Title: School wont let me return [Alabama]

Question:
So there is this thing that happened with my school and me being """depressed""", and a question came up involving school shootings. The whole thing cleared up now. Ever since then my school gave me STAX of work and also digital work to """""catch up""""" on. Until recently i have gotten to where i would only have to do some pretests. I have currently been out of school for (estimated) 1 month. Occasionally they would have me come back into the building so they dont get my parents arrested.

Can they keep me out of school this much?
Can they arrest my parents for not having me in school if they wont let me back in?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: It sounds like you're still in school and simply aren't physically present. There's nothing wrong with that.


Title: Assaulted a restaurant waiter

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >is there any way i could get in trouble for what i did

For violently assaulting someone for no reason? Yeah. I am pretty sure that is very illegal.


Title: [NE] Deceived in car lease deal, sent home with different model than the test drive

Question:
My fiance has been interested in leasing a new car since she graduated college. Yesterday she went to various dealerships and car lots around our city to find test drive some cars she was interested in.

She found one she liked at a dealership, but wasn't sure about the price the salesman was quoting her, and wanted to talk it over with me. I was at work that evening and couldn't make it to the dealership, so the salesman said she could take the car overnight and we could go back together in the morning to discuss a deal.

When I got off work, we drove the car, discussed the quote, and decided the lease for that vehicle was too expensive for us at this time. We decided to wake up today and take the vehicle back to the dealership and continue our search. With what little we know about car sales, we did agree on a "low" number, that if they (somehow) agreed to match, we would reconsider the decision.

Upon arrival at the dealership, the previous salesperson was not present. We were greeted by another salesman, who asked about the situation, and why we were returning the vehicle. We told him we couldn't make the lease payment work with our budget. He immediately asked what we were looking for. We mentioned the number, and he asked if we would let him double check before we walked away. We consented.

After answering a few other questions, he left the desk and pulled up a similar vehicle outside, in a different color. He said he could meet our payment with this one, because it had been on the lot longer. We didn't like the color, and said no. We went back inside. He asked us a few more questions, left again, and pulled up with a car of the same model, color, rims, and exterior look as the car we test drove. We were visibly confused, as this appeared to be the exact same car we test drove. He said he could get us this car at our price - it, like the previous, had just been on the lot longer, and it had "more miles" (just over 100). We asked again, and he verbally repeated (and pointed at the car we test drove) - "It's the exact same car. The exact same car."

Considering his statement, we didn't take a closer look at the car. We didn't test drive this one (we were leasing, any issues we figured could be quickly remedied by warranty), and were quickly ushered inside to go through the finance and warranty processes. We signed the papers and drove home. I had to go back to work.

After work, we looked over our lease paperwork again, and quickly noticed that the car we leased was front wheel drive, not all wheel drive like the car we test drove. We then realized it didn't have a number of the features included that the car we test drove did.

It was past open hours at the dealership, so we contacted customer service and left a message for the sales manager and plan to return to the dealership as soon as possible to discuss the situation.

We feel like we were deceived by the salesman. The previous salesman eventually showed up and reviewed our paperwork, making no mention that we were leasing another vehicle altogether. My fiance had been very clear about all wheel drive being a requirement for her. We did, however, sign the legally-binding lease contract (we're aware of this), and clearly put too much trust into the sales staff intention to help us find the right car at the right price for us.

Our lease agreement mentions no early termination, no cooling off period, etc. Nebraska has no cool-off period for a lemon, but I don't know how that relates to a lease. What rights might we have in this situation? Can we terminate the lease? Would we have any case for misrepresentation or fraud? What are the odds that the dealer cares to 'save face' and allow us to terminate?

Any information/tips are appreciated.

Answer: If you saw the car and signed paperwork that accurately described said car i think you will have a hard time arguing misrepresentation.


Title: Can he be sued.?

Question: Latley, a friend of mine had been checking on MLMs and Pyramid Schemes. He found one about a body wrap and did loads of research and came to the conclusion that it may be a scam. So he was talking to one of the woman who tried selling these wraps. He screenshotted everything and posted it on his facebook to tell me to watch out and warn them about the company since it was under investigation. But the woman seen it and said she would sue him if he didn't take it down in 10 minutes because her chat bubble and her picture was in the post. He told her that since it was already out there and wasnt trademarked and it being on facebook that she couldn't do that but took the post down anyways. But the main question that was being asked is can she really sue him over her pictures (That she already publicly posted) being in the post.?

Answer:
 Hahah nah. He's not getting sued. Answer #2: You should go hangout in r/antiMLM

I would post it again and scribble out their names. That’s what people do in here all day long! More people need to understand these scamy schemes!


Title: Concerned I may have gotten involved in a scam, need advice on how to proceed.

Question:
Background: I am a recently graduated lawyer who has passed the bar.  I was looking for a job for a number of months without much success and my main interest was in criminal law.  I was subscribed to a number of job search sites in order to find some leads and through them.

I was contacted by the National Freedom Project (NFP) for the position of "Court Appearance Attorney."  The way they described the job was that they had a number of paralegals who would draft motions for clients who were convicted of crimes and had hired them to help with their pre-trial, appeal and post-conviction hearings.  The "court appearance attorney" would review and sign off on any filings and show up in court if it was necessary.  The clients would pay the NFP a retainer and then the NFP would pay the attorneys based on a fee schedule.  The NFP would send potential leads that were near the hired attorney and the attorney would agree to take the case or not.  I tried to do some research on their organization but didn't really find much.  This seemed like a decent way to earn a little money and maybe get some experience with criminal law while I was looking for a more full time position, so I signed up and accepted one of the first clients they sent me.

The client required the filing of a notice of appeal and the appeal deadline had already passed, so a leave to extend was required.  The paralegals drafted up a motion for leave to file an appeal as well as a notice of appearance for me as an attorney for the client.  I reviewed the filings, they looked to be in order so I signed off on them and the paralegal filed them.  So far everything seemed on the up and up (there were some red flags that I didn't notice but I will address those later).

I spoke with the client over the phone a few times and came to realize that the original agreement with the client was actually signed prior to the appeal deadline, but I was not signed on until months later.  This concerned me, but I am very inexperienced so was unsure if it was common.  The client was in contact with me pretty frequently and in return I attempted to contact the NFP paralegals for help with certain matters.  They have been very elusive to get ahold of, frequently ignoring my emails for weeks at a time before I was finally able to get in contact with them by calling them directly.

At this point I began to grow concerned and some of the red flags I had missed earlier stood out.  I never had to interview for this position or list any references, the fact that it took them months to find an attorney for this client (and that the client missed a deadline as a result) and now the fact that they were avoiding my emails.  I did some more searching, specifically googling "National Freedom Project scam" and was directed to a number of reviews by what appeared to be former clients who were very upset with the treatment they had received.  It seemed that NFP would take money from clients looking for discount legal services without having an attorney lined up and then would refuse to return their money even if they never found anyone.  This was all in line with the conversations I had had with the client who said that prior to me taking her case she was pretty much entirely unable to get ahold of anyone at NFP.  I called the client, let him know what I had found out and instructed him to make sure he didn't pay the NFP any more money.  I assured him that at the moment I was doing everything necessary for his case, but if the extension of appeal was granted he should probably fire the NFP and look for a different attorney.

During this time I also received a job offer for a position that would conflict with my representation of this client.  I accepted that position and intend to start soon, but I need to obviously get untangled from this mess before that happens.

Here are my questions:

A) What should I do to help out this client?  I do not want him hanging in the breeze here since he is the main victim of everything that has happened.  I don't know if there is any legal recourse for him to get his money back but I at least want to stop the bleeding and put him on the right track to dealing with his case.

B) Given the very sketchy nature of NFP and the fact that I helped to enable what increasingly appears to be a scam, what is my ethical duty to report what has happened to the bar?  Given all of the red flags I missed are there any potential actions that can be taken against me, either disciplinarily by my state's bar or legally by the client?

C) Is the payment schedule that the NFP has in place legal?  It seems like it likely violates the rules of professional conduct in that they are receiving money for legal services without being attorneys (something that yes, I should have realized before I got involved).

For the record, the total amount of work I've billed to NFP under their payment schedule is less that $100 (which I haven't even received) but I offered to return that to the client if it turned out this whole thing is in fact a scam.

Sorry that I am not listing the state I am in, I know this is going to make answering some of these questions tough, but I am concerned about giving away too much personal information here.  I'm honestly pretty terrified that this is going to impact my employment and possibly my ability to practice law in the future.

Answer:
 Without your state location, not a lot can be discussed about the legality of this.

However, that doesn't matter. The answer for you is the same no matter the state: you need to speak with an attorney who specializes in ethics and professional responsibility for attorneys. Call your county or state bar association and see who can refer you. Or your law school if you're local and a recent graduate.


Title: [NM] Can a landlord reject a tenant without a good reason? This man who has been constantly asking me out on unwanted dates just happens to be moving in and I'm scared.

Question: So I live in an apartment that is connected to one other apartment. The guy L.A. who was living there before told me that his friend F.G., (fake name) had been there the night before. I told L.A. that I knew F.G. and asked L.A. not to tell F.G. that I lived next to this guy, because he gives me the creeps, and finds different ways of asking me on dates through social media, even though I've told him several times that I'm not interested. L.A. told me that he wouldn't tell F.G. and that he wouldnt invite him over anymore because F.G. was trying to smoke weed in the house and because he was selling drugs on snapchat. Last week L.A. told me he was moving out of his apartment, and I saw on snapchat that F.G. posted that he was moving into a house on my street. L.A. told me that F.G. is moving in next door. I am really scared, because of how much I've had to reject this guy, and how much I don't want to be around him. I told my landlord, and she said she could only reject his application if I had proof that he sells drugs, because of the way snapchat works, I dont. I am really scared, and I was wondering if I have any legal remedy? I still have a 9 month lease at this house and I don't feel safe living her if F.G. is living next door.

Answer:
 Landlords can choose who they want to rent to, provides they’re not rejecting someone due to something that’s specifically protected (such as race, gender, sexual orientation, familial status, etc). So your landlord doesn’t have to have any reason at all to not rent to him. The landlord may not know that, but they also may just not want to be missing out on the revenue this person would be providing them with.Answer #2: Ok, so first, your landlord is feeding you a line. What she meant was she WOULD only reject him if you had proof. In the state on New Mexico you can't refuse to rent based on anything that violates federal law or the uniform owner renter relations act. So, things like race, religion, gender, national origin, sexuality. Your landlord COULD reject him, clearly he or she doesn't want to.

You have very little recourse. You don't have enough from the sound of it for a retraining order. You can't prevent your landlord from renting to this guy absent some proof that he is a present danger to you.

Do you want to move? You may be able to do that. Check these folks out: https://www.centerfornonprofitexcellence.org/nonprofit-directory/nonprofit/11007

They may be able to help.


Title: I work in a hotel and occasionally someone leaves an exposed needle laying around in places such as between sheets or on dinner plates. Are there criminal charges for leaving exposed needles laying around in areas where they shouldn't be?

Question:
The hotel is located in Pennsylvania. Occasionally guests will leave needles laying around in their rooms or even at tables in a restaurant. This has happened a few times in the last couple years that I have seen, but fortunately no one has been pricked.

I was mostly wondering just theoretically.  Would charges such as reckless endangerment hold up?

Answer: Where are you located? And by "somebody", do you mean hotel guests or hotel staff?


Title: Dog got bit by another dog need help

Question:
My dog got bit by my neighbors dog she had to get 50+ staples. All we wanted was the cost of the surgery to be covered but the guy has said no. I live in a townhouse community

Story
My mom took out my dog around noon, and afterwards she leashed him on my house and she went inside a couple feet from where my dog was, she had complete vision of my dog.
They took their dog outside and leashed him too. Their dog broke his own leash and went towards my dog. My dog which was on my property, stood up. Both my mom and my neighbor went towards our dogs. They confronted each other and rambled out of my property but my dog was still leashed up. Their dog took a huge bite of mine. The dog kept the same bite for about 1-2 minutes. The neighbor tried to open his dog's mouth and it didn't work. My mom punched lightly on their dogs head, and the neighbor did the same thing. Their dog let go, and it finished.

Their dog was recently adopted like 20 days ago. We been living here for 7+ years, and they just started renting 1-2 months ago. We tried to talk it out but the man has given up and said "we are taking legal action". A lot of my neighbors has had problems with this man and he's the security for our community. All we want is our surgery cost which was over 1k. We are in Florida. We contacted animal control 2 days after the incident

Answer:
 Sue him in small claims court. In Florida law, a dog's owner is liable for damage done to any animal (and another dog is within the definition of "domestic animal"). [See section 767.01.](https://www.animallaw.info/statute/fl-dogs-florida-dog-dangerous-dog-laws#s1)

Make sure to bring any evidence you have, including photos of the damage, vet bills, and records of any conversations with him.


Title: [CA] Can a city legally force a film permit for a live stream, when their city code specifically excepts Internet broadcasts from their film permit provisions?

Question:
Backstory: A while ago, a group of us were talking with a city\-owned venue in West Hollywood, CA, about hosting an event that would incorporate a live stream to Facebook and YouTube. Venue tells us to get a film permit from the city. Between our initial and second contact with the permit office, we looked at [some of the relevant municipal code](http://qcode.us/codes/westhollywood/view.php?version=beta&view=mobile&topic=5-2-5_80-5_80_040), which specifically states that "The provisions of this chapter \[of laws on film permits\] shall not apply \[to\] Video or multimedia broadcast on the Internet".

Film office contact insisted that the city will indeed enforce film permit requirements on Internet broadcasts "of a certain size", and instructed us to fill out the permit application so that they can determine if we need to pay for the permit or if we qualified for a fee waiver. We ended up sending in the application and got the waiver, but it's continued to rub me the wrong way that we would be forced to fill out the form at all when the law as currently written seems fairly cut\-and\-dry. Makes me think twice about going back to the city for other events, at least.

Thoughts?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Your solution, with respect to the city, would be to refuse to get the permit, hold your event, and defend if the city tried to ticket you or otherwise cite your lack of a permit.  And based on the code, you'd look on reasonably good standing in such an effort.

*The venue* is likely perfectly entitled to ask you to check with the city even if the code doesn't make it seem like you must.  And to refuse to host your event if they think you and the city aren't in agreement, or if you don't have the permit the city believes is necessary.


Title: Could I have acted as council?

Question:
I was in the subway today and I saw someone wearing a  "I Strongly Dislike the Police"  shirt.  It looked like he was just talking to friends.

I went over to ask him if he knew about his 4,5,6 amendment rights.  It turns out he was being questioned by undercovers.

They told me to step away and they were conducting an investigation.  Not wanting an obstruction charge, I just said, as I walked away, "My advice is not to answer anything until you speak to a lawyer."

Is there anything else I could have done?  IANAL, but I knew enough to provide them with council in that situation.  Or would anything I do have been considered obstruction?

Edit: Awesome.  I never thought I'd piss off so many people.  I guess OP was a fag.  Not my intent but I'm learning and loving the experience.

Edit2: And just in case anyone cares, the counsel I would have provided would not have differed from what I said.  Basically refuse to consent to searches and speak only with a lawyer.

Also, I don't represent myself as a lawyer, nor would I.  That's why my question was about the legal definition of counsel and what I could have done.

Answer:
 > IANAL, but I knew enough to provide them with council in that situation.

The fact that you have to ask this question proves that you don't know enough to provide anyone counsel.

You don't get to interject yourself into an ongoing police investigation to "help".  That's obstruction, and you can be arrested for it. Answer #2: >Or would anything I do have been considered obstruction?

Yup.  Though I'm curious...why do you think the 6th amendment right to counsel would even apply in that situation?  Do you know enough about the 4th, 5th, and 6th amendment rights to even offer help to anyone?


Title: [WI] Employer not following wage garnishment order

Question: I have a wage garnishment order against someone to get payment from a small claims court judgment. I went and filed for a wage garnishment order on April 20. I had him and his employer served on April 26 and 27. Six weeks went by and I hadn't received a check, so I contacted his employer and they didn't know that they needed to do anything with it?? Idiots but okay I tell them that they are supposed to garnish his wages and send them to me at the address provided on the paperwork they were served with. Finally got a check that was dated June 15. I haven't received a check since the one dated June 15. I've contacted his employer, but they don't seem to have any information besides yes he's still employed there. All of my contact has been with the general manager. He said he passed the paperwork onto the owner (it is a popular franchise fast food place), which is why I finally received the first check. By now I should have received 2 more checks since I confirmed with the general manager that he is paid biweekly. Based on their lack of knowledge of  wage garnishment procedures, I'm concerned that the wages haven't been taken out of his checks. How do I go about getting my money if they are just not following the wage garnishment order? Do I wait for the 13 weeks to be up, and then sue the employer in small claims?

Answer: You file a contempt charge. The employer and the employee aren't complying with a court order.


Title: Declared a Firearm at an NYC airport, now I' charged with a felony

Question:
Hello,
**What Happened**
I was in New York for the holidays, traveled there from Wisconsin. I am a legal gun owner in WI and decided to bring my gun to NYC(very stupid idea). Enjoyed the holidays, no problems. Go to fly home at the airport, walk up to the flight counter and tell the agent "I'd like to declare a firearm". Agent says "ok cool", makes a call, Police Officers walk over. Ask to see my firearm, which is in a locked case in my checked bag with no ammunition and the slide removed. They then arrest me and charge me with a felony. I am the legal owner of this gun in WI and this is my first arrest.

**Questions**
Has anyone else made this mistake or heard of this? Do you know what the outcome was?

How do I go about hiring an attorney in NYC? Any resources you recommend? How much should I expect an attorney to charge? Is it hourly or on a case by case basis? How do you judge an attorneys ability to represent you?

Are there other questions I should be asking?

Any advice would be much welcome.
Thank you

Answer:
 Did you seriously just think, "Eh, going to NYC for vacay- better bring my Glock" ???

You dun goofed.Answer #2: I...what?

Did you not know that handguns are incredibly restricted in NYC beforehand?


Title: [MA] my wife wants to separate.

Question: First sorry for the format I'm on my phone. Long story short my wife and I have been unhappy in our marriage and Our son is four with special needs. She recently told me she needs space and plans to move four hours away (out of state) to her family. I brought up selling our house as fast as possible so I could move as well and maintain my relationship with my son. She refused and wants a to fix the house and sell in the spring. The problem is she isn't the one moving or fixing it. Can I legally sell the house by myself and can she legally move out of state if I don't agree to it?

Answer:
 Yes she can legally  move.  So you can you.

No you can't legally sell the house without her consent if you and she own it together.

But you can definitely move out of it and rent it out.


Title: MI: Reported someone to HR recently for constantly threatening my life (Not the first person they've done this to) and now being fired for tardies that happened in the past and a "bad attitude" affecting other personnel..

Question:
Been working somewhere for over 6 months now and one of the co workers has always been negative towards me even in training. The past few months the coworker has started saying things like they wouldn't have an issue killing me or that they know how to kill someone so nobody would find out.  I reported the person to HR and then they took an extended time off work.  Everyone became hostile towards me for going to HR because we're short staffed as is and now they are firing me siting past tardies and bad attitude.  Do I have any legal action?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 The critical question is have you been late to work, and if you have, do your tardies exceed other employees in either number or severity.  If the answer is yes to both question, you have zero recourse.  Also, If the 'bad attitude' claim has a attributive event that was documented by HR, you also will have an uphill battle proving a retaliation firing.

If however they are singling you out for the tardies and nobody else, you possibly MIGHT have a shred of a claim, however, what are you really expecting out of this situation?  The workplace isn't going to get less hostile, and there isn't much of a monetary claim.  I'd just take the firing, apply for unemployment, and find a new job.Answer #2: Bummer, but what they did isn't really illegal.

In the future, if you think someone is harassing you and threatening your life, that is a problem for the cops, not HR.


Title: [Ontario] 1. Does my landlord have to accept cash and 2. are pennies still legal tender?

Question:
The difference between my last month rent interest and new rent increase ended up being $0.03 and my rental company actually asked for a cheque for 3 cents. Canada got rid of the penny a few years ago, but I still have some in a jar. Can I mail them 3 pennies instead? It would probably super screw with their accounting and involve them making an actual trip to the bank and I'm feeling petty.

Also stamps are like a dollar so that's also annoying.

Answer:
 Ask if you can make a three-cent Interac transfer.

Pennies are still current, and you'd be offering no more than than 25¢, so this offer constitutes an offer of legal tender. Your landlord is not necessarily obligated to accept that offer specifically, but if they want to evict you for nonpayment, and you can show you made a good faith offer to pay in legal tender, your landlord likely won't prevail.

It's unlikely that a three-cent cash payment will inconvenience them as much as you're imagining. It'll go into petty cash, or be turned in next time they go to the bank on other business, at worst.Answer #2: I would just reach out to them and ask if you could pay it with your next rent check. After all, it’s only 3 cents. They probably won’t have an issue with this if you just call and explain that it would cost more for you to pay them then it would to just send it with the next check.


Title: How to verify age of someone online?

Question:
[This question sparks from this thread.](https://www.reddit.com/r/bestoflegaladvice/comments/99g9bo/the_op_wants_justice_for_his_friend_who_was/?st=JL61EXI9&sh=8b150bd3)

I was just wondering, what is reasonable for finding someone’s age? Like if someone asks, “how old are you?” And the person responds, “16yo” (assuming the age of consent is 16, but they are actually 15) is that enough? (Also, assuming this is in writing— like a text or something) Or is there more that is required? I would have to imagine that someone lying about a year or two would be easy to miss but could carry serious consequences.

Answer:
 >  And the person responds, “16yo” is that enough?

No.

Its reasonable to assume that everybody on the internet is lying about something.  Its anonymous; the 16 year old girl could be a 45 year old guy, or a 12 year old.


Title: [TX] Are you liable if someone gets bitten by a wild snake on your property?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Rob should let his home owners insurance handle itAnswer #2: Texas law is pretty friendly to landowners in these cases.  Specifically see 75.002.
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/CP/htm/CP.75.htm

If Mary's family decided not to take her to the closest hospital, then maybe she should sue them.  Sheesh.Answer #3: Does Mary have dementia? Because it doesn't sound like she was in her right mind. If so, who is in charge of her safety? Answer #4: This sounds like something that happened in like half of my Oregon Trail playthroughs.Answer #5: Like an update on this if anything else happens. Interesting. And I don't think it's a crazy idea for this to be an elaborate insurance scam. People will do some extreme things for the sake of greed. It's hard for normal people to wrap there head around that kind of insanity but it's very real.Answer #6: >They didn't put a tourniquet on it

I don't think a tourniquet is appropriate in this situation. They should only be used if there is a chance of the person bleeding to death. Instead, the effected limb should be kept below the heart as much as possible and the person should remain calm to keep their heart from racing and distributing the venom quicker. Then get medical attention as soon as possible.


Title: I'm in [MD]. Just found out my dad has late stage cancer in [VA]. If he kicks the bucket, will I inherit his debts?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: No. His estate will pay creditors as much as possible. You aren't liable. Answer #2: You are not liable for his debts. If anyone contacts you and tells you otherwise, hang up. The only way you could ever be held responsible for his debt is if you start paying it off yourself, therefore assuming the debt. Some debt collectors are shady people and know this, and try to trick you.


Title: Do schools in Washington State have the right to refuse to return a student's personal property upon request of a parent?

Question: Howdy legally competent individuals, today my daughter partook in her school's "anti-dress code day" (admittedly not the smartest choice) by wearing a baseball cap to school (if it matters the cap itself was in no way gang related, it's a light blue cap with a taxi on it), this hat was taken by a school administrator upon her entering campus. She texted me about this and asked that I go to the school's front office and retrieve the hat, upon requesting the hat back the secretary working the desk refused on the grounds that my daughter must serve detention prior to me retrieving her hat (this was confirmed by a nearby principal). Can they refuse to return what is, in essence, my property on such grounds?(additionally, my daughter told me that her student handbook does not include detention as a possible punishment for dress code infractions). Thank you for any help, we look forward to (hopefully) getting our hat back 🙂

Answer:
 Go back and ask for the hat again and if they refuse file a police report against whoever is holding the hat. There is no law in the United States where schools can hold property until discipline has been given.

This is blatant overreaching by the school.Answer #2: By the time you escalate this up the district you'll have the hat back.


Title: Lawyer Step-Father wrongly suing best friend. HELP?! California, US

Question:
This is a long and utterly ridiculous story, but my highly controlling and manipulative mom was trying to pressure me into letting my drug-using sister come to my wedding, although SO and I were both reticent.  When I told her "No," she gave my best friend's phone # to my sister and urged them to start talking, and then HERSELF started texting my best friend.  She offered him movie tickets and Knott's tickets if he took my sister out, and was repeatedly inquiring into his relationship status, even after he declined the offers.

The exchange made him uncomfortable, and he called me asking for advice and guidance on the issue.  When he sent me the screenshots of their exchange, it made me unhappy and I told my mom that my sister was not coming to the wedding, and that it was wrong of her to pull my friend into it.  That's when the trouble started.

From that moment onwards, my mom and step-dad repeatedly tried to order me to return money they gifted to the wedding, showing up at our door unannounced with ultimatums, saying they wouldn't attend the wedding unless certain conditions were met, etc.

MOST recently, my mother filed a civil lawsuit against my best friend for libel and defamation, saying that he doctored and manipulated their conversations to paint her unfairly and turn me against the family.  They're also trying to sue for things like "Injury to sex life," missing work, etc. She is filing this suit through my step-father, her husband, who is a practicing attorney.

My question is this: Are there ground to file a complaint to the state bar that this is an abuse of power by my step-dad?  Their actual issue is toward me and a fight that I had with my mom, but they are willfully suing my friend for libel when he was just exercising his freedoms of speech and coming to me with concern over conversations that he felt violated by.  The details of the suit, by my parents' own admission, has no proof or foundation, and they're threatening to use process of discovery to subpoena all my friend's records.  How do we fight against this?

Answer:
 I don't know about a bar complaint because it won't dismiss the complaint, but it sounds like your friend has an abuse of process claim against your step-father. Answer #2: Well, you should probably disinvite these people to your wedding. Answer #3: Your friend needs to get a lawyer, file an anti-SLAPP motion, and request attorney fees.  They also need to give the proper notice and file a motion for sanctions.  Answer #4: IANAL

First, this &#37;100 isn't defamation. This meets zero of the requirements for libel. In the US, libel has to be published (which your friend didn't do), a false statement of fact (which it isn't, as it's a screenshot), and/or caused material harm (which is it didn't).

Second, I believe he could be disbarred or suspended for this, especially if you have proof that they said they had no proof (for example if they said that to you via text, or if someone was in the room is willing to testify).

Lastly, like I said, I'm not a lawyer. You should probably talk to one

Sources:

* libel definition: [http://kellywarnerlaw.com/us-defamation-laws/](http://kellywarnerlaw.com/us-defamation-laws/)
* CA grounds for disbarment/suspension: [http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/publicComment/2013/2013\_ProposedStandardsforAttySactionsforProfMisconduct\_Jul2013.pdf](http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/publicComment/2013/2013_ProposedStandardsforAttySactionsforProfMisconduct_Jul2013.pdf) (I believe it would be page 9 section 2.7 but this is a document written by a group of lawyers for a group of lawyers so it's a bit weird)
* where to file complaint with the bar: [http://www.calbar.ca.gov/About-Us/News-Events/California-Bar-Journal/Attorney-Discipline](http://www.calbar.ca.gov/About-Us/News-Events/California-Bar-Journal/Attorney-Discipline)


Title: Boss offered me $15,000 to do something

Question:
So, I made a throw away and I'm not to sure how this works out. So my boss's neice lives in New York. They're foreign and she's going to school for aviation. She needs a green card and I'm one of the only people her age they know and can trust. They've offered me $15,000 cash and all expenses paid for whatever may come up. They want me to marry her in a court in New York and stay married for 2 1/2 years to 3 years. After that he said we'd divorce. How dodgy is this? I live in Texas and I'm 19, she just turned 18. I can answer any questions more in depth. I just skimmed the surface. Thanks

EDIT: Thanks for the help everyone, I'll tell him no thanks.

Answer:
 $15,000 to engage in a fraud marriage so a foreigner can go to aviation school? You may have hit all the points that will put you on a list that you don't want to be on. Mainly, you'd be suspected of aiding terrorist activity.Answer #2: Your boss is asking you to break federal law. I think you know that is a very bad idea.Answer #3: > How dodgy is this?

Breaking federal law kinda dodgy.

And then there is the divorce (there is a lot of money to be made by attorney's during a single divorce and that can be due to one of the two putting up a fight to get something out of it).

tl:dr: tell your employer that you will not commit a federal crime for him.
Answer #4: It's a federal crime, that's how dodgy it is.


Title: Landlord wants to hold me responsible for feminine items in plumbing (NY)

Question: Hi all. Bit of a conundrum here. I live in an apartment in Nassau County where I am by far the youngest resident. Most are 50-60, I am a 26 year old woman. I actually chose this on purpose. I like the quiet. Recently, the building experienced some plumbing issues. After the roto rooter cleated the blockage, it was discovered the issue was masses of toilet paper and tampons. Suddenly, the finger was pointed at me in an email from the landlord because “I was the only one young enough to need tampons” and that he wanted to discuss the cost of the removal with me. I have an IUD and haven’t had my period for about a year and a half, which is longer than I’ve loved here, and if I do get spotting (tmi warning) I use thinx underpants. Surely I can’t be held accountable for this? I feel like it’s crazy.

Answer:
 Property manager here, but not in your state.
Tampons can stay in the sewer line for quite some time before they pile up and block the line.  Some of those could be a couple of years or more old.

While many women stop menstruation by 50, not all do.
Additionally, other residents have certainly had guests who have used tampons in the last couple of years.

Email your landlord.  State that you were raised not to flush any feminine hygiene products and you did not do so since moving in.  Remind him that in a multi family building with common sewer line, the products could have come from anyone in the last couple of years, and that your neighbors do have friends and family visit at times.

Deny that you caused the blockage and that you will not pay for it.

If he sends you a bill, respond that you were not the cause for the blockage and will not pay for someone else’s mistake.
If he withholds it from your deposit on leaving, file in small claims court since there he would need to prove that it could only have come from your apartment, and he can’t do that.Answer #2: I am neither a lawyer nor tampon detective, but I have seen some scary plumbing. There is no way to tell how long those tampons have been building up. And is he trying to say all the other residents don’t have visitors/cleaning ladies/dog walkers of tampon-using age and gender?Answer #3: This landlord sounds ridiculous


Title: unknown delivery man tried to open front door

Question:
Some unknown man came up to our front door , lights were on, front door open, but screen door was locked, he pulled a few times on the door we answered he asked about another address for food delivery , had a pizza looking sign on his car.  Seemed like he had mental issue, slurred speech which you couldn't understand and underwear pulled up visible. ( worked with coworkers with Asperger etc before )  could have been intoxicated as well.   Just seemed odd, more concerned he tried to open the door.  Not sure notifying police would help, could call all pizza places.  Just feel it was inappropriate and unsafe , if the screen door was not locked he would have walked in and the situation would have probably escalated.

Not trying to press charges, but would you notify anyone or just let it go as a clueless possible mental ill delivery driver ? or notify someone , business or police ?

edit : this at night time at 8 pm
to be clear, he did not knock or ring a bell he just pulled on the door several times

Answer:
 This is rather frightening, because you don't know for sure if he was a genuine pizza guy, or a potential robber.

You could call the non emergency police number and talk to someone.  If he is a genuine pizza guy nothing will happen.  If he is a robber, the cops will be alerted to his MO - especially if your call is not the only one that they get.Answer #2: Call the police if it happens again


Title: What happens with the dog?

Question:
[Portage County, Ohio]

I've done some looking into posts regarding dogs on this Subreddit, and didn't have any luck finding a post regarding my problem.

My girlfriend and I adopted a dog together almost a year ago. He was brought to us by a mutual friend who couldn't bear to leave him at the shelter. We took him in as ours, I paid for his license, she paid his vet expenses.

Things ended between us with much animosity between the two of us. She left the dog with me and only verbally expressed she'd come back for him if she 'heard I wasn't being a good owner'.

I got an email out of the blue today, three months later telling me I have two weeks to produce $500 that I owe to her for taking care of him in the past or she will get a family friend whom is a lawyer involved and 'come after me and take her dog back'.

What can she do? What can I do?

Answer: Not a damn thing. You had no agreement to pay her anything. You owe her nothing.


Title: Illinois - A volunteer emergency responder passed a stopped school bus and nearly hit my family member as they were boarding.

Question:
Hello, LegalAdvice. As the title says, a family member was boarding a schoolbus this morning. When getting on the bus, a vehicle going roughly 40mph drove through the ditch on the boarding side of the bus and nearly hit the child. Also, the driver was in a personal vehicle with blue emergency lights on while responding to an emergency call. Luckily everyone is alright aside from being very shook up.

With that said, we are all shaken, and upset. The volunteer has a reputation for driving recklessly and it's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.

What can I do to possibly get this person reprimanded? I'm not seeking a lawsuit, but I want to be sure that they at least are aware of how dangerous they are being. Personally, I don't think this person should be able to continue their volunteer work, or at least be suspended.

I was able to find this law: "Illinois law provides that the driving privileges of a person convicted of passing a stopped school bus will be suspended for three months for the first offense and one year for the second, if the second conviction occurs within five years. Additionally, the fine for a first conviction is $150 and $500 for a second or subsequent conviction." http://www.isp.state.il.us/media/pressdetails.cfm?ID=15

Would that apply to public servants, including volunteers?

I looked through the wiki and FAQ. Sorry if I missed something and didn't post correctly. Thanks for any help.

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for the help. I am currently waiting on a call back from the local police who are trying to find out who the driver was. Also, the school is going to call me back to see if they can provide the bus footage.

Answer: Have you contacted the police? That's going to be your first step here.


Title: Personal Time given for 10 hour, 4 day weeks. Then redacted. Is it legal?

Question:
First of all, I'm in Massachusetts. The company i work for has made it a mandatory week of 4 days at 10 hours. No overtime. We are given two personal days. Due to weather I have taken both of those off this year. weeks apart. I put in for 10 hours each. They were granted. then suddenly they revoked them. Gave me 8 hours for both days each and took 4 hours of my vacation time without notice or permission. Yes, I got paid regardless. But, I only get 6.25 hours per month. I would like to save what I can. This is also a very shady company. The president likes to make desicions without looking into the legal matters first, hoping everyone will just go with it.
Is it okay to not give a 10 hour personal day on a 10 hour - 4 day week? Also. Give it, take it away and take vacation time from me?

Answer:
 I believe the argument from the company will be that the intention is to give you 2 *8 hour* days off, which is standard. (16 hours total).

It is common that employees who work a schedule with fewer days and longer hours only get 8 hours every holiday because if they got their scheduled hours they would end up getting more holiday pay overall than employee who work a conventional 5 day schedule and 8 hours per day.


Title: Wage Garnishments will put me out of my Home

Question:
Preface: In the USA, Oklahoma Specifically since states can effect the law.

I had a ticket in California from when i lived there over 2 years ago. When I received the ticket it did not have a court date on it. I ended up moving about 2 months after, but when I called the police stations in the city they were not able to find a ticket on my license number or the car's plate. Fast forward to now, in Oklahoma, working a regular job(10/hr) full time paying the usual expenses, I receive a letter stating that my wages are going to be garnished and the company that manages our payroll accepted it.  It hasn't started yet but I received one collector call about it about a year ago and it was just a voicemail I no longer have. I called the company on my credit report and they had no record of it by SSN or License number so I thought that I would receive a call from another collector, never did. I'm fine with making small to moderate payments but I can't afford 25% of my wages gone because housing isn't dirt cheap here and necessities.

Is there any way I can get it out of garnishment? Like hardship or finding the collector and paying directly? or a way to get the garnishment removed without paying as I don't intend to go back to California or drive in that state at best.

Answer: your opportunity to negotiate or defend was earlier, you even had an oppertunity to argue garnishment levels. you chose to do none. I am a little surprised at 25% though, that seems high, but if so that's why you need to respond to all court documents. This won't be removed until paid.


Title: First accident today, lady is claiming no fault. (USA)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If you report the accident to your insurance and they don't find you at fault, they won't raise your rates. Also your *brother's* insurance would cover the damage because it's his car.

OP- Have you talked to your brother about this? If not, I would discuss it with him.


Title: Neighbor's daughter told me her father hurts her. Am I legally obligated to report him to CPS?

Question: Hi legaladvice. The incident in question happened 4 days ago while I was looking after my neighbor's kid. She asked what time her dad would be back to pick her up and I told her 9 o clock, as per my agreement with her father. She said that she didn't want to go back home because "daddy hurts me." Now, I've known the father for years. We're in one of those small towns where everyone knows everybody. I've also got two boys of my own, 8 and 4, so  I know that sometimes kids sometimes make things up or  say strange things for no apparent reason. I really don't think there's any truth to it, and I'd rather not get involved because word gets around in such a small town. Bored housewives and old ladies with nothing better to do than gossip. Could anything happen to me if CPS were to eventually find something and I didn't report it? I'm located in Oklahoma.

Answer: How could you *not* report this?


Title: Sprint employee misinformed me and has caused me $700 in fees

Question: So my Father got me a new phone back in March. The deal for the phone was to start a new line and get a iPhone X 50% off. So we start a new line and tell the employee to cancel our old lines. He responded with oh well you can have them put on hold and try to switch the new and old lines so you have your old #. When my dad got his at a different sprint he was told that they will charge him for all 4 lines. My dad brings this up to the sprint employee and the employee says that the other employee from the other store was wrong. Also, this employee the whole time had one AirPod in and one out. The whole time he acted like he wanted to go home and halfassing his job. Well, we got my phone and the first month they try to charge my dad for four lines, but he told them that he wanted them canceled and what the employee told him. So he got that paid. Next month they do the same thing, but this time they claim he never paid the month before (which he did). Then they try to tell him that they don’t have a record of him saying he wants to cancel the old lines. Well, my dad and I have gone without service for this month. Sprint tried to charge him for this month yet we didn’t have service all month. Well, they tried to take out $695 out of my dad’s bank and caused him 5 $37 fees and ran his bank into negative and after all that they are about to shut our service off again. What should my dad or I do?

Answer:
 Call Sprint headquarters. Escalate and escalate. A phone carrier did something similar where the employee in the store told us something different and we were out $500. I called Sprint customer service every day until it escalated to upper management and they realized they made a mistake and finally refunded us.

Also, if your bank charged you fees you can call the bank and have them waived. I have never been denied this. I’ve had various fees waived at my bank and it is very easy.


Title: This is my last hope! Can anyone help me? [Illinois]

Question:
Small backstory: I was 16 and I was arrested and charged with retail theft. The company that pressed charges was Sears. I did not go to any court hearings or anything. I was fined $500, and that was the last I ever heard about the case. The officers I spoke to assured me my juvenile records wouldn't interfere with my adult life.

Well here we are, present day. I recently graduated from Massage Therapy school. I put in my application for my license. Waited 6 weeks. And I just received a letter from the Illinois Division of Professional Regulation notifying me my application has been DENIED because of this arrest. 1) I was a minor, and 2) I was assured by my professors that it wouldn't be a problem since it was not a violent crime.

It's a problem.

The letter states that I must send the IDPR  a "detailed letter of explanation of the nature of the offense, and certified court documents which include the final disposition of the case."

The letter: no problem, done.

The certified court documents: I don't have any. I never had any. The only thing we got was a letter notifying me about the $500 fine. My mother and I were strapped for cash at the time and asked my father for help. We gave my father that paperwork and he took care of it.

My dad died two years ago. That paperwork, wherever it ended up, is LONG gone.

I've tried contacting Sears directly, and after an hour of run-a-round and endless phone transfers, I gave up. I went to the police department I was arrested at. They told me that the best they could do was get me my arrest record within 5 days, which doesn't help. I need court documents which the PD says they don't have.

If anyone can help I'd appreciate it more than I can say. I took all that time to get through school and I'm now almost $15K in debt with student loan repayments quickly approaching. I need this license more than anything.

Answer:
 You can get certified copies from the clerk of court in the county your arrest was in. You need something like a certified copy of the final order. It'll cost a few bucks and it may take a week or two, depending on what county and if your file is in storage.

Edit for clarity.


Title: [OR] what does underage drinking apply to?

Question:
From Oregon

Before I ask this question I fell like I should give a little background info. I am a minor who has OCD that makes it so that I REALLY don't want to break the law. Even stupid little ones such as J-walking are hard for me to "commit"

One of my biggest obsessions is over alcohol. I am terrified of it. I know that sounds ridiculous but its a serious problem for me. It has been a problem for awhile now and I have started to notice that many products contain alcohol and it is getting harder to simply avoid the issue.

So here is my question: **Do underage drinking laws only apply to items that are intended to be ingested?** or all alcohol in general. Would, for example, consuming hand sanitizer be illegal for a minor to do (I ask not because I wish to drink hand sanitizer but because I am afraid to use it in my hands due to the alcohol content)?
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 You can rub hand sanitizer on your hands. You can put peroxide or witch hazel on a cut. You can even use cough medicine as directed under the supervision of a parent.

You cannot drink any of those things to get drunk (and certainly shouldn't drink the first three anyway).


Title: [IL] - Father not paying for college despite divorce agreement saying he must.

Question:
I am soon to turn 18. Lets just get that cleared off. Years ago my Mother and Father divorced and one of the (statements?) in it says that both parents must pay for my first two years of College. He is also refusing to support me in any way financially such as assisting with rent or any other living expenses. My mother is currently unaware of what he is saying and I want to know if I am legally in the right to take him to court over this, despite the fact that I will legally be an adult and as such the law may not have the same effect on me.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Edit: I would like to thank everyone who has helped me so far. I will be taking some time to think this matter over, while also evaluating my financial options for the next 2 years of education followed by the following 2 years at another school.

Answer:
 The settlement is between you and your mother, so you would not be able to do anything yourself.  She could pay for your college and then  sue him for his share.

It would also depend on the exact wording of the settlement.  Who gets to pick which college?  Is there a cap on the amount, or could you attend an expensive school and stick him with the bill?  Does it only cover tuition, or living expenses as well?


Title: I found a surveillance camera inside the Airbnb I’m staying at. What’re my options? (CA)

Question:
I’m in California at an Airbnb, and I noticed a camera inside the house. It’s located in an upstairs family room which the owner seems to have converted into a photo studio. This camera  is positioned to face out of the room and towards the bedrooms and bathroom. When asked about this camera, the owner replied in a message (his spelling); "there is also a camera upstairs in the photo studio room, and there camera is protecting the equipment. It only
Gets turned on by motion sensor. that is also disclosed I. The booking."

The problem is this camera isn’t mentioned at all in the booking confirmation, nor is it in the house listing. The listing does disclose exterior security cameras, but only mentions baby monitors on the interior.

What are my options here? I feel that, regardless of the owner’s stated intentions of the camera, I should’ve been made abundantly aware of its existence prior to booking the location. Am I wrong here? Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Contact Airbnb.  It's not a crime.


Title: I was hit by a moving truck at the end of July and I can’t get the insurance company to call me back.

Question:
I was working for a small brewery in Fort Worth, Texas as a contract employee doing keg deliveries in a standard delivery van. In the middle of of my day I was dead stopped in traffic on the toll road when a moving truck didn’t see me and made no attempt to stop and rear ended me at highway speeds. I received 2 calls from the insurance agent representing the company that hit me, the first was to get my statement and the second was an offer that didn’t even cover my hospital bills, I didn’t agree or sign anything but after calling and leaving messages I can’t get a hold of anyone. I didn’t have health insurance and I’m running out of options and I’m not sure what to do anymore, I’m unable to work and I lost my job. I’ll answer any
questions, I need help please. Thank you.

Edit: added location

Answer: What does your company say about this? I was in a car accident when conducting business for my company. It was a workers comp claim.Answer #2: Have you called your insurance? That is generally the first stepAnswer #3: You should talk to a personal injury lawyer. They can sort out the insurance issue, unpaid medical bills, lost income etc. That's what they do.Answer #4: Don't make any more statements to their insurance company. You need to speak to your insurance co or a lawyer.


Title: [MI] Am I too late to renew my auto registration?

Question: My car registration was due the first week of March and I am way late. Other than the late fee that I have to pay, are there any other legal repercussions?

Answer:
 The Michigan Secretary of State charges only a $10 late fee for registration renewal, so no big deal there. Yet there are a couple important notes to make here:

1. The Michigan Secretary of State automatically informs a car insurer when the car's registration expires, and requires the car insurer to cancel the car's insurance. So most likely, your insurance is now invalid. So you likely will need to talk to your insurer once you renew your registration in order to get renewed insurance.

2. Driving your motor vehicle without registration in Michigan is a misdemeanor. Driving your motor vehicle without insurance in Michigan is also a misdemeanor. And having improper plates on your motor vehicle in Michigan is a separate misdemeanor (and yours has improper plates now because your tab is out of date). So if you're driving your car right now, you're committing three different misdemeanors.

Get new registration, ASAP. I'm a criminal defense attorney in Michigan, specializing in traffic/licensing. You do not want to pickup points, hundreds of dollars and fines, and a criminal record due to an oversight.


Title: Abusive parents trying to hunt me down and now using police to do so

Question:
Utah. USA. My abusive parents have apparently gone to the police in an attempt to track me down. I fled them some years ago, but they refuse to leave me alone (typical abusers). Someone identifying themselves as the police has somehow gotten my phone number, which I never gave to my parents, and has been calling me, saying they want to do a welfare check. The number does not match the police department’s, and I have suspected that my parents have used a PI to track me before. My parents do creepy things like show up to my work when I’ve told them to stay away and calling HR to ask about my status when I’m not around.

I don’t know what info these supposed police might be looking for from me, even though they say it’s a welfare check. Should I call them back? What should I say? If they ask where I live, I don’t want to tell them. But I also don’t want to lie. Am I within my rights to not tell them?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: The police do not call to ask permission if they can perform a welfare check. They just come over and do it.


Title: Florida: non-tenant family member claiming my property as their own as well as several other false statements (not sure if I used the right tag)

Question:
My husband & I own our home in which my mother & father live with us. My father is disabled & I am his caretaker. My mother has made herself sickly by refusing medical care, medication, & an apropriate diet over the years. She is highly abusive in many different ways. I will not go into details because it is irrelevant to this other than the knowledge that she is.
She has not paid a cent to my home or utilities. Her medical bills have been charged on my credit cards & I am in severe debt because of her. Unfortunately I did not recognize the abuse due to grooming from birth. Until it got so bad she is threatening to call the police erroneously on me.
If I may I have a few requests of advice in regards to her.

(I will be seeking a local attorney soon but was hoping to get some things straight in my head first. Also she is in her right mine & completely competent.)

I will be evicting my middle aged abusive mother. Of that there is no question. I am not telling her this until I have all of my legal knots tied.  Any advice is appreciated.

 Meanwhile some of those knots:

She is claiming everything in my home belongs to her. Implying that she means every last spoon. My belongings were for the most part purchased at resale shops & yard sales so no receipts. I cannot prove purchases of my obviously used & old goods. But she is saying she will take everything I own.

I was given all of the family photos (many of which I paid to develop or took myself) & the heirloom hope chest in my family room that they are in many, many years ago. But she has said that it hers again. She has no proof of ownership, but neither do I.

 The same goes for the heirloom kitchen table. I was given it over a decade ago & within the last five years she told me it was hers.

The things I did not buy my father gave to me shortly after they moved in. Said that all of the household goods are mine now. But it was just a verbal thing. (He is willing to sign it to be true in front of a notary or attorney)

She is also claiming that all of the money in mine & my husband's bank account is hers. As well as all of my father's money. (Note she thankfully has no access to any of our accounts) She has not earned an income since the 80's.

Another issue is she is claiming that all of my clothes are hers. I recently bought a new wardrobe & she wants it.

My mother is also falsely accusing me of elder abuse. I know that I am safe in this regard due to the video & audio evidence I have gathered as well as witnesses.

The second chunk of this is

My disabled father is also going to divorce her due to her abuse. She will not allow him to sleep, nor eat. Screams at him constantly despite his life threatening heart condition. & has begun to physical abuse him when "out of her mind" in ways that are very difficult to prove as an actual attack. She also purposefully makes messes (including bodily ones) just so he has to clean them. There is more but it is not relevant to list everything.
 Any advice for this bit would be greatly appreciated as well. She is slowly killing him right before my eyes. And he is afraid she will take all of his disability & pension so that he cannot afford his medical needs let alone afford to live at all.

Thank you for your time & if this does not fit this subreddit please feel free to remove it.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Oh man. Well gladly, because you own the house, she can't just claim all of it as hers. She would need some sort of proof.  She also can't hope to claim any money in any bank account without her name on it.  She is completely delusional if she thinks anything in that house, that she didn't bring in is hers.  Not only that but even stuff she gave you isn't hers as it was given.  As long as there was no expectation of it being a loan, she is out of luck.

Make sure you follow your state's requirements for evicting a non\-leased month to month tenant because you say she isn't a tenant but she is. If she lives there and no where else, gets mail there, and all that she is 100 &#37; a tenant even without giving you any money.  Check out this page: [https://www.nolo.com/legal\-encyclopedia/florida\-notice\-requirements\-terminate\-month\-month\-tenancy.html](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/florida-notice-requirements-terminate-month-month-tenancy.html) for relevant details about evicting her.  You can also look here: [https://www.landlordology.com/florida\-landlord\-tenant\-laws/](https://www.landlordology.com/florida-landlord-tenant-laws/).  But it boils down to: you give her 15  days notice to vacate, if she isn't gone in that time, you file for eviction through the court. It's good you are talking with an attorney, he can help you safeguard your   belongings from her delusional possessiveness.


Title: [California] My girlfriend was given a job offer which included a clause indicating a $15,000 penalty for failure to give two weeks' notice for quitting. Is this legal, in an at-will employment state like California?

Question:
My girlfriend received a job offer and was given the above terms. She's employed in California, but the company in question is headquartered in Illinois. Is it legal to levy a penalty for failure to provide notice, in an at-will employment state? My understanding is that in an at-will state like California, and employee is allowed to quit at any time for any reason.

Below is the relevant text from the offer:

>Notice of Termination

>Except in cases of termination by the Company for cause, including but not limited due to Associate’s willful misconduct or non-performance or refusal to report for work in accordance with the Company's instructions, the Company will provide Associate with two (2) weeks advance notice of termination of employment or salary in lieu of this notice period. Associate, likewise, will provide the Company with two (2) weeks advance notice of resignation from employment; however, one (1) month's advance notice of termination is required if: a) Associate resigns within twelve (12) months of the effective start date of Associate’s employment; or b) Associate resigns within twelve (12) months after any relocation to or from a Customer site or Company office. If, however, Associate is assigned to a customer project for which the completion date is more than two (2) weeks from the date Associate begins working on said project, and if Associate has been provided actual notice of said completion date at the outset of said project, then Associate must obtain written consent from Company prior to any effective date of resignation.

>In the event that Associate breaches any termination notice obligations herein, the Associate agrees to pay the Company, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, the sum of $15,000.00 (Fifteen Thousand Dollars, USD). Associate acknowledges that these liquidated damages are reasonable under the circumstances in light of the fact that significant damages and expenses will be suffered or incurred by the Company resulting from the disruption of work anticipated to occur with Company’s customers, the loss of customer good will caused by said actions, and in lieu of the difficulty and expense of proving the exact amount of damage caused by Associate. Associate authorizes the Company to deduct and withhold the amount of such payment from any compensation or other amounts otherwise owed or payable to Associate upon the termination of Associate’s employment. In this Agreement, the word “termination” includes, but is not limited to, resignation, dismissal, incapacity and any other form by which Associate’s employment with the Company ceases.

Is such a clause legal? Is it enforceable? It would be great if someone could let me know, and could provide law citations if possible.

Thank you in advance.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: It is legal and enforceable. It's an actual employment contract (for once on this sub) and she can be held liable if she breaches it. And because the company considers the $15k as liquidated damages, they may not even need to take her to court to get a judgment.


Title: My ex catfishing as me online. (IN)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: We don't do PM's here. You need to file a police report for impersonation, that's about all you could really nail him for as IN doesn't have revenge porn laws.


Title: [Bromley, London, UK/Vancouver, Canada] Legalities of birth tourism; My wife [31F] wants to give birth in Canada so our child could gain Canadian citizenship, is this illegal?

Question:
Me and my wife have agreed to have children after long and extensive discussion about the issues. I'm 33, my wife's 31.

However, the big issue is that she wants our child to be born abroad, she said she wants to go to Canada to have the baby, maybe in Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton or Calgary so that our future kid could gain Canadian citizenship by being born there. My wife claims our kid could get into uni in Canada just because he/she was born there.

She said she'd rather pay to use the Canadian health system than use our NHS and said it'd be a holiday and a giving birth in one whole thing.

Wouldnt border control have issues with my wife admitting this to visit Canada?

We're a couple with no criminal records (does a fine my wife had for doing 95mph on the M6 in Birmingham in 2013 count as a criminal record or not?) and nothing making us inadmissible to enter Canada as far as we know. Would a fine for speeding make someone inadmissible?

However, would my mother be inadmissible for entry to Canada because she shoplifted back in 1988 and hasn't done anything since then? (she's often dragged that story out loads of times about stealing crisps from a newsagents in the 80s).

Isn't birth tourism illegal, or am I wrong about this? Would the child have dual British and Canadian citizenship anyway?

We're both British citizens, born in the UK; wife's Glaswegian, I'm from Orpington in Kent.

I have some issues about this but this isn't a relationship forum, the big issue here is about whether this is illegal or not, and the advantages/disadvantages of it.

Answer:
 A tourist is normally admitted to Canada for 6 months or less, and is not allowed to engage in gainful employment.

Location of conception has no bearing on citizenship.


Title: [CA] Married 10+ years and separated twice for over 3 years. Suspect my spouse married me for a green card. Can I pursue fraud as grounds for an annulment and what would it take to prove?

Question:
As the title states, I've been married 10-15 years (changing some minor details slightly) and separated twice for about 3 years. My spouse and I are now finally getting divorced. After looking back on our marriage I now suspect my spouse married me for a green card. I'm meeting an attorney on Monday but I wanted to get an idea of what to expect, questions to ask, what evidence I'll need, and if anyone has any experience regarding this.

Here's a summary of details relating to my case.
- My spouse admitted shortly after marriage that they were here illegally and overstayed their visa. Spouse's father had a connection that illegally stamped their passport a third time when it can only be stamped twice.
- We met online initially and had only met in person a few times before she proposed to me
- My family did not approve and we eloped with very few family members in attendance and her father paid for everything
- In 2007 we separated which was prompted by her drug abuse and admitted emotional affair with her coworker
- In 2013 we separated again after she carried on another emotional affair
- Her family has a history of marrying for green cards. Her sibling once said his first marriage was for a green card. My spouse also stated her aunt's first marriage was for a green card.

I admit the thought had crossed my mind during the years but I was young, naive, and thought I was in love. I was in denial and willfully ignorant. The reason this is coming up now is that talking with a friend about my marriage triggered my suspicions. And putting all the pieces together it now seems more clear. I didn't even consider fraud before then. I'm looking for any kind of help. Thanks.

Answer:
 not a lawyer but I'm currently going through immigration nonsense right now as well as a seperation.

what could you gain from this? is she a US citizen or have been working for those 10 years?  if either are true you're no longer obligated by the affidavit of support if you divorce.  You'll have to go through the divorce (get a lawyer for that) either way and pushing for them to be deported will make everybody, including you, miserable.  why do it?  just go through the divorce, don't threaten deportation.  don't try to use a court case as leverage to have them make a better deal.


Title: Leaving full time job to be my Child's fulltime babysitter, need advice on ramifications on child support I provide for my eldest.

Question:
Hi Reddit,

I live in WA state, I have two children, with my eldest I am not in a relationship with his mother anymore for a number of years now. We have an agreed family plan in place in family court, an official schedule, and I pay approximately $500 (a little less), per month for child support. My income is approximately 39k/year.

My Fiance and I have an 8 month old daughter. She (Fiance), will be starting a full time job in roughly a month and has the better job of both of us and the higher earning. Financially it would cost an estimated $2000 a month for child care for our 8 month old. We've been talking about how we're going to do it, and one of the more sound plans that we're probably going to go with is for me to leave my work and take a part time job, and become a stay at home dad while my Fiance is at work. I have a decent opportunity with a part time job to be earning nearly $20/hr, so financially we would be better off than what we face with both of us working full time and having to do child care.

My issue with this is the ramifications of child support. I know that there are implications if you purposely take a pay cut or lower paying job in an attempt to lower child support. While this is certainly, and more obviously not what I'm trying to achieve, usually "opposition" (i use this term loosely), will try and paint that picture. Also when the family plan was submitted nearly 2 years ago and child support was determined, my Fiance's finances were not considered, but also my 8 month old was not around either.

Can anyone advise how this may play out? If I leave my job, take a part time job to become my Child's stay-at-home nannydad (lol), how do I go about making sure I'm not going to be hit with child support ramifications? Also, do I need to go through the courts for all of this or can it be handled with the state office that handles child support?

Answer: Not legal advice, but it's not "babysitting" when it's your own kid.


Title: Busted at Bonnaroo

Question: I was cited for 14 grams of weed at bonnaroo this weekend. It involves a mandatory court appearance. I've never been charged before. What are my options and what am I looking at as far as punishment? Completely insane considering it's only a $100 fine where I'm from.

Answer: Looks like $2500 fine and a year in jail are the maximum penalty for half an ounce or less. You should get an attorney. And obey the law when you travel.Answer #2: the law where you're from means absolutely nothing.  i'd see about getting a lawyer, and definitely don't try to use that as your defense.


Title: 100mph in a 65 CT

Question:
I recently got charged with a misdemeanor for doing 100 mph on I84  on a 65mph speed limit. I am 17M, and realize my situation is pretty severe. Anyways my court date is in a couple weeks, and I have no idea what to expect. Am I entitled to a public defender, should I hire a lawyer, or just go solo and explain myself to the judge. Should I plead guilty?

Yes I realize this was a stupid mistake.
No I will not do it again.

Answer:
 Pleading guilty means congrats; you now have a criminal record.

Get an attorney yesterday. Especially at such a young age, a lawyer will be pretty invaluable at this point. Tell your parents; let them get you one.

If you/your parents can't afford one, you/your parents will likely need to fill out some sort of affidavit as to your monthly income/expenditures, and the court will assign you a PD based on economic need.

Regardless, get an attorney, ASAP. If you get called to your hearing and you don't have one, plead not guilty in front of the judge and request a public defender.Answer #2: Echoing what others have said.  Get a lawyer.  Yes you did the crime and are guilty as far as that goes, but that doesn't mean you plead guilty.  An attorney serves as a wedge between you and a guilty verdict.  The prosecuting attorney knows that they are going to have to go through this wedge, costing time and resources, and thus plea bargains born.


Title: sociopath ex and our daughter

Question: After putting up with his physical and emotional abuse for over a year and believing that I could help him, I know now I was wrong. After he showed up at my door high last night and being told to leave he pried open the front window to my home and continued to harass me. After leaving he called me at around 5 this morning since he was cold and had no gas or anywhere to go. I let him in, gave him money to get out of town and after I fell asleep he snuck into my room and took our daughter and left. He can blame his mental illness and me all he wants to. I tried to be compassionate. He called me the next morning and said if i didn't meet up with him within the hour so we can 'Fix our family ' he was taking her to Texas( we are in Missouri ). I tried to find him, the whole time he's screaming at me for being stupid because I got lost. I finally gave up when he told me he was leaving. I informed our CPS worker, he admitted to doing drugs and lied about a lot of what happened. Thank god for call recorders. She is trying to set up a meeting where we're all there. No luck yet. After all of that he asked me to meet him again . I was hoping I was going to get to see our daughter. She wasn't there and he tried to run me off the road when I got in my car and left. Police report made. He was caught following me through town but the running me in and out of a ditch wasn't witnessed so they filed a report and let him go. Thanks government agencies. Protect and serve, right? WTF AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?

Answer:
 You seem to be doing the things you need to. If he breaks into your house again, call 911.

To help you further, I'd like to ask a few questions.

Who is your daughter with right now? Also, do you have a custody agreement in place?


Title: The person who rented us the apartment said we need to give him one month notice to get back the security deposit, we want to move out in 2 weeks (Oakland, CA)

Question:
This person is not even a landlord. He is actually renting out the room behind the landlord's back. We want to move out in 2 weeks but he said he needs a month notice to give back the security deposit. We're worried that he might make us stay for another month. This guy is a complete asshole and didnt even want me give me prorated rent for moving in late.

Do we have any legal leverage? My friend said if he doesnt give us back the security deposit sooner and let us move we will inform the landlord.

Answer:
 1 month notice is generally required. It is extremely reasonable. You must give him a fair chance to re-rent the property.

He is allowed to keep the deposit for the last month rent.


Title: Employer gave me my W-2, I filed, and then 2 weeks later gave me a 1099. I'm not a private contractor. What do I do?

Question:
I work for a small privately owned business and have been working here for about 8 months. I was handed my W-2 a little more than 2 weeks ago. I filed immediately since my previous employer had already sent my W-2. Today I was just handed a 1099 with about $5000 in untaxed income marked as "nonemployee compensation".

Side note: I'm also about to be laid off by this business as one of our locations is being closed and they can't afford to keep everyone.

What do I do here? I'm not an outside contractor so why did I receive a 1099?

(EDIT):My location is United States, CA

(EDIT #2): After speaking to the owner,  he is now offering to have his "tax guy"  send in a correction and supposedly get me more money back if I bring him all my tax forms.
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer: It could be an error. Ask them. If it's not correct, and they won't fix it, then don't claim it on your taxes and when the IRS sends you a letter you explain it's not correct and should have never been issued.


Title: My boss found out I've been taking my 30 minute break (clocked out) every day, extended most of my shifts by 30 minutes next week

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Your boss expects you to work a full 40 hour work week as a salaried employee.   These are standard working hours for a salaried employee in the USA.  It's either 30 minute lunch 8.5 hour day or 60 minute lunch and a 9 hour day.

Answer #2: If you're supposed to work a normal 8 hour day, that means 8 hours on the clock.  If you're taking 30 minutes for lunch (which you should), then your schedule should be 8.5 hours long, per day.  There's nothing weird, wrong, or unusual about that.

Your boss may have told your manager that you are supposed to be working 8 hours per day, and to adjust your schedule accordingly.

Questions like "where is she going" and "did she clock out" are also not nefarious nor unusual.  These are very standard questions, particularly the owner of a manager.  I would posit that this manager is either new or performing poorly, and the owner is trying to bring them up to snuff.  For example, making sure they know where their employees are going, and if htey clcoked out, things managers should and are expected to be aware of.

You are not being punished for taking your break.  Your schedule is being adjusted so that you're actually working a standard 8 hour day.


Title: [NY] Friend is given a flier mocking the school's principal. Principal confiscates phone for the weekend and will be searching through all text messages and photos.

Question:
Is this legal? He also said something about "once its on school grounds its school property"
He also asked for the passcode without telling my friend why. He then proceeded to take the phone and send him back to class.

Answer: If you are in high school, I am guessing the legal owner of the phone is one of your parents.  Seek their help in getting it back.Answer #2: Can your friend remotely lock their phone? I know iPhone lets you do it, unsure of others


Title: My mom was laid off while on medical leave

Question:
My mom had a total knee replacement a few weeks ago.  She has worked as an office manager for a dental office for ~20 years.  On Thursday she received a call from her dentist saying that he was letting her go "because she was the highest paid, non-producing employee" and the practice was in financial trouble.  In truth, there were other politics in play, but I'm not sure that's relevant.

She still has about 4 weeks of medical leave left before she can work again.  She is getting no severance pay, and her health insurance runs out at the end of the month.  Several people I've talked to have said "he can't let her go while she's on medical leave."  Is there any truth to this?  Does she have any legal recourse?  We live in North Carolina.

EDIT: Thanks everyone for the thoughts. It's a bummer, but I kind of suspected that she didn't have any real legal avenues. Especially since the leave wasn't formally documented, and the practice was so small. It wasn't a good place to work anymore so now she has an opportunity.

Answer:
 How much work had she missed and how many employees at the practice? Answer #2: You say "on medical leave," but don't specify FMLA. Does she qualify for FMLA? How long has she worked there? How many hours per week? How many employees do they have?

Basically, if she's not eligible for FMLA, this is probably legal.

Edit: you also mention he's letting her go for financial reasons. Is she being paid while out? Note that FMLA is usually an unpaid leave that merely protects your job while you're gone. Answer #3: Short Answer: sometimes it is legal, even if on FMLA

The employer must show that the employees position would have been terminated/laid off regardless of the medical leave.


Title: I'm 18 and my Dad beat me in front of mom and now both are claiming it was only a verbal conflict. The next day I audio recorded my mother in my home who clearly stated she lied to the police to protect my dad. Is this usable in court?

Question:
I am 18 years old and in highschool. 2 days ago my dad beat me and my mom witnessed it all. I ran out of the house and called the police and they questioned me and my parents. I didn't have any physical marks on me and both my parents said the conflict was purely verbal so the officers said this was basically my word against theirs and they couldn't do anything about it. So yesterday while at home, I had a conversation with my mom while my phone was recording in my pocket. In the conversation she clearly says that she lied to the police and that my dad did beat me. Would this be admissible in court?

Also, I can't move out because I don't have enough money to last until college and my job is only minimum wage. Is there anything I can do to get out of this situation?

EDIT: I am in Kansas. Thanks

Answer:
 You're in a one party consent state. As long as you were part of the conversation you recorded you can turn that into the police as evidence.Answer #2: >Is there anything I can do to get out of this situation?

Crash on a friends couch. Rent a room.

Need to know your state before anyone can tell you if you can use the recording. Answer #3: As a side note, please make sure you don't use the recording to blackmail or otherwise use it as leverage or bargaining chip.  Depending on the circumstances, you may be violating laws yourself if you do.Answer #4: you should contact your local victim's advocacy and/or domestic violence centers. they could help you get a restraining order from your parents, even if there was no police action. they could also help you find a place to go if you do decide to leave and/or get a RO. just google "county victims advocate" or even call the DA's office to ask about any victims services in your county.

i'm very sorry youre going through this. but youre not alone. there are organizations in place to help people leave abusive homes. seek them out, and use them. Answer #5: You should search out a KS lawyer and consider suing your dad for the tort of battery (different from the crime of battery) for monetary damages. Your relationship with him will die but he caused that to happen when he started beating you.Answer #6: [All 50 states recording audio/video PDF](http://www.rcfp.org/rcfp/orders/docs/RECORDING.pdf)


Title: My cat's wet food has bones in it and it has been causing him medical problems. [CA]

Question:
So a week or two ago we noticed that one of our cats had diarrhea. The issue persisted and he had been acting like he wasn't quite feeling well. Eventually he also began panting regularly (which is not normal for cats like it is for dogs) so we took him to the vet this morning.

The vet said that the diarrhea wasn't too big of a concern but the panting was, so we had him x-rayed and his lungs seemed normal (good news) but his colon was not. There were *many* small bone fragments inside his colon including one rather large fragment that could potentially cause serious damage and require surgery.

Well we didn't have any idea what our cat could have been eating that was responsible for this issue until we checked a couple cans of his wet food and sure enough there are dozens of bone fragments in just about every can.

We obviously stopped giving him the food but we are wondering if there is any potential way to pursue this from a legal standpoint. I thought that I would make a post here to see what the reaction was like.

At the very least it would be nice to have our vet visit covered (it was $195 which I will of course pay to take care of my cat but it isn't like that is a super easy bill to take care of for us) but also I really don't want this to cause medical issues for other cats that are being fed the same food.

Thoughts on this?

Edit: [We just opened another can to take some pictures](http://imgur.com/a/gwIXo)

Answer:
 What brand of cat food is this?  I would like to know to avoid feeding my cats the same food.

Take pictures (of the bones in the food) and contact the company about this first.  Many companies take QC issues seriously and even a single complaint of this nature will cause an internal QC audit.  Save the cans, as you'll need to give them the lot numbers off of them to help the investigation.

If they brush you off, then your choices are Small Claims Court for an amount that low or going to social media to say that their food is hurting cats.Answer #2: >Friskies.

Seriously, fuck Purina. I know they own pretty much all pet food but I avoid feeding it to my kitties as much as I can. They're a bit... Well a customer brought back some Pro Plan today with maggots in it and apparently that was a pretty common thing for some time.

If you bought it at a pet store (not a grocery store) at least bring back everything you have left and show the folks who work there. At least then they can prevent others from making the same mistake.

Is this all one batch too? I know that Friskies has a good deal of "by-products" in it and all but I've never heard of anyone finding bone. Whelp I guess I'll talk about this at work tomorrow.


Title: I'm currently holding firearms for a neighbor because his son, who is likely an ex-con, is staying with him. The neighbor and his wife are in pretty poor health. If something happens to them & his son comes to me and asks for the firearms back, what do I do?

Question:
A little more backstory:

I initially took possession of these firearms a while back when my neighbor's nephew came to stay with him after getting out on parole. Originally, I was going to keep them until said nephew got a job, saved up some cash, and found a place of his own. Sadly, the nephew relapsed, overdosed, and passed away after only a couple of weeks. (That's an entirely different story; it was very traumatic for their family.) My neighbor was horribly depressed and asked me to keep the guns for a little while longer, presumably because he was having suicidal ideation, so obviously I agreed.

About a month after this, my neighbor's son started staying at his house because he was having relationship issues and had gotten kicked out of his place. My neighbor discretely asked me to please keep the guns for the foreseeable future. I don't *know* that his son is an ex-con, but the fact that this coincided with him staying there makes it seem likely. I also don't know whether or not his son knows I have the guns, but the fact that my neighbor, who can barely walk, got up, approached me when I was getting home from work, and asked me to keep them in a whisper leads me to believe that he doesn't want his son to know I have them. For what it's worth, the son also doesn't have a job, probably because he can't pass a background check. No job, no girlfriend, no moving out anytime soon. I know some of you all might jump all over me for making assumptions about his background, but trust me, this guy is a rough, rough dude. Like, big visible knife scars rough.

My neighbor and his wife are both lovely people, graciously opening their home, but they're also in pretty poor health. If something should happen to them and their son came over asking for the guns, what should I do? He's a scary dude, and I'd be afraid to confront him.

Answer:
 If you know someone is a prohibited person, meaning they cannot have guns, do not give them guns.  Period. If the parents die call the non-emergency police number for your area and let them know you have the firearms and that you believe a prohibited person may try to obtain them. They will likely come pick them up and keep them safe.

If he comes over and you still have the guns and feel threatened, call 911.


Title: Is it illegal to walk around with a mask on, on a public sidewalk in Tennessee?

Question:
Whether it's something like this:

https://zahnsply.com/image/cache/data/Indian/face-mask-634-600x600.jpg

Or something like this:

http://halloweencostumesbest.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/KINGMYS-Novelty-Creepy-Horse-halloween-mask-extremely-funny-jokes-masquerade-scary-masks-latex-Rubber-Costume-Theater-Prop-Party-0.jpg

Answer: Well the first one you probably wouldn't have much trouble from besides the odd , sideways glances. The horse one though could possibly have you at least stopped due to being unable to identify you ( Wich could be bad for obvious reasons )


Title: Is this business legal?

Question:
My friend in NY told me he has his own business essentially being the middle man between lenders and loan applicants. These "loans" are technically called "advances" because there is a cap on how high interest on loans can be. He told me, he basically just had to make a website, and buy leads. He calls the leads to tell them he can get them the advance. Then he calls the lenders and tells them about the merchant. Then if he can successfully broker the deal, coaching the merchant on the right things to say to sell themselves to the lender's underwriter, the advance is paid, and he collects a commission for each deal he brokers. You have to pay your taxes carefully and reinvest in new leads on a pretty regular basis. I am interested in working with him but I just want to make sure this business is legal. Or to make sure if I started my own parallel business that I wouldn't be breaking any laws myself. I'm not even sure who to ask.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Sounds like he's a glorified telemarketer/spammer for a ~~payday loan~~cash advance company.

"Buying leads" is usually code for "a spreadsheet of phone numbers/emails that may or may not work for people who may or may not need loans and may or may not be qualified for what you're offering."

Your job probably involve calling them/email them until you get a response, figuring out if they need a loan, and walking them through the process of destroying their financial future.

As for legality--[payday loans are prohibited in NY (the name doesn't matter, only the  interest rate charged)](http://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumer/dangerousloans.htm). I can't find a statute that would pin criminal (usury can be a felony in NY) or civil liability on a broker, but you'd more than likely be involved in an illegal loan at some point.


Title: [Oregon] My [17F] gf is pregnant and the father [20M] doesn't know if he should put his name on the birth certificate. Help!

Question:
So I'll preface this by saying that we've been dating for a little over 3 years now. We both were dating when were still both in high school, and before I turned 18.

Her 18th birthday is in October, my birthday is in August, so I turn 21 two months before her 18th birthday. We are almost exactly three years, 2 months apart.

Now that you have the ages figured out at least a little bit, I can tell you that she got pregnant over this last Summer, and her baby is due in late April. She was just shy of turning 17 at the time she got pregnant. Of course, all of this age information is important for determining what my course of action should be regarding legal implications for myself with the baby coming.

I have gone through the state statutes and rules regarding mandatory reporting, statutory rape laws, and the lot, and unfortunately in Oregon the age of consent is 18, however, for anything to be classified as rape in Oregon (be it first, second, or third degree) the minor has to be **younger than** 16, which she was not.

**However** in Oregon, I can still get in trouble for third degree sexual abuse since she was under 18 when we had sex.

What I want to know is, by putting my name on the birth certificate, do I implicate myself in this crime? According to the statutes that deal with mandatory reporting, mandatory reporters like physicians only report when they suspect abuse has taken place. It doesn't go into depth about what abuse or how they are supposed to gauge that, only that their reporting is based on their judgement. For this reason, I feel like its a total toss-up as to whether or not I would get in trouble, or if someone would say anything. The main thing here is, I don't want to have to 'feel lucky' about whether someone would say something about our 3yr 2mo age difference (when I'm fairly certain there is a 3 year 'romeo and juliet' clause that would protect me from this sort of thing otherwise).

I read [here](http://www.uhsystem.com/Shreveport/birth-certificate-information) that if the mother is married to someone who is not the baby's biological father, that they must be listed on the birth certificate and legally become the father of the child (even though biologically they are not). Would getting married be a way to circumvent potentially getting in trouble? I don't see how legally becoming the father because of marriage would imply that I had un-consensual sex with her. In this case, she would have to say that I'm only the legal father and that the biological father is not around, doesn't want to sign the certificate, whatever. The biological father who is not around would technically be the one who would have had sex with her, and I would be off the hook, correct?

Would that source I provided be trustworthy enough to use as a source to base my decisions about this off of?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I'm definitely in a legal grey area here and want to see if there's someway to make our age gap less worrisome if I were to sign the birth certificate--which I want to. I also don't want to have to lie and hide the fact that I'm the father when I'm there helping her through labor.

**Here are relevant statutes in Oregon for reference:**

[oregon.gov](https://www.oregon.gov/OSP/SOR/pages/or_reg_sex_crimes.aspx)

[some other random website](http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/oregon-statutory-rape-laws.htm)

[this one dumbs it down more](http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/oregon-statutory-rape-laws.htm)

Answer:
 1) Sign birth certificate, act supportive in the hospital and take the chance no-one reports you.

2) Marry her ASAP and become the legal father, tell people you're not the bio-Dad in the hospital. Hope no-one looks too closely or does mandatory reporting because mother is underage whilst giving birth.

3) Don't sign the birth certificate and pray that she never needs any kind of government assistance that would require her to name the father to access the resources.

None of these options are ideal and I would recommend having a consultation with a local attorney about how likely it is you'll get into trouble if someone reports you.
Answer #2: Romeo and Juliet in Oregon is *fewer* than three years, not three years and two months, fyi.