you to get resources, you go through a 12 step program, and do a little community service. They even work with hospitals and police if you have another issue, all of course within reason. If you complete the program (that is if you qualify), they'll then release you of the charges. It's an extremely good idea for those with psch issues and addiction problems and allows the person to show that they dont need the charges on their permit record and that they dont define them.


Title: do School secretaries have liability for giving out medicine?

Question:
My mom is a secretary at a school that doesn't have a school nurse, she ends up being the person in charge of giving out medicine.  she is concerned that she could be held liable if something bad happened because she isn't trained. the only reason she stays in the union is because of this potential liability.  is this a reasonable concern, is there a way to take the liability off herself?

Edit: Michigan

Answer: If she's acting in the scope of her employment, the school is going to be the one liable.


Title: Fraternity making me pay dues

Question: Last semester at school I lost interest in my fraternity and as a result have not participated in anything other than a few parties as a result.  The treasurer had been insisting that I pay my dues despite me not being with the fraternity and is threatening to send me to collections.  Is there anything they can legally do to make me pull my dues?  [MA]

Answer: Did you officially leave the fraternity and notify nationals, or just stop going to stuff?


Title: False Statutory Rape Accusations

Question:
I'm posting from a throwaway account because I don't want anyone to link this back to me and sorry about any formatting errors as I'm posting from mobile and this is my first post. A little backstory for clarity: My mom tried to help out a young boy from the school that she works at. Basically family got pissed at my mom because she stopped funneling them money and told them they were terrible parents. Now as revenge the Step Mom and son have made false Statutory rape allegations against me (21F) and my cousin (20F). The only time I ever recall being alone with the kid for more than 5 minutes was the 2 times I drove him to soccer practice for my mom.

I haven't been arrested or charged with anything but I have been contacted by a detective at the county sheriff's office to come into an "interview". I know they're questions me about this, as the family told people they had filed charges and it got back to us (small town). My dad absolutely does not want me to go in without a lawyer and I'm thinking along the same lines.

So basically advice I'm looking for is should I for sure go in with a lawyer? And how should I conduct myself? Should I make it know that I'm extremely upset and under a lot of stress because of this? And are there any actions I can take against the family for these blatantly false accusations? My boyfriend and I are expecting our first child so these has been an extremely stressful time for me and I really appreciate any advice anyone can give me.

EDIT: this is in small town in Montana

Answer:
 You should get a lawyer. You and your lawyer can discuss if you go to the interview or not. But don't do anything else until you've secured representation from a criminal defense attorney. Answer #2: Do NOT answer ANY questions.  Do not speak to any police or detective.  If they come to your home, don't invite them in.  Simply tell them that you're not answering any questions without a lawyer.  Police can lie to you, tell you they have evidence, etc.  Don't fall for it, and just repeat the fact that you're not answering any questions without a lawyer.  If the police ask you if you know the kid, if you gave him a ride, or even if the sky is blue, "I'm not answering any questions without a lawyer."  You should fear answering questions more than you fear actually being arrested.

Don't pretend to be upset. All that will do is make you flustered and upset and they can possibly use that against you to get you talking.  Always remain calm and simply repeat that one phrase, over and over.

Call a few criminal defense lawyers first thing tomorrow, so you can know their rates and such, but you probably don't need to retain one until such time that you are arrested.  Note that your entire family should take this same exact approach.. NO speaking to the law without an attorney.  And in fact, your family should no longer discuss this with anyone.

And finally, I'm not familiar with with Montana, but the statute of limitations for something like this typically either very long or unlimited.  So even if nothing seems to come of it in the short term, you should start saving up for a lawyer.


Title: [US - MN] My father passed away. His wife had a divorce lawyer, who contacted me about probate

Question:
My father did not have a will, and it sounds like I am entitled to very little, so I am hoping to avoid paying for a lawyer. I am looking for two things:

* Is it necessary to consult a lawyer, given the information?
* If I do not consult my own lawyer, what documents should I ask for, to verify that his statements are true?

&#x200B;

Here is the situation:

This woman would legally be defined as my "stepmother", and we are not on speaking terms. They never finalized the divorce, so I understand that she is entitled to the first $225,000 of his assets according to Minnesota law. He had less than $225,000 in total assets.

&#x200B;

He owned a condominium that has roughly $60,000 equity. His wife's divorce lawyer stated the following

* He owned an undivided one-half as a tenant in common, which means he owns half of the equity (bringing the homestead value to $30,000)
* She is 50, and thus has 85% "Life estate interest" (Look right according to [this table](http://hcopub.dhs.state.mn.us/hcpmsrc/19_25_15_20.htm#41_heading))
* He has some unpaid debts (medical expenses, IRS, etc) amounting to roughly $5000

He wants me to come to an agreement, instead of going to court. He has suggested that his unpaid debts will come out of the homestead value, and I will get 15% of the remainder (15% of $25,000).

&#x200B;

I have the following questions:

* I would estimate that she inherited roughly $20,000 in assets, unrelated to his homestead. This includes cars, 401k accounts, etc. Is it reasonable for me to ask that his unpaid debts are paid out of these assets, and not out of the homestead value?
* Is it correct that she is entitled to 85% of his homestead value? (the website suggests so, I just want to make sure)
* What documents should I ask for to ensure I am not being lied to?
   * i.e.:
      * verify that he only owned one-half of the condominium
      * verify that the condominium is selling for the price they are claiming
      * any other relevant documents I should know about

Answer:
 I am going to keep this very simple. Don't take advice from the other side's counsel. I would advise you to find a local attorney who handles estate administration and probate. Please note by local, I mean where your dad's estate is being probated (not where you live per se). Also mention the divorce stuff (in progress but not finalized).

-

> Is it necessary to consult a lawyer, given the information?

I would advise you to at least do a consult.

-


Title: My friend just moved into an apartment, and signed a lease that explicitly stated "no dogs". She has a emotional support puppy, and the landlord now wants to prematurely terminate the lease. [IA]

Question:
The lease was for a year, and she moved in earlier this week. The lease explicitly said "no dogs".

Should my friend begin preparing to vacate the premises? Or is she protected by the Fair Housing Act?

We are in Iowa 🙂

Answer:
 If the apartment building has more than 4 units and the landlord doesn't live in the apartment with her, then she's protected by the Fair Housing Act, which requires landlords to give tenants reasonable accommodations for disabilities.   This includes emotional support animals who are documented by their healthcare provider to be treatment for psychiatric disabilities.

Did she have the dog prior to applying for the apartment ?   Did she inform the landlord of her need for reasonable accommodations due to her psychiatric disability, and provide documentation from her mental health provider that the dog provides treatment for her disabling psychiatric condition ?

What you describe sounds like somebody who has a pet and doesn't want to obey the no-pets rule.


Title: [TX] Landlord charged $800 for new door. What are my chances to recover that fee.

Question: [removed]

Answer: Well, you kind of already admitted the door was defaced by your dog. If you take this to court, do you have any sort of evidence  to back up your claim? Before and after pictures that show the door being fully repaired as it was when you moved in?


Title: Forging Signatures

Question:
Proposing some level of law breaking throwaway here.

OK.  Long story.  My mother is in assisted living in PA.  I currently live in FL.  My mother has outgrown the abilities of the place she is in and we were essentially told that she had to be out in 30 days.  My mother is *extremely* sensitive to sound, prone to aggression (getting kicked out of existing place due to hitting other residents, staff, and grandchildren of staff), and is wearing diapers 24/7 with seemingly no knowledge of how to use a toilet anymore (among other things).

Here in Florida I've got an 11 year old with *severe* autism, and two and four year old.   Our house is more or less constant chaos and/or screaming and is littered with Thomas the trains, legos and whatever else.

So.  We have her signed up for a place in Florida.  She flies out (with assistance) from PA on Saturday, we had things lined up to get her into the new place early on Sunday morning.  On Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving we get a call from the new place; they still haven't gotten a form from my mother's primary care physician in PA.  They say the need to have *a doctor* sign this paper indicating that they've met with my mother face to face and here are her abilities and medications.  Note:  It doesn't *have* to be her primary care doctor, but they professional does need to see my mother in person.

OK.  We talk with the physician in PA and they are refusing to sign.  They think it will expose them to some type of legal liability, even though all it says is, 'these are the issues with the patient at this time'.  My mother was there for a check up two motherfucking weeks ago, but they will not sign.  All of this comes to a head about 4:00 pm the day before thanksigivng.

So.  My place is absolutely not suitable for my mother and possibly dangerous for her and/or my children.  But.  She is flying on Saturday.

What are the legal ramifications if *someone* were to fill out the form that the memory care place needs, sign it, and fax it to the memory care facility?  Is it a felony?  I'm not a fan of deceiving people, but if someone gets hurt because this bitch doctor doesn't understand how to read, I'm going to have a difficult time forgiving myself.

If my mother does hurt herself or someone else while she is at my home, do I have legal recourse against her ex primary care physician in PA?

Answer:
 >If my mother does hurt herself or someone else while she is at my home, do I have legal recourse against her ex primary care physician in PA?

Jeesh, the entitlement here is crazy. Answer #2: Absolutely don't do it. This is fraud and there's a fair chance it will be discovered if they try to call the doctor for confirmation or further details.

I don't see a reason why they would be required to sign and there's no way they are responsible for your mother's actions by not signing.Answer #3: It's illegal and dishonest. Don't do it. Take your mother to a Florida doctor on Saturday. Problem solved. Answer #4: Forging a Dr signature? Fines, legal fees, and very possibly jail time. A criminal record so you can never volunteer at your kids school.

And no, the primary dr does not have to sign a form they do not agree with. They have no liability. Answer #5: > I'm not a fan of deceiving people, but if someone gets hurt because this bitch doctor doesn't understand how to read, I'm going to have a difficult time forgiving myself.

None of this has anything to do with the doctor not understanding how to read. Find a different doctor.

> If my mother does hurt herself or someone else while she is at my home, do I have legal recourse against her ex primary care physician in PA?

Of course not.


Title: PlayStation Plus typo in terms and conditions offered me $9.99 service for 30 MONTHS not days.

Question: Normally they charge you $9.99 every month but for whatever the reason the terms I agreed to clearly stated that I would be charged every 30 months. I was surprised so I took a screenshot on my phone and and through the Ps4 (posted a photo on PlayStation plus thread). Customer service said pretty flat out that they wouldn’t honor those terms and I’m pretty sure they thought I was lying. I understand it may have been a temporary typo that they corrected but if those are the terms I literally agreed to is there any way I can have those terms honored?

Answer:
 Probably not, and even if you could force them to honor *that specific agreement,* there's probably language in that agreement stating that Sony can cancel your agreement at any time.

So that's likely what would happen.  Sony would cancel that agreement, then your recourse would be to re-sign-up under a new agreement with the terms corrected.


Title: My father took all of my money and claims he legally can manage it for me because I'm a minor. In addition, he's spending it on himself.

Question:
*I didn't know what flair to use, if the one I chose is wrong my apologies, I will change it. Also sorry for the novel below, TL;DR at the bottom.*

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I'm sorry for this being so long, I've rewritten this three times now trying to avoid adding certain details but they're just unavoidable. So, third time's the charm:

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I am a minor in the entertainment industry. While certainly not a J Law or Swift, I am in the public eye. I still live with my family (in America). Recently (I don't want to say how recent), I've found success, and am now making more money than my parents combined. This doesn't sit well with them. They aren't poor but also aren't rich, I would consider us an "Upper Middle Class" family not counting my income.  As time has gone on and I've found more success and as such made more money, they have become increasingly bitter about it. Last week my father stopped just being bitter.

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My father created my bank accounts when I was young. He's my parent so I never saw any reason to not trust him, until now. Five days ago my father closed my accounts and transferred all of my money to himself. I told him that was illegal but he said he's my legal guardian and has the right to decide if I'm mature enough to handle my own money or not. He told me my recent purchase of a new three thousand dollar TV (which was for the family living room) was proof I wasn't capable of being responsible with that amount of money, and so he was going to watch over it for me until I was of age. My mother is, if not complicit, in denial. She refuses to talk with me about it and tells me I don't know what I'm talking about.

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Since my father took the money, he's been getting a lot of nice things, including a very expensive new watch, a new couch set for his space, and as of this morning a new, fairly expensive car, and I know he didn't have enough on his own for any of those. I don't know about the watch or car but I found a copy of the delivery slip that said "No returns or refunds" which he had signed. It was $15,000 alone.

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I know the best course of action is to get the police involved but there are two problems with that. For one, while not *critical,* having this known to the public would do a lot more harm. I know that may seem ridiculous but if at all possible I want to keep this from getting out there, which is why I'm on Reddit anonymously. Grasping at straws, I know.

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The problem that's a lot more pressing, is that anyone who could side with me won't. We have a family lawyer who I've been acquainted with and have the contact information for, but they're a family friend with my parents and I've never personally needed their services so I can't see them helping me against my parents. Especially considering I now have nothing to pay them with. I do have a manager, and they were the first person I called. We met at their office four days ago and without actually saying it, they told me in painfully clear terms that if I wanted any more of a career I would accept that my father has only my best interests at heart, and would drop it. I am NOT accusing my manager of anything to be clear here, but there's no denying they have no interest in helping me, whatever their reasons may be.

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The only person helping me is my close friend who's my age, but all they can do is help me think up a solution. It was their suggestion to come here though, because we have no idea what the best course of action is.

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There's another major hitch, that being while i *should* have more money coming in next week, it would have been transferred straight to my bank account. Seeing as that doesn't exist anymore I have no idea if I'll even be able to get any of that money. I tried asking my manager about this but was given a "don't you worry about that dear," type of response and nothing more.

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Am I screwed?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 At 16, and living in California, you can become emancipated. Hire your own lawyer, not the family lawyer to get this done for you.

Sounds like your Dad is happy to spend all your earnings. Few child actors make the transition into successful adult actors. You really need to save and invest any earnings you are making now, to pay for college and provide support if adult acting doesn’t work out.Answer #2: Theft of over $300 is a felony

What's the family that toxic I would get emancipated you have the means to support yourselfAnswer #3: If you don't want to blow up your relationship with your parents by taking your father to court or attempting to emancipate yourself, you could insist that if he doesn't believe you are responsible enough to manage your own money that you should hire an accountant to manage it and ensure that you get the most growth out of it. Lots of people have suggested trusts as a good way to keep it safe, that's a great idea. It keeps it away from your parents and keeps it growing in the market. Hopefully the idea of hiring a professional won't be something he can dismiss. It's honestly the most logical thing to do as someone who has a new large income stream coming in, as an adult or as a minor. Also get your own lawyer and accountant, they need to be looking out for your interests, not the interests of your parents. Answer #4: Not a lawyer, but here's a fairly immediate solution: call a bank, make a new bank account,  and then ask your employer to pay your funds into your new account, not your old one.


Title: What can people do if they find out they purchased a house that used to be used as a meth lab?

Question:
No disclosure statement, possibility that realtor and seller knew about lab and didn't say anything, house is contaminated and can't be lived in.

Edit: Nebraska, It was tested for contamination and the levels are too high to live in, it can be cleaned but would cost over $10k, found out from neighbors and police records of bust.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 Where are you located?

Who determined that it "can't be lived in"?  How do you know it was used as a meth lab?


Title: Surveillance cameras used by HOA to fine tenant? (California)

Question:
I just got off the phone with management company of our Condo, told we're being fined $200 for "moving furniture" through the lobby.
Turns out the management guy was browsing through the surveillance videos to investigate spilled coffee and saw me moving some furniture (it was a shelf about the size of large suitcase and a mattress).
Our HOA does have a fine for moving, and I know I violated the rule - I will try appealing before the board and see if they can treat this as a warning.

My question is - can the video be legally used to fine members ? It's almost as if by agreeing to have the cameras installed the members agree to self-incriminate themselves - even to get fined.

I completely understand using the footage by police to investigate burglary or some serious offence, but to fine tenants...

What do you guys think ?

Answer: You violated the rule, and you admit you violated the rule, but you think that because they have video evidence you somehow should not be held responsible? I don't get it.


Title: How to get paid by "scam" company [Georgia]

Question: I just recently found out that I am working for a scam artist company. They are a sales/marketing company that preys on the unemployed to make sales for them, working 70+ hrs per week for promises of management positions with no pay for several weeks. I haven't quit yet and want to see how I can make sure I can legally get paid for the sales that I've made without them keeping the money. They may not have me on record for employment, however I have access to the system they use to track transactions and have screenshotted all of my sales with clients. These sales are all done for a legitimate and well known company (Comcast-Xfinity). My location is Georgia.

Answer:
 So you're working on commission without being paid an hourly wage or having been paid any commission?

If so contact the [Georgia Department of Labour](http://dol.georgia.gov) and an attorney who specializes in workplace law to see if you have a case (I suspect you do).

Edit: Also start looking for new employment because you need to get out of there.


Title: (UT) Was just served papers for a student loan debt I have been paying on time and I have no idea what to do. Please help!?

Question:
 Sorry for the long post and any spelling/ grammar errors. Im on my phone.

So. I've been going to private school for a career in Medical Assisting. Since I'm unable to prove my citizenship in the US( I lost the citizenship certificate and applied to get a copy 11 months ago and still haven't received this. I should be getting it next month though) my school was having me pay 100 dollars a month until i was able to prove I'm allowed to be here.

I started school September of 2014 and paid my student loan every month. In April of 2015, i was basically dropped as a student until i could prove my citizenship status. I fought back with the Dean and financial aid office on this but unless i had the money to pay upfront for my schooling, i couldn't keep going to class.

So I haven't been in school since then. Ive still made my school payment every month since then.I've been paying my loan through a phone number and according to them i owe a little under 10,000 on my loan.

Recently, thought ive been getting phone calls from a debt collections agency stating i owe 3,000 dollars and they would like to know how i would like to pay. I told them i was confused on this and that i have been making payments on my student loan.

I hung up and spoke to a couple of people about it and thought it was a scam. So, i did nothing. Today, i was served papers saying my previous college is wanting a full payment of 3,300 dollars plus 500 dollars in fees. They attached the initial contract i signed with the private school saying i understood that the classes would be 20,000 dollars

I guess i havent been charged the full 20k because i haven't finished the program, yet. Although at this point I'm not sure i will. I'm not too worried about the 10k I've been slowly paying off because it's something i can afford and doesn't cause me too much of a headache.

The 3k is a different story. The letter says i have to respond within 21 days. I'm toying with the idea of getting a lawyer but I don't know if it's worth it. Should i get one? Or should i contact the school to just try to pay off the loan because at this point I'm 99% sure it's legit.

I don't know if this helps but I'm 20, i make about 1,000 a month which does cover all my bills and some extra spending money.

I'm so sorry about the long detailed post but i really want to give as much info as i can.

Answer:
 Are you a naturalized citizen?  If you were born in the US your birth certificate will prove your citizenship.  Otherwise, a passport will also prove your citizenship.

I'm sorry, I can't offer help with the loans.  Hopefully someone else can!


Title: Can I use the name "Casper" as the title for a paranormal podcast?

Question:
State: California

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I'm planning to launch a podcast where people share their uplifting and heartwarming paranormal experiences. I would like the title of the podcast to be "Casper" - a reference to the cartoon character "Casper the Friendly Ghost". ("Casper" was also the title of a 1995 motion picture.)

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Are there any copyright infringement or other legal issues with using "Casper" as the name of a podcast?

Answer: If you're using a trademarked ghost name for a production about ghosts and the paranormal, yes, that's an issue.  You're asking to get sued.


Title: Hour of missing time in police report. I think I was being followed

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's not "entrapment" to follow you and watch you, even if it's for a long time.

Maybe it's a typo.  Maybe he did the observation period after being at the station for a while.

Dispatch will have logs of what time he called out that he'd stopped you and what time he left for the station with you.  It should be easy to prove what happened as far as those times go.


Title: School bus passing laws

Question:
Hi! I have a quick question to see if I am about to be fined. I was on my commute today, and was stopped behind a line of cars because a school bus was picking up kids. The bus then moved to the next stop, which was slightly behind me. It put on the yellow lights, and then passed me, but I was still next to the bus with the front of the bus and stop sign behind me. I couldn't tell if the red lights came on or not (or just yellow), but as I drove off, I heard the school bus honk, presumably at me. Am I in the wrong? Do I need to stop if any part of me is next to the bus as it pulls up to a stop, even the rear of the bus? I thought I was clear, but am not so sure now because of the honk.
Edit: I am in the Portland, Oregon metro area.

Answer: Just a general rule of thumb, stop whenever the school bus is stopped. And drive when the school bus starts moving. It's hard to make an argument against not being able to see the sign or lights.


Title: Neighbor temper tantrums... Can I break my lease?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Try calling social services and say it sounds like they need respite care and assistance. They sound like parents at the end of their rope, and there should be services to help them.Answer #2: >My question is what kind of legal direction can we take?

I suppose if it is REALLY bad, or you are a real jerk, then you can call the police each time that you think there is something wrong or you think they are too loud.

>Can I break my lease?

No, but you can find out from your landlord how to terminate your lease agreement for the least amount of money lost or you can probably sublet and move somewhere else...


Title: School making me pay fee for broken laptop

Question:
Alabama, Last year, during school there was a broken laptop (had a literal 6" hole in it) a few students including me decided to break it even further, and after a moment people saw and started breaking it further into smaller pieces. I got called into the office the next week, answerd there questions. I contstanly td them to look at the camerea were the would see 20+ students breaking a obviously broken school laptop. 3 students including me were charged 130 each for the broken chromebook. The other 2 students paid, but we asked for a couple of things first. We wanted to see the video, that none of us nor the principals/administration has seen, to prove that the chromebook was broke, but even then 20+ students broke, and a receipt that says that the chromebook really cost x amount. They agreed and said monday(if i remeber) that they would contact us again to sort it. They never did

On multiple occasions throught the past months we have contacted the school, and tried to talk to someone. So far, we know that monday, the school officer who saw the video will be in, and they claim they will contact us then. My problem with this is we are supposed to now go of recollections of a person who saw a video months ago, and not an actual video.

Sorry if this is terribly structured, hopefully it reads ok

Answer: Just because something is already broken doesn’t give you the right to destroy it further. If my car had a dent and someone crashed into me, they would still be liable for damages.Answer #2: Is this a public or private school?


Title: Other driver didn't stop after fender bender

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 IANAL but if you're really worried about it you could report it to your insurance just in case. You don't have to open a claim, just let them know you were in a fender bender but the other guy didn't stop and you don't have any damage to report. That way in the extremely unlikely case that something happens you'll have it documented.

But on the whole I wouldn't worry about it.


Title: Judge rules no probable cause in college rape case, can the student sue for defamation?

Question:
This case was all over the local news and this students reputation is probably tarnished, could he take any legal action against the accuser now that all charges were dropped?

Here's a link to to a news article that was published a few hours ago:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-fifty-shades-of-grey-uic-sex-charge-met-0320-20150319-story.html

Answer: The judge didn't say he was innocent she said there was not probably cause for a crime. She didn't defame him, she made her complaint and there wasn't enough probable cause to try him. There are plenty of rapists its walking around that escaped prosecution for their crimes due to lack of evidence. The issue here was whether there was consent or not. And it's purely my opinion but I think any asswipe who needs to smack a woman around a little to get his nuts off should stay as far away as possible from any courtroom.


Title: How to dispute an ambulance charge when Baker Acted?

Question:
Edit: I am in Florida.

Throw away for obvious reasons. I was Baker Acted back in September. I was not suicidal, which I repeatedly said. I was not a danger but I was having a very bad panic attack and I wasn't able to communicate very well. It is what it is and I'm trying to move on.

From my understanding, it is perfectly legal for them to make me receive care against my will and then make me pay for it. I don't think it's fair, but apparently legal. The hospital has not assessed me any charges but when I went to the CSU my pulse was very high (I was calmer then and explained it was because I was having an anxiety reaction and this was all very scary). They gave me 15 or 20 minutes to calm down but then, right before they took my blood pressure they told me; "You know if your pulse hasn't gone down we need to send you to the emergency room because your at risk for a heart attack." NOT exactly the sort of statement that keeps your pulse nice and even and (I've been told by a doctor friend, not in line with procedure). Needless to say, my pulse was still high and, even though I repeatedly told them I was just scared, had no insurance and no way to pay for it and that I didn't want to go, they told me I had no choice and I was sent to the ER in an ambulance (for some reason they could not accept me at the current hospital I was at).

Like I said, the ER and the CSU has not assessed me any charges (yet), but I received a debt collection notice from the ambulance company. I'd like to put up at least SOME resistance to this charge even if they eventually rule the debt is valid and make me pay. So here is the bulk of my questions;

1. What is the best way to dispute this? Do I have any grounds on which I can claim it isn't valid? I didn't have insurance and it feels so unfair that I wasn't given any choice and their procedure veritably insured I wouldn't be able to calm my pulse.

2. Can it hurt me to dispute the charge? Will I get assessed any additional fines or damage to my credit?

3. If I pay the debt does this open me up for additional charges from the hospital?

Thanks in advance to everyone who answers. I realize I might be screwed and just have to suck it up and pay but I'd like to at least try. I appreciate any advice.

Answer: Legally speaking, you owe all the ambulance and hospital costs for the treatment you received.  Disputing the charges will result in you losing and still owing the costs.


Title: [WI] Ex Wife is attempting to move children from agreed upon school district for daughters (12 and twin 10) without my agreement.

Question:
The facts of this one is that I have three daughters that are middle school age and the divorce agreement has a school district directly listed as where they are required to attend.  There is no "radius" agreement and the school district is firmly stated.

I live approx 125 miles from my children and have joint custody, but she has primary placement for the school reasons.  She has unilaterally decided to move the children from the agreed upon school to a new school 45 miles from their current school in a very rural area and the children are not happy and neither am I.  They are moving from a suburban area into a very rural area.

I was not consulted on a major life issue, she went against an agreement and is stating she can do what she wants, because I moved, but my job location was listed in the divorce judgement, so it hasnt changed since the agreement was finalized.

My question is what can I do from here to prevent this?

Answer:
 You can take it to the court where the custody case was first heard to have the judge order her to move the children back. If she refuses, she can be held in contempt of court. If you had an attorney during your divorce proceedings, time to give him/her a call.Answer #2: It is Friday during business hours. You should be on the phone to your divorce lawyer, not here on reddit.

Also, many kids go to school based on where they live. Your ex is moving from Waukesha to  Mazomanie and you want the girls to stay in a particular district? Are they moving closer towards you or farther away?

Regardless, it is your divorce lawyer who will know, not a bunch of anonymous people on reddit.Answer #3: Do this quickly and try for emergency court hearing. A similar thing happened to my friend but by the time he got a court date the kids were 3 months into the school year and the judge said he did not want them disrupted again and totally did hold the ex in contempt nor make the kids switch back.  Move swiftly and aggressively.


Title: [UT] Reported our neighbor in our duplex to DCFS. Should we notify our landlord as well just in case?

Question:
Not sure of this is the right sub but we've lived in a duplex for over a year with very thin walls. The woman in the other unit has custody of her niece and we've constantly been listening to her yelling at the young girl and her boyfriend who lives in the unit with her. At night, when the boyfriend leaves for work, and we've been hearing this verbal abuse as well as what sounds like loud smacking noises with a stick and cries from the little girl. The girl cries every night now and we listen to it.

My husband and I are so concerned that we reported it to DCFS who notified us that they will investigate. Last night it got so bad that my husband went and knocked on the door to see if everything was all right and the woman told him to "butt out". So next time we're going to call the police instead. We've never been in this kind of situation so I'm not sure if we should notify our landlord that this is taking place on her property (as we are moving out next month and the next tenants will have to listen to it as well) or let DCFS do their thing and leave it alone until we move without saying anything further. I'd appreciate any input! Thanks!

Answer:
 It won't hurt to notify the landlord but honestly the next tenants probably aren't going to know what kind of neighbors they're getting.  The landlord might want to know because if this family treats a child like that, how are they treating his building?

Definitely call the police.  You don't have to wait for it to happen again, you can call the police about the beatings you suspect have already happened.  It's not like it happening one more time changes anything, they're not going to catch the woman beating the child red-handed.


Title: Roommate threatening to sue over couch he sold me

Question:
I'm asking this for my coworker who doesn't have a reddit account so I'll write from here on out as if I'm him.

My roommate and I had a verbal agreement when we moved in together to buy a couch and split it 50/50 and at the end of the lease I would pay him a portion of his half and keep the couch.  Since  moving in together he has become a roommate from hell and our relationship has degraded.  Yesterday he asked for a written confirmation that I would pay him for the couch so instead I just venmoed him the money to end the matter.  I then put the couch for sell online with the intention of buying a larger one and immediately had a buyer so it's gone.  My roommate freaked out and has threatened to sue me (his dad's a lawyer) because we had an agreement to keep the couch till the end of the lease.  I'm 98% sure this is bullshit since I kept my end of the bargain money-wise but I wanted to ease my mind and get further opinions. Could they take me to court?

Edit: this is in Texas

Answer:
 You didn’t keep the agreement. The agreement was to buy him out at the end of the lease.  You bought him out in the middle.

It doesn’t sound like he’s likely to sue. His damages are small (if any). But he’s likely right to some extent. Answer #2: IANAL but you seem to be in the wrong here.

1. Roommate asks for written confirmation roommate will buy the couch at the end of the lease.

2. You decide, rather than giving written confirmation, to go ahead and pay him off.

3. You then sell the couch.

The lack of a written agreement doesn't mean the verbal agreement no longer counts.


Title: Did I incriminate myself at jail visit?

Question:
I went to visit my friend in jail and we ended up discussing light drug use, partying, etc. I was under the impression that the phones weren't recorded. 5 minutes on google determined that was false so now will I be facing any increased attention or repercussions? How about my friend? He has his court date next week.

Lake county Florida.

Answer:
 You went to visit a jail and talked about committing crimes? That is a bold move.Answer #2: I did an externship with a prosecutor.  He said that he would listen to the jail calls of the defendants, because they'd say stupid stuff and admit to things.

I didn't think he was lying . . . but I didn't really *believe* him.  Until now.Answer #3: No one knows if you *will*.

You certainly CAN.

But we have no specific knowledge of what that department will or won't do with this information.Answer #4: Defense attorney here.

First of all partying is not against the law.  If you're friend is in jail on drug charges(possession/distribution whatever) they might use the recorded conversation as evidence against him.  Assuming all you admitted to was simple possession it's doubtful police are going to use resources to investigate you.  There is one major caveat to this, which is if you're friend is in very serious trouble and the DA wants you as witness then finding something to charge you with gives them leverage. Answer #5: Yes phones are recorded.  Yes it can be used as evidence against you.Answer #6: You need to ask yourself if anything you said was worth investigating. If you talked about an illegal grow op or an upcoming deal that is one thing, but reminiscing about light drug use or past parties is very minor.


Title: Who owns my license plate

Question:
Friend and I got into a discussion about who really has ownership of a license plate. I proposed that since you pay for the metal, you own the actual physical plate. He countered with the fact that since the state can revoke your plate and don't have to reimburse you, they own it. I think the driver owns the actual physical metal, while the state owns the plate number, so if you have your plates revoked, the state confiscates the plates only to ensure that you don't use the number. I'm sure that there is something in all the paperwork you sign clearing the state of any monetary reimbursement in the event that they revoke your plates. Thoughts? Not a pressing issue, just curious. US, I guess I would be interested if this varies state to state.

TL;DR Who owns the license plates, me or the state?

Answer:
 You are incorrect. The state owns your plates. They also own your drivers license, just like the Feds own your passport. If you have a school or work ID, you will find that you likely don't own them either.

It's just that the state doesn't usually give a shit about retrieving that physical license plate when you no longer need it, for whatever reason.