Title: Connecticut: How to find next of kin for deceased tenant with 'no family'

Question:
Tenant died a short while back. Everyone we've talked to who seemed to have known him says he has 'no family', including two different lawyers he retained at different times, and a number of different medical and assistance offices.

Meanwhile, we have possession of his stuff, and his rent deadline is coming up. A local agency he was a client of took it upon themselves to find a new home for his cat, which is good for the cat (and that was a big concern of ours, so at least that's taken care of for now), though we have a nagging question about whether they could really do that, since it's our understanding that pets are also property. (Privately, we're just glad the cat is okay, and we're reluctant to raise that question, for the cat's sake. But a woman who claims to be a longtime friend, and whom we believe is an ex-girlfriend, has been earnest to adopt the cat.)

The agency seems to have asserted a kind of custody of his case, and we intend to enforce his rent against them if necessary, or ask them to take custody of his stuff, but we're all trying to find anyone who can lawfully claim his estate.

Any tips on where to start, who to call, etc.? Thanks.

Answer: Someone is managing your former tenant's estate. I would contact your local county courthouse to see if they have a record of the tenant's death and any documentation on who is handling the tenant's estate.


Title: [CUSTODY] M(26) found his F(25) fiancé in bed with his best friend and she proceeded to accuse him of DV in order to keep child custody. Need advise desperately!

Question:
(OHIO)

My best friend M(26) was engaged to his fiancé for about three years and together had a baby. He was the breadwinner of the house and took care of the family, and she was, and still is, a waitress making enough only for her own expenses.

My friend  found his F(25) fiancé in bed with his best friend about six months ago. They obviously had a huge argument over it, but he never phisically assaulted her. However, she immediately proceeded to accuse him of domestic violence. Recently, he accepted an assult plea, although he is completely innocent of it, and in fact has a tape of her admitting that it was all a lie, and also admitting that she did that so that he wouldn't keep sole custody of their child ( as she sees that he can actually provide a stable home for the child where she can't).

They agreed on shared custody. Their child was born deaf, and a month ago he paid his insurance deductible in order to have cochlear implants for his child. He has paid for absolutely everything regarding his child's health, education and overall well-being. The mom is, as you can imagine from cheating on him with his best friend, terrible.
The child, now 3 yo, cries inconsolably when he has to go with his mom. He comes back to his dad with bed bugs bites, dog scratches, tired, malnourished, his behavior at school is noticed by the teachers as being radically different between the times that he's with his dad vs his mom.

My friend is desperate. He wants to go for full custody, but is afraid that accepting the assault charge as part of a plea deal will not allow him to get it..

Edit: For those inquiring why he accepted the plea deal in spite of the evidence: In the months after he found that his best friend and fiancé were fucking behind his back, he went into a huge depression and started drinking in order to be able to sleep.
One night, he was drinking at his dad's house and decided to drive back to his apartment although his dad advised him otherwise. Long story short, he was charged with a DUI or (OVI in the state of OH). Because he had both the OVI and the DV charges pending, he decided to accept the plea. He was honestly, and understandably afraid that not accepting the plea would affect him with the other charge.

What are the options??
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Why did he plead guilty to a charge which is not only false but which he has PROOF is false?

I bet there is more to this that you either don't know or haven't told us.Answer #2: >although he is completely innocent of it, and in fact has a tape of her admitting that it was all a lie, and also admitting that she did that so that he wouldn't keep sole custody of their child

Yes, we've heard that before. The accuser was caught on tape admitting that they made it all up just to be a dick, but they're just *so dastardly* that your friend had to accept a plea deal anyway. This isn't actually what happened; your friend isn't telling you the entire story.

If your friend receiving full custody is in the best interest of the child, a single assault conviction will not necessarily be a bar to that. But just as I don't believe that your friend was railroaded into a conviction despite clear evidence of a false accusation, I don't believe that your friend pays 100% of the child's expenses while the child cries at the prospect of seeing his mother.


Title: I feel the bank abetted a criminal in the act of fraud

Question:
Minnesototanice • 2m
I have no idea what to do. My mother in law is a wreck and has had all of her money stolen from her. Well fargo was made aware of it during the crime and refused to help. In fact the assisted the criminal, and continue too!! So short version. Last Thursday my mother in law was persuaded to deposit $3500 cash into a thief's account. I was notified of this on Saturday while the scammer continued to call her and try to have her deposit even more funds. We notified the police and fraud department at WFC. While the police were incredibly helpful WFC actually abetted the criminals. They refused to do anything, even when I spoke to a manager. Since my mother in law was not a customer it was not their problem. This is while my mother in law's phone is ringing with the fraudster trying to coerce more money from her. She is 87 yrs old and was literally crying and stating she wish she could just die!! Today (Tuesday ) I spoke with WFC in the morning, and was told that the criminals account was still open and had assets, they would call me back and tell me what they could do. Later in the day they called me back and said, "so sorry, the criminal pulled out the money and you lose". It seems that Wells Fargo has some responsibility. An 87 year old lady comes in, obviously distressed, and asks to deposit $3500 cash into an out of state account owned by a foreign person. No questions, complete disregard for the potential of vulnerable adult abuse, and tons of AML red flags. I have been around the banking industry and know the training requirements. Most financial institutions have policies to prevent this, both in regards to protecting the victim as well as not allowing these types of accounts to we exist. It is obvious by the actions and response of this institution the they both aid and abet this type of behavior. Do I have any recourse. This $3500 was a large percentage of her savings.

1

Answer:
 > So short version. Last Thursday my mother in law was persuaded to deposit $3500 cash into a thief's account.

The ugly reality is that she'll have to get it back from the thief, if they're ever found. Her bank is not liable, unfortunately.

That money's likely gone.


Title: [Alberta, Canada] My condo company is saying I owe fees that I do not owe - not sure how to proceed!

Question:
Hello Reddit!

Hoping someone here might be able to steer me in the right direction – I’m getting more frustrated and lost every day. Hopefully this is clear and concise, let me know if you need more details or clarification.

Location: Alberta, Canada

I bought and moved into a new condo – the possession date was December 1, 2014. The keys were released to me at around 5PM. When I sat down with my lawyer earlier that week, I received a statement of adjustment I still have a copy of – the relevant line is: Monthly Condominium Fees – Paid for by Vendor for month of December, 2014 (318.00/mo less 1 day = $307.74 owed to Vendor). It was included in my payment to the Vendor. My lawyer explicitly pointed out they paid for the month of December and I would be responsible for January onward, which I indicated in my preauthorized payment paperwork to my condo company.

Everything was fine until late last month when my condo company came to me saying I owed fees for December 2014. I told them that was the responsibility of the old owners, but they didn’t seem to understand or care, honestly, so I told them to hang tight and I would get in touch with my lawyer.

I got in touch with my lawyer’s assistant, who also seems really confused and says that’s impossible because my condo wouldn’t have been released for sale with fees owing. In my opinion, since the date the condo fees were due and the date we exchanged possession are both December 1, they didn’t technically HAVE fees owing – so that doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t seem to understand my problem. No one answers the phone at the law office, just returns calls, and I can't seem to get anyone but the legal assistant to call me back.

My condo company is now threatening to contact my mortgage company to tell them I am delinquent with my condo fees. I only have the names of the previous owners, not their forwarding address, and I’m not sure what to do now.

Should I pay the condo fees and then try and track down the original owners? Do I tell the condo company to shove it because I have legal documentation saying the original owners were supposed to pay it? Do I show up at my lawyer’s office and make her deal with this? Or just suck it up and pay because I'm losing sleep over a measly $318??

Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 Realistically, if you have an agreement for the seller to pay the fees for december, and they didn't you could sue the seller.  The Condo association isn't going to sue the seller for the money because it is much easier to hassle your lender.

How much is your time worth?  Getting the paperwork together and filing a case is probably going to take at least a few hours.  Then you'll have filing fees, and a fee to have the seller served.  Then, after you win, you have to find a way to force him to pay.

You'll probably realize that based on what you make per hour, it's not worth it.  What you need to do is push those feelings deep inside, and smother that rational thought with your anger.  If you let this guy get away with it, he's going to do it again, and Again, and AGAIN.  Make that bastard pay up!

The satisfaction you feel when you finally get the money from him will completely wipe away the frustration at all the time and money it took to get him to pony up that money.  And the look on his face, when his scam is ruined, and he has to pay you - you'll remember that look forever.  When you are old, and dying in bed, you will think back on that look and smile, and go to your grave a happy man.  Because if you did nothing else worthwhile with your life, you made a thieving asshole pay you the $318 that he owed.

DO IT!


Title: Fast food drive-thru says no sunglasses, but constantly facing the sun?

Question: I work drive-thru at a fast food place in Vegas. The weather is usually 100% sunny and the window faces the sun. I usually spend 2-3 hours squinting at the sun giving out food. They're saying no sunglasses allowed. Do I have any legal recourse?

Answer: No, they can make a dress code.


Title: Traffic stop borderline harassment?

Question:
Hello, I am currently 18 and live in Nebraska. I was recently followed by an officer for more than 10 minutes before I was pulled over. The officer was looking for my mother because she had written accidentally written a bad check and had a warrant. I had my girlfriend in the car at the time and he said that because I had a female passenger he believed it could’ve been her. The problem is my car is not affiliated to my mothers name at all. It is registered under my grandfather and was a gift to me. I do not want to be continually pulled over for something unrelated to me. Is this a violation of my rights?
Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer: No.


Title: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Question:
Wondering if I have any legal grounds and if so how to proceed. An email was sent out to a colleague of mine about a self-defence workshop. The email contained blatant sexist remarks. The email was sent by the office's landlord. This is in Vancouver BC Canada. This is the contents of the email.

"Dear Tenants,

You’re invited to attend a self-defence workshop that will be held on Wednesday April 18th.  Former Police Officer and Owner of ____ _ _______ ______ ____ teams with 30 years experienced and certified martial arts instructor _____ _______ (_______ ___ _______ ____) to provide a co-ed workshop on how to defend against a violent personal attack. They will show you what to do to ensure you have the mental preparedness, self-confidence, and physical capabilities to defeat your attacker. Emphasis will be on natural body movement, not memorization of complicated moves, and to share what you’ve learned with others.

For men, this is a great opportunity to learn practical self-defence in a non-competitive, non-intimidating environment and to learn how to protect someone you love.

For women, if you have ever said to yourself, “It won’t happen to me”, after seeing reports of another personal attack on the news, you are wrong. It DOES happen to nice people like you, it CAN happen to you, but there IS something you can do about it if you are prepared!

Date: Wednesday April 18, 2018, 5:30-7:30pm

Location: _______ _____, ________ ____ (____ ____ ________ ______)

This workshop is complimentary to ______ tenants.  However, there are limited spaces available so pre-registration is required.

To register, please contact _____ _______ at: _____________@gmail.com or (604) ___-____.

Should you have any questions, please contact _____ _______ or ______ ____ at _____________@gmail.com.

Thank you,"

Answer:
 I have been a social justice warrier since before I was an insult, and I'm not offended by that email.

If you consider this sexual harrasment, you are part of the problem. There are ACTUAL problems that women face in the work placeAnswer #2: Legal grounds for what?  Hurt feelings?

You won't win a case on a perceived slight like this.  Successful harassment cases are built, generally, on repeated, documented behavior.  This doesn't even get close to that level.

Is it a little bit dated, sure...Answer #3: What is sexist in this email?

More importantly, what is discriminatory in this email?


Title: brother was kicked out of med school

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I'm almost positive (unless there is some crazy law that I'm unaware of in Pennsylvania that allows this sort of thing) that if the "counselor" was in fact a medical professional and not some sort of academic advisor, that a HIPAA violation has occurred. And that is actually a really big deal.

What was the job title of the person your brother disclosed his marijuana smoking to?Answer #2: What kind of counselor? It seems like there might be some ethical boundaries being crossed there. I would explore that.


Title: I lease a home and sublease rooms (CA) - A tenant wants a copy of my master lease.

Question:
So I lease a home in California with provisions that allow me to sublease the other bedrooms. A tenant is leaving soon and asked for a copy of my agreement with the owner. The thing is, the lease with the owner is expired. I don't know what that means in terms of the info/documents I need to give to the tenant legally.

Is it mandatory that I give him a copy of my lease that's expired?
Is there any other kind of form I can provide if the landlord will sign?

I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction, in how to address his request properly.
THANKS!

Answer:
 Your subtenant has no legal right to a copy of your master lease. You are their landlord. Any disputes they have are with you, not the property owner.

Just say no.Answer #2: Fellow San Jose resident here. Nah, you’re good.


Title: Fiance and I are moving for Grad School and she needs to bring her emotional assistance animal [California]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I can't imagine your housing offer extends to non-family members (your finance). That being said, it is likely the school has no obligation to allow your fiance to live in their housing with you, and by extension, the dog. Also, there is no certification for an emotional support animal.


Title: Unexpected death at hospital

Question:
My sister-in-law, age 35, has been struggling with bipolar disorder. A few days ago she sees her psychiatrist and he admits her to the hospital next door because she is in a catatonic state.

The next day she is dead in the morning. They said she was fine at 9am then later found dead at 11am. CPR was attempted at this time.

We are still waiting on autopsy but cause of death may have been due to pulmonary embolism. I have been reading this is a concern in the rare condition of catatonia. My first thought is why didn't she have a heart rate monitor?

How do I go about assessing negligence or wrongdoing of the hospital?

Edit: She is a resident of Ohio, death occurred in Kentucky

Answer:
 I'm sorry to hear of your family's loss.

Medical malpractice is simply beyond the scope of this sub;  it doesn't matter how much or how little information you have, the answer is always "consult with a local medical malpractice attorney".

Those attorneys know how to gather medical history information and request and preserve the appropriate records from the hospital and the medical examiner, and are familiar with arranging expert testimony and your country/state/province's laws regarding medical malpractice procedure and recovery.


Title: Terminated due to sleeping in my office during my lunch break.

Question:
I will try to keep it short.

I was a salary position in which I was told that we had a 30 minute lunch break, and 2 x 15 minute breaks each day. I never received an employee policy manual, not even sure they had one.

Randomly this morning I come in and my boss tells me that it was brought to his attention that i was sleeping in my office during a lunch. That most people at this company do not get a lunch at all, and that sleeping during mine was completely unacceptable.

I said "Whats the difference between me sleeping, and leaving the office to go to subway?" and he had no response.

I worked in West Virginia at an "At Will" employer. West Virginia Junior College. West virginia requires any employee that works more than 6 hours in a day to have a 20 minute break. I do not see how I can be fired based on what I was doing during said break. Even past that, when my office door was knocked on. I woke right up and completed the work assigned to me.

I am hoping I can still receive unemployment, and I am hoping someone could point me in which direction I should maybe go at this point legally. Do I have any grounds, can they really tell me im not allowed to sleep during my time. It is a paid lunch, but I do not see how sleeping is worse than getting in my car and leaving the building.....

Answer: Yes, you can file for unemployment. You can be fired for any reason, including sleeping at work off the clock.Answer #2: At my last job, the hours and work was so intense we even had a couch that was designated for people taking naps. My old coworker would regularly take naps on his lunch break, in the break room. Not every where is so chill.


Title: My cousin crashed my boyfriend's car, need help.

Question:
My dad, mom, my boyfriend, and I went to LA for the weekend so my dad offered to help my boyfriend find somebody to leave his unused car to (we live in bad area and the street cleaner sweeps daily so we had to leave the car somewhere else.) My dad leaves it with my cousin and tells him repetitively to just leave it outside his house and keep an eye on it. He gives him the keys and off we go. We're in LA and we receive a call from my cousin that he crashed it against another car (he fell asleep on the wheel) and my boyfriend's car got completely destroyed and towed. My boyfriend had just taken out the car out of his insurance because he was planning on selling it (he doesn't use it) and now we don't know what to do. What are my boyfriend's best options? My dad is willing to take the blame since he gave the keys to my cousin. My cousin doesn't have a car so no insurance, but his wife does.. So IDK. my boyfriend is panicking that they're going to arrest him and whatnot, he has no idea what to do. He doesn't care about the loss of the car, just doesn't want to get in trouble. So what are his best options?

Tl;DR: cousin crashed boyfriend's car when told not to use it, no insurance on both sides, we were out of the city 7 hours away. Don't know what to do.

Answer: He can sue the cousin for the value of the car and any additional costs incurred (towing, etc). Hopefully the cousin has some money and/or assets.


Title: California- Injury (seizure) during work. Do I get worker's comp or anything?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If mundane or unfulfilling work could cause seizures, Asia would have an epidemic, so would most factories elsewhere.

File for disability though the state. It will be a very long and expensive battle for even a chance at this being declared Workmens comp. Answer #2: I don't understand. Why can't you continue to work after using your 10 days of PTO? Also, how the hell does unfulfilling and mundane work cause seizures?Answer #3: I'm not sure why you would qualify for worker's comp.  "I'm bored at work and that caused my seizure" isn't exactly a great defense. I get the not being able to drive, but what does your job entail that you also cannot work for 3 months.

If you really cannot work, apply for disability.  And if your doctor believes stress is the only trigger for your seizures, work aggressively with a therapist for stress management techniques so you can rejoin the workforce.  Honestly, there is very little in life that will not cause stress so you really need to get to the bottom of what is causing the seizures


Title: Is my mom stealing my money?

Question:
TL;DR: My mom is deducting my funds to make utma account investments I think

Hi! I'm a college kid who works part time to make a little spending money. All my paychecks are deposited into my bank account, which happens to be a part of my mothers "main account" (I don't know the fancy bank terms so bear with me here). If helps to know, she set this account for me back in highschool while I was still a minor. I have access to the funds in the account.

Recently, while I was checking my account balance I noticed an investment account I hadn't payed attention to before (I can see all other account balances in the main account- I assume this means I could probably transfer funds in and out of all the other accounts but I've never tried it) . It was called a UTMA investment account. I googled it and got the jist of what a UTMA account is and who can use it. I clicked on the account and saw that the custodian of the account is my mother and the beneficiary  is my older brother (my state considers you a minor until you are 21 for utma accounts). I was also able to see a list of investments made and which accounts paid for them. Listed several times were my own checking and savings account. I saw my mother had been deducting a significant portion of my account funds over the past several months. I know, you'd think I'd notice earlier.

I also saw she had been doing the same thing to my younger sister who has the same account type as mine, but is a minor.

What I'm trying ask is if what my mother is doing (pulling money out my sister and I's account to make investments for a UTMA fund) is normal? should she have told me before she took the money out of my accounts? is my mom stealing from my sister and I? Any help would be appreciated !!!

Answer:
 No. Yes. Probably.

Set up your own private checking account, asap. Many banks will give you one without any monthly fee as long as you are a student.


Title: Legal Advice for Dealing with a Stalker. Financially i am so tapped out. Please help me help this person!

Question:
My life has been other worldly since Oct 26th. Due to financial stress (5$ to my name and am donating plasma) i am limited on resources and need a free way to search for a person's court records and convictions and need it by TOMORROW. That is when we are going to court to get this ....man idk what even call him, this sick man the helps he needs and the peace we seek. Any advice would be a blessing. the records i seek are primarily in the states of South Carolina, Georgia, and possibly Indiana.

Here is the best synapses i can muster together in 15 minutes without violating any rules. Totally batched my last post.

Oct 26th someone came into my life. I didn't know of a lot of her issues and she isn't forth coming to strangers. I eventually learned Her ex BF got her kicked out of her mum's permanently and then Him attacking her at a relatives house a block away got her kicked out of there. because them folks don't 'tolerate' that stuff. For nothing more than simple friendship and cleaning up after herself i let her stay with my roommate and I. She opened up and holy cow she has been trying to run from this man for about 2 months. I finally talked her into turning him in and all the texts. texts from different online phone numbers. threatening her. calling her horrible names. What even sickens me most and makes me most fearful, is that in some, a handful of texts, he calls her by his wife's name. Really Ex wife but he refused to sign documents.

Well the weekend before Halloween Me, her, and that stalker BF (i didn't know the extent of the issues happening with her because of him) were drinking the ex stalker had like 6 of my beers. i had who knows how much. and due to the gals cancer and tumor she couldn't drink really any. Eventually the time came for him to go home. Was booze snoozing time. Well he wouldn't leave. It took from 1 am to 3:30 am for him to finally leave. he rushed her from our woods. Honestly he has made it to where she can't close her eyes without seeing him, taking her back to that dark night, reliving this nightmare of hers. I had to tackle him twice for he would not fight me or throw a punch at me (i have a violent history growing up and do my best to abstain from violence or physical interactions that can harm people) but as soon as the gal turned her back and i was far enough away he would do a crazy mad dash to grab her like a ghoul returning to hell without his trophy. It seriously creeped me out. Has her really mentally unstable.

i know i should have called cops then. i was drunk on parole and knew he'd fuck off quick if he seen another car. why bother? the gal don't like cops either. An Anarchist view on taking care of your personal business. well its two weeks later and he is still at it and found out from another local he is sneaking onto our property at night to site and creep in the woods to watch her.

We are in SC. Aiken County. i have convinced her to go to the authorities. i am in the process of getting all evidence of his abuse, threats, and harassment. Here's the deal he has a wife. he will not sign divorce paperwork. He has warrants i believe in the next state pertaining to his wife (i am not sure honestly) and i'd like all evidence, current and past, of his character and his violent women attacking obsessions. Right before this i got laid off. and is my current problem. i wont have work till spring returns. i am tapped out and want to help this person, my friend. she thanks me every day for my involvement. she feels she may have been dead or taken away and kept away from everyone but him. She claims i saved her life. i might have and if i did. Wow. Just. I’m not sure. She is alive and i feel like she don't deserve this. No person deserves this.

The last three nights she has been so sketched by him, especially learning he really is sneaking about, i had to stay up with her through the dark or completely leave during the night with her in tow across the county just for peace of mind. And in no way are we romantic. i feel this is important to state. as her past is filled with men taking advantage of her and when she is vulnerable. i just want to help. she has nowhere to go because of him.
Any help. Any Advice. Will be used and greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 Your post is largely incoherent.

If she is being threatened or abused she should contact the police and let them collect the evidence. You might also help her find a shelter for battered women.


Title: Movie filmed on private property

Question:
My parents own land in Texas that was passed down from them from my mother's parents. We don't live on it or even near it, so we aren't able to keep a good eye on it. Just today we talked to our neighbor to that property, and they said that there was a movie filmed on our property.

The neighbor told them to leave and that it was private property, but my cousin, who was with the movie company, told them that he owned that land. Since our neighbors had no idea, it was left at that. Fences were torn down, our grandfathers house ransacked and my grandparents gravestone was knocked down.

Do we have a case against this company? Shouldn't they have done more research to who actually owned the land, instead of believing my cousin who had no actual proof he was the owner?

Answer:
 > Do we have a case against this company?

Yes. They damaged property. You can sue for the cost to repair the damage they caused. If it's a film it's probably an LLC, see if you can find out the name of the LLC from your cousin. Do you know if this is a little indie film or a larger production? (I'm guessing the former.)


Title: Workman's Comp and Drug Testing - California

Question:
I don't have any experience in this area and my boyfriend's brother has an issue. If anyone has any experience in this area, I'd appreciate the advice!

He got 2nd degree burns at work by a defective propane tank. The manager on duty saw it happen and filled out a report about it and told him he didn't have to do submit to drug testing.

When he went in to fill out the workman's comp paperwork another manager told him he would have to take a drug test. He will most definitely show marijuana in his system.

Question:

- Can an employer in California legally require drug testing as a part of a workman's comp claim?

- Can an employer deny workman's comp if a drug test comes back positive?

- Can an employer fire an employee after a positive drug test given with a workman's comp claim?

My understanding is California limits when drug testing is appropriate, but I am unsure what those limits are and if this falls within them.

Thanks!

Answer:
 Generally after a serious accident an employer can require a drug test.

A positive drug test may be grounds to deny a workers comp. claim.  The employer may need to show that the intoxication was the cause of the accident.

Yes, an employer can fire an employee for drug use.


Title: FL ex-girlfriend might be pregnant with my child and she's agreed that if I'm not ready for the child, she wouldn't force me to be in its life. Should I get that in writing? Does it have to be notarized?

Answer:
 You don't owe her the child support. You owe the child. There is nothing she can sign because she isn't the one owed the support. She *may* not pursue it, but that doesn't mean you won't be on the hook later.Answer #2: You certainly can choose not to pursue custody, and given your attitude, I can understand why your ex would encourage you not to do so. Be warned though, this will actually serve to ***increase*** your child support payment, not decrease it. Child support is based of the relative income of the parties and the percentage of custody legally awarded. So if you got 50% custody awarded in the court order, you'd be paying less than if you got 20%, even if the mom in reality kept him the same amount of time voluntarily (although she could always seek to modify the order to match reality, it is an extra burden and expense to do so).

And remember - since they only take a portion of your pay, choosing a lower paying job to try and avoid paying

A) won't work

B) *always* results in you having less money overall, so really you're punishing yourself, not your kid

As the others are mentioning, you can't waive the kids rights to it like you can alimony in a prenup, because the kid isn't there to have her say in the decision. The ex can't waive what is for the benefit of someone else, and once she finds out how expensive diapers and formula are, she's going to be a lot quieter about even thinking about trying.

Answer #3: There's nothing she can force you to do but pay child support and nothing you sign now will get you out of an obligation to pay child support.


Title: [Canada-On] My Principal may ban me from graduation for a joke

Question:
For context this happened at a High School in Ontario, Canada.

This all started last year when Snapchat released its location based stories. A student at my school offered to sell a Rolex watch, claiming it was the real thing. However it was obvious that it wasn't real and many other students posted on the location story making fun of the student with items on their wrists as a “Rolex”. One of my friends sent an image to the story along with others with an item on his wrist in jest with a similar caption to “he’s glutton for a punishment”, with obvious intent to be taken as a joke. It blew over after a week and everything went back to normal.

Sadly the student died in an accident last week. I've never met the student or talked to him, but I went and edited the image that was sent over a year again to say something along the lines of ''He gluttoned for his punishment.” I then posted the image in a  private group chat on instagram of only my friends and I, and as none of us really knew the person we all got a good laugh out of it. We all more or less forgot about it and went on with our lives. Until a week later.

Earlier today I was informed that the Principal of the school had seen the image and he was talking with some of my friends to determine who had created it. None of them admitted to knowing who had created it. He talked to the one who was featured in the image and although he had nothing to do with it the Principal did threaten to revoke his privilege to attend graduation.
One of my friends who is the Student Council President and Valedictorian also spoke with the Principal. The Principal put all of the blame on him, and said that he would strip him all of his power along with his ability to attend graduation next week.

The Principal also made claims that were completely false against my friend saying that he was forcing others to joke about the death of the student, including things as awful as outlining his body in chalk in a flattened position. Which is absolutely false, but the horrifying this is he believes these rumours in a highschool environment which preaches dispelling fictions like this. Not only that but he took my friends phone breaching his privacy and went to the chat where the image was posted (but now omitted). The group chat is completely private and none of the content within was meant for the outside world.

My question is, does he have the power to remove our privilege to attend graduation or even revoke the ability to graduate? I intend to go tomorrow to take the blame with a few friends but I want to know what is in his rights and what is out of his rights to do. This is really stressing me out and is making it almost impossible for me to study or even write the upcoming exam. There was no intention to hurt anyone with it, it was posted within a private group with a facetious intention.

TL;DR Friends and I made a joke about a recently deceased student which was only meant for our group, it leaked out and now the Principal is involved and threatening to disallow our graduation at the very least. Principal also acts really unprofessional and now I have a hard time even trying to study or think properly. What is within the Principal’s rights to do?

Answer: Yes, the principal can do that. If you show outright remorse, then you might have a leg to stand on.


Title: Fell down a man hole cover outside my backdoor. pain in my stomach and lower ribcage. What should i do?

Question:
[Leeds, UK]

As the title says, i fell down a man hole cover ( Sunday 12th June ) that is literally outside my backdoor. One leg went down the other stayed on the surface causing my to jolt forward hitting the top of my abs and the base of my ribcage - which is still hurting 2 days later, giving slight difficulty breathing and pain when sleeping on my stomach. - also it hurts when i breath heavily. Very slight scratch on my leg which is also now slightly brusied. No marks yet on my stomach.
I have pictures of the man hole once i figure out how to upload them on my pc from my phone.

What actions can i take.  -- the house isnt my own, i'm currently renting it.

Thanks

Answer: Go to the doctor.


Title: Received a CP2000 from the IRS from crypto trading. HELP!

Question:
So in 2017 I did some cryptocurrency trading. I claimed my gains as about $1000(Which I believe is roughly correct) and coinbase sent in a 1099 saying I have a taxable income of $67,000.

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Late into 2017 I got a new employer for the business I worked for. I claimed one of my 1099s for about $35,000 and somehow missed the second 1099 which ended up being about $14,000. I was shocked to see that somehow I made that mistake since that would be incredibly stupid to not report an income literally sent to the IRS... I would be more than willing to fix this if im at fault.

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Anyway I think the big thing here is the crypto.

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My taxable income went from $14,000$ to $92,000

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I have a substantial tax understatement penalty for $5300

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interest rate for it being in 2017 for $2300

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And a past tax owed of $27,000

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For a grand total offfffffffffffffff 34,600 $$$$$$$$$$$$ (Due by august 7th)

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I have purchased TurboTax Audit defense every year but I am not sure if they will actually help or just point me in the right direction. I have contacted them though.

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Needless to say, maybe I should never do my taxes again. Maybe I am a moron for ever getting into crypto or maybe just a moron in general. I know very few people actually put it on their taxes like I did (Just trying to pay tax like a good boy haha) and I am terrified for what this means for my family and I. I am in the process of getting a decent job right now and cant even afford rent. Please if anyone has advice I would really appreciate it.

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I can give more info on my crypto trading from that year if needed.

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I cannot imagine why they are reporting my taxible income 66k higher than it should be. Anyone have a clue? And is this serious? I am guessing each time I traded they counted it as a taxable event. I did not realize nor did I ever see any information like that in 2017.

Answer: Cryptocurrency tax accounting is complicated. You said Coinbase said you earned more than $60k from Coinbase alone? You need to talk to a tax attorney with crypto experience immediately.


Title: Neighbor cut down privacy bushes on property, what can I do? IL

Question:
I woke up this morning to a clear view of my neighbor’s house where there used to be a nice wall of privacy bushes. Now there is a badly cut, very large, awkward section of them cut down to the ground/ ripped out. In my mind (as I am clearly angry and perhaps not considering all possibilities of thought) they had no right to do this, so I’ll try my best to describe the layout of our yards in a neutral way.

We live on a cul-de-sac, my house is at the end so I have a very small front yard and my neighbors houses are quite close to mine, like a pizza pie and all our houses are set at the tips in the center. There are also no fences in this neighborhood and no yard or house standards like with HOA’s. It is obvious (and confirmed from checking property lines when buying) that where their dirt driveway and my yard meet is the property line. When I bought the house a little over two years ago there was already an established line of bushes down my property and their driveway that are planted and growing on my property.

This may be where there is some contention, although I don’t know because they have not said a word to me about them and I thought they were mutually beneficial… they are maintained by both of us, them on their side and me on my side. We have never talked about maintaining the bushes so I don’t know if it was something they expected me to do down their driveway on their side as well? I wouldn’t feel comfortable in their yard anyway, they are not the greatest neighbors past saying high when we see each other.

I have plenty of complaints that I have never voiced to them about their trash and trash cans being along the bushes because the raccoons are in them all the time pulling their trash all through my yard, and when the trash gets picked up weekly they stack all their cans and loose trash in my front yard, which just makes a huge mess of little loose trash that is never cleaned up by them all over my property. Because of this and me never saying anything about it I fear they think they can do whatever they want without consequences.

Admittedly I have no idea what is going on or what the intent is on their part because they have not said anything about cutting down or having plans to cut down these bushes and we have not talked at all today. I have no idea how to approach this situation and I am angry they did this. We live in Illinois.

Thanks for reading and/or commenting. Sorry if anything is unclear, I will do my best to give additional information if needed.

Answer:
 >When I bought the house a little over two years ago there was already **an established line of bushes down my property and their driveway that are planted and growing on my property.**

A tree law post - one our the forum's favorite topics.

Short answer - if your neighbor cut bushes growing on YOUR property without your permission, they have a massive liability.

Contact an arborist for an estimate of what it would take to replace the missing bushes, and contact an attorney to pursue them for those damages.

For trees, people have been quoted 5 digit figures for ONE mature tree.

Could not tell you how much your damage is, but I hope this starts you on the right path.Answer #2: If the bushes were on your property, then your neighbor would owe the value to replace the bushes exactly as they were.

But you will need to prove they were on your property.


Title: Grandma kicked out of her own home

Question:
Okay, this is kinda long. My grandmother has been kicked out of her home, by her daughter (my mom) and her husband (my grandfather).

I don’t know the whole story but I’ll relay what I can to the best of my knowledge..

So my grandpa found out he is sick, terminally sick, in this time he has started a will or possibly even a new will.  They told my grandma that she needs to get out of the home ASAP, also that she isn’t entitled to anything on his will.  They made the home un-livable, hence why she left.  Weirdly though my grandpa has hated his daughter (my mom) pretty much my whole life. Random I know but this is the only time in my life I’ve seen them get along.  Clearly my mom wants the houses that are in his will.

My question is it legal to bypass your spouse out of a will, also is it legal for her to not receive anything, even after decades of marriage and living In the home?  Would she have better standing if she divorced him ASAP? We don’t have a lot of money for a lawyer, hence why I’m asking here.  Well will get one but wanted to see if you guys could help point out the best path forward..
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 In California, you can (and may be legally required to!) contact [Adult Protective Services](http://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/County-APS-Offices).  Make sure you use the phrase "unlawful eviction."  Your grandmother, as a resident (and half-owner) of the family home, is absolutely entitled to live there until she's removed from the deed or from the marriage.  Your grandfather's will being changed so close to his passing sounds more than a little hinky as well.

>My question is it legal to bypass your spouse out of a will,

Not in California!  Disinherited spouses are still entitled to half of community property, even if otherwise excluded from the will.  *However* your grandmother may still have to contest the will in probate court.

NALAnswer #2: California is a community property state. At the very least, she is entitled to her share of community property.

If she is truly being abused--physically, mentally, emotionally or financially--you should contact [Adult Protective Services](http://ssa.ocgov.com/abuse/elder/)

You can also contact an attorney who specializes in elder law or estate law, and see what tother options there are.Answer #3: Community property state. She owns 1/2 of everything.


Title: My best friend confessed to me that he killed someone in self defence when he was in his teens

Question:
He was never caught, he never went to police on his own. Other than getting him help for PTSD, what should I do?

Edit: location- AB

Answer: You dont even know if this is true....I would mind my own business.


Title: Neighbors parking on front lawn ( Upstate NY)

Question:
I live in the suburbs in upstate NY on a cul-de-sac.  Recently our neighbors directly across the street have been throwing large parties.  Their guests have been pulling off the road directly into the front of our lawn without consent. More then half the vehicle is on the lawn.

To make it even worst I witnessed them throwing cigarette buts on our lawn and stomping them out on my grass.

I contacted the police department dispatch and they informed me that it was not legal for them to park on our lawn.

Officer was sent out and guests were asked to move.

Neighbors confronted me the next week, we're unhappy and warned they are having another huge party.  Told me if I didn't want folks to park there I would have to put up signs or tape off the area.

What rights do I have?  I'm not even sure if the police were correct in stating they cannot park on my lawn.  The area borders the road and the town likely has rights to the property.

Is it my job to erect a permanent taped off area to stop them?  This sounds like a horrible idea.

Thanks in advanced.

Quick edit:  It sounds like towing is a sure way to cause trouble, I will be contacting the town to see the laws/guidelines.

Answer:
 Don't know if they have them in upstate NY, but down here in Florida some people have like tiny concrete pyramids on the edge of their lawn to prevent people from parking there. Sort of like this, only has a more pyramid-like top.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/8-in-x-8-in-x-9-in-Concrete-Pyramid-Block-57832/203102031

You just need a few of them, probably, spaced every 3 feet or so apart. Just enough to discourage someone from parking there. It makes the point without angry confrontations.

Answer #2: As an update I don't think towing is the proper approach and it may not even be legal.  I will be contacting the county offices to see what can be done legally.  It's possible it's considered an easement, which would leave me few options.

Thanks for all the input.Answer #3: It's not your resposibility at all to put up anything, they have to inform the guests to not illegal park (and trespass) on your lawn.

If anyone does, you can call the police and/or have them towed away for parking and trespassing on your lawn.

You don't have to tape anything at all.Answer #4: Having the cars towed seems like a great way to make the neighbors hate you. Try to avoid doing that. Put up a Sign warning them that there is no parking there--and only *threaten* towing. Paint the curb yellow (check to see if that's legal in your state). Make it obvious that you're having none of this.


Title: Bought a lemon from private seller, anyway to back out?

Question: I recently bought a used car from a private party in Ontario that was E-Tested, but not safety. I've already paid in full (cash), but when i brought it to the mechanic he says there's $600 in repairs needed to pass safety. I haven't transferred the car to my name yet, so it's still under the seller's name. Is it possible to get my money back (small claims court maybe)? I also signed a Vehicle Bill of Sale that mentions it is sold "as is" though.

Answer: "as is" means what it says. You bought the car in the condition it was in. The time to get it inspected by a mechanic is BEFORE you pay in full. The car is yours, flaws and all.


Title: I live in a small complex. So far two other tenants have threatened me and/or my family. What should I do? (Texas)

Question:
There's a bit of backstory and two different situations that have brought me here. I apologize in advance for the long post.

I recently moved into this complex this past July in Texas. It's my girlfriend, our three sons (4,6,and 10), and myself. A lot of bad things have happened since I moved in:

* The apartment wasn't finished, so we had to have "maintenance" guys come into our home to fix things. By "maintenance" I mean, the landlord just had guys living in the complex to help. (A little note: I'm going to refer to one of the maint. guys as Carl.) We were not allowed to change locks so they could come in whenever they wanted. I complained about this, because of the safety of my gf and children. So, we didn't really start on the right foot.

* the plumbing wasn't correct, so when I installed my washer, a ton of sand was pushed into it, breaking it.

* the walls here are very thin so you can hear everything that goes on.

* The First major incident happened with the neighbour downstairs. We'll call him Tom. When I moved in, I told the manager here that I have 3 boys. He moved us into a unit that is above Tom, who is an older single veteran. This guy would always complain because the boys would run around the apartment. This was during the afternoon. He asked me to keep them quiet after 5pm. I work at all hours. So I'm not always here to supervise them, and my gf has enough on her hands with laundry, feeding them, etc, so she can't always make sure that they don't run around. It wasn't constant either, because we would constantly tell them to walk, not run, in the house. A few incidents more of them having 'heavy feet' and Tom confronted me again. He told me that if I didn't take care of the problem, that he would. I was furious at this thought. I told him, that he was not to threaten my family, and to stay from them. I notified my manager, who had a talk with Tom. After that, I always ignored Tom, and I changed my schedule, so I could keep a closer eye on my family. Tom and I never again spoke to each other. The boys were starting to go to school, so there was less time for them to actually go crazy in the house, and I've been there more for them to keep them under control, so they were pretty relaxed.

* So now I have maintenance (including Carl), who doesn't like me very much, because I don't like them being in my home when I'm not there, and my downstairs neighbour loathes me because of the boys.

Fast forward a couple of months. I didn't really feel comfortable living above Tom or at this complex anymore, but I also did not want to break a lease. Everything was going fine up until today.

Sundays is a pretty busy day for me even though I'm always off this day. Laundry, shop for necesities, extra homework, deep cleaning, etc. Needless to say, I'm always running around on Sunday; because I also haven't gotten around to fixing my washer, I use the ones onsite at my complex. There's 3 of them that work.

Today I take my laundry down and I get to the machines and they are all taken. I think, okay, I'll just come back . I leave my things and return 20 minutes later. Still not done. Leave, come back another 20 later, and the wash is done, but there's nobody there. I think, okay, maybe they'll get here soon. I wait a few minutes, and then I decide screw this, and come back 15 minutes later. When I get back, the clothes is still in the wash. So then, I think, I don't have all  day to wait around. I've had someone take out my laundry before and put it aside when I wasn't able to get back so soon, so there will be no harm if I do the same. I'm not damaging anything. I put the clothes on a counter a few feet away, then put my clothes in there and walk away. It had already been a long day, so I decided to go to the store real quick to buy an energy drink.

When I got back, apparently Carl was looking for me. He saw me pull up, he opened up my door, and started yelling at me. " Why the fuck did you touch my stuff?" " Don't you ever touch my shit" and kept on yelling at me, threatening me. He tore off my headphones, said " how do you like it when people touch your shit?"

Now mind you, this guy is a pretty big guy compared to me. I'm 5'7. He's probably 6'6".

Him yelling at me goes on for a couple of minutes, before he seems to lose interest and leave. I then go into my house and calm down. I'm not a fighter, so being confronted like that is something I'm not very used to. My clothes is still in the laundry however. I decide that I have to confront this and go grab my things. Get out of his way.

So I go down to where the laundry is. As soon as I get there I see Tom, and some other guy chatting up, with Carl yelling explicitives about me. I go in the laundry, which is very small (most bathrooms are bigger), and start grabbing my things. Carl gets right in my face again and starts yelling, calling me a little bitch, and what-have-you. He's got me backed up against a wall. His yelling is also spewing out spit onto my face. He's very close. I tell him, " Carl, I don't want to fight you. I just want to grab my things and I want to leave." He slaps the basket out of my hands, and backs me up again. His yelling doesn't seem to stop.

Another couple of agonizing minutes later, and a few ladies started to appear. They told Carl to calm down, and leave me alone. They told Carl that he was disturbing their families, that they could hear everything. It was at that point that Carl let me leave. I only grabbed one load, because I didn't want to be stuck in there any longer with him. Tom and the other guy had basically watched me get harrassed and threatened of my life. They had not done anything.

So now, I don't know what to do. It did not feel like something I should call the cops for, because he never really hit me. At the same time, I have to think that there's a high possibility of them finding me at a vulnerable time and attacking me. Nobody should have to live with the thought that their life could be in potential danger at any given time, especially at their own home.

Btw, I told my manager, and he said verbatim,"well, you shouldn't have been touching his things." Really? Since when does having your things moved a few feet been justified as a means to threaten someone's life?

tldr; Apt. complex causes my washer to break, due to horrible plumbing; Neigbour below me threatens to "disclipine" my family if I don't respond to his afternoon noise complaint. Maintenance guy threatens me after I move his things out of the washing machine after his wash was already done. Complex manager blames me for starting the situation.

I don't know what to do. I just know I have to watch my back everywhere here now.

Answer: Looks like you're on the "wrong side of the tracks."  Get the police involved immediately.  Save any correspondence you have with Carl and the landlord


Title: [CA]Yesterday i received mail at my mothers address regarding wage garnishments via court ordered. A child support case opened up against me, of which I had no idea even existed. Says I owe $$$$ in back pay and is going to take over half of my take home income. Desperate need of counsel...

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >A couple months after she caught wind that I was dating another female and rightlfuly so became very unpleasant towards me.

What? You already broke up, I don't see anything wrong unless you cheated on her or something.


Title: A friend of mine won't be able to make it to court, can I show up in a suit and tie on their behalf and say that I'm their lawyer?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Sure. You'll go to jail, but you can do it.

The fact that you had to ask this question leads me to believe that you aren't even qualified to *pretend* to be a lawyer.Answer #2: I've never heard of a mentally handicapped attorney, but I guess there's a first for everything.


Title: TA-Student Relationship Blackmail and possible Coercion/Kidnapping? (Nebraska USA)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > She's safe now but still afraid to contact the police

You have got to be kidding me.  She was **kidnapped**, threatened and blackmailed.  Call the fucking police, and do it now.


Title: im so curious about this question

Question: imagine i have always wanted a house in the lake,so i go to a very very far away place from civilization and build my house in there,thats no man land right? or is the goverment the owner and i would have to ask for permission? im not from the usa,you can tell it because of my english,by the way you may not not how it would be in my country,but how would it work in the usa, can i build my house wherever i want, im just curious about it

Answer:
 You have to own the land before you build a house on it.

I am unaware of any land anywhere in the USA that is not already owned by someone.


Title: Employer overpaid me on my first/last/only paycheck and are now asking me to pay them back...

Question:
yes, I know that morally I should, however that is not my question.  Obviously being my last check, they don't have any way to garnish future checks, they are just demanding I pay them.

**Legally** speaking, am I required to?

other possibly relevant info:

the amount they're asking me to repay is incorrect and I can prove it.

state is Idaho

TIA

Answer: Yes, legally speaking, you are require to pay it back. If they underpaid you, you would have a legal right to get it back. Well, if they overpaid you, they have a right to get it back. If the amount is wrong, explain to them, in writing, why the amount is wrong, and return the appropriate amount. But make sure you are right.


Title: (SC) Mother abandoned a house in FL, now VA is trying to force her to pay it off

Question: So my family had to abandon a house in florida because when she bought it, there was a TON of problems wrong with it, the worst being that the house has mold, and the septic is broken. So we left the house and moved to SC, and now VA gave her a letter saying that we are behind on payments and there are options for us to take. We seriously want to give the house over to the bank, but my mother is worried that they wont take it in it's current condition. Is there anything we can do to give the house to the bank? Because if not, I hear from my mother that they might take her VA away

Answer:
 They should force her to pay it off, because she is legally obligated to, and abandoning a house doesn't erase that obligation. She is in default on her mortgage now, and that will eventually lead to a foreclosure, so the bank will get it. She may be on the hook for any deficiency amount that is the difference between what the bank could sell it for and what she owed under the mortgage. Answer #2: So your mother had a mortgage on a house in Florida which was secured by the Veterans Administration. Presumably the house was underwater especially with the poor condition. So she defaulted on the mortgage and the bank foreclosed. Since it was a VA loan, the VA pays a small amount to the bank; but that doesn't mean the amount your mom owed the bank goes down. The bank will foreclose, take possession and sell; at auction or otherwise. Then; if it sells for more than the note, they send your mom the difference. If it sells for less, then it depends if you're in a recourse or nonrecourse state if they can come after you for the difference. This entire process is independent of the VA.

Because she defaulted and the VA had to pay the guarantee. She will be ineligible from getting another VA loan until she pays them back. But it went affect any VA disability payments she may get.

Edit:Also, the inspection requirements for a VA loan are pretty intense. How did this not come up before closing?


Title: Just got sued for 70k for a traffic dispute two years ago

Question:
Yesterday I received a summons detailing a rear-end accident two years ago. The individual that I hit claims $20,000 in hospital bills and $50,000 in pain and suffering. This is the first I've heard about the incident since it happened, and I had assumed that insurance had taken care of it. The summons itself is poorly worded and has several inconsistencies, including the description of the actual accident.

I hold no ill will toward the driver and I hope that his injuries aren't as bad as this lawsuit claims (I was completely unhurt in the accident), but since I do hold liability insurance I'm not sure why they haven't gone there first (or maybe they did within the last two years. Who knows). I'm currently scheduling a meeting with my insurance agent to get her side of the story, but I'm wondering if anyone on here knows a legal precedent that I don't, or has a better idea of how to proceed. I am in OR, for reference.

Answer:
 Send the letter directly to your insurance agency. You pay these professionals to handle this exact situation. There's no way we could be anywhere nearly as helpful as them.

With that being said, it's not uncommon for people to receive these letters after the fact and they are almost always covered by your insurance. No need to worry at all.


Title: Ex-girlfriend came into my house when I was out of town and took my cat

Question:
My ex girlfriend (broken up for two years) came into my house tonight while I was out of town and took my cat. She came into my house tonight after I told her no and took the cat.
Is this a lost cause or do I have a course of action?
Arkansas

Answer: Breaking and entering, theft... call police.


Title: [Milwaukee, WI] Moving overseas with a child and Custody Law.

Question:
Hey guys,

So here's the situation. I live in Australia. For a while now I've been involved with a woman from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She's currently going through a divorce, and her husband is manipulative and toxic.

First, some background information: She's 28, she has a 2 year old daughter, and she's a stay-at-home Mom. They've only been married for two years. Her husband, who works all day, and barely takes care of the baby at all, is suing for full custody and primary placement. From what I've read, courts will almost never award those to the father if the mother is a stay-at-home child rearer.

I've done what research I can into Wisconsin family law, but I thought this would be the best place to ask.

Many a time she has wished she could move here, but she feels like that is a legal impossibility. So I guess that's what I'm here to ask. Is there precedent for her to move to a different country at the end of the divorce? If so, what needs to happen?

Some background on me: I'm 30, I work in my family business which does exceptionally well, we have a agrichemical laboratory, and it's very lucrative and stable. I want this woman in my life permanently, and I am desperately searching for ways in which I can accomplish this.

Is it possible to make a case before the court that her moving to Australia with her child is the best thing for the child? Is this a thing that can actually happen? Can I help her case in this in some way? Provide background on me, my family's business, our finances, schools in Australia, the general safety of Australia? Will any of this make a difference?

IANAL, so the literature I was reading about family law in WI is somewhat confusing to wrap my head around. I understand that if she's awarded full custody and primary placement she can decide how much or how little the father sees of the child, right? Nowhere did I see anything about whether a mother who has been awarded full custody and primary placement can relocate outside the US.

This is just the first step, I guess. To see if any of my crazy ideas are actually legally possible.

I'm not sure what else I should be including here, so if there's further information that I have neglected to mention, please ask and I will endeavour answer.

Thank you very much for reading.

Answer:
 > From what I've read, courts will almost never award those to the father if the mother is a stay-at-home child rearer.

It's not based on gender, but who is the primary caregiver to the child.

[This](http://www.lrcvaw.org/laws/wirelocation.pdf) is the WI statute on relocation.

>Is it possible to make a case before the court that her moving to Australia with her child is the best thing for the child? Is this a thing that can actually happen?

If she had a job waiting for her, maybe. If her husband objects, the court has to determine if that is in the best interest of their daughter.

>Can I help her case in this in some way?

Other than paying for her attorney (and she will need a good one), probably not. It's definitely not going to be a plus for her to detail how awesome her boyfriend is in her divorce case.

> I understand that if she's awarded full custody and primary placement she can decide how much or how little the father sees of the child, right?

Unless a parent is completely unfit (and the bar is fairly low), in the US, sole legal and physical custody with the noncustodial parent only having parenting time at the custodial parent's discretion is very rare.

You or your married girlfriend need to talk to an attorney in her jurisdiction to get more detailed information on just how complicated this will be.


Title: Missouri Divorce, She Has A Lawyer. I'm Pro Se.What Do I Say In The Courtroom?

Question:
I have my final court date with my wife soon. We have cooperated with each other the whole process and we have no children. Recently she hired a lawyer and he filed a discovery for my income. I only make $7.50/hr. I think she may be trying to get maintenance though. Now that she has a lawyer I'm getting nervous that I might not know the appropriate way to object to her request for maintenance or anything else her lawyer might try in the courtroom. She is very capable of working and may have a job. During our marriage she had either quit or had gotten fired from several jobs for attendance.
 I was in prison for drugs when she filed for divorce.I have submitted a list of assets my wife took possession of at the time of our separation to her lawyer with a proposed separation of assets. I know that she has thrown almost all of my things away but I listed them anyways. She never gave me or my family a chance to get any of my stuff,I was in prison but could have sent her money to fed-ex it to my Dads.
What things do I need to know before I meet with her lawyer? What should I be prepared for when in front of the Judge?

Answer:
 >What do I say in the courtroom?

Your Honor may I please have a brief adjournment so that I can obtain an attorney?


Title: Trees illegally felled next to train line

Question:
So this has been all the talk of my local train line today : [Railway bank trees felled without permission.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-42862025)

I know everyone here loves a good tree law case but this has the added addition of illegal traspass on a train line plus safety concerns (the trees prevent the land slipping on to the track).

Anyone care to hypothesize how this may go down? Assuming the tree surgeons are in the most trouble (the trespass, not checking they had the required permissions etc), but can the resident be charged with anything?

Answer: I imagine it'll go somewhat similarly to the case in Seattle has but being in Seattle and having no experience with UK law personally, I can't say for sure.  The hubris of this sort of homeowner, though, never ceases to amaze me.  "My desires trump all else" seems to be the overriding motivation.  Screw the stability of slopes and safety of others.  It's all about the light in their garden or the views from their stupid windows ...


Title: friend's upstairs neighbors harass and possibly stalk him regularly, can he do anything about it? (maryland)

Question:
so i have a friend who lives in a ground level condo, and according to him, his upstairs neighbors have been harassing and also stalking him.

he's always talking about how they bang on the floor to wake him up in the mornings, how they follow him around above him to try to listen in to what he's doing. he's talked about how they have people over who also seem to stalk him. he's talked about how he's seen people outside looking in his window, from a distance, and people who walk up and down the staircase outside his condo "trying to smell what's going on"

now, he does smoke weed in his apartment, so while his neighbors wouldn't necessarily be unfounded in their belief of his wrongdoings, he claims they just like fucking with him, which is why the haven't done anything like call the police or talk to the homeowners' association.

now, part of me is unsure if this is even real or not, because i've been over there plenty and never experienced it, and it seems like something someone who is extremely paranoid would say, but our mutual friends have attested to this.

point of the story is, i want to know if there's anything he can do about it to stop them, since he doesn't seem to think so, and has resigned to letting it happen. but it pisses me off that it's happening, and i want to help him.

thanks!
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: This sounds like paranoia on his end, and the people upstairs just living there. Is he of sound mind or does he get weird on drugs?


Title: [Pennsylvania] First time homebuyer trying to avoid being forced into landlord situation

Question:
First time posting here, and hoping to be a first time homebuyer. I made an offer on a condo that was accepted, had an appraisal and inspection and seller agreed to complete a few repairs. Everything was going smoothly.
I am approved for my mortgage and have a tentative closing date, but the property I am buying is tenant occupied (the current owner has a lease agreement with current tenants) and I have been under the impression that the tenants must move out before I can buy. This is not an investment property for me to rent out, I intend to live here. There was an addendum added to the sales agreement reflecting that I was aware of the tenants and their lease agreement giving them time to move out. My realtor worded it as:

> "Buyer is aware that the tenants have 90 days to vacate the property from the date of the buyers mortgage contingency, at which time the buyer will close, unless tenants are out of the unit earlier, then the buyer will close earlier. If tenants are not out of the unit within 90 days all hand money will be returned to the buyer and seller will reimburse the buyer for all expenses incurred for the transaction."

TLDR, **tenants vacate the property...at which time the buyer will close**

The listing agent is claiming that the wording was unclear and still wants me to close on my estimated closing date whether the tenants are out or not, but that was the whole point of the addendum. This would mean I would basically be their landlord until they move out (I would collect rent from them and hold their security deposit) but I have no interest in taking over as their landlord. The wording in the addendum even says if they're not out within the 90 days they'll return my deposit and reimburse me for the expenses I've incurred trying to purchase the property, but if I finalize the deal before they're out **that makes no sense. **

My realtor made it sound like my options are A) close while they're still there and wait for them to move out or B) tell them I'm not closing until they're out, which basically is me "backing out" of the deal and I forfeit my deposit and the right to be reimbursed for any expenses. I can fight to get my deposit back but it is not guaranteed.

I am at a loss, what are my rights here? I still want to go through with the purchase but not until the property is vacated. The closing was originally projected to be 7/1 but due to the timing of the mortgage contingency letter they have until 8/20 to move out.

Answer:
 Of course the listing agent will say that. The listing agent is full of it. It’s pretty clear to me what’s going on here.

You do not want to go through the process of evicting someone who doesn’t want to move out or is untimely in doing so. It takes about 45 days to evict the unwilling in my state (yours may vary), so no. Absolutely stick to your guns if you don’t want a mess on your hands.


Title: [UK/CAN] Girl I met online told me she's 18 and that she's being sexually abused by her dad. I find out she's 17 and that she's in high school, so report it. Turns out the entire thing was some fucked up lie but the police got involved. Am I in trouble?

Question:
I met a girl online a few weeks ago and thought she was reaching out to me about whatever was going on in her life.  She told me she was 18 and I told her I was 26 (which I am), I wasn't even interested in her like that anyway but she seemed like she needed help.

She ended up spinning this elaborate lie about how her dad had been sexually abusing her for years, to the point where I totally believed her.  Tears, flashbacks, breaking down and even bruising herself and telling me he did it to her.  She wrote hypothetical letters to a stranger about how she was feeling, the first time it happened.  I totally bought it.

When I looked her up so I could report it, I found out she's in high school.  I confronted her about it and she admitted she was 17.  I tried to leave but she threatened to kill herself and said I'm the only person she has to talk about it with.  I was trapped - I couldn't have someone's life on my hands like that.  Especially because I thought she was being raped by her dad.

A couple days ago I called her school and sent an email with the details of what she'd told me, and said to them how I couldn't deal with it anymore.  The entire situation was so real to me, I was losing sleep and couldn't eat because the shit she told me was nightmarish.   She had my Skype from when I thought she was 18 and would call me up in the middle of the night and beg for permission to kill herself.

Next thing I know my phone is blowing up and she's admitting it's not true, that she doesn't even see her dad anymore.  The police got involved and were asking her why she's talking to someone as old as me.  I've blocked her on everything and told her I was only talking to her because I thought she was in danger.  She's thanked me for helping her, it makes no sense at all.

I haven't done anything wrong and was trying to do the right thing.  I just feel like I've implicated myself in something even thought I was trying to be a good person.

When they asked her how old I was, she told them I was 19 and that we met a long time ago.  I haven't given them a name or anything but I had no problem telling them I was 26.  I feel like such a fucking creep for talking to her now but she took advantage of the fact that I cared.

Can I expect to be questioned by the police in the UK for reporting something in Canada?  They have none of my details but could figure out who I am, if they wanted to make enough effort.  Trying to do the right thing could result in ruining my life and I feel like none of it is my fault.

Answer:
 It's not illegal to talk to people under 18 on the internet. It's also not illegal to email a school w/ your concerns, even if they're wrong. The police may suspect that you did get up to some illegal stuff. If the police come a'knockin', get a lawyer and don't give them information.

You can be questioned by UK police if you committed an act or are believed to have committed a crime in the UK, whose jurisdiction you are under.Answer #2: You reported a possible crime with the information that was given. Save your text with her and keep the girl blocked so you have yourself covered Answer #3: Not that it matters for your sake, but consider the possibility that her father really was abusing her but she just doesn't want the police involved, which is why she never reported it to the police on her own.  She could be lying now when she says it didn't happen.


Title: Heroin found in my girlfriend's car - KS

Question:
In short, my girlfriend took her car in for service. The dealership apparently found something that looked like heroin, so they called the police. The police then called my girlfriend who rambled on about how it was not hers and that her car was in a public parking garage near my house while she was over at my place. What they found belongs to neither of us and we have no idea how it got inside of the car.

&#x200B;

She promptly hired a criminal defense attorney. After several weeks, her attorney contacted her and said the cop would like to meet with her, her attorney, and ME at the station. I haven't been involved in any of this case up until now.

&#x200B;

My question is do I need to hire an attorney to be with me during this meeting or can I just show up and respectfully plead the fifth to every question? I also don't understand what exactly my role is in the meeting. I'm assuming they're looking at me as a suspect in the case and are hoping I show up and provide answers that could incriminate me. I also don't think I legally have to go. Sounded like a voluntary thing.

&#x200B;

Any advice would be helpful. Thank you.

Answer:
 I'm just going to throw out a couple general facts here. First addicts are really extremely good liars and extremely good at hiding their addiction. People who rummage through cars in public garages don't normally leave drugs behind.

Neither of you should be talking to the police without a lawyer.Answer #2: So heroin addicts don't break into cars, steal nothing, leave their drugs behind, and make sure to leave the car the way they found it.

They *do* lie, blame others, and throw other people under buses to protect themselves and their addiction.

Do not go to the meeting. Do not trust your gf's attorney to do anything in your best interest, and do retain legal counsel when the cops stop making polite requests for meetings.Answer #3: Don’t go to the meeting.Answer #4: Also her attorney represents her interests, not yours. And depending on the situation your interests may diverge. If the police need you there they’ll make it mandatory. At that point show up with your attorneyAnswer #5: yes you should hire an attorney, the police arent on your side


Title: Sc tenant law? Overstayed welcome.

Question:
Long story short my father recently got married (within the past year), and without his notice his wife's family (4 people) arrived at his front door "on vacation". 4 months later they refuse to leave, aren't paying rent, and are will only leave if they are evicted. They have money to have a place of their own but refuse to sign a lease anywhere or even look for other places to live.
They have a past of doing the same thing, overstaying their welcome, going through the eviction process, and then vandalizing and stealing stuff from the houses.
They also have stole and sold stuff from our house, and are terrible, disrespectful people. Rumor has it that the reason they moved from Massachusetts to South Carolina was because my stepsister's boyfriend owes a lot of money, upwards of $2,000, to someone in the state of Massachusetts.
Also, they changed their mailing address to our house, without my fathers consent.

Is there anything that we can legally do to get them out of the house instead of evicting them? Talking has not worked this far.

Answer: Eviction is the process by which you remove people from your residence.  Answer #2: They've stayed there long enough that they've almost certainly established tenancy. You will have to follow the eviction process.


Title: (IN) Divorce: Will I owe house equity to ex if I can prove I am the only one who has paid the bills for the past 5 years despite us both having incomes?

Question:
Indiana

**Background:** Married since 1998, 1 child born in 1994. I worked partime starting ~2002, fulltime starting ~2005, usually making less than my partner while said partner has had jobs.

Partner, L, contributed toward bills until 2009. We purchased a house together in 2004 (currently owe $125,000, worth about $160,00). L became unemployed in June, 2006 and cashed 41k, which was $12,000 after taxes and fees. That money went toward the household costs. L worked for a year and 9 months starting in '07, after which were a string of 6 month-lasting job, between which L has earned unemployment off and on. The money from those jobs sometimes went to the household. At the end of 2009, L 100% stopped contributing to the household's bills (including copious amounts of debt L incurred privately for things like motorcycles, cars, equipment loans for a hobby). In fall of 2009, L left the household and lived elsewhere until Feb of 2010. L became completely unemployed for the whole of 2010, still not paying bills, but living in the home.

After filing a joint Chapter XIII bankruptcy in 2010, that was supposed to be paid 50-50 by both of us for 3 years, L only paid for 2 months (which I did not know for about a year because I was lied to, so I did not have the opportunity to fix it to avoid penalty). I paid 100% of it, including the extra year's worth of penalty, which totaled to about $90,000 dollars and the debt was absolved for both of us, despite L not paying other than those 2 months. This included the mortgage payment that I paid by myself 100% starting in 2010 and can prove. In March 2013, L left again, permanently. Whenever L had jobs between 2011 and 2013 none of L's income, which, while L was employed,  was more than mine, went toward the household or childsupport. L still has not contributed to the household since he last paid in about 09.

We have one child, whose college tuition (Beginning in 2013) and general costs I have paid alone. I have also been paying L's health and car insurance for the entire time, including now. I have been the sole provider of my child's healthcare costs/insurance as well.

**Current:**
Divorce papers were filed by me around fall of 09, went unsigned by L. Filed again in Sep 2013 and I am currently trying to get the same papers signed to finalize the divorce before they expire. The papers state that I will get the house, L will walk away debt-free, and will pay $66 in child support per week (which will apply as our child is a full time student). This payment is based on L making $700/wk, which is grossly less than L currently makes, but I have made the decision not to refile to make this as quick and painless as possible.

My question **(TL/DR)**:

**1.)** Because L has not lived here since 2013 and I have paid for the bankruptcy and L's insurances, (this ignores that L has not paid toward the household since 09), *can L demand and receive the ruling from a judge, half of the equity on the house?*

We are, unfortunately, going to court over this and I want to know what to expect. I am planning to refinance and put the mortgage in my own name. **I am biased in this issue and I would like some insight as to who the judge will side with, as this seems fair to me, but I do not know anything about the legal system.** The *documentation I have* to prove my case is that I paid the bankruptcy and mortgage by myself for the past 5 years, proof I paid our combined marital debt, documentation that I paid L's insurance despite L living elsewhere, and that there has been no child support provided. L's argument for deserving the equity is contribution of 41k and L feels that the contributions provided throughout the entire marriage (on different houses) are enough to entitle L to this equity. It may be worth noting that L currently makes more than I do.

**2.)** *Based on the documentation I have (see above paragraph), is it necessary to bring a lawyer to court and am I safe to set a court date ASAP?*

Any other general advice on my specific situation would be greatly appreciated. I know there are lots of divorce questions out there, but I am asking for info that I may not know and things that will help my particular situation. I have made an appointment with my lawyer, but the date is 2 weeks away and can be moved no sooner, so I am looking for help to make sure I can prepare properly and not make a mistake.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Sorry buddy, but that's likely way to specific for anyone to jump in.
The only advice you are likely to get is to get a lawyer and then listen to them. And honestly since this a divorce that has been in the works since 2009 I don't think there is anything extremely pressing that needs to be done between now and when you see a lawyer in 2 weeks.Answer #2: 1)  Indiana is an equitable distribution state.  Which means the court determines a fair distribution of assets and proceeds accordingly.  The presumption is that 50/50 is fair, but that can be rebutted with evidence that certain property is solely owned by one party, or that one party would be unfairly disadvantaged by the split due to making larger financial contributions to the marriage.

2)  If your divorce is contentious (as it appears to be) it would be a bad idea to proceed without a lawyer.  They'll help you properly frame any arguments you have to being entitled to a larger share.  And her arguments are valid in that she has also contributed more than you did at times (though the total balance may favor you) and the courts do consider other contributions to the family (staying home to raise the kids, etc) beyond pure finances.


Title: Kind of a weird story, but I wrote some songs. What do I need to do to copyright them to prove ownership?

Question:
I started having dreams where I would write song lyrics. I got up each night and wrote them down. They are country music type things, and I don't even listen to country music. I googled the
 lyrics  - no match. So how do I go about "owning" them? Thanks

Answer: Done. You wrote them down. They are yours. Copyright done. Congrats


Title: Florida, Obligation of Duty To Warn on Reddit

Question:
I'm trying to be intentionally vague but I want to give enough information.  So if something isn't clear, please ask.

I have a "relationship" on Reddit with someone who is seriously unbalanced.  Serious mental health issues.  I recently got a PM stating that they are no longer involved in their relationship and that now they had no one.  They were going to kill themselves but they intend to kill a lot of other people first.  Now, this is not the first time this person has said something along these lines, but now this person really does have nothing to lose.  In my real life I am a person who works in mental health with a lot of responsibility and I understand Duty to Warn obligations.  But in this case, I do not know what to do.

This person is not located in my state.  Of course I have no way to verify that this is not some elaborate troll but the story has remained steady over the course of a year or so.

I only know what city the person is located in, and the first name of the person and the first name of the person's now ex SO.  I know a lot about this person's life history but I wouldn't know them if I tripped over them.  I do not know exact addresses or anything.

So my concern is that if I call someone in authority I could be ruining this person's life, and if I don't then others could get hurt.  I'm worried about suicide in as much as I think the method is going to be "death by Cop".  But I would be very sad if a lot of people died, or even one innocent person died.

This person has told me before that they are a stalker by history and that they think about doing violent things to their victim as well. So I am concerned about my own safety and that of my family.  There is no way this person won't know it is me.  And this person has a high level of paranoia anyway and would accuse me no matter what.

Do I have a duty to warn someone?  If I was going to who would I contact?  And if I disclose this will I have to turn over my phone and tablet etc for them to access my PMs?  I don't really want anyone violating my privacy that way.

I do not know what to do but I feel strongly this is a very strong possibility.

Answer: I would PM an admin, who can provide the users ISP and other info to Law Enforcement if needed.


Title: Me and my girlfriend have known each other for 4 years. She is 18 and I am 20 but her mom has always disapproved to the point where she cut off all communication between us. And she still lives with her mom. Is there any law saying that her mom can prevent us from being together?

Answer:
 No, unless she is mentally unfit to care for herself,  she is an adult and can decide who to date.

That said, she is an adult and her mother does not have to support her any longer.  Answer #2: Your GF is an adult, no one can tell her who to socialize with

Since your GF's is an adult, her parent can tell her to leave their home if she doesn't abide by their rules (so long as they follow rules for removing a tenant).

So your GF has to weight those facts against one another.


Title: (MI) Do I still need to pay child support if my son doesn't live with his mom for the summer?

Question: My 16yo son's mom sent me an email yesterday asking if I'd be ok if he went to work with his cousin in North Carolina for the summer. Honestly, I think it'd be a good experience for him to get out in the real world and experience life. Assuming it's a legit job/company, his cousin hasn't turned into a dirt bag, his living conditions are good, and other questions/concerns I have. My questions however is about child support. I have zero issue paying for it when it is going towards his well being everyday. I do however have a problem with it going to her when he's not even there for 3 months. Do I have any options here? Thoughts? Thanks in advance!!

Answer:
 Just because he isn't in physical residence doesn't mean she doesn't still have expenses relative to him.
Housing doesn't stop.


Title: Implications if I cannot produce a consistent signature due to disability?

Question:
Hi, I have a small issue. I have a disability (congenital) that affects my fine motor skills. I can write by hand (though my handwriting looks like an eight-year-old's), but I'm worried because I can't consistently produce a signature that looks even remotely similar from one time to another. Is this a security issue? What if someone forges my signature, then claims it was me because I don't produce consistent signatures?

I'm in Australia, BTW.

Answer:
 I wouldn't stress it too much.

There isnt anything that you can do about it and all signatures that really really matter are usually notorized.

All the other stuff usually needs some kind of ID.

Heck my signature looks pretty different day to day...


Title: Ex-landlord kicked me out of house for having friend stay over and pay me rent instead of giving it to him

Question:
This is a strange story. I know I should have done things differently. I lived in a shared house with 5 other people. One of the people was the lease holder who I paid rent to. Call him Bob. Since I shared the kitchen with Bob I’m not covered by the [standard tenancy laws](http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/02078_01#section4).

There was a shared area we used for storage. One day Bob decided to rent it out to an additional person. He had said he would in share the rent he was getting from renting the place, with the rest of us. This never happened and he just pocketed the money for himself. A few months latter my friend needed a place to stay temporarily. I asked Bob if it was ok to if my friend stayed in the storage space and Bob said ok. I suggested a weekly amount for rent and that the money goes towards a new fridge and Bob said ok. My friend moved in and I told my friend to pay me the rent money. Bob found out and got really mad that I got the money and not him. To be 100% honest I intentionally did this so Bob didn’t have the chance to pocket it again. But it was always my intention to buy the mini fridge with it. Also I never hid or lied about this. Bob felt I stole this from the house and kicked me out. Bob said he won’t return my damage deposit and also lied about prorating my rent. I’m already taking him to court for these. The first person to live in the shared space stayed for several months so I believe I’m entitled to a portion of this money. Also I believe I’m entitled to the portion of the money my friend paid directly to the landlord, but of course I already got 100% of the payment he made directly to me. Could it be seen as I broke the law? How’s the best way to describe this in court?

Example: "First person paid $1500 to landlord, second person paid $400, I would like my portion which is $1900/6 because 6 people lived in house'.

Additional info:

\-it was in violation of bylaws how the storage space was being rented out as bedroom because it had no door or windows.
 \-the first person who stayed was very noisy. This was never properly addressed because 1) I thought I was getting money from putting up with it 2) I kept being told he would only be there for another week but he kept getting extensions
 \-I told Bob I could give him the money but wanted to make sure we agreed how it would be used first. At this point he kicked me out and demanded I return the "stolen" money. Since my bedroom was right beside the shared space I was affected the most and shared my bathroom, and really don’t think it’s fair he keeps all the money

&#x200B;

Location BC, Canada

Answer: So you started a started a potentially illegal sublet in a potentially non-habitable storage area, kept money from the main lease holder, and are now upset that you're getting kicked out?


Title: Extra paycheck in the month equals extra alimony?

Question: My friend has to pay $1200.00 per month in alimony and child support. He pays $600.00 every two weeks. His ex wife said because there are 3 paychecks in January he needs to pay her again. His divorce papers state $1200.00 a month. He objected to her way of thinking but she countered with “The lawyers took into account how much you make and they include for extra paychecks.” He is not a dead beat dad nor is he behind on payments. He doesn’t think he needs to pay her. If the lawyers took into account for extra paychecks in a month, shouldn’t the figure they arrived at already include those? He wants to tell her to take a hike but he is worried he will get in trouble. Needless to say he can not afford a lawyer. I think she is trying to take advantage of the situation. This is in the state of New York.  Any advice?

Answer: The decree controls. Whatever the amount on the divorce document states is the amount unless it specifically provides for such fluctuations (which I doubt).Answer #2: Follow what the agreement states. The agreement states 1200 a month that's what he pays.