Title: [TX] Roommate in shared bedroom on college campus is a regular marijuana user

Question:
I am living in a shared bedroom in on-campus housing because it was the cleanest, cheapest, most convenient housing available. I would strongly prefer not to move because the only other options are moderately high crime areas.

Obviously moving out or reporting him would be the safest choice but I'm hesitant to go with those too quickly. I have had a brief discussion with him that he blew off, stating he wouldn't get caught and it'd never be a problem for me.

Because we share a bedroom and marijuana and paraphernalia would be in the same room as all my possessions, I'm afraid of the implication that could arise should he get caught, or God forbid his room being raided. Short of the nuclear options, what is the best way to protect myself? Obviously I've been staying away from all illicit substances and I would pass a drug test, but what else should I do? I have a scholarship that I really can't afford to lose.

He does not smoke in the room or within the apartment, as far as I know.

Answer:
 Go to campus housing authority... or whatever your college has and request to be moved to another room. Roommates not getting along as a common thing. There will likely be many other who want to swap too. Answer #2: Request to be moved to another room, no need to say why, just explain it's because of irreconcilable differences. He is right that most likely he won't be caught, but IF he is, you may get caught up in it too. Depending on your city it may be decriminalized, but that won't stop your campus from possibly charging you with academic misconduct. You don't know your roommate and you don't know his level of involvement in drugs, his level of caution, etc. Glad you know now that he's super open about his drug use, but let him get a roommate who is also open about his drug use, you're not that guy.Answer #3: You already asked and he refused. The next step is to make a meeting with the dorms resident manager and explain the situation and that you need to switch roommates.

When I was in college and people roomed with someone against weed, they would never store anything in the room.  They would store their weed with their friends or at the place they go to smoke.
The OPs roommate is a dick.


Title: I'm the admin of a group on facebook, where study materials are posted, photos of previous tests (which we shouldnt photograph) or lectures recorded, which is also prohibited. Can I be held responsible?

Question: That is, if a group member would show it to a professor or something. (The group is quite big, I cannot say for sure if there isn't anyone who would do that)

Answer: School can punish you for pretty much anything they want, however I don't think you would get in legal trouble. Answer #2: For legal ramifications, you'd probably get a cease and desist order only. For school wise you're looking at expulsion. Answer #3: Yes.


Title: [Vermont] Can a landlord break a one year lease agreement without the tenants violating the conditions of the lease?

Question: Hello, I am asking this question on behalf of my mother. A few months back my mother rented out her house to a new tenant while she lives with her boyfriend in another town. She has decided to move back into the house but her tenants signed a one year lease agreement. They have been great tenants and have not violated the agreement in any way. They are only there a few days a week on business (they are an out of state company that does work in the area). If they refuse to leave the house does she have any legal recourse to get them out before the lease is over? I asked her if she had any condition in the lease agreement allowing her to end it early but she doesn't think she did.

Answer: She could try to make it worth their while by giving them money to leave. Other than that, she has a lease with them. She can't break it consequence-free any more than the tenants can. Answer #2: No. She should offer them some amount of money to terminate early.


Title: Landlord is Demanding I Pay for Utilities Included in My Lease

Question: So I lived in an apartment for a year contract , Within the last month of the contract my complex had a buyout. Now my new landlord has moved me to a month to month for the last four months. Within those last four months he has started charging me for water and trash even though those utilities were covered in my previous contract. I have signed nothing new and I was under the impression that the law states without a new contract I am still protected by the most recent contract signed and unless agreed otherwise or without written notice of the change, I am not obligated to pay these utilities. I live in San Antonio, Texas and I was only able to find information on this without following further legal assistance (which I cannot afford). Does anyone have or know where to obtain the specific legal documentation either supporting mine or his word? I would just like some resolution at this point.

Answer: The lease governs. You're welcome to refuse to pay for those utilities; your landlord is welcome to give you notice to vacate.


Title: I sold my co-op (condo) in New York. Buyers attorney scheduled a closing without clearance from bank or the buyer, resulting in about $4,000 in expenses for me. Can I sue him for compensation?

Question:
Longer version:

My buyer's attorney schedule a closing for the purchase of my co-op, however he did not have clearance to close from the buyer's bank, nor did the buyer know about the closing. As a result, the closing was cancelled and I then had to cancel the closing on a house that I was preparing to buy (the next day).

Since the house closing was canceled ($250 adjournment fee), it was pushed back 10 days and the seller of the house required rent (almost 3k) to live in the house prior to closing or he would walk.

In addition, our movers, who were scheduled to come when we closed, had to be pushed back a day, resulting in almost $800 in storage fees.

Can I bring this lawyer to small claims for the above, and, if so, do I have a shot of winning?

Answer: Where was your lawyer in this process?


Title: Artist refusing to deliver paid-for features because he’s “Worth more now”

Question:
I have a hand in the music business. One of my clients who i work with everyday had spent $1,000 on 10 features from an artist who lives in Virgina, (my client lives in Florida) Because of the obvious distance my client sent the money electronically under the agreement that 10
features will be delivered. This was February 2019, around June 2019 rolls around and we only have 6/10 of the features. After months of being unresponsive we finally got a response, he replied saying (in summary) “Idk man, im just worth more now” He now refuses to send the remaining 4 features he owes.

We have the money to legally resolve this if possible, even if the legal fees outweigh the winning sum of money.
This guy just got signed to Alamo Records, so we would be going against corporate lawyers.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Did you have a question?


Title: Town has arrest log public from when I was 18

Question:
Hi everyone,

Back when I was a senior in high school (4 years ago) me and a few friends of mine got caught drinking at a house party and subsequently got arrested for it. Unlucky enough for me, it was just a few days after my 18th birthday, so i was charged as an adult. The charges have since been resolved (not dropped), however the "arrest log" still appears on the town's website, and is one of the first things to appear when you google my name, directly under my LinkedIn profile.

I am worried that this will stray some employers away in the future. It didn't interfere with me getting my current internship, but I am afraid that when I go to apply for bigger companies that they will search my name and immediately associate my name with an arrest log from when I was 18. Is there any way, legally, that I can get this taken down? Or is it a matter of just reaching out to the person in charge of the website in hopes that they are kind enough to do so... any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer:
 > Is there any way, legally, that I can get this taken down?

No.  It's public record.  Answer #2: You were arrested, so the log is statement of historical and legal fact.

What you need to do is find out if you can get your case **"expunged"**.   That implies it gets legally erased (unless you commit another crime).

Contact the court, or hire an attorney who knows the process for the town you are in.


Title: Am I being groomed for Real Estate fraud? [Toronto]

Question:
Recently I was cold called by a real estate company from Chicago that wants to sell my club membership to Bahia Principe (an international chain of vacation resorts).

The membership includes 30 trips (used as credits) worth of luxury vacations at a discounted rate. The real estate agent referred to it as "fractional real estate", and told me he is able to sell off the remainder of my membership credits to his client at a value higher then what I bought them for.

It seems too good to be true so I'm worried that it is. He recently asked me to sign [this document](https://imgur.com/a/Sps6S) that he says will allow him to market it to his clients. I can't make sense of the legal jargon but am most concerned about what it says at the top. Am I walking into a scam?

Answer:
 Do you want a timeshare? Because this is how you end up with a timeshare.

Whether this is a _scam_ as such depends on your expectations, but generally, cold-call real estate offers are a red flag. If you're uncertain about the implications of that contract, have it reviewed by an attorney - it'll likely only require a handful of billable hours, and the Law Society of Upper Canada can refer you.

Personally, I'd walk.Answer #2: It's a timeshare. RUN.


Title: Wants to take away my house

Question: Hi, my lease expired in April ( i was never aware it expired)i was always up current with my rent and my taxes. I was the one paying for taxes and renovations to the house such as fixing old pipes that were broken in the house, sewer problems, bathrooms, kitchen. Every year i paid taxes over 4k. He now wants it to be month to month. I just got a notice in the mail on June 16th What can i do? He now wants to do month to month Tampa fl

Answer: Why would you pay for taxes and repairs/renovations on a property you didn't own? These should have been the landlord's responsibility.


Title: Stroke

Question: My father had a stroke in 2011. He went to our local county hospital and they wouldn't administer the shot he needed because they didn't know if it was a stroke or aneurism. He was transferred to the state univeristy hospital and was essentially sent home because he was "faking it." Fast-forward two months and he had another stroke and was transferred to another hospital where they did tests and acknowledged that he had in fact had two strokes and is now on disability as a result. The third hospital even said that if he had gotten the help he needed sooner, he wouldn't be in the shape he is in. My question is, is there any legal recourse against these hospitals for the way that they denied the treatment he needed?

Answer: Medical malpractice is too complicated for this sub. The good news is that medical malpractice attorneys have free consults. Call around and meet with a few to see if you have a case. Best of luck.


Title: Some work/office questions - Kansas

Question:
Office manager/hr manager is asking for the following information: if we don't have health insurance through the company, who we have it through? The company that provides insurance for the company I work at has asked for it, I was not given the option to decline sharing this information. I chose to ignore the request. I'm being told I'm being insubordinate and could be considered grounds for termination. Is choosing not to disclose this information insubordinate, or a right to privacy?

Secondly, I'm in an IT/Telecom hybrid field. I can't get solid clarity as to whether we should be hourly (or at least paid overtime) or salary. We are currently considered by the business to be exempt, though we work closely with another company, doing the same more MIS-oriented work, and that company is now paying their employees hourly, as well as overtime. Given that we are salary, we're inclined to get the work done in the 8-5 timeframes, whereas the company we work with is more willing to work later into the evenings, as they care less about the hours since they're getting paid for it. I can't get a solid answer as to what the third clause really means in the IT-exempt worker requirements. I don't program; I'm not considered an engineer. I'd like to bring it to the owner of the company, but I need something definitive, like case-law, or something similar, as I know he'll take it to his lawyers.

Any information would be excellent. Throwaway account, as I'm sure a few coworkers know my main.

Thanks in advance for any information.

Answer:
 > Is choosing not to disclose this information insubordinate, or a right to privacy?

You can retain your right to keep it private. They will fire you, legally. This is not uncommon. They need to follow laws regarding health insurance to employees. Just give them the info.

Edit: Try reading [this](http://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime/fs17g_salary.htm) and [this](http://www.flsa.com/coverage.html) regarding salary


Title: [UPDATE 2] [TX] Live/work in shelter. Coworker has dangerously unsafe food handling practices. Mgt. dragging feet, etc.

Question:
[Original post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3t1voo/tx_livework_in_shelter_coworker_has_dangerously/)

[Update 1](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3uu7m5/update_tx_livework_in_shelter_coworker_has/)

Pyrrhic Victory, as I knew it would be.

Reported to Health Department. They showed up 3 days later and [softballed the inspection again](http://i.imgur.com/h44Z77o.jpg) - however, as seen by the pic, at least Mgt. finally got moving on getting the kitchen cleaned up.

If I hadn't been in the very unusual position of having three client-volunteers willing to pitch in and help, I would have told the big boss to pound sand, since he was aware of the conditions for years and had allowed them to stay that way and I had already advised him to get community service "volunteers" in to do the cleanup 6 months previously - but he chose to use them to help in the office with paperwork filing instead.

Anyway, so kitchen is clean(er). Great. Still didn't address the coworker's habits. Approached my immediate boss for help in having a sitdown with the big boss and the coworker, and why - and her first response is to accuse me of overrelying on the volunteers. Not concern that there was an ongoing health hazard going on. Puzzling behavior, but explained in a bit.

So, I get the big boss and the coworker in a sitdown. Explain to coworker in presence of big boss that some of his habits were unacceptable and that I waited almost a year for them to be addressed by Mgt. (in addition to my own attempts at addressing them with the coworker directly); that I was sorry but I was willing to have the kitchen/shelter shut down rather than see those habits continued.

Big boss tells coworker to stop those habits. They have decreased, but still to this day continue when he thinks he can get away with them. Big boss tells me that my job isn't threatened, but that he's aware it was me that reported them (I shrugged, since I'd clearly told the Health Dept. who I was and how to contact me.)

So, habits are going to continue, and there's nothing else I can do about them - Mgt. knows that they happen, will continue to ignore them. Oh well.

What was my immediate boss' reaction about? According to a couple of my client-volunteers who witnessed the conversations firsthand, it turns out she'd already been talking with the coworker, and assured him that she "had the coworker's back", and that anything the coworker chose to complain about regarding me would be corroborated and acted upon immediately, regardless of the truth of those complaints.

Yes, retaliations have begun. Was told to return to my bed-bug infested room instead of sleeping out in the dining room as I had been since August. I refused. Told I was over-relying on those aforementioned volunteers and that I was "always on the computer." (implying I'm not doing my job.) I had NO volunteers for over a year and got by fine, while my coworker has had a series of semi-permanent volunteers and still has timeliness issues - but that wasn't relevant apparently. I'm on my computer (which is in the kitchen in a work-cubby - I'm not staying in my room for anything until the bedbugs are addressed) off-shift all the time, and that's the only time my boss has ever seen me on it - she's not yet ONCE been in the kitchen while I've been working in the two months or so she's been here. Other incidents as well, all of them cropping up only AFTER I got the Health Department in.

So, I'm done. The bedbugs are allegedly going to be addressed shortly. They'd better be, as they have gotten [very, VERY bad](http://imgur.com/a/j82Aw) and are really [tearing some people up](http://imgur.com/a/NI8gH).

My main goals were to get the coworker's habits addressed, the kitchen cleaned up and the bedbugs addressed, for the sake of the health and safety of our clients. I've done all I can do. I'm setting up a recurring Google search for this facility and references to food poisoning. If there's a hit, I'm contacting the affected person or people with all the documentation I have showing the facility has been aware of the issue for a while and chose not to effectively address it.

I'm getting ready to hit the road, hitchhiking by necessity, to destination unknown at this time (Seattle seems attractive). I am a self-taught computer technician, have been for the last almost thirty years, and I really miss the work after this year's "relapse" into my old cooking skills.

Not sure what the future's going to bring, but I'm satisfied I've at least begun changes at a facility that has unfortunately settled into complacency and bean-counting over ensuring the client's needs are met in a safe, legal manner. The main thing that pissed me off was that there really wasn't much money involved - $50/room for bedbug treatment is a hell of a deal, there were only four rooms to treat, and could have been done every 3 months and at least reduced them to raiding parties instead of invading battalions. The cleanup of the kitchen could have been handled at anytime with no-cost labor (community service "volunteers"). It took me figuratively blackmailing the health department after a year of inaction for these things to happen.

It's done. I'm done. Anyone need a computer tech with modest wage needs? Will travel anywhere at the moment, even have my passport. :)

Thanks for the advice, folks!

**EDIT: TL;DR: I reported the facility to Health Department. Kitchen got cleaned, coworker spoken to (but continues his habits occasionally), bedbugs allegedly will be addressed, but not holding my breath. Retaliatory actions have begun, not worth my time to deal with them any more. Will try to monitor the situation via Google searches and insider information. I'm about to hit the road and hitchhike who knows where in search of the computer work I've been doing for 30 years, conditionally satisfied that I've done all I can do for my clients for now.**

Answer:
 I'm not a lawyer but I'm a food safety expert. The person with the poor food handling habits should be **fired.** If they even continue with some of their poor practices in the kitchen then at some point down the road **your kitchen is going to kill someone.**

It's a numbers game, it always is when food pathogens are involved. At some point the odds will intersect and an immunocompromised person in your facility will ingest Listeria or Salmonella and instead of simply having a gastrointestinal illness they'll get so sick they'll die. It's not a question of *if* it's a question of *when.*

I know you already said "I'm outta here" but I'm posting this here so anyone who works in food service can read it and get an expert's perspective on how these situations play out. Answer #2: Good luck those pics had me itching. [Workaway](https://www.workaway.info/) is a good site for accomodation/work packages maybe get you to Seattle faster
Answer #3: OP I might actually be hiring someone for some telecommuting work. Could you tell me what your expertise is?


Title: My friend discovered a business is using her name and likeness, attracting clients by claiming she is their "Creative Director" (TX)

Question:
In freshening up her resume my friend stumbled across a business that has her listed and prominently featured on their website with her photo as their "Creative Director". The problem is she has never worked there. After doing some digging it seems with the exception of the business owner, every employee featured on the website has never actually worked there. It seems the business is doing fairly well and the owner is attracting business by using her and the other so called "employees" impressive resumes and clout.

Is there any grounds for a legal case here? I'm completely out of my element but it seems like there has to be some consequences for such a shady business practice.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 Your friend should contact a local attorney and ask about Texas's common law right of publicity (among other things).

http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/texas-right-publicity-law


Title: involved in a very scary accident last night, need advice.

Question:
(VA) at about 9pm last night in VA we got into an Uber to go to our buddies show at this venue. our Uber driver unknowingly drove onto the wrong side of the highway and into oncoming traffic. an SUV drove right into us, i was in the front seat.

i have some serious whiplash and my wife’s arm is pretty sore but thank god we just have those minor injuries.

Uber driver didn’t even apologize, he claims I distracted him... he gave me his phone at the start of the ride to put on any Pandora music station i wanted to listen to. he said that distracted him.... so much that he drove into oncoming traffic.

he did have a dashboard cam and cops did show up eventually but we did not stay to file a police report, we were in shock and I just wanted to get my wife out of there as quick as I could. we walked along the highway (dangerous, I know) and off to the nearest street. we eventually went to the venue although we were sore (dumb also, I know).

is there a potential case here?

Answer:
 First, you left the scene of an accident for whatever reason. That isn't a good thing. Second, you didn't contact the police shortly after this happened. Also not a good thing.

Were I you, I would notify Uber, seek out medical treatment, and go from there.Answer #2: As of now, you don't have much of a case.  You didn't go to the hospital, and your self-diagnosis of whiplash doesn't mean much.


Title: Does length of time in apartment impact “normal wear and tear?” MN

Question:
We’ve been in our apartment for six years and will be moving at the end of July. I recently set down a bunch of bags after doing some shopping and didn’t realize a small jug of bleach had tipped over. A large bleach spot is now on the carpet.

The carpet is in awful shape and really should have been replaced before we moved in. I assumed they would replace it before the next tenant but now they will have to.

What are our options if they want to charge us to replace the carpet?

Answer:
 A large bleach spot is not normal "wear and tear".

However, the owner is only limited to damages of the value of the carpet of 6 years, which is not much.

You may not be liable for the actual cost of the carpet, but may be liable for charges outside of the actual carpet cost.Answer #2: Yes it does, however dropping bleach isn't really wear and tear. That being said, if the carpet was old and needed to be replaced regardless, it's rather a moot point.

If carpet has a useful life of, say, 10 years, and it was installed 9 years ago, you'd only be on the hook for 1/10th of the replacement cost. If it had been installed 10 or more years ago, you wouldn't owe anything. I'm just making that 10 year useful life span up, but you get the idea.


Title: Can I give away my rights to my non-biological father if I marry him?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Marrying somebody only makes him the stepfather.  Give your mother guardianship.  Please never have another child.


Title: [KY] Ex filed domestic violence charges because i pushed her after get punched upwards of 20 times, what do?

Question:
Not sure what the worst case scenario is here. NO WAY that she has any marks unless self inflicted, she lied in the report about what happened, and i have a squeaky clean record and pushed her purely to create space and remove myself from the situation. She also was just released for 2 stints in a mental institution. Any help here? If you need any further info feel free to ask.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 The ex cannot file charges. Did she file a police report only, or has she filed a police report and the DA has filed charges against you? (Do you have a court date?)

If the latter, you should either hire an attorney or if you cannot afford one, go to your first hearing and plead "not guilty." Then ask the court to appoint you a lawyer. If you qualify financially, they will. Do not contact her. Do not speak to friends about this case. Do not discuss it on social media. The only person you discuss it with is your attorney. Don't even text her a smiley face.

In general, you don't get to push people. And she doesn't get to punch people. If she punched you, you are free to contact the police and report that assault.


Title: Need advice on whether my wife has a case or not

Question:
Hello all I will quickly give a rundown of what happened and the facts of what did not happen.
My wife was just let go today from her job at Family Dollar in Ohio. She held an Assistant Manager position and has been with the company for over one year.

The reason for her termination is as follows...
1: Grazing/Shoplifting
2: Leaving company premises during shift
3: Having a non-employee in the store after the Manager requested the person to leave.

I will now explain the reasons why this was done...
1: Grazing/Shoplifting
1a: The non-employee that was in the store was a 3-year old girl that was the daughter of another employee, the other employee was at a hair salon across the street from Family Dollar. The little girl was thirsty so my wife brought her back over to the store and the 3-year old's Father bought her a drink. The little girl was bored so my wife gave her a coloring book, and crayons. The other Assistant Manager also took nail polish off of the shelf and gave to the little girl. Those three items were paid for by myself before the store closed at approx. 7:30pm. **Before I continue I understand that she could still be let go for grazing as the items were not paid for immediately, I just want to set the story.**

2: Leaving company premises during shift
2a: This is true but was only off of the premises for about 5-10 mins. This could easily be qualified as a break which is 15 mins.

3: Having a non-employee in the store after the Manager requested the person to leave.
3a: The person was a 3-year old girl of another employee that my wife was watching until the other employee was finished at the salon across the street. I do want to mention that the Manager allows her Daughter-In-Law to come into the store for upwards of 30 minutes to talk and to shop with the manager with, this is just simply her being a hypocrite and getting rid of my wife.

Some other facts:
The other ASM told their District Manager that my wife had not paid for the items mentioned earlier and that she stole them.

The Manager told the District Manager that my wife allowed this 3-year old girl to stock shelves and cut open boxes.

The other ASM also broke company policy by sitting on the floor and coloring with the 3-year old girl and no action was taken against her for not working.

The other ASM took nail polish off the shelf and gave it to my wife and watched Me pay for all of the items but claims we never did.

I am not sure if I really have a case here I figured defamation/slander may fall in here but since I am not legal savvy I wanted to ask a community about it first before I contact a lawyer for legal action.

Any and all help is great. I do want to point out that we do not want to sue the people involved/company unless we are not able to get her job back, at which point we will file her for unemployment until she finds a new job.

Answer:
 She has no caseAnswer #2: The legal advice.

At will state , they can fire for any reason. These seems like good reasons. I'll explain.

As someone who managed  a retail store many many years ago. why on earth did your wife bring the kid from across the street? Why was she hanging out at the hair saloon , why didn't she take the kid back?  What your wife did was make a problem and then broke a bunch of rules to fix it.  Once your wife took custody of the kid she was babysitting , other employees had to help entertain the kid. So you're wife created a distraction for the other employees and a liability for the store since it is not a daycare.   The other ASM was not the person responsible for the child , they were dealing with a child in the store whose responsible adult was not watching them (hint your wife was the responsible adult) Was your wife told to get rid of the kid and did not take child directly back to it's parent?   I like kids but 3 people on my staff being distracted because one of them brought in the kid they were babysitting , I would have fired her too.

If there is a company police re how employees make purchases , I'm guessing there is and that it was broken(you must pay for things before you use them)  , that's it there is the cause right there it's simple easy and hard to dispute.


Title: Heard a strange noise during my final walk through of a house I am (was) buying. The sellers believed they have resolved the issue but I do not believe with certainty that is has been resolved and refuse to close until it is. They said they will sue if I do not close tomorrow. Please help!

Question:
They claim they will go after me for damages associated with moving expenses, etc. because they have addressed the issue.

I do not believe the issue has been addressed, here's why...

During my final walk through we heard a loud vibrating noise coming from the north wall in one of the upstairs bedrooms. The noise was intermittent with no recognizable pattern and sounded somewhat like if a giant cell phone was stuck between the drywall in a specific location and was on vibrate.

My agent and I contacted the listing agent to have him come out and hear the noise as well (the house never made this noise during my initial inspection weeks earlier and is not in their disclosure). He heard the noise as well and said he would have it addressed. The next day, he had someone with the phone company come out and move the telephone landline which was anchored to the wall in the vicinity where the noise was heard; he moved it to the corner of the house. After they were finished, the listing agent texted me the guy with the phone company's number and said I could verify with him that the problem was resolved. I was not informed that the phone company would be out there that day, otherwise I would have happily come along.

I called the guy with the phone company and he said that the landline was causing a noise in the wall due to the fact that the screw that anchored the line to the home was outdated. He said this was a common occurrence. I asked him to explain the noise he fixed and he said it was a creaking noise that came from the anchor screw being pulled on in the stud of the house. He did not describe it as the loud vibrating sound I heard and I believe it to be highly unlikely that tension on a landline would cause such an odd vibrating noise that was as loud as it was.

Since I was not there and the guy with the phone company described the noise he fixed differently, I do not feel like the problem has been resolved. I stated that I will not close until the problem is resolved and the sellers now are doing nothing. I asked that the drywall in the bedroom be taken down so that I can see if there was anything electrical causing the sound in the exact spot where I heard it/felt it coming from. The sellers do not agree with this because they think they already addressed it.

Now, they said they have hired a lawyer and will come after me for damages if I am not at the closing (which I won't be). What possible case could these people really have against me??? I was (still am) prepared to close if the problem was addressed the way I wanted it to be addressed and I knew with 100% certainty what the issue was; this isn't a case of 'cold feet' or anything of that nature! If anything, I believe that I should be getting my earnest money back if they cancel the purchase agreement on me for not showing up Monday...

Please let me know your thoughts and concerns and thank you 100x in advance!

Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 Did you hear the noise when you went back for another inspection?

> What possible case could these people really have against me???

They would have the case that you're breaking your contract with them.  Which you are.


Title: I'm extremely poor but need confidential legal advice?

Question: What's my best option? I need legal advice on a variety of very sensitive topics, including business and topics concerning certain criminal boundaries. I don't intend to do anything illegal. Quite the opposite, I'm hoping to use the advice to avoid anything illegal. And yes what I'm planning to do is ethical as well. But I can't afford a lawyer and this needs to remain very confidential. Any ideas on what I can do?

Answer:
 There are sometimes pro bono (free) legal services available, but frankly those don't sound like the type of issues for which you are likely to find free help.

I'll echo the advice to save some money. If you only need to ask some questions, it may not be as expensive as you think. Answer #2: Most people don't need lawyers to avoid doing something illegal.  So are you planing something and you want it to be just barely legal?Answer #3: Lawyers don't work for free.

You can see if any local legal college offer services.


Title: Is adoption still possible if my birth father has custody?

Question:
I’m 19 and never had a relationship with my father. My uncle has always been my number one cheerleader and I’ve always seen him as my father. I would like to at some point in the future ask him to adopt me but I would not want to inherit any of his belongings after he died (he has 2 kids, my cousins) or change his life in and major way.  Is this a possibility?

I live in Minnesota.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 NAL

At 18 + your father no longer has custody of you. You are an adult, and can make the choice your self, your biological fathers consent is not necessary.

Adoption will make you a legal heir of your uncle. If you don’t want that, your uncle will need to have a will drawn up, specifically excluding you from any inheritance.

You and he also need to consider issues such as FASFA if you plan to go to college, and state health insurance obligations for example.


Title: (Ex) crew member wants to steal design from crew name

Question:
Hello Reddit. Throwaway for obvious reasons.

So my friend and I made a crew called Da I3ig I3oiyz (the big boiyz) were we rap and got tattoos that say BB and are just about to finish our first album called Da I3oiyz R I3ig (the boiyz r big).

My friend (who we will call BigA) didn’t like the direction that I wanted the music go in and so I told him to get out the crew.

So my problem is as follows. He now says he’s going to make his own crew called Da I3ad Ladz (the bad ladz) but I told him he can’t have the B look like I3 because I’m using it in my crew name like that. I will be honest it was his idea to have the B look like that for our name but now it’s just my crew name and I don’t want him to use it in his crew name too because I think it looks dope and he is NOT dope anymore.

Can I sue him or have the police tell him to stop? He said he can use it because he patented it before he told me about it but I think he’s lying but I don’t know what a patent is so maybe he’s telling the truth?

Thanks for your help in advance I hope you can help me.

Answer: No you can’t sue him and the police won’t do anything


Title: [Georgia] Police came to order gf to remove car

Question:
My gf has a car in her driveway that's been there for years. There is no reason to move it and no one uses it. This morning the police came over, took pictures and left a note on her door that said she needs to remove it or she faces a $1000 fine or jail time. Wondering if there is anything she can do? She doesn't want to move it nor need to move it. It is in her driveway and isn't blocking anything.

It does have a flat tire but that shouldn't matter. The note says it needs to be moved to the garage, have the tires replaced or have it registered (it was registered but no one drives it so she doesn't pay for registration on it).

Answer:
 If it is in violation of a law or ordinance (like a derelict vehicle law) then she can move it, or get fined and maybe have it towed.

It really doesn't matter if she wants to, or if she thinks she doesn't have to.


Title: Neighbor's property is causing hazards/damage to neighboring homes

Question:
My neighbor has 2 2'×4' sky lights on the north and south slopes of his roof. They do not have snow clips. His roof is 40' high. His house is 10' from my aluminum sided home (and the his other neightbors wood sided home). After snow and ice build up on the sky lights, it avalanches down, smashes into our (and his other neighbor's) siding, and crashes 40' to the cement walkway between our houses. This walkway is the only front entrance to my home; that is, it is heavily trafficked.

Aside from the dents, chiped paint, and eventual rust of our siding, 20-50lbs of snow and ice falling 40' could kill a small dog (our tenants - our home is a duples - have dogs and we have dogs), seriously injure an adult, and possibly kill a small child (we have a 1yo).

We've talked face to face with him about this, multiple times. Once, we both heard the bang the snow makes when it hits our house and we both ran out to our adjacent porches and we conversated about the issue then. Another time he had roofers making repairs and we said that would be a good time to install snow clips. We then escalated the issue with Department of Neighborhood Services, twice. Turns out hes an old home code enforcer and they refuse to fine or pursue any action with him.

There was another avalanche last night. We took photos. Our home insurance said we could make a claim for the siding damage, pay the deductible and theyd list him as the reason for damage. We could pursue something with his home insurance. Either of those do not result in him getting snow clips, wed get our siding repaired and be out the deductible.

I dont want the damage to continue and I dont want anyone injured. Does anyone have legal advice?

Answer: You could file a claim with the insurance company and take him to small claims to cover the deductible and you do this every time until he puts in snow clips.


Title: Roommate adopted cat behind our backs and against lease. Other roommate is allergic. Need advice.

Question:
Hi, I live in Los Angeles California and I'm having a real big issue with my roommate (three of us total including me). All three of us are on the lease, and it explicitly says no pets. I've had some issues with this roommate for a while no but mostly we worked things out. This has basically ruined that and I no longer trust her. Do I have any recourse?

This all started 4 weeks ago when we received a message in our roommate group chat that this person was fostering a cat. We both said no, you can't decide that without talking to us. Pets are against our lease, one of us is allergic, and none of us agreed to that living situation. We were basically told to deal. Went back and forth on facebook messenger and ultimately agreed to not say anything to our landlord until we talk it out.

My other roommate was gone on a trip and I was at work when the messages were sent so we met three days later to talk. The roommate who fostered the kitten refused to budge. Claimed that the cat would be euthanized if it wasn't fostered. I'm sympathetic to that and I love cats but the way it was gone about was absolutely atrocious. We all agreed and signed off to have the cat for 3-4 weeks, 4 weeks max, as that would be the point where it could be returned to the shelter. We also agreed not to tell the landlord to not make it worse.

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Fast forward to today, the end of week 4. We all sat down to discuss the exit strategy and were hit with the fact that the person is keeping the cat. We were both very upset. Our trust is now broken. They got the animal certified as an emotional support animal behind our backs and said they're legally allowed to have it and can't be evicted despite the lease. We all walked away in a bad state.

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Is there anything I can do to get this person off the lease or are they totally safe? I really can't live like this. It's incredibly stressful. That said, I don't want to move because of the lease and because of my financial situation. What can I do?

TL;DR Roommate adopted cat against lease and allergies of my other roommate. Went behind our backs and broke all trust. Can we get the person kicked out?

Answer:
 There is no such thing as a "certified" emotional support animal. You can get a doctor to prescribe one, so to speak, by writing a note saying that you need one. If your roommate got it certified through some website, then it was a scam.

Unfortunately, if you're all on the same lease, the landlord can't evict just the problem roommate if he finds out about the cat; he has to evict all of you. You also have no power to remove anyone else from the lease. If you can't drive it home to your roommate that the landlord can evict all of you if they find the cat, then you have a problem.


Title: Indiana: Home Owner Renting Dilapidated House, Won't Allow Movers on Property for Disabled Renter to Move Out

Question: A friend of mine, who is disabled, is moving out of a dilapidated house on the property of a home owner. The home owner will not allow a moving company to assist my friend in moving his things. The friend has lived merely on a spoken agreement with the home owner for approximately three years. What rights (if any) does my friend have to access to a professional moving company at his cost that would (obviously) be working on the home owner's property? If you have a citing of any Indiana (or Federal) laws, please include them as it would be a huge help!

Answer: I would say go a step further and request the police be there when the moving company shows up.  I am sure they would rather make sure nothing happens then have to deal with the home owner threatening people with a gun


Title: Changing a name on a Birth Certificate

Question:
Hi guys,

I'm a US citizen born in Arizona in the mid 80s, my parents are not american citizens and they were immigrants at the time that I was born. Recently, when I checked my birth certificate I noticed that the lastname of my father (Martinez) was used as my middle name and the lastname of my mother (Perez) as my lastname, also they used a nickname for my fathers name, his name is Carlos and they used Charlie instead.

Currently I'm not living in the US, my residence is in Mexico and I have never stayed in the US for too much time, I never went to school in the US but I have an Arizona State ID and a Social Security Number, in the ID I have the correct name "Teresa Martinez Perez" but I don't know if Martinez is considered my middle name there.

My parents also live in Mexico and they can't travel to the US because they don't have a US Visa/Passport, so I have to do this process all by myself.

I'll like to know which is the procedure to change this, since I don't want to be Teresa M. Perez, my real name is Teresa Martínez and I want to have it like that, and if its possible have both lastnames as one "Martinez Perez" so my name can be "Teresa Martinez Perez" as it should be.

As you may guess I have a lot of questions. How do I do this? Where should I go? Do I need a lawyer? Does it cost? How long does it take? Can I change the name of my father by myself? Does he needs to be present to change the name?  A trail is necessary? Can I make these two changes with the same request?

Thanks for your help

Answer: Just chiming in to point out that you may be considered in violation of the sitewide reddit rule against [posting personal information](http://www.reddit.com/rules/) (posting your own info is generally regarded to count because there's no way to verify you're actually posting your own). Consider editing in a fake example name! It would be crummy to get your post removed over something like that.


Title: Ticket for License Plate Frame from Auto Shop

Question: Hello all. I recently got a ticket from a state trooper in NY while driving for an "obstructed vehicle plate." To me there is no obstruction of the numbers at all as you can see all the numbers and letter clearly. I went to the auto shop last time and they fixed a plate frame without my knowledge or consent. I know it's not worth suing due to the legal fees being more than the actual ticket, but what is the best course of action here? Just email them politely to pay my ticket? Thanks so much.

Answer: You are responsible to check the condition of your car every time you drive it. If the plate cover was illegal it was on you to remove it.


Title: Will there be legal issues if I write a novel about my abusive ex boyfriend, even if I change the name?

Question: Please answer as if you’re speaking to a 5 year old. I know nothing about the legality of writing non fiction books. For years I’ve been wanting to write a novel about what happened with my abusive ex. Can I be sued if I use his name? Or if I change the name, could there still be legal issues? I know he would never give me the rights to use his name, I don’t even want to speak to him to ask.

Answer:
 Your best bet is to change the name.  Change it to something completely different, and not something "clever" that could be linked to the original person.

If you use the real name and tell the truth, you could still be subject to a lawsuit for defamation for damaging someone's character.

If the writings you produce make statements that cannot be substantiated, you open yourself up to a potential libel suit as well.


Title: [Florida] Ex-GF won't move out

Question:
I am hoping someone will be able to tell me otherwise, but from what I understand I am screwed. We moved into a new apartment about 6 months ago, the apartment leasing office required both names be on the lease. She didn't work for the first few months, and has not payed me a dime toward rent, utilities, etc. Now she is working, making more money than me actually, and I found out she was cheating on me. So obviously I want her to move out, so we can go our separate ways to which she refuses. Because her name is on the lease she refuses to move out, because why not she can live rent free? Her last paycheck she offered to give me money, but I told her to keep it and instead use it to find her own place. She has now instead taken that money bought herself a new iphone 6, as well as one for her brother, and is currently taking a weekend vacation (~$1000) to Atlanta to meet one of the guys she was cheating on me with.

I have 0 idea what my options are. I would move out, but she won't release me from the lease because then she would be liable.

I can't kick her out because she is on the lease.

However I don't see how it is legal in any way she can live rent free, drive up the utilities, be a complete slob, and then the other night she came home and went to bed with the front door wide open.

I am afraid to call the cops because last time I did (she bleached all my clothes, scratched me up, threw my keys in the toilet, beat the shit out of me and in the process of me defending myself hit her head on my elbow (I was guarding my face)) they came and nearly arrested me and not her because she was crying.

Please someone tell me there is something I can do.

Answer:
 Life advice, more than legal advice, because as others point out, legally you are stuck.  Get your stuff out of the apartment.  All of it.  Put it in storage, and don't tell her where.  Don't take her stuff.

Find other places to be when she's there.  Just use the apartment to shower and change, try to keep minimal clothing in the apartment for her to damage.  But if the TV's yours, take it.  Computer?  Gone.  PS4?  Nope.  All the stuff she might want in an apartment, take it.

If you can find a room to rent elsewhere, I'd cancel the utilities if they're in your name.  Transfer them to her name.  Let her take the hit if she doesn't pay.

You'll have to still pay the rent to avoid an eviction on your record, but there's no reason to make it easy for her to take advantage of you.

Beyond that, ignore her barbs and escalations.  Just let her do what she does, and she's going to do whatever she can to get a rise out of you.  Don't let it.  You have six hellish months ahead, and then you'll be a free, wiser man.


Title: Can my college force me to retake a class I passed?

Question:
Hello,

I'm currently a college student in Florida. I recently completed an engineering course which I know for sure that I passed with at least a C, maybe a B.

The teacher was absolutely terrible with all tests averaging a failing grade. Because of documented inadequacies, many students have been contacting the dean to argue that the class was not fair, the amount of work was ridiculous and she did not teach the class.

While I agree with all of the above, I've heard that if the dean does agree she did not adequately teach us, we may be given no credit and allowed to retake the class in the fall or spring for free. Is this legal? If I know I passed can I be forced to retake the class again? Or could it maybe just be an option for those who failed?

Thanks!

Answer:
 >I recently completed an engineering course which I know for sure that I passed with at least a C, maybe a B.

How do you know you passed if you don't know what your grade is?


Title: How to serve papers to tenant who won't open door?

Question:
I live in whatcom county and am trying to serve a notice of hearing. He wont respond or open the door. Can I post it on his door? He is purposely avoiding this and not because of any other reason besides not wanting this process to go further. The document is signed and stamped by the county and ready to be served.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Is this notice terminating his tenancy, or a complaint and summons for a hearing? The difference is important.


Title: (California) I commissioned art from an artist. After delivery, he never accepted the money. Can I still use it?

Question:
I commissioned art from a local artist. All communication was done via e-mail. The purchase was for 8 individual pieces for use within a larger project that I am publishing/printing.

His last contact with me was on October 10th. Since that time, I sent multiple e-mails to him, none of which he replied to. I tried contacting him via facebook, text and e-mail, still no response whatsoever. He delivered to me the art I requested, but he never gave me a way to pay him our agreed upon price.

When he was still replying to me, he told me not to pay him until I was done (I tried offering money on a piece-by-piece basis). Once he finished, he never replied to give me a way to do so, despite many e-mails I sent. I have all of these communications saved.

So here is my question: Can I use this art? Is there anything I need to do to protect myself if I do use it? Anything else I need to know?
Thanks!

EDIT: I should add that no contract was ever signed (even though I insisted that we do, he never gave an opportunity to do so).
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: Yes, you can use it. It's yours. If he ever pops up to complain you didn't pay him, then you can pay him.


Title: What is would be the real life crime equivalent to Grand Theft Auto 5's Import/Export business model?

Question: Summarized explanation: The Import/Export business model in GTAV allows players to steal cars from various marked locations and store them in a warehouse that includes it's own auto shop, modify the cars, then deliver the cars to buyers.

Answer:
 For one, literally the title: grand theft auto.  One might presume that's where the developers got the idea for the name of the game -- it's one of the main game mechanics that a player can do in the game: commit the crime of grand theft auto.

If the buyers knew the vehicles were stolen, they'd be committing a crime as well.

The chop shop would also be complicit in those crimes.

The exact crimes/statutes under which the participants might be charged would depend on where, exactly, this is happening.


Title: [US/Canada] Canada keeps sending me [US citizen for life that has never worked in Canada] requests to fill out taxes, can I just ignore this?

Question:
In 2016, I \[NY, US citizen that has never lived or worked in Canada\] went on a job interview in BC (at a university there). They reimbursed me for my trip (something like $800). They had sent a TN-800 (not sure of exact numbers, been a while). I eventually sent that with a half filled out tax document to canadian tax revenue service (I didn't have national ID number). And left it at that. They never sent a bill or anything after. Even their telephone support people had been confused when I called.

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I keep getting requests to fill out taxes. Can I just ignore these? I haven't even visited Canada since.

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Side question, I'm actually going on a business trip to Canada in summer, what would be the worst that happens at the border? Would they deny me entry or detain me if there was some mistaken flag on my record because of this tax confusion?

Answer:
 Call Canada Revenue Agency and see if they can be of any help why you’re receiving this. Recommend calling sooner than later considering tax season is upon us.

1-800-959-8281Answer #2: > Would they deny me entry or detain me if there was some mistaken flag on my record

If there is a tax flag it's certainly possible.Answer #3: Canadians are serious about their tax laws, and will pull you out of a line in customs to discuss any issues, past or future. Definitely square this away before visiting.


Title: Question about DUI

Question: So I went off the road the other night in my car. The cops came and I had to have my car towed from there. They took me to urgent care and breathalyzed me and took blood tests. I blew .02 so I was under the limit and fine. I was on some xanax that I am not prescribed. They said I was fine to go and they left. When the test comes back positive will I for sure be charged with DUI? This happened in Michigan.

Answer:
 We can't say if you will for sure. But if it impaired your ability to drive, it's certainly possible.

As an aside, don't mix alcohol and benzos. A vast majority of deaths from benzos are from combining them with other depressants like alcohol.


Title: Former NFL Player Struggling to Get Concussion Settlement Money

Question:
Apologies if this not the right place for this. The people volunteering their legal advice free of charge here seem to have a lot more heart than the lawyers my family is trying to deal with and I thought it was worth a shot. This is in the United States.

My step-dad played in the NFL for a few years and is now in his 50s. The only way to diagnose CTE is by hacking up the brain, but there is no doubt that his noggin took a serious beating and that there are some serious, long-term health effects from his years in the league. He has a hard time remembering things, falls asleep at the wheel if he tries to drive long distances, has blackouts, gets out of character rage about odd things, and all sorts of other symptoms that are on all of the lists. And that's just his head, the man has the worst carpal-tunnel his doctor has ever seen. If my mom and him are holding hands sometimes he doesn't realize that he's got a death grip and she has to tell him to let go. He's constantly shaking out his hands to try and get them to do what he needs them to. His knees are also shot, but the head is what we really care about. This kind-hearted man has completely sacrificed his body for the NFL.

Anyway, this year the NFL settled a pretty chunk of change for players who received concussions. If he had been diagnosed before January, he could have already gotten his money, instead the court has it right now and we can't for the life of us get past the lawyers to get the money he is entitled to. We have submitted all sorts of evidence and need to get him to the doctors for his diagnosis, but the lawyers are making it dang near impossible because they get paid on contingency and our case isn't as severe as others. The first doctor's appointment was on the other side of the country, but we had to cancel it because he couldn't afford his airfare and the lawyers refused to use settlement money to get him there. The NFL is only paying the doctors a thousand dollars per case, so it's a low priority for them and difficult to get appointments set up. It would cost us over ten-thousand to pay a doctor out of our own pocket to get the diagnosis. We are waiting on the lawyers to get another appointment lined up, but it's still on us to figure out how to get him there and once that happens, who knows what obstacle will come next.

What's happening is that the lawyers are cherry picking the cases, only picking players that are guaranteed to pay out. For example, players that aren't able to work anymore are getting their airfare covered really quick. My step-dad is currently working as an unskilled laborer doing all sorts of back-breaking work. He struggles to stay employed because of his medical issues. His injuries have definitely impacted his ability to provide for himself and leads to long periods of unemployment, but because he's hard working as all get out and finds a way to make money, the lawyers won't help. He's not low hanging enough for the lawyers to give him the time of day.

He needs the money to cover his medical bills and expenses, but we can't figure out how to get it! My step-dad would never say a negative thing about the NFL and always talks about being so blessed, but he's really being screwed over here.

Lawyers of Reddit, do you have any advice with getting money untied from these kinds of big settlements?

Answer:
 My first suggestion for this is to contact the NFL Players Association and the front offices for his former teams and see what advice they give. They may be able point him to resources that can help him get the ball rolling in a way he can afford.

Second, this has become a political issue, and as such, you should definitely contact your step-dad's US Senators and Representatives. Their constituent services staff are highly competent and can often help point you in the right direction and help make initial contact.

Finally, as this is a labor-rights issue, you may want to contact a sports law attorney that is not associated with the case. Again, the NFLPA may be able to help provide references, as well as the state bar.Answer #2: Be extreeeeeemely careful with anyone you do hire, OP. There's a whole flock of vultures circling the heads of this settlement, and already there are stories about players being defrauded, cheated and mishandled that'd make a boxer blush.

/u/bug-hunter's right-on. You want somebody who's had success of their own at this, to save you the trouble of having to vet whomever ends up repping you.


Title: What to do when a loved one was killed by an 18 wheeler, when the driver of the 18 wheeler fell asleep?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: ~~Report it to police.~~ *[Edit] Follow up with the police investigating*. Consult a personal injury (?) lawyer if you want to sue - which is what the letter you're talking about would relate to. Otherwise the police would investigate it and they have their own process to make sure evidence isn't destroyed.


Title: WALMART sent my brother to clean up after a SUICIDE in the Walmart parking lot. Brains and blood with no training. What should he do? It happened in New England.

Question:
WALMART sent my brother to clean up after a SUICIDE in the Walmart parking lot. Brains and blood with no training. What should he do?
He is deaf and is slightly mentally impaired. Another employee was sent out with him.My brother said he was cleaning up brains ans blood. This is so illegal I can't begin to list all the agencies that need to be contacted as well as a lawyer. He isn't doing anything about it himself. I will most likely be his advocate.

Answer:
 >This is so illegal I can't begin to list all the agencies that need to be contacted as well as a lawyer.

You're probably overreacting.  A) You don't KNOW that it's illegal; b) you don't KNOW what was actually being cleaned up, you only know what your mentally impaired brother TOLD YOU he was cleaning up.  Take a breath and a step back.


Title: Stepsister in process of stealing a soon to be born baby

Question:
First time posting here on Reddit. It may end up being a long post because I don't want to leave out any details but please read all of it. The baby needs your help more than I do.
Edit: it's very long, sorry for walls of text.

I'll start off with the background. From the United States. My mom divorced and remarried around 15 years ago. I have an older sister and younger brother, my step dad has 3 daughters, 2 older and 1 younger. He was always a great father to all of us, he cared more than our biological father Even after he broke his neck and became a quadraplegic a few years after he married my mom, he did what he could for any of us. (I'll refer to him as our father, as if all of us are full siblings).

We all dealt with it in our own ways, at the time the youngest of us was 10 and the oldest 20, we are now all in our 20s-early 30s. 5 of us are doing very well, some with college degrees/trade skills, all in successful relationships. Everyone is doing great except for our youngest sister, who is 21, I'll refer to her as Beth. She coped with our fathers accident differently than everyone else.

She decided to become friends with the kids who wanted to be in "gangs" (she's full white/polish). Ever since she was a teenager she was getting into trouble with police. Fighting, shoplifting, threatening suicide, whatever else. When she was about 16 she started dating this girl who had 3 kids (between 2-6) with 3 different guys who were all in prison. Her plan was to be with girls who had children to act like she's their dad. She treated everyone in her family like garbage but our father was always offering her money and didn't want to yell at her about the things she was getting into. My mother hates Beth but doesn't went to upset him so she deals with it. We have family holiday parties at my parents house and Beth would occasionally come to them with her girlfriend. My mom has caught them multiple times going in their bedroom to steal jewelry/credit cards when everyone else is in the family room, she now locks anything expensive in there and we know not to leave out purses or wallets when Beth is over. My sister caught her screaming at and hitting the kids when she thought no on else was in the house, all because they went in the pool with clothes on. Over the years of being with this girl, Beth had been in juvy/prison multiple times. The most serious being domestic violence for hitting her girlfriend and the kids, which got her a few months in jail, restraining order and probation. That was the only time our father actually yelled at her and let her know how he really felt. She didn't come around again until she needed money.

About 10 months ago she started dating this new girl, also as white trash as you could imagine. She brought her to Christmas and let everyone know that her girlfriend is pregnant. Up until today I thought it was a joke, because she said something about her not being pregnant, she's really just fat. My sister told me all about what's going on. Beth talked the girl into getting pregnant so that they could have a kid together, and she is now a month away from her due date. The girl was on house arrest (surprise), but cut off the ankle bracelet and Beth is hiding her in a city 5-6 hours away with a warrant out for the girls arrest. Their plan is to wait until the baby is born so that she can sign the baby over to Beth then turn herself in and go to jail. Beth has no business being anywhere near a child, especially a new born, with her history of domestic abuse and whatever else. She belongs in a mental hospital or prison, and I'm not saying this to be mean, EVERYONE believes this.

Basically I'm wanting to know if there are any law officials that I can speak to so that this can all be prevented. I don't want to find out that the baby is dead or missing later on and know there was something I could do about it. It seems a bit ridiculous that you could just sign over a baby to someone you're not related to, but I really have no idea what the laws are about all of this. Her mom is too busy partying and getting into drama, her sisters baby her, our dad doesn't want to face the truth, so it's pretty much up to me and my sister to do something. If you have any questions or need more information, let me know.

Answer:
 > sign the baby over to Beth

It's not that simple anywhere in the US

> The girl was on house arrest (surprise), but cut off the ankle bracelet

> Basically I'm wanting to know if there are any law officials that I can speak to

I think you know the answer to this.  Call the police.
Answer #2: Another thing to consider is that she didn't get pregnant by spontaneous fertilization.  Who is the father, and where is he?  This woman can't just tell them to drop the kid off at Beth's house.  No matter how bang-and-go the sex was, the father still has rights and responsibilities, and when the child is born CPS’s first priority will be to find the father in order for him to take custody, or at least to get court-ordered financial support to reimburse the state for the child's care.  If that doesn’t pan out, the child will probably end up in foster care if a suitable relative is not available to act as legal guardian.   During that process is when you want to talk to CPS to try to stop them from considering Beth as a possible guardian candidate.


Title: Dentist lied about performing a procedure on me and charged my insurance, had the procedure done later and insurance won't pay for it (NY)

Question:
A year and a half ago I went to the dentist for a routine cleaning and to check out some moderate issues I was having with gums. He said I had a small cavity I should come back in to take care of but that I was otherwise in good shape, which surprised me. The dentist was late and kind of rude and I wasn't super concerned about a small cavity so I didn't book another appointment.

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A few months later I was still having moderate issues with my gums so I went to see a different dentist. He said I had a pretty serious gum disease and it looked like I'd had it for well over a year. Two of my teeth were slightly loose by this point. They scheduled a procedure that took three appointments over the course of two months. It was an extremely uncomfortable procedure and I paid $300 out of pocket.

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The dentist had checked with my insurance and they were supposed to cover the remaining $600, however, a month after the procedure I find out they'd denied the claim because the first dentist claimed to have done the same procedure less than a year ago and my insurance would only pay for this procedure once every two years.

&#x200B;

I called the first dentist and started explaining the situation and before I even told him my name he starts yelling over me saying "you don't know what you're talking about, I specifically remember you, I knows for a fact I performed that procedure on you". I asked him if he could produce an invoice for my $300 copay and he just said "I have no idea, my nurses handle that and I don't have time to chase that down". I filed a grievance with my health insurance and requested they pay the remaining $600 I owe on the procedure but they haven't done anything at all and now the $600 bill is about to get sent to collections.

&#x200B;

Do I have any recourse here? Even if I do have to cough up the $600 it makes me so frustrated to know that dentist just gets away with it and will do it to other patients. He literally stole his patient's health insurance money. Is there someone I can report this to? It happened in New York City.

Answer:
 Your insurance company should have a fraud department.  Report the first dentist.

Your dispute though is not with the second dentist.  Pay their bill yourself and keep the receipts.  When you get the issue with the first dentist resolved, the insurance company should reimburse you the amount they would have covered from the second procedure.


Title: [KS] Therapist contacted me regarding concerns for my mother/her ability to care for herself/family and thinks a conservatorship/guardianship is needed. Can you help me understand this process and what I need to do now?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I say this as a social worker- you can get resources and ideas from country social services agencies or other community supports, but what you really need is an estate planning attorney.  If you are given poor advice by a county social worker, you have very little recourse.  One of our local estate planning firms calls the county social service department with detailed questions about preserving assets, etc. every six months just to see what they are telling people, and find that about 1 in 3 questions are answered incorrectly.  You should use your parent's funds, not yours, to pay for estate planning- it will protect their estate so that they can be protected.  At least in my state, BTW, this situation would not call for a guardianship if your parents were able to agree to and execute POA agreements.  The money you would save from not doing the guardianship alone should cover the cost of basic estate planning.  Sorry, that sounds like a lot to have to deal with.


Title: Eviction question (ontario canada) Can my landlord deliberately make himself unavailable so that I can't pay before eviction?

Question: I've been served an eviction notice due to late rent. The notice has a pay-by-or-else date. Since receiving this notice I have not seen my landlord, and he has been avoiding my calls. I could pay him today if he was available. He bought the building while I was already a tenant and let me stay, but has complained that he wishes he could raise the rent ever since. He can't raise my rent more than a few dollars per month while I'm here, so I believe he wants to evict me for this reason. Do I have any recourse here?

Answer: What does the lease say about methods by which to pay rent and why can't you follow those methods ?Answer #2: Others have suggested a check/cheque by registered mail, I would suggest a money order or cashier's cheque, which require you to pay the cash up front so they are a guaranteed form of payment (as opposed to a personal cheque, which a bank could refuse to honor). You can generally track the payment status of these items if you keep the receipt so you will have additional documentation that the landlord did, indeed, receive the money. Answer #3: Remember the postal union could issue 72-hour strike notice anywhere between now and Thursday.  If it were me, I would not mail a cheque at this time.  Keep trying to pay with cash or Interac e-Transfer, and as derspiny said, keep records of times you attempted to pay and were unable to.


Title: Neighbor took my dog and is "teaching him not to kill chickens" while his chickens are free roaming and come onto our property often.

Question: So as stated above our neighbor has taken our dog and is most likely abusing him \(or has killed him?\) because he claims he has killed some of his chickens. We have videos of his chickens on our property and evidence the dog belongs to us. We've had problems with him in the past and he has killed one of our dogs before which we have no evidence of. my parents do not have a fence or leash on the dogs making it not entirely the guys fault, but I'm mainly wondering how to go about getting our dog back? \(just waltzing over there isn't the best option because this guy is loaded with guns, always looks drugged up, and acts very dangerously.\) I find this situation very distressing and any advice on anything I could do to at least save my dog even if it costs me some money would be very appreciated. I'll give more details if asked.

Answer:
 You need to call the police and tell them what has happened.Answer #2: Police now. You need to have them file a report yesterday because a man you may have reason to believe is dangerous has your property (your dog). How long ago did he take the dog, if you know?

Also, please add location.Answer #3: The police. Call them. Immediately.


Title: (Long post) A guy will not stop coming to our apartment and has broken in 3 times. The cops have not caught him and he won't stop coming back. (California)

Question:
Apologies for length; I'm trying to be as detailed as possible in case any information helps. I read all the rules, but let me know if I broke one or need to change/fix something. Names have been changed for anonymity, and this is a throwaway.

&nbsp;

I live with my boyfriend and his 3 brothers in a townhouse apartment. One of the brothers “Bill” has a 7-year-old daughter (my niece.) My niece and her mom “Jenny” live here as well. Jenny and Bill are in a relationship, but not married. About 3-4 weeks ago, Bill went to jail because he did drugs on parole. He is currently still in jail, and will be for another week or two.

&nbsp;

About 2 weeks ago, Jenny went down south to visit relatives. When she came back, a childhood friend had followed her home without her knowing. Instead of being weirded out by this, she took him into our home and had sex with him in our bathroom. We were, naturally, very upset that she had cheated on Bill right in front of all of us.

&nbsp;

A day later, the guy she slept with, who will henceforth be known as Assdick, came looking for her. He kept coming back again and again and again, knocking on our door and asking to see Jenny. Jenny invited him to Easter with my niece and the other townhouse kids without our knowledge. Sometimes, he'd be in our home. He started fighting loudly with Jenny. So finally, we told Jenny that he wasn't allowed here.

&nbsp;

A few days in, Assdick jumped the fence to our backyard in the middle of the night, took a ladder, and climbed through my niece's bedroom window because he “didn't believe [Jenny] was putting [Niece] to bed.” Jenny's words. The rest of us didn't know he had broken in until the next day. But we were all very angry.

&nbsp;

Every time he would come back he would either knock on the door or yell “Jenny, **Jenny,** **JENNY**" from outside my window. We told him to shove off and that he wasn't allowed to come around anymore. It never stopped him. And a few days after that, he walked through our front door uninvited. I screamed at him to get out and made shooing motions with a broom (like when you see a mouse and swipe the floor at it to scare it off.)

&nbsp;

He has still been returning to our house every day. It started at 3-5 times per day but has risen to over a dozen times a day (and through the night.) The cops had been called both times he broke in, and on other occasions. Although there were no witnesses, Jenny claims that he grabbed her. I don't know if this is true (she lies frequently) but she called the cops anyway. They have never been able to catch this fool. He always runs away, and almost always says “I won't come back” before he bolts.

&nbsp;

I also want to mention that once, I caught him standing with Jenny in the side yard, and offered to get him help. He is not taking his medication, which he fully admitted to needing (I am 90% sure he is paranoid-schizophrenic.) I told him that he can't be here unless he lets someone help him to get on his meds and get some mental help. He acted very paranoid, insisted the cops were coming, and bolted. He never took me up on the offer. I would much rather see this person get help than go to jail.

&nbsp;

In the meantime, we gave Jenny (who is not actually on the lease) a limited amount of time to get her stuff and leave, because we found out that she is dealing and taking drugs. We have also offered to take care of my niece so she can finish the schoolyear here (we're basically raising her right now anyway.) But Jenny plans to take her daughter with her to her relatives' down south. And Assdick told me directly, “I'm going [down south] with my girlfriend.” His “girlfriend” being Jenny of course. So he fully intends to follow her down there.

&nbsp;

Last night was the first night I've slept through the night since he started this. I woke up at around 8am to a shouting match. Jenny was screaming “leave me alone.” I opened my window which faces the front of the apartment and yelled for Assdick to get lost and never come back for the millionth time. He replied by saying I was [sleeping with] Jenny and all of my roommates/brother-in-laws. I told him, yeah, I'm [sleeping with] them all, that we all have great big orgies and he's not invited. (Not my proudest moment.) He left because he thought I called the cops. He came back 20 minutes later. I walked outside in my batman pajamas, grabbed the garden hose and turned it on. He shouted, “Really?!” and I said, “Yep!” and started squirting in his direction. He took off.

&nbsp;

A half hour later, he had hopped the fence into our (very private, inaccessible)  back yard, and had gone up the ladder, standing at Jenny's window. My boyfriend and one of his brothers ran him off. He's called Jenny 26 times since. This was the third time he legitimately broke in.

&nbsp;

And now I'm here. I don't know what to do, but here are my questions. Any advice would be appreciated right now. I tend to crack jokes, it helps lighten the mood, but we are all very tired here.

&nbsp;

- If he comes back into our apartment/yard, legally, how far can we go? Can he be pinned down until the police arrive? They can't arrest him when he's in the communal side yard or the general vicinity of the townhouse. He has to be in our actual apartment or yard (at least this is what the cops told me.)

- If Jenny does go down south and he follows her, what can I do from here?

- Jenny was encouraged to get a restraining order when Assdick allegedly grabbed her. She won't do it, though. I talked to the police last night and they told me that I could do it, and it would be the most immediate solution. That way *if* they caught him, they could do so outside the vicinity of our apartment.

&nbsp;

What can I be doing right now that will be helpful or productive in stopping this?

&nbsp;

Tl;Dr: The guy my roommate slept with hasn't left her (or us) alone since. He has trespassed 3 times and comes around our apartment roughly a dozen times per day. The cops have not been able to catch him. What can I do?

Answer: You need to kick Jenny out if she's going to enable this guy to come around you, then if he continues to show up uninvited, you call the police.Answer #2: jenny is creating drama on purpose because she is a toxic person, and i am glad to hear she is being kicked out.  it isn't trespassing when she is inviting him in behind your back and lying about it.


Title: Legal rights of a human animal hybrid?

Question: I'm just curious what legal rights if any a human animal hybrid would have and what factors could affect the creature's civil rights? I mean, a creature that is 50% human and 50% animal vs 25% human and 75% animal vs 25% animal and 75% animal? If the creature was created in the lab of a private company vs the government or created via ya know beastiality? Like whether the baby being born from a human mother in a human hospital vs an animal mother on farm would matter? Also whether the cognitive abilities of the creature would matter?

Answer:
 I presume you will not be surprised to learn that US law does not explicitly address human/animal hybrids (of any blend ratio).  It’s an unprecedented circumstance, so there would be little to draw on from either statute or common law.  Chances are good that the discovery or creation of such a hybrid would spark a rigorous debate over their legal status, followed by the creation of law on the subject.

That being said, here’s a couple of hot takes (all presuming this happens in the US):
If the hybrid was born from a human parent, it could be argued that it is a citizen of the US and would be afforded all of the same rights as a full human.  On the other hand, some could argue that it’s animal nature renders it property, and would only be afforded protections extended to, say, a dog.  It may be accorded the status of a perpetual child—having the same protective rights as other humans, but limited rights/agency vis-a-vis things like signing contracts or opening bank accounts.

If the hybrid was created in a lab, the inventor may claim it is property and therefore has no rights.

You could speculate all day.


Title: Refusing payment for a amazon prime trial

Question:
Location: The Netherlands

There was an offer on twitch.tv for a month of twitch and amazon prime for free. I know these trials start automatically collect from your bank account after the free trial expires. I set a reminder to cancel the trial at the end of the month, however when I went to amazon.com and twitch.tv to cancel the subscription there was no evidence of a subscription to be found. I had also not experienced the benefits on twitch.tv that I expected to get. So I assumed I did something wrong and never got the trial, and moved on. Two months later I notice that I did indeed pay them 8 euros for prime, and I find out that now when I look on the german amazon site (amazon.de), i do indeed have prime. I went ahead and cancelled it. Now, my bank's site offers the option of refusing an automatic payment, and to book back payments already made. My question is basically whether it is illegal to book back my payments; does that simply mean they'll end my subscription for not paying, or does it mean I'm in debt and/or potentially commiting a crime?

Answer: I did a prime free trial last month. Cancelled in time, even got cancellation confirnmation. 3 days ago i got charged $89 for my "subscription". I just called them and let them know i cancelled and wanted a refund and they did it within 5 mins on the phone. The money was back in my account the next day. Call amazon, theyre usually super helpful! Hope that helps!


Title: I own land in a campground, can they legally stop me from entering?

Question: I own a lot in a campground, land and the park model trailer in my name. This year all of a sudden they tell me there is a 36 hour limit per month over the winter months november through like march. I've been here four years and never has this been enforced or have I been told of it. I have things I need to get out of my place and like to check up on it as there has been break ins before. Can they legally stop me from entering my property? This is in indiana. And I should mention I am not living here. Its just a vacation property.

Answer:
 > they tell me there is a 36 hour limit per month over the winter months

Have you asked *them* what the authority is for imposing this limit? Not that I would automatically believe their answer (don't take legal advice from your opponent), but at least then you would know what they claim.Answer #2: Is there a set of bylaws you are required to abide by?


Title: Being charged for attempted break in at my apartment

Question:
Cliff Notes:  I was gone and someone damaged my apartment unit's front door by trying to kick it in.  Apartment withheld some of the deposit saying the damage was done by one of my guests.

About six months ago, I returned home to my rented apartment in Texas and there appeared to be an attempted break in.  The front door on the apartment had boot prints on it around the deadbolt and the door itself suffered damage but didn't give and no one got into my place.  That night, I called the police and filed a police report.  The following morning, I reported it to the apartment owner and provided him with the police report.  Incidentally, the owner also manages the complex and lives on site in the building next to mine.

The side of the door was split and damaged and needed to be replaced.  I slept at my girlfriend's house because I didn't feel safe with the damaged door and was afraid the person would come back and try again.

After four days, it still wasn't repaired and I asked my landlord what was going on and he indicated that it looked like the interior deadbolt was locked when the door was kicked and therefore I was home during the attempted break in so I must know the person who did the damage.  Because of this, he said the damage was done by a guest of mine and I would have to pay to have the door replaced.

After quite a bit of back and forth, he finally relented and had the door repaired, but not replaced.  He put a small piece of plywood on the back of the door to support it and that was it.  I don't think that was sufficient, but it was something and I lived like that for the remainder of my lease.

Six months later I moved out and after a couple of weeks I received my deposit.  The owner took $120 from my deposit and the itemized reason was for half the cost of a replacement door.

I wasn't home during this attempted break in and don't know who is responsible.  Is my next and only step to take him to small claims court?  I'm a broke student and don't have a ton of money, but $120 is a lot to me.

Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 > Is my next and only step to take him to small claims court?

Yes.  If you dispute his charges, you'll have to sue him for it.

It [looks like](http://www.dallascounty.org/department/jpcourts/3-1/forms/072014SmallClaimsFees.pdf) it might cost you more to file than you would get back.


Title: [18] About to Sue for Paternity, But Is This Even A Good Idea?

Question: My parents are only concerned with establishing paternity before I go off to college, but I'm trying to consider the legal/financial side of things as well. For someone clueless about how this process works, is getting ahead of this thing as sound a decision as it seems? Child support is kind of a boogeyman, especially in Texas, and I don't want to jump out of a pan and into a fire so to speak.

Answer: Your parents want to establish who your dad is or your parents want you to establish that you are a dad?


Title: Someone left a fake review on my businesses Facebook page, and wants money to remove it. [PA, USA]

Question:
Hello everyone!  I own a business in the cell phone repair field,  and rely heavily on reviews to bring us business.  The Facebook page recently received a negative review from a name that I did not recognize.  In attempts to get to the bottom of the complaint,  I messaged the man who posted the review, and he said that he would not remove or edit the review unless he received a large sum of money into his pay pal account. This is not someone the company has fixed a product for.  In fact,  the day he claimed he got a repair done the store was closed due to a family emergency.

What should we do?  Is this extortion?
Help!

Answer:
 Why not simply post his request for money under his review?  Answer #2: Report the account to facebook. This is against their TOSAnswer #3: Reply to his review with a print screen of his request and tell your side of the story.Answer #4: In Pennsylvania, extortion is a theft related offense, so it only covers attempts to "intentionally obtain or hold the property of another" through threats. Your online reputation is probably not going to be recognized as personal property (but it's not totally out of the question, I suppose. You might ask a lawyer about PA law on this), so extortion seems unlikely.

You might have a case for defamation though. A claim for  defamation requires a plaintiff to prove that the defendant published a statement, about the plaintiff, which harmed the plaintiff's reputation, and that the defendant acted negligently (in the case of a private figure like the OP), and without any privilege (like journalistic purpose).

If it's really serious to you, I'd consider taking everything you have to a lawyer and asking him to write a letter to the guy letting him know you're willing to take this to court.


Title: My service dog in training had a field lesson with a “reputable program”. they told me their boarded dogs seemed to have a “cold”. Today, my vet diagnosed him with an upper respiratory infection and the program admitted they might have let an asymptomatic kennel cough carrier on the field. Help?

Question:
I’m angry about this whole situation. Odin had a field lesson on Saturday. We went on a Memorial Day hike on Monday and he started exhibiting symptoms of allergies which consisted a lot of runny nose and congested breathing. Today, I brought him into the vet and they diagnosed him with an upper respiratory infection. She didn’t specify kennel cough, but it could be and I’ll ask her at our follow up next week.

On Saturday, one of the trainers said that there was a cold going around in their boarding kennels. They told me it wasn’t kennel cough, but wanted to play it safe l, so when we were practicing for the CGC, they brought out multiple dogs onto the field. They said none of those dogs showed symptoms of being sick.

Today, I called and when they heard that my dog is sick and knew I had training on Saturday, they kept asking asking whether it was kennel cough. I played it cool and said I didn’t know and I didn’t know where he contracted it. That’s when they said “If it’s kennel cough, it could mean we had an asymptomatic carrier on the field” AND “it’s airborne, so they don’t have to be nose to nose”

I just spent my entire weekend jobs paycheck on this vet check and meds. They were negligent and they apparently continue to board sick dogs and it spread. Had they told me before we went, we wouldn’t have gone at all if the other dogs were sick.

Odin isn’t allowed to go on walks, play with other dogs, or do PA training for 10 days. Thankfully, he’s still allowed to come to work with me and lay on his bed in the office, but this is a set back.

What can I do? I still have two lessons paid for there. I will not be continuing with their program after this.

But, what can I do?

Answer: Kennel cough is a very common ailment for dogs. It's just like the common cold for people. As you've learned, even asymptomatic dogs can spread it. What in your mind did they do that was negligent?


Title: Birth Certificate Issues

Question:
This is in Indiana.

A friend of mine is in the process of working out an emergency guardianship with DCS to take custody of her nieces since their mom has gone to jail.  The issue is that everyone else in her family has failed a background check except her (my friend has a great stable job, meth-free, husband, etc).  My friends mother, the girls grandmother, somehow obtained the birth certificate while the girls mom was in jail.  She is refusing to give up the birth certificates.

DCS has ruled out the grandmother since her husband has too many domestic dispute charges against him and a drinking problem.  She is ignoring the reasons and demanding that the girls stay with her.  Hence holding the birth certificates.

My friend needs these birth certificates to enroll them in school.  She also needs the social security cards to get them healthcare.

Does she have a recourse as of right now?  Or will she have to wait until DCS makes the placement of the girls formal (as of right now it's an informal placement).  The system is slow and she needs to get the youngest girl enrolled in summer school asap.

Answer:
 No recourse. She can wait to get guardianship then go get a new copy of the birth cert.

DCS can possibly go get a copy without any problem but it depends on what legal standing they have


Title: I'm Canadian. Got a speeding ticket and the cop wrote down the wrong type of car.

Question: So, I was speeding 181 in a 110. He caught up to me when I was at 153 and pulled me over. I have a dodge dart and he wrote down that i have a dodge avenger. Should i dispute it in order to avoid the fine?

Answer:
 From the [Wiki](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/wiki/index):

>

> __They made a mistake on my ticket__

> Errors on tickets rarely allow for the ticket to be dismissed. These errors will be corrected at court.
Answer #2: I'm sure they would be happy to issue you a new one.


Title: (IL) Trying to get a no fault divorce after 15 years of separation, but wife is demanding half of retirement 401k.

Question: Posting on a throwaway for a stressed out coworker. He's been separated from his wife for about 15 years and is currently trying to get remarried. He needs to get divorced from his current wife as they never actually took care of it until now. They both agreed to file for a no fault divorce and had all of the paperwork ready. Suddenly, this morning, his wife messaged him that she wouldn't sign the papers until he agreed to give her half of his retirement. Is there anything he can do to get the divorce without signing over a fortune to a woman he hasn't seen in 15 years?

Answer: He should consult an attorney.


Title: Do I legally have to answer work calls after im clocked out?

Question: I work in nyc my boss has called me twice to discuss work matters after i have been clocked out, Can i legally not pick up or tell them i'm not obligated to answer.

Answer:
 This isn't a legal issue. You won't go to jail for not answering.

You might get fired. They might have to pay you and bringing that to their attention might get you fired.


Title: [NJ] Bike accident, riding next to parked cars and someone swing their door open

Question:
I was coming back from a delivery and a guy swung his door open.  There wasn't enough time for me to react and I crashed into the door, smashing my knee.  I didn't get any medical attention and just tried to shake it off but two weeks later and it still hurts.  I don't have money to go to the hospital or hire a lawyer.  I can't work anymore.  I'm running out of money fast.  Did I screw up?  Is it possible to still take legal action from here?  Was I in the right or the wrong?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 The damaging thing to your potential case here is the fact that you didn't seek medical attention immediately. Too much time may have lapsed in order for your injuries to be considered proximate.

Do you have this person's info or insurance info?


Title: [CANADA-ONT] Not allowed to take photos of my own child while in swimming lessons??

Question:
The other week I was at my town's community center watching my child swim with my wife for 'starfish' swimming lessons (swim lessons for very young children & their parent or guardian). A gentleman next to me was taking pictures/videos of his own kid and wife when a town worker approached him and told him he **absolutely cannot photograph through the glass and he could get in a lot of serious trouble if he continued to do so.** The town employee offered an ultimatum which was to sit inside the pool area and ask permission from the lifeguard.

I didnt think this sounded right. There also weren't any signs prohibiting photography/videos. I always thought that when you're in a public place you're allowed to take pictures of whatever you please as per Charter of Rights and Freedoms 2b.

Can someone more enlightened shed some light on this for me so I know what do/say if this comes up again? (I love capturing swimming pics of my child with my wife - they have a blast!).

Thanks!!!

Answer:
 If it is helpful, I will speculate that this policy is likely to protect your child from being photographed by creepy strangers in rain coats.Answer #2: The staff charged with operating the community centre can set rules of conduct to protect the privacy of those in the centre. While it may be open to the public, the staff absolutely can bar someone from the property and have the police enforce that removal if necessary.

"No photographing the bathers without permission from the staff" is a fairly easy rule to justify, for reasons that I hope are obvious.Answer #3: They are not a public place and they can restrict photos just like any other business.


Title: WRONGLY CHARGED W/ RESISTING ARREST

Question: I have never stepped foot into a court room and need some advice on how to defend myself while also being respectful. To give some background, I was being ticked for an open container by a Park Ranger for sitting next to a river with a beer. When she asked for my ID, I stood up to grab my purse and she pushed me back down with her elbow/forearm because she felt "threatened." After this, she continued to be incredibly rude to me even after I was complying. So, I told her I was going to talk with the other Park Ranger present instead. He was about 20 ft. away from us, ticketing another person. As I started walking toward the other ranger, she phoned the police and told them I was actively resisting and delaying her; I was charged with "resisting an officer." I'm not sure how to present this in court or what my rights are in this situation. Any advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 > So, I told her I was going to talk with the other Park Ranger present instead

That's resisting arrest because you did not cooperate.  You don't get to decide you will talk to this officer but not the other. Hire an attorney to go over all the facts and what your best option is. You were not wrongfully charged.Answer #2: You don't get to decide which ranger you talk to.

You've managed to ignore the multiple requests for a location so I can't tell you how serious the offense you're charged with is. However you should probably have a lawyer.Answer #3: My understanding is your were being detained and then chose to leave to "talk to the other ranger". That charge might stick.