Title: Girl is upset over losing a Facebook argument, so she wants to sue me.

Question:
I'm in New York. I know this is a really stupid post, but I need to see if this girl really has a leg to stand on. This girl I know on Facebook started an argument with me over a question I asked her  (she was clearly upset over something, and trying to be a friend I asked why). She started to become hostile, and I tried to back out of the conversation. Then she initiated the argument by calling me out of my name/ saying things about my character, as well as digging through old photos of me, posted them, and attacked myself and the person in the photo (who had nothing to do with any of this).

So cue me basically trolling her back and seeing her get more aggressive, pointing out that she was the one who started the altercation.

While all of this is going on, I'm taking screenshots of everything that happened because she is trying to delete them and I want proof that this started with her. For good measure, I posted one of the screenshots and told her to stop bothering me. It ends and I go to sleep.

She messages me early this morning (no cease and desist, nothing) and tells me that she is pressing charges against me because of the photo I posted and because I did not remove it. I told her that she never told me to remove it prior to this message, I received no notification from her for it to be removed, and I pointed out that I removed it as soon as she messaged me and told me to.

I'm not sure if she has a case or not, because she initiated everything that happened. I have screenshots, time stamps on conversations, and other people saw her attacking me too. Mind you, I still have no legal letter and she doesn't even have contact information. So, I'm not even sure if a case would be picked up, or taken seriously.

This is a really stupid post, I'm sorry.

Answer:
 Be an adult, block her, don't instigate or do stuff like this again and understand she can call the cops on you or sue you for whatever she wants.  Answer #2: Is she threatening a lawsuit or criminal charges?  Your title suggests one, and your story describes another.  In either case, these threats are not worth wasting any thought on.  Do what u/dispatcher_83 suggests and ignore her.  However, in the unlikely event that you actually get served, answer the summons and take it seriously.

> tells me that she is pressing charges against me because of the photo I posted

Unless she is a District Attorney, then she does not press charges.  Theoretically, she could file a police report.  Anything beyond that is an actual mature adult making the decisions.

Answer #3: How this all ends: http://forlackofabettercomic.com/?id=178


Title: (FL) Will DCFS(CPS) have an issue with us not doing attachment parenting?

Question:
Someone at my daughters school called DCFS, it was a misunderstanding. Since the girls are preteens and still sharing a room we put up a privacy curtain in their room(it's a very eclectic room with different fabrics, etc. so it looks nice) we refer to it as "the tent". It got misinterpreted at school as them living in a tent.

A social worker is going to do a home visit tomorrow. Unlike most parents in the area we don't do attachment parenting(they aren't allowed to sleep in our bed, we're also very strict on things like manners and hygiene). We've gotten a lot of criticism because of it.

Would CPS have an issue with it?

Answer: No that is not an issue.  And you live in a very strange area.Answer #2: Probably not. CPS doesn't really operate based on "what most parents in the area do." If the place is clean and there's no evidence of abuse you'll be fine.


Title: [Boston] Bought a society townhouse. Neighbor won't allow me to park my scooter in front of my house. No rule regarding this in HOA. Advice. (Pic Inside)

Question:
(http://imgur.com/Usi8Rf1)

- I bought a cheap terraced townhouse in a 20 house society. As you can see in pic, there is a society road stretching from city road and connecting every house.  There is also a small pink pavement as you can see.

- Now, it is vogue regarding right of this pink pavement's usage. There is no mention of it or any type of easement in sale deed or HOA rules.

-My parking which you can see behind black gate, in only sufficient for 1 car. I also own scooter. I park my scooter on pink pavement and neighbor threatens me that it is wrongful to park it and threaten to tow it.

-These pink pavement were damaged recently. I had to change tiles. When I demanded money for it to HOA head, he refused and said pink pavement are private property of concerned house owner, only grey road is property of HOA.

Can you spare two cents and guide me?

Answer:
 Just because the HOA didn't want to repair something, and they suggested that you could repair it on your own dime if you wanted to, doesn't mean that you own or control it.

Why don't you park your scooter in a way that it doesn't encroach on the gray roadway (for instance, move it closer to the wall, like the potted plant, or move the potted plant to the left a few feet so the scooter is closer to the large gate on the right).  But I suspect your belief that your neighbor wants a broader roadway to drive down isn't their motivation.  I suspect that they simply feel like that space should be for potted plants and not for motor vehicles of any kind. Answer #2: First, the pink pavement tiles.  Check the legal description in your deed to determine the boundaries of the property you own outright (as opposed to those other areas you own in common with the other unit owners.)  Also check your association's governing documents to see how those documents address the issue of ownership of those tiles.

Regarding the parking: how is it your neighbor isn't allowing you to park on the tiles?  What exactly is your neighbor doing?


Title: Caught shoplifting when I was under the influence

Question:
Hey Reddit,

Long time lurker, first post. Anyhow, roughly 1.5 months ago I found out my S.O was cheating on me with her “gay friend.” Needless to say, I did not take it well. With all the mental games I’ve been playing with myself, I found it easiest to unwind by hiking and smoking up on the mountain.

Anyhow, 15lbs later, I found that none of my pants fit well, even with a belt. So after a long day of work I decided to smoke my cannabis oil and drive to Kohl’s and purchase some new clothes. In the process of waking through the store, I decided to also try on some Hanes V-Neck T-shirts. Since I’m a few pounds smaller than I was a few weeks ago, I tried the small T-shirts and placed my shirt over it to see how it looked. I later took both shirts off together and tried on the next few. - I eventually came to the conclusion that I did not want to purchase any shirts and proceeded to place the Hanes undershirts back on the shelf. I went on to try on several pair of pants right after with no issues.

As I paid for my items and walked out the store, an individual who looked about 25 stopped me and explained to me that he was with Kohl’s security and wanted to talk to me about the white t-shirts I tried on. This was the point that I put 2-and-2 together and realized that I STILL had the Hanes T-Shirt under my shirt. Stupid pothead me forgot to slip it out from under and place it back in it’s packaging. Being caught in the “act,” I decided to try and lie my way out of it. After all, those shirts are quite common, and I have several dozen at home anyhow.

As we sat in the backroom he explained to me that he had me on camera walking into the dressing room without a visible undershirt, only to walk out with one. Me being stupid, I dug the hole deeper and explained that I came with a white t-shirt into the store and he simply missed in with the camera angles. After discussing the issue back and forth, I finally caved and gave the security the undershirt. He asked me for I.D to which I provided my school I.D and not my drivers license. He even wrote down my name and address. He explained that I was free to go, that cops weren’t going to be involved. After received my I.D., I went back about my day.

Anyhow, I received a letter requesting that I pay $150 for a $25 product. What should I do? A lot of similar cases that I found online with real theft simply ignored the letter (Link below).

https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/hey-there-i-was-caught-shoplifting-at-kohls-store--2092853.html

This happened in New York State.

Answer: You just admitted to driving under the influence too.


Title: Is it legal for my employer to do this?

Question: I live in Greensboro, NC and I work as a bartender/server at a restaurant that my mom lives next door to, with an employee parking lot between the restaurant and her. My car died on the way to her house and I had to coast the car into the employee parking lot in front of our dumpsters because there was no room on the street. I wake up at 8:00 am this morning to my GM informing me that the trash people came and they couldn't get to the trash because of my car. Apparently it's $175 to come back around and now my employer is trying to make me pay that fee without a posted warning or anything of that nature, and I want to know the legality of this action. TL;DR: Car died and blocked trash pickup for my restaurant, employer is trying to make me pay fine. Legal Issues?

Answer:
 Well, you should know better than to park a car in front of a dumpster.

Your employer cannot deduct this from your paycheck without your permission, but they can fire you for not paying it and sue you for it. They could also have the car towed, which would end up costing you a lot more too.


Title: Really scared. SSN HELP.

Question:
Edit:WASHINGTON.

I really need someone to talk to. I can't tell my parents or anyone, this is so bad.

I have received three suspicious emails, obvious scams saying things along the line of: I'm in this foreign country (France, Greece, Africa). I got jacked/ I want to award you, please give me your private info stuff. I shook it off as trivial matters but I remembered that recently I gave my SSN away to a college related site... I honestly don't remember if I just wrote in my SSN for a scholarship site or if I just filled out something for FAFSA. I just received an email from PayPal saying : "Your PayPal account has been limited because recently there's been activity in your PayPal account that seems unusual compared to your normal account activities. Please log in to PayPal to confirm your identity." I don't even think I have a paypal..? Maybe my parents do?? I don't even know what PayPal is ( I am a very sheltered 18 year old). Am I just being paranoid??
I am having several anxiety problems because I know something is not right. I am so scared. Can some please help me? Or direct me into the appropriate subreddit? Please, I need advice or talk to someone or maybe hear something encouraging. I don't know...

I started getting those spam all of a sudden around February and I think around the same time I submitted my SSN. How did they even get my email? The PayPal one is really scaring me.

Answer:
 Breathe slowly. You're OK.

You just received some spam. Read it carefully. Is there anything in it that couldn't have been written by any random person who knows nothing about you?

No, there isn't. Delete it. Forget it ever existed.

Your details are safe.

Now go and get some help with your anxiety.Answer #2: That's just spam. It's all fake, you don't have a Paypal account but a lot of people do, and it's trying to trick people into entering their real PayPal login info into a fake site so their money can get stolen. Delete those e-mails, see a counselor about your anxiety, and good luck.


Title: [IL] Roommate won't give me back security deposit

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Is there any action I can take to get my money back?

You can sue him.  Legally he can't withhold any of your portion of the security deposit that was returned to him from you for any reason (including because you were a messy housemate).


Title: [USA - PA] Homeless and will soon be in contempt of court for alimony owed to ex-wife, options?

Question:
Had a very high-earning job (once in a lifetime thing, lucky break + connections), lost it in 2008, wife cheated and we divorced in 2009. Wife was making \~30k/year at the time.

&#x200B;

Court ordered alimony calculated off of my former salary. It ends when either one of us dies or my wife remarries. Needless to say, the alimony is massive. Way over any job I've been able to find. I'm currently losing about $35k/year and my ex-wife getting a little over half of our assets didn't help. I've tried getting this adjusted three times, but each attempt costs me a few-thousand and has failed to get it adjusted. Haven't tried for two years.

&#x200B;

To buy some more time I've started living in my car and showering at the gym, but now my savings are quickly approaching $0.

&#x200B;

My credit is nearly maxed, I'm just a short time away from missing a payment and going to jail which I fear will lose me my job.

&#x200B;

Short of getting an absurdly amazing job offer I feel like I'm headed to jail and there's nothing I can do.

&#x200B;

\*\***Do I have options?**\*\* - what can be done? I've obeyed all laws and squared away all my debts (short of what little credit i have) all my life, it feels ridiculous that I'm close to prison on contempt of court.

Answer: You always have the right to have alimony adjusted. What I want to know is how are you in contempt of a court order? This typically requires that a case involving you is ongoing, and you should be able to easily prove the change in your salary and inability to pay.


Title: Is it legal for a police officer to investigate my friend when there is no warrant just concern?

Question:
Hello,

My friend who has a disability was wrongly accused of harassment because he went up to a random girl and started talking to her and she didn’t want him to talk to her so she threatened to file a harassment charge. My friend is very anti social and has been practicing basic skills like saying hello etc so he wasn’t trying to harass anyone. No harassment charge has been made against him yet a cop showed up at his house and threatened to take away his cell phone and all electronic devices for harassing people when it only one person he talked to that got him wrongly accused of harassment. There is no warrant and the policeman told my friend and his mom who’s his guardian that if it happens again he will arrest him and he’s only 16. Is this legal? The officer also went online under a fake name and claimed he was someone he wasn’t Just to get more information out of him and later found he was the cop. The police station is telling my friend and his mom they won’t do anything about it as an officer has every right to investigate anyone for any reason. This matter took place in NY City
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 >Is it legal for a police officer to investigate my friend when there is no warrant just concern?

If it wasn't, no warrant could be issued, since a warrant requires an investigation before one is approved by a judge.

Of course a police officer can investigate without a warrant - you are asking the wrong question here, OP.

The answer your friend needs is that they should stop talking about this matter to anyone, and retain legal counsel if they are arrested or sued. Once they have legal counsel, they need to listen to their advice.

>My friend who has a disability was wrongly accused of harassment because he went up to a random girl and started talking to her and she didn’t want him to talk to her

Also, depending on what actually happened, your friend MAY be guilty of harassment. Being disabled does not mean one suddenly has the right to harass people. You need to help your friend practice their social skills on people who know him, not on strangers.Answer #2: You investigate before you get a warrant, and this isn't a situation in which a warrant would be necessary.

It doesn't sound like this was false at all, it sounds like she asked him to leave her alone until she had to call the police. Him having a disability doesn't make her deceitful for correctly reporting that someone wouldnt leave her alone. He needs to never contact this person again and stop talking to the police.


Title: [KS] A cop pulled my mom over for speeding, issued her a ticket, then said “look at me” and took her picture

Question: First time poster, long time lurker. My mom told me that she got pulled over for speeding yesterday and the cop took a picture of her with what looked like a cell phone in an Otter Box. She already planned on fighting the ticket for other reasons, but has anyone heard of this happening before/is it legal? He didn’t really give her a choice, just made her look at the camera and took the picture. She feels really violated, as would I.

Answer: It’s legal. And helps with identification purposes for court. So he can show a picture with a time stamp that shows who he gave the ticket to.Answer #2: You realize that many cops you encounter can not only take your picture, they have cameras filming their every interaction strapped to their bodies? I just don't see how this is in any way a violation.Answer #3: Why would it not be legal to take a photo of the person being ticketed?


Title: Minnesota: I run by a house where a police officer and a police dog live and the dog has chased me on multiple occasions what are my options?

Question:
As it states I run by this house in a rather rural area where a police officer and a police dog live. It hasn't happened for a while now but if I run by while the dog is out he frequently comes out of his yard, crosses the street and barks at me a few times he bared his teeth at me quite often.

I found out that he was a police dog when I called the police to report the dog and its owner, the police said it won't happen again but I've mostly tried to avoid that particular spot and carry mace to deal with dogs that run after me now. My question is if this dog comes at me again can I spray it with mace and not get in trouble with the police for spraying the dog?

Answer:
 Are you asking a legal or a practical question? Legally, of course you can defend yourself if you reasonably think that the dog is about to harm you. Practically, do you really want the police to know you as the guy who pepper sprayed the police dog? If there's another route, seriously consider taking it. Answer #2: A police dog is assuredly trained to fight through pain and attack you.  Are you right? Yes. Do you really want to prove that in court after you have been mauled by a trained attack dog?

File a complaint with the officer's agency and find a new route.


Title: [TX] Wedding venue is tripling hourly cost on us almost 1 month before the wedding.

Question:
Edit:
First page of contract showing we agreed to all 3 ballrooms
http://m.imgur.com/CmJjTDm

Edit 2: We are going to meet with the woman tomorrow after I get off and I have spoken to her 2x on the phone and recorded (Texas = 1 party state) her stating that "fees change" and we either take it or leave it. Along with her saying not be to be "dumb because we are a business and this is a business deal" it really makes my blood boil how rude this lady is being about everything. That is why I am hesitant to threaten legal action right off the bat. She knows she has us over a barrel.

Edit 3: 9/13  6 a.m.
Late last night we had a lawyer friend of ours review the contract. She stated the contract does not specifically state per room as an individual charge which should work in our favor.  The only possible thing she found that they might try to use against us is a clause which is pictured. She determined it as stating promotional pricing would not be available but it is never stated this is a promotional price nor was it ever noted anywhere else on the contract. She also agreed to draft us a letter citing legal action but personally I need the halls cooperation in the coming weeks and do not want to cause any additional hostility since our ONLY contact is the woman who is giving us the trouble.  She refuses to give us her boss' info. Either way I posted the clause she referred to.
 http://m.imgur.com/vnI7wil

I appreciate all of the advice given so far and am still hopeful to have some recourse afterwards if we can't reach an agreement today.

----------
My fiance and I contracted a venue in February of this year for our wedding taking place October 22nd of this year.

We rented out their 3 largest halls (which are separated by collapsible walls to make 1 grand hall) for $3k for 5 hours.  Initially we were told that it would be $150 per hour and we were told we could notify them before the event to add the hours at cost. It is also stated on the contract (pictured)

Fast forward to today and my fiancee calls to make our final payment and add 3 additional hours to our original time ($150×3 = $450) along with increase the size of the dance floor. It is then she is informed that last Friday 10/09 they had a meeting with their manager and this entire time they were supposed to be charging $150 per room, per hour ($150 × 3 rooms = $450 × 3 hours = $1350) which is a $900 increase in price!

This per room verbiage is not expressed anywhere in our agreement and they are refusing to back down. It is worthy to note the worker admit she was mistaken and it just seems super shady they are upping the cost right before our payment deadline.

Just to say there is no possible way we can find another venue in time and either way invitations, decorators, and all vendors have been contracted for that hall at the dates and times we planned on paying for.

My plan so far is to just pay whatever they want as to not rock the boat with the venue and then go after them in small claims court after the wedding, but I'm afraid paying will be an acceptance of terms and I lose all leverage. Any help is appreciated!

Image to additional hours clause in the contract:
http://imgur.com/ap40UxJ

Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 That portion you posted only shows additional hours. Is there a definition somewhere of what (in terms of space) you are agreeing to rent?Answer #2: I'm not a lawyer, at all.

But I think your instinct - to pay now and dispute it later - is a smart one.  As you say; you really need the venue to be supportive of your big night.  You don't want to go into it with any ill will.

If they think they've won, they might even be more helpful on the evening, and you can seek reimbursement after they no longer have the power to make your reception difficult.

Whatever the legal "rightness" of your position, legal remedies can be very slow and unsatisfactory when they arrive.

Enjoy your party!

Answer #3: ~~They don't have to give you any extra time at the lower rate if that's not already in the contract, but they do need to abide by the original contract.~~ nvm I didn't see the link.

Yeah, so according to the contract they can only charge you $150/hr Answer #4: You can pay now and sue later, Another comment here says to do it with two separate checks is also a good idea. Either that or open up the claim right after the wedding.

The issue I see from the judges stand point in small claims is if this drags out it'll be hard to see from the judges point of view. He'll ask why you paid it and 3 months down the line decided to file suit with no paper trail of why the cost difference. (The phone calls will probably be enough).


Title: Can my foundation build a homeless house community?

Question: Got the idea back in my mind but this time it came in my mind I realized that one of these got denied.. But it was a person who got denied and not a private foundation. Also it's houses were on wheels, mine wouldn't be cause that's just not smart for where I live especially. Thanks ❤

Answer: This is going to be hyper location dependent. It will vary greatly on local ordinances and zoning.


Title: I was recorded without my permission and the videos are online. DMCA takedown links aren't working.

Question:
** I OWN THE CONTENT. THE WEBSITE THAT I BROADCASTED ON SAYS THAT I OWN THE CONTENT. THEY DO NOT SUPPORT THE RECORDING AND DISTRIBUTING OF THE MODELS' CONTENT BECAUSE IT LOSES THEM MONEY. A lot of people aren't understanding that. ***

I'm from CA.

It's a complex story and I was stupid and didn't do research. When I was 17 going on 18, my dad got very sick and my mom didn't have work. I have two younger siblings and my family was really struggling. I was thinking of ways to make a lot of money and fast.

So I decided to start online camming. I thought I did my research, but clearly not enough. I started the day I turned 18, but quit two and a half weeks later.

The thing with online camming is that there are bots (I guess) who are set to record every single session most cam girls have. They then post it to websites like camgirlvideos.org, myfreecamsvideos.net, camgirlcaps.com, etc. All those websites are pretty similar, the first two being nearly identical in formatting.

On some of those sites, the DMCA takedown form is broken. When I enter the captcha, it always says it's incorrect. I've contacted the website I cammed on and they have a third party to do DMCA takedowns, but I don't think they can do it either.

I've tried looking for the domain owner, but I can't come up with anything. I feel so lost. I know it's illegal for them to have it up without my permission, but I can't contact them to take it down.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I was young and stupid and I shouldn't have started in the first place. I just want all of it gone.

EDIT: I DO own the rights to the videos. The company I work for tells all the workers that they own the rights to the videos.

EDIT 12:58pm PST: I'll give the exact print of the contract/something similar when I get home. I'm 100% sure I own the rights and that it is against the rules for members to be recording videos. I know when I try to file a DMCA take down through the copy, I sign a contract that gives them 30 days of owning the video so they can take it down (because I am the owner). I also know that members who are caught recording videos of models are banned.

EDIT 7:20pm PST: I can't find any particular form. However, on the DMCA request page through myfreecams (the website I used), it clearly states: "Remember the following: You are the owner of your content, not MFC." If you need a screenshot, I'll be happy to oblige.

EDIT 7:30pm PST: I can't find the model contract. I emailed support for a copy of it and they usually respond quickly.

Answer:
 Yeah, no offense but you're pretty fucked.

A takedown request may work, but if the content is hosted in another country than the US, they may not have to comply. I highly doubt that you can find the domain owner. See if you can shoot a message to webmaster@domain.com or admin or administrator or owner.

Once an image or video is online, you will have no idea who will have a copy of it.

EDIT: Fixed some wordsAnswer #2: > I know it's illegal for them to have it up without my permission

No, not neccessarily. You got paid for this right? The entity that paid you likely owns the video. So you have no standing since you have no rights to it.Answer #3: What kind of contract did you sign? You almost certainly signed away all your rights to the company that paid you, in which case the DCMA won't work as you either are no longer the copyright owner or licensed their usage of the videos.


Title: Cousin impersonating lawyer to steal from grandparents. What options does my family have?

Question: My immediate family learned in the past week that my cousin has been impersonating a lawyer through email and has stolen at least $60,000 from my grandparents over the last couple years. He is a pathological liar and has also stolen prescription drugs from my grandpa in the past. My grandparents are extremely loving and trusting people and are still in denial about this, even though my cousin has admitted he is behind the emails. He has never actually stolen account or credit card info but instead has manipulated my grandparents into depositing the money directly to him for the "lawyer fees" related to various lies. We learned about this because my grandparents are now out of money and they called my parents to ask if they would be willing to pay my cousin. My grandpa recently had serious open heart surgery and is not in great health and we anticipate that significant out-of-pocket expenses for extra care for him is not too far away. My family is interested in prosecuting my cousin, but my grandparents clearly do not want to see that happen and are wishfully hoping this will all blow over. However, it seems highly unlikely that my cousin will cease taking advantage of my grandparents and equally unlikely that my grandparents will face the reality of the situation. My cousin's father does not seem interested or capable of interfering as of now but told my parents to do what they had to do. None of us really know what to do. We all live in Wisconsin. Any advice? Many thanks.

Answer: Call adult protective services.Answer #2: Sounds like your cousin may have committed fraud (unsurprisingly) and may also be [practicing law without a license](https://law.justia.com/codes/wisconsin/2010/757/757.30.html). You, or anyone else involved, can report this to the police; they may also want to call the [Wisconsin Bar Association](https://www.wisbar.org/forPublic/Pages/for-public.aspx) and talk to them about the situation directly. A report would be more credible coming from the immediate victim, but can come from anyone.


Title: Getting suspended for a fight that happened outside high-school

Question:
This happened couple of years ago and I was wondering if the school's administration had the right to do this.

 So i got into a fight outside of school, was about 100m from the entrance in public property. Administration finds out and suspends me for 1 week. How come they have the right to take action on something that wasn't in any way related to the school. And it was a private school.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 NAL, but a teacher.

There is a legal concept called "in loco parentis" (In place of the parent) which gives the school legal responsibility for students at the school, and also between home and school, when out of control of the parent.

We had a couple students get into a fight last year after school.  One followed the other home.  The student that went home went inside, dropped off his book bag, then went back outside for the fight.

The one that followed his "opponent" home was suspended, as were several who came along to record the fight on their phones.  The one who made it home was not suspended.


Title: My ex roommate posted private information onto Twitter

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 If she signed a lease, she can't just take her name off.

Posting your conversations and address is not illegal, assuming you're in the US. Answer #2: Your full name and home address are not private information.  They're very much public information.  Anyone and everyone has access to that. plus more \(birth date, sex, etc.\) via the public records office.

Your conversations with her might be personal but they're also not private, or at least, not anymore.


Title: [CA] Considering divorce, have some questions and just need help understanding how this will work

Answer:
 We can't really answer a lot of your questions -- it would either be speculation or beyond the scope of this sub.

First, to state the obvious, you should have a lawyer.  If you don't, and she does, you're going to be at a huge disadvantage because you don't understand the paperwork and the procedures.

Be reasonable as far as finances.  If you are taking money from your joint account to pay for an apartment, don't try to hide it.  That money is hers, too, and will come out of a property division.

As far as temporary custody arrangements, you would normally file a request for an order at the same time you file for dissolution.  Those are usually heard pretty quickly.  The court will try to preserve the status quo as much as possible.  Long term, if you want 50/50, it would benefit you to remain close by and not move an hour away.  So figure out what you want and act accordingly.  There is still no guarantee, of course, but you will be better off.

Please get over the notion of "being screwed" on child support.  You are going to be supporting your child, period.  Yes, your bonus can be taken into account, it depends on the circumstances.  Child support is calculated based on tables.  You can get an estimate [here](https://www.cse.ca.gov/ChildSupport/cse/guidelineCalculator).  How your wife's income/schooling is used in the calculation is going to be very fact dependent, and is another good reason to get a lawyer.

"Alimony" (which is properly called spousal support) is generally only ordered for a limited period of time in CA, when it is ordered at all.  You might be paying short term, but you won't be paying for decades or anything.


Title: [ON] I want to use a logo for my company

Question: I recently(yesterday) began a clothing company and I need a logo. I found this one https://embrostitch.com/embroidery_designs/biker-patch-embroidery-design_golden_lion/ can I use it?

Answer:
 No.  Everything on the Internet is copyrighted*.  If you copy this logo - or if you make a [substantially similar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substantial_similarity) version - then you can be sued for copyright infringement, and you'll lose.

*Well, almost everything.  Even the stuff that claims to be free, like the photos and illustrations on Wikimedia Commons that you can use for this, is probably copyrighted and just has a permissive license for you to use.  Very old images that have fallen into the public domain are the exception; they were copyrighted but aren't anymore, and you can do what you want with them.


Title: My friends ex-wife has been coming into his place of work, and she has a restraining order against him. Cops came in to arrest him, What can he do?

Answer: Also he should report this to the court. Purposely pestering someone you have a restraining order against is a pretty good way to have the judge nullify it. Answer #2: Assuming your work place has CCTV this should be an easy case for a lawyer. Best of luck.


Title: [UK] Offensive comments about family members

Question:
Hey there!
I'm pretty clueless with this, and also aware of how insignificant it is compared to other peoples' problems. An (ex) friend of mine recently called a deceased family member of mine cruel. This was said to me directly. Are there any UK (or otherwise) laws against this? Is there anything I can do apart from complaining? Note: it was not connected in any way to race, religion, gender, sexuality, or anything else. There were multiple witnesses.

Answer:
 That was the exact word they used? Cruel?

.....I think you need thicker skin. I call myself worse things in the mirror.


Title: (MD) breaking up, moving out. i'm the only one on the lease but she is an occupant. i'm going to give my notice to vacate but worried she won't. options?

Question: In Maryland. Currently month-to-month tenant. My girlfriend has lived with me the whole time we've been here. I want to break up and move out, but worry out of spite and her situation which I won't go into detail about, she won't leave. What are my options? I want to give my 30 day notice to my landlord but if I do so, then I leave but she doesn't, I would assume any further charges accrued would fall on me because it was my lease. What are my options? Do I have to give my ex-girlfriend 30 day notice to vacate, then if she doesn't do so who needs to take the steps to evict her, me or my landlord? Or am I completely off base? Thank you.

Answer:
 To make her leave, you give her a notice to vacate with one month's notice.  [Link.](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/maryland-notice-requirements-terminate-month-month-tenancy.html)  If she's not out by the end of that time, you start the eviction process for Maryland and follow it exactly.  If she's not out by *that* time, you call the sheriff, who escorts her off the property, and she's got an eviction on her record.

If *you* give your landlord adequate notice and move out, and your girlfriend does not, at that point you're no longer her landlord; your landlord becomes her landlord, and has to give notice and evict her.  There may be provisions in your lease penalizing you for having a tenant not approved by your landlord.


Title: Obvious violation of my rights, but where do I go from here?

Question:
(San Antonio, Texas)
To start out, I DID read my lease. But apparently I missed this part, or maybe thought it was standard? I don't know. But basically there's a morals clause in my lease. Stating that "The property owner has the right to evict the tenant for acting in any manner which the property owners felt to be immoral."
I'm an Atheist. I obviously don't go to church. My renter noticed that I don't go anywhere on Sundays (I don't work on Sundays either) and she texted me yesterday stating that "If you don't start to go to church like a good Christian, I'll be forced to evict you" and specifically sited the moral clause in my lease in the text message.
There is no WAAAAAAAAY this is legal. But what do I do about this? Where do I even start? I've never been put in this kind of situation before.

Answer:
 This is not legal advice.

With any clause that is "unenforceable," what that basically means is that when a prospective landlord/person who wants to sue goes to enforce a clause, the Court will choose not to do so.

For a clause like this, which is possibly unenforceable (I do not know Texas law, get a LAWYER), the landlord would have to sue for eviction on the basis that you broke part of your lease, your landlord would present evidence to this, you will be given an opportunity to present counter-evidence, including evidence that the clause you "broke" is illegal and that the Court shouldn't enforce it to break the lease.

You may or may not win that. I don't know the answer.

As to what you should do? Talk to an attorney about whether she has a case or not. I doubt she does, for several reasons, but stranger things have happened and you shouldn't take advice from internet strangers.

As to how you should respond to her, something along the lines of "I do not believe my conduct has broken the lease," and leave it at that. But that's up to you.


Title: [USA] What happens if a single person is arrested at their home and they have animals in the house?

Question: In general (or your jurisdiction), do they let the arrested person call a family member to take care of their pets?

Answer:
 They get a phone call at jail.

And I've never limited someone who had reasonable requests to just one call as long as they weren't being dickbags about it.Answer #2: I used to be a bail bond agent. I know it isn't common but Minnesota nice doncha' know. Had a frequent flyer who couldn't come up with the money this go around so he had to sit the weekend until court on Monday. His girlfriend was out of town "working". So he called me to take care of his little doggo. Dog was an awesome little dude so I didn't mind. Also got more referral business.


Title: Title IV or police? (MD)

Question:
Last year I was a college freshman at a public university in Maryland. I lived on a co-ed dorm, that had a unisex bathroom and shower room. The showers were separated into stalls with curtains, but no locking doors. There was an issue last spring where a guy (I’ll call him Jake) got caught using a recording device in the shower area. He uploaded recordings on a file-sharing site, and while you couldn’t see faces very clearly, it was easy to identify who the girls were. One was my roommate, and she was really upset when she found out.

There was a hearing with the school ethics committee, and Jake was suspended pending further investigation. We all thought he was being expelled, but I just found out from someone who knows him that he is coming back to school, he just can’t live on campus.

My roommate is really mad, and she wants to call the police. My question is, is it too late to do so? Also, the video got taken down and I don’t know who has it.

Edit: more questions-

1. Other people were sending screen shots of the video on kik and sc- could those people get in trouble to?

2. One of the girls on the video was a prospective student who was staying on our hall, and she was 17 at the time. Does that make it illegal for people to look at?

Answer:
 I think you mean Title IX.

No, it’s not too late to file a police report.     The police may already be aware of the situation, but it can’t hurt to also inform them in case the school hasn’t. Answer #2: A crime was committed. Call the police. Asking educational institutions to enforce the law is like asking the police department to teach you organic chemistry.Answer #3: > Other people were sending screen shots of the video on kik and sc- could those people get in trouble to?

Definitely, yes. Suggest that the impacted parties report this to the police (especially if it shows the minor) and to the school title IX office. You can also report it yourself, though the police will probably want the direct victims reporting it.

Edit: also report the images/whoever posts them to kik and sc (snapchat I assume).

> One of the girls on the video was a prospective student who was staying on our hall, and she was 17 at the time. Does that make it illegal for people to look at?

Yes. However, there's no guarantee of prosecution.


Title: Used SSN for investing app and lied about age (age 14)

Question:
So I’m 14 and wanted to invest in some money on apps like Acorns and Stash but I’m underage so I lied and said I’m 18 and put in my SN. The full thing from number to number. I’ve closed those accounts since my parents found out and now I’m worried I’m going to be in legal trouble due to lying and even putting in my SSN without adult supervision. Help?

Edit: I live in the United States. California to be exact
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: You're fine. In that situation they will just cancel your accounts as you aren't old enough to enter contracts.


Title: Company that I left won't pay my milage reimbursement of about a thousand dollars.

Question: I left my former company on February 23rd and submitted my milage for the 2 previous months. After I submitted for reimbursement I was in compliance and eligible for reimbursement. The reimbursement system will notify of issues through my work email and or through the system itself. So after February 23rd, there was an issue which I didn't get notified about because I had no access to the systems anymore. My reimbursement didn't get deposited in my bank account towards the end of March. So I feel since I had no access to systems anymore, no emails were forwarded to me, no calls were made to notify me of an issue that was jeopardizing me getting paid, it would be my former companies responsibility to notify me so I can correct the issue and get paid. What should I do?

Answer:
 > What should I do?

Have you tried calling up your former employer and asking them to pay you?


Title: I have a r/trees sticker on my car, can I be searched hypothetically in (OH)

Question:
I have a r/trees sticker on my bumper and I was curious would a cop have the probable cause to search my car because of the sticker? I don't have any drugs or paraphernalia in the car so you do not need to worry about this. As far as I know not many people will even know what the sticker means other than the r/trees community so I am not to worried, just curious. Thank you for the advice!

Sticker is right here
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fih1.redbubble.net%2Fimage.120488335.9205%2Fflat%2C220x200%2C075%2Ct.u1.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.redbubble.com%2Fpeople%2Fcaomicc%2Fworks%2F10619210-r-trees-reddit-alien-with-a-pineapple&docid=6a1Mz5Sx9-3HPM&tbnid=5qjnMG58BllovM%3A&w=220&h=200&bih=643&biw=1366&ved=0ahUKEwighZmp3rvMAhXG2D4KHeoED_8QMwglKAgwCA&iact=mrc&uact=8

Answer:
 > I have a r/trees sticker on my car, can I be searched hypothetically in (OH)

Sure.  Hell, you can be actually searched, not just hypothetically searched.  A trees sticker doesn't exempt you from being searched.

> I was curious would a cop have the probable cause to search my car because of the sticker?

No, absent other facts, the presence of a sticker alone would not constitute probable cause to search.

> so you do not need to worry about this.

But I do worry about it.  Always remember, people who smoke weed never think they smell.  But plenty of people can smell it, even if you can't.  Especially those trained to detect the smell.


Title: My friend thinks her son is being abused and nobody seems to be taking it seriously.

Question:
She lives in Illinois. He's four and somewhat autistic. The father and her are not on good terms, he pays child support, and his parents watch him during the day a lot. Her mom sometimes watches him as well. My friend has had a bad feeling about the father's father (the child's grandfather) for a while now but nothing more than that. She now has a video of him making accusations against the grandfather, because he came home one day and told her to "eat his wiener" and she of course asked where he learned that, and he told her "grandpa tells me that and tells me to lick it". She was really alarmed and said he was lying and he kept insisting he was telling the truth. He also said they call him stupid, and my friend has said her son has singled out the grandfather individually a handful of times.

Nobody is taking it very seriously because her mother has delusions and says God talks to her and has planted ideas in his head before which he has repeated. But he didn't even mention her at all when he was making the accusations against the grandfather, he didn't say "grandma so and so (my friend's mother) told me this" or anything like that. He straight up accused the father's parents.

My family is really close to her so we took a look at the video and heard the accusations. I'm the only one who thinks this needs to be reported immediately. The rest of them keep telling me it's not so black and white, what if the accusations aren't true and she loses her babysitters, she's completely broke and her family abandoned her when she had the baby, she finally got a job because the grandparents are able to babysit during the day (her son was kicked out of his daycare program within four hours and told to go to a daycare for special needs kids) but she made $65 over the limit so the government took her assistance away and now she's got nothing. They're telling me she wont be able to afford a lawyer even if the accusations are true and if they aren't, the grandparents are going to sue her for slander and try to take the child away from her, which they've tried to do already (they refused to give him to her when she came to pick him up, the police had to get involved). And they also tell me even if she can pursue the true accusations, she'll be fired and back to square one.

To me, all of those potential issues are extremely irrelevant when a four year old is blatantly telling us these things are happening to him, whether it turns out to have been planted there and is a lie or whatever.

So the advice I'm looking for... I know I can make a report, but should I? My family keeps telling me its not my place to do anything about it but isn't that exactly what every program we were made to sit through in high school said we should not think? Is there somewhere she can go legally that could give her the upper hand in this situation? She has nobody or place she can turn to for the help she needs, she's only 21. I know she doesn't want to lose custody but I honestly feel temporary protective custody might be for the best if she has NO ONE to watch him but the grandfather! We've offered to watch him when we can but we can't cover week days. I'm just so confused and I feel like I'm the only one genuinely concerned here but I'm the one being made to feel guilty to stop me from reporting... This has all come to light in the last four hours, sorry if the post is confusing.

Answer:
 > I know I can make a report, but should I?

Yes.Answer #2: If there is any doubt whatsoever that this child may have been or is being abused then he needs to be removed from that situation immediately. It sounds to me like your friend is worried about the fallout if the accusation happens to be false.

**If you cannot find a solution to remove the child from the situation as soon as possible until the nature of it can be determined then you should indeed contact CPS for assistance. If this means losing your friend in the process, it's worth it.**

Has there been any substantial indication that the child was actually talking about 'licking' his grandfathers penis? With what's been presented in this post it could simply be a nasty ass-hole grandpa holding out a hotdog and belittling the child for his own amusement.

edit: spelling


Title: (TN) Question on legality of signs in a grocery store parking lot

Question:
I see signs in the parking lot of my local Food Lion stating that they are not responsible for damage caused by carts.  I am wondering how/if this is legal...  Do they really have the legal ability to wash their hands of it if, say, an uncontrolled cart comes rolling down the parking lot and smashes into my car?

Does it make a difference if the lot is public property vs grocery store property?

I'm just curious... nothing has happened to me.

Answer:
 The signs really don't make that much of a difference.

But to flip it around, why do you think they *should* be held responsible?


Title: (WI) My husband needs to fire an obvious drug addict who seems to be dangerous, but he's worried about the man causing damage in retaliation.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > considering they are working on a multimillion dollar project with precious materials and tools.

Then they can afford to hire a security guard for a few weeks. They can be plain clothed and discrete. They know how to blend in and not look obvious. Many are off duty or retired police.Answer #2: > How can they let this man know he's not welcome back to the site without him going off the deep end

That's not really a legal question.  The law can punish him for doing something wrong, but it won't be able to prevent it.

> They are hesitating to call the police because they don't want to cause a scene on this particular property with the chance of losing this project. (Major project on a multimillion dollar public facility)

Probably better to do that than have the police show up when there's significant damage to a public facility caused by one of your husband's employees.  Answer #3: > Today he was chanting under his breath "smoke crystal meth" and he was nodding off on very dangerous scaffolding.

Are you sure you didn't make this story up? Because if there is one thing someone who is on meth would definitely not do, it's nodding off. Meth is a potent stimulant.


Title: My sister is an abusive relationship, but she doesn't want to leave.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Let her live how she wants and let her know that you are available when she chooses to seek help and make changes.

She is an adult. She is knowingly making her choice


Title: Can a store legally charge me for opening a map they have on display?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Put the map back on the counter and walk out.  They can attempt to charge you for anything they want, you're not obligated to pay.

The store should really keep them behind the counter if they want to hooker people into buying a map.


Title: Dumb ass in Houston

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Just a non legal piece of advice, this sub likes clarity and easy to understand situations with all the relevant facts.  Your post is very convoluted and difficult to understand due to the disorganization, grammar and spelling.  You should also try and briefly summarize the situation in the title, as it will pique interest.  You will get a much better chance at getting good input if you sit down and take some time to present the situation in an easy to understand format.  Good luck with your boss.


Title: Can landlord take money for tea?

Question:
I lived with my landlord, WA, and she charged me 25$ from my security deposit because I drank tea which she allowed me to drink. It was her tea not mine but she allowed me to consume it and offered me to use it.

What is my say in this? The actual cost of tea is about 18$ for whole new bag and I used about half so 9$.

Answer: No she can't charge you for tea. However you'd need to sue her in small claims for the $25 bucks. I'd chock it up as a loss and be happy you never have to deal with the crazy lady again.


Title: Tripped over a piece of metal sticking out of the ground and fell down a dozen stairs at work

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Contact a workers comp attorneyAnswer #2: Why would witnesses sign something like that?


Title: Someone is going around telling people I’m going to shoot up the school

Question: I want to keep this short but the TL;DR version is this: some basic high school drama happened and I didn’t even really care but my “friends” were really salty about it and they are now going around “joking” about how I’m going to shoot up the school because I’ve been quieter than usual. They’ll usually say,” oh look it’s OP over there, plotting how he’ll shoot up the school.” I know how bad this can be for a person and they already had someone bring a gun to school this year. My first thought is to go to my councilor and get ahead of the situation but I know if I do I will probably get jumped by his cronies because he’ll get in serious trouble and I don’t want to get hurt.

Answer: Go with your instinct, and additionally voice your concerns about retaliation.


Title: Who is allowed to design, manufacture, and develop weapons?

Question:
I'm not sure if there's an r/asklawyers but I figured this would find a place.

Who is allowed to develop and manufacture weapons in the United States? I guess this would include everything between hand guns, assault rifles, small arms, etc. all the way up to artillery, tanks, and nuclear weapons? Who gets clearance for that? How do we have huge private companies that can build and sell weaponry, but (I'm assuming) it's a felony if I start building lethal machines and sell them out of my garage?

Are there some kinds of permits that allow companies to do this? What about companies like Smith & Wesson (sorry if this is edging on r/askhistorians territory) who've been around way before the modern era of weaponry?

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 The [ATF licenses](https://www.atf.gov/files/publications/download/p/atf-p-5320-8/atf-p-5320-8-chapter-7.pdf) businesses and persons to manufacture NFA firearms.Answer #2: There are a whole series of [lawsuits going on right now](http://iris.personaltelco.net/~ry/nolo/) that are essentially fighting the notion that corporations are able to manufacture and possess machine guns and the average citizen (I say average because although law enforcement are citizens, they are somehow exempt) is not.

Assault rifle, by the way, is a nearly meaningless term.


Title: I need help with a nepotism issue at work.

Question:
First off, I Live in Houston Texas.

I want to be short and sweet about this.

I currently work at an organization with my (Soon be brother-in-law). My work has a nepotism policy that states ""It is the policy of this credit union not to hire family members of employees or officials of the credit union. For clarification purposes, family member shall include: Parents children, spouse or siblings who may be related by blood, marriage and informal marriage or co-habitation"". They knew I was co-habitating with my (soon to be brother in laws sister), and we are informally married(we have a house and share fiances)) yet they still did hire me. I now do have a house, car, and other expenses that rely on this job, and if i do lose it I dont know what to do. I proposed last June and we are getting married in October and they are now saying that once married I will have to leave my job. Is there anything I can do about this to keep my job? Or anything I can do if they do let me go.

Thanks in advance!

Answer: You can find a new job. I'd start looking now


Title: Roommate on the lease, not paying rent, what are our options?

Question:
Hello,

I currently rent an apartment with two others in Massachusetts since April. For the past couple months (June, July) as well as probably August it seems, I have been assisting one of my roommates with making rent. I have also been working out of New York for the past couple months, so I have been relying on my roommates to let me know what is happening, it's been a struggle.

We're having a huge communication problem. My roommate that I've assisted has stopped talking completely to both me and my roommate. I've attempted to contact her via text message, Facebook and Facebook messenger. She hasn't said a word to me in days, but she still logs into Facebook so she's definitely blatantly ignoring me. According to my other roommate as well, she hasn't been home, and hasn't been talking to her as well. We're running out of options.

Is there anything we can do to remove her from the lease? If we can't, is there anything legally stopping us from getting another roommate to assist us beyond the landlord saying "no?" We've been trying to get in contact with her for awhile now.

Last note; I have text messages of her saying she would pay me back for rent as well as utilities. Would these be legally considered "evidence" (don't know if there's another term for it in small claims court) if I were to sue her to gain the lost money?

Answer: You'd have to pay her share and sue her.


Title: 23 yr old Med Student wants to adopt me as his dad

Question:
History.  I befriended this boy when he was 18.  I found out he was homeless when he landed in jail.  I bailed him, hired a lawyer, got the case quashed.   He's now entering 2nd year of med school.  (California)

&#x200B;

He wants to adopt me.  Can an adult legally adopt another adult?  I'm retired btw.  My bio kids are throwing fits.  Mainly?  They will have to cut the inheritance by one more slice I guess.

&#x200B;

He's a good kid. I love him dearly.  Even wrote a book about him.  He says he wants to make me his legally adopted dad.  Can he do that at age 24?   If I agree to it does this go before a judge and all?

Answer:
 He wants you to adopt him, not the other way around.

There are very few 'advantages' in adopting an adult. For him, the advantages are the potential for inheritance, and the ability to have you make medical decisions as next of kin, should they become necessary. You are already fully able to name him in your will, should you choose to do so.

It might make sense for you to have a conversation with him about why he wants to take the legal step.Answer #2: Yes, adult adoption is a thing.  It’s not super common but it’s not so uncommon that a family law attorney couldn’t help you with it. The CA Courts Guide on it is [here](https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/BTB_23_1A_35.pdf).

Of course one wonders why you are interested in doing this, particularly if he is the one who suggested it.  But talk to a family law attorney and they can talk you through what it means, why it may or may not be the best fit for your situation, and how to move forward.Answer #3: I'd have a really frank conversation with him about it. Why does he want to be adopted? Is it because he wants a dad or because he wants in on your will? I'm sure that's why your kids are flipping out, they probably think he's trying to take advantage of you. If he just wants a dad, and you want to be his dad, be his dad?


Title: How do we deal with a grave?

Question:
I have a moderately weird question. My husband and I are looking at houses for sale in PA and found one we really love, apart from one thing - there's a grave in the backyard, supposedly of the current owner's grandparents.

I think it goes without saying that it's not something we'd like to have on our property, so is there a way to legally get rid of the grave assuming we purchase the house and land?

Answer:
 There are companies that will relocate a grave.

It can cost upwards of $10,000 and is something the current owner should deal with before you close on the property.Answer #2: There is, but it will almost certainly be your problem to pay for the reinternment somewhere else if you buy without getting it dealt with first. You can make the grave's removal the sellers problem by either getting them to do it as part of the sale agreement, or knocking the cost off the purchase price of the house.  Talk to your realtor.


Title: [NV] Is it legal to fire female employees because their hair is too curly?

Question: Can a dress code be written to only apply to women? Can a dress code that applies to both genders only be enforced for women? Does it matter if the hair in question is naturally curly?

Answer: This sounds like such a straight forward disparate impact case that it could come from a law school hypothetical. Answer #2: NAL, but I personally would ask for a picture of what they consider "too curly", or perhaps for them to name a celebrity with "too curly" hair. I'd echo that depending on their example it could be racial discrimination but that's dependent on their answers.


Title: Charged with resisting arrest and assault on an officer.

Question:
I'm in Seattle, WA, if it makes a difference.

My boyfriend is legally blind, to the point of having almost no vision at all, only light sensitivity, and only for very bright lights.

I'm going to make the events in to a bullet list, to try to make this more clear.

* We are at a street fair.

Barely anyone shopping.

* A uniformed officer asks us if we can answer some questions for him. Probably important, he didn't say he's an officer, I just saw his uniform and badge.

We agree, and he asks us where we parked, if we had anything to drink, we had a few beers each, and if we past by a certain stall. We did, and we spent a minute or two looking through it.

* Officer asks if we'd like to confess to taking anything.

We of course say no, and my boyfriend starts walking away.

* The officer puts a hand on my boyfriends shoulder and asks him to hold on a minute. No, this isn't assault.

* My boyfriend does have diagnosed PTSD, and in what I would describe as a knee jerk reaction, grabs the officers wrist, drops his cane, and spun to face the officer. This I would consider assault.

* Boyfriend starts breathing hard, and is showing the same signs he shows when he's going to have a pannic attack.

* The officer very quickly gets my boyfriend on the ground, and gets on his back. My boyfriend is struggling to get the officer off his back, and off the ground. He's starting to tear up, and is having pretty much a full blown panic attack.

* The officer puts a hand on the back of my boyfriends head, he does not force his head down, just holds the back of his head and tells him to calm down.

* He goes catatonic, just heavy breathing, extreme shaking, and unable to speak.

* The officer gets handcuffs on him, which I think is good, to protect the officer and my boyfriend, which I completely understand the need for.

* My boyfriend is placed under arrest for assaulting a police officer, and resisting arrest.

During the physical encounter, which may have lasted all of 3-5 seconds, I was trying to get him to calm down, but I don't think I told him that this man was a police officer, and I know he didn't identify himself as one either.

My question is, since my boyfriend had no way of knowing he was a police officer, his line of questioning was very informal, and he sounded like justa guy who was asking around for a shop keeper friend about a shop lifting, can my boyfriend really be charged with resisting arrest, and assaulting an officer?

For all he knew, this random guy was putting trying to stop him from leaving, and then throwing him to the ground. (He was not pushed to the ground, the officer more so helped him down to the ground, it really looked quite painless.)

Please let me know if you need any more information, or what I can do to help.

Neither one of us can afford a lawyer, so I think in the morning a public defender will be appointed to him.

Answer:
 He can be charged yes. His blindness is a defense he has against the charges. Answer #2: A couple of quick issues for discussion:

It looks like neither the [pattern jury instructions](https://govt.westlaw.com/wcrji/Document/Iefa76383e10d11daade1ae871d9b2cbe?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default\)) nor the case law requires that the defendant know that the person assaulted was a police officer.

From [*State v. Brown*, 998 P.2d 321 (Wash. 2000)](https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1356431/state-v-brown/):

> the State is not required to charge and prove that a defendant at the time of the assault knew the victim was a law enforcement officer engaged in the performance of official duties

However, the case goes on to note that there's a *mens rea* element:

>To obtain a conviction for assault under that subsection, the State must prove that a defendant intended to commit and did commit an assault against another person.

This is probably where the action is.  I can see arguments for no intent because reaching out and grabbing things unexpectedly touching you may be an instinctual or involuntary response for someone with impaired sight, which would seem to negate intent.  Additionally, I can see how being grabbed in an unexpected way by a total stranger may be perceived by someone with impaired sight as threatening or hostile, which may give rise to a claim of self-defense


Title: My dad won't give me his health insurance info

Question:
I have my own health insurance through my job, and I'm still covered under him as well (he's my secondary). He says I'm still on his health insurance and that he's paying for me to be on his health insurance (whatever that means).

Except he won't give me his health insurance info, despite that I need it since I'm going through some medical issues and seeing the doctor frequently as well as getting tests done.

Is there anything I can do? I went to the job union office, but the only thing they could do was mail an insurance card to his house (I don't live with him). I believe I called the health insurance company about 8 months ago, but they couldn't give me the information either.

What other choices do I have? He knows I've been paying for medical stuff.

I'm in the US.

Answer: Call the insurance company and ask for the info


Title: [VA] What are the ramifications to me if someone with a suspended license gets a ticket/gets in an accident in my vehicle

Question: I just found out my wife's friend who has been driving my SUV on occasion with my wife because my wife doesn't like driving that much has an expired license. Obviously that stops right there, but what could have happen if she were to get pulled over in my car or got in an accident?

Answer:
 I believe it's a class 2 misdemeanor for you

http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter3/section46.2-349/


Title: Lawyer contacted my Father without my permission. Minnesota.

Question:
My lawyer or rather his assistant was having trouble getting ahold of me to sign some paperwork for my disability case so she called my Dad. I never once gave permission for her or my lawyer to contact either of my parents at any time. I am 26 years old and I live with my boyfriend. I gave them my boyfriends name and number as an alternate/emergency contact and they did not contact him at all and instead called my father. The only reason they even know who my father is is because my aunt is the receptionist for the law office and my lawyer is also my father's lawyer. However I did not give them permission to contact anyone in my family except for me and my boyfriend. I did not give permission for them to discuss any part of my case with my father even if it was just to tell him to tell me to come in to sign paperwork. Was what they did okay or legal? I am extremely upset about this as I do not want my father involved in this aspect of my life. Is there anything I can do about this? It's too late for me to find a new lawyer as we are currently preparing for my hearing.

Edit: I was sincerely upset about this and was looking for advice on how to deal with it.  Mostly I just got asked irrelevant questions and when I provided answers I was down voted. So thanks for nothing. Also everyone seems to be confused about who called my Dad. My aunt is just the receptionist, she is not involved, I only mentioned her because she is one of the connections my lawyer has to my dad. My lawyer has an assistant. The assistant is who called my dad. Receptionist and Assistant are not the same thing.

Answer: So what is your aunt that called your dad?


Title: Can i change my daughter’s last name (CA)

Question: I want to change her last name to mine. She is three years old. Her father has just been arrested for criminal acts against a child.  I see that i would normally need both parents consent to change her last name but is there a way to break this rule since he is a perv in prison? Where do i go to get a name change?

Answer: You can! The judge can give you permission. See the court's website [here](http://www.courts.ca.gov/22583.htm) for how to do it.


Title: Rampant highschool fraud

Question: (NJ)  So lately at my highschool have been approached by upperclassmen speaking about a company named amway. These upperclassmen have been coming up to dozens and dozens of my friends and classmates promising them quick ways to earn money without any risks guaranteed.  The issue comes into play when they revoke the promise from every person who attempts to get their money back as promised at the beginning of the contract signing. Am I in the right to attempt to stop this from happening at my highschool?? If so, what can I do to help the dozens of kids being tricked into this scheme?

Answer: Tell the administration. I guarantee that there are rules against soliciting students while in school for non-school sales. That is the only recourse


Title: Taken by hospital by police, refused service, and am now being billed, do I have to pay?

Question: Sorry if I make any mistakes this is my first time posting.  I am a 21 year old male in Northern California.  About two weeks ago I got into a drunken fight with someone.  The police were called and I was taken into jail, but first I was taken to the hospital.  I refused service multiple times, and signed a paper saying I refused service.  A nurse did put a gauze pad and wrap my hand where I had cut myself, but I only consented to her doing that if there would be no charge.  She assured me there wouldn’t.  I refused service when the doctor asked if he could check me.  They are now billing me for at least $600 dollars and supposedly more when the doctor’s bill arrives.  There were no charges filed against me and I was let out of jail after the minimum four hours.  I have no medical insurance which is why I’m hoping I can avoid payment.  Is there any possible way for me to dispute this bill or is something I have to live with for my foolish mistake?

Answer:
 If you signed a paper that said you are refusing treatment against medical advice, they can't bill you.  Call the billing office and email them a copy of that form.  Answer #2: By federal law, a person has to be seen and evaluated by an authorized provider and receive a medical screening exam, when presenting to an emergency department.  This creates a very grey area when you are brought in, in custody, and are intoxicated. At minimum, you would have to be evaluated to determine if you have capacity to refuse. The medical screening exam is a billable service for the physician and facility.

Your best bet is going to be to talk to the hospital and the physician’s Billing service to see if they will drop the bill.


Title: My BF suffers from Depression and Anxiety and wants to get an emotional support dog

Question:
Like the title states my Boyfriend suffers from depression  and anxiety. He’s always wanted a dog , so I suggested to him to get an emotional support animal. Now our landlord does not accept pets in your building. I know legally they can’t deny us the pet if he has proper documentation(which he does). Has anyone ever done this? How was your experience? Did your landlord give you a hard time? Is there anything we should know??

Edit: We live in NYC.

Answer:
 Does your landlord have more than 4 rental units? Answer #2: > I know legally they can’t deny us the pet if he has proper documentation(which he does).

Who knows if this is true or not (it's probably not) since you didn't provide location.


Title: I posted a while ago about how I gave this gentleman 30k for rent and he disappeared. He used an alias from my understanding and I know the town he lives in in NJ. Is it illegal for me to post a picture on fb page for the town or flyers @ a bus stop to find out this mans real identity so I can sue?

Answer:
 You stated that " this guy gave me an alias", but in order to cash a check for $30,000 he MUST have had a legitimate account at that bank.    I'm not sure your narrative makes sense, even the part where you paid two year's rent in advance out of your entire savings.

Start with your police report, and consider scraping together money for a private investigator to push for bank records.

To answer your first question:  no, it's not illegal to use flyers or Facebook to find a person, but with nothing but an alias I would not expect success.Answer #2: I remember your earlier post; I'm sorry this happened to you.  I wasn't clear exactly how the scam operated, but there are some rental scams where you never even meet a person (there's a good description [here](https://www.cambridgema.gov/cpd/communityresources/CrimePrevention/craigslistscams.aspx).  It's possible that your information is as false as his rental, so I'd keep that in mind with any claims you make on anything you print.  (It's also likely that if it's real it's a mule, not the main criminal.)


Title: [Maryland] my friend was caught with $6.34 in stolen merchandise before she left the store. The owner of the store is pressing charges?

Question:
Ok so my friend goes into a store that rhymes with Dive Below. She shoplifts sometimes i don't understand it but I don't really care. The thing is that she's still in high school, and it would suck for her to have a "record" before she finishes school.
First of all what kind of charges would she be brought up on? "Intent of petty shoplifting"? Is that a crime? If that is a crime what she's really worried about is future employers getting antsy about hiring her cause she was a dumbass in high school.
She never left the store with the merchandise, although she did admit to intending to leave the store with it. To me this wreaks of petty store owner getting her to confess and manipulating her because she didn't know the law.

Answer:
 > First of all what kind of charges would she be brought up on?

Theft charges.

> She never left the store with the merchandise

You said she shoplifted.  That's what shoplifting is.

>  it would suck for her to have a "record" before she finishes school.

Yes, it would.  For most people, that's an excellent reason not to break the law.


Title: Husband left the country for good: How can I sell the house if my name isn't on the deed?

Question:
[NJ] My friend called me about a situation her aunt is currently going through (I have a RE license but never experienced this before). Here are the facts:
1. The husband left the wife and children and moved to Thailand 4 years ago to become a monk, so no plans to ever return to the US.
2. The home and car are both paid off, but they're both in the husband's name.
3. The wife wants to move with her children out of state and sell the house and car.

What can she do (if anything)? She's not sure if she'll be able to get in contact with her husband to get him to sign anything since he's in a monastery somewhere. I spoke with a RE Investigator in my office, but even they're not sure what she can do. Thanks for any help you can give!

Answer: Other possibility, which requires finding the husband and getting his cooperation, would be to have the husband sign a power of attorney specifically empowering wife to sell house and to distribute proceeds...although in the long run, Mrs. Monk is probably going to want the divorce anyway.Answer #2: She needs to get a divorce. A divorce lawyer will know how to get the stuff awarded to her and how to file it properly.


Title: Housemate put lock box over heater control, what can I do?

Question:
I rent one room in a three bedroom house in CA. I have two other housemates. All bills (rent, utilities) are divided evenly into thirds.

While I was gone for Thanksgiving, one of my housemates put a lock box over the heater control. This heater is our main source of heat for the house.

Can she legally take away my access to the control panel? Do I have any recourse here?

She did not speak to me at all before doing this. I don't know if she spoke to our other housemate.

(As a note, she has become increasingly hostile to live with recently, and would likely not respond well to a calm discussion, although I will certainly try talking to her.)

The house also has a fireplace that could probably be used as a heat source if needed. However, I don't know when it was last inspected.

Edit: It's made of plastic and could easily be broken with a hammer, but I'm not sure if that's the best course of action [yet].

Answer: Does she own the property? If not I would probably start with contacting your landlord. Answer #2: Maybe you could find a bigger lock box, and put it over her lock box.  I am just kidding.  Childish games never help matters, but I do think it would be a funny response.  :-)


Title: Arrested without being read Miranda Rights. Tx

Question: Me along with 2 others were arrested for POM < 2oz. The officers never read us our Miranda Rights, but upon being bailed out they made us sign a paper telling us to come in on Monday, May 11 so we can be read our rights. We don't have much money, so getting a lawyer would be very difficult to do. Is there anything we can do?

Answer: Anything you can do as far as what? *Miranda* is only required when you are in custody and being interrogated.


Title: Dui and Xanax

Question: I was charged with a dui and arrested the other week. I blew a 0.00 and told to take a urine test as I have a presciptipn for Librium on me. I also had about 100 Xanax bars, not prescribed but in a different prescription bottle. I went to jail for the dui until the judge let me out the next day. Leaving jail, they gave me the illegal Xanax back. Can I be charged for them now that they are back in my possession?

Answer:
 >Can I be charged for them now that they are back in my possession?

You don't have a prescription for them? Yes you can be charged.


Title: Nephew stole my prescription, how do I refill?

Question:
Iowa, USA -- My (32/f) nephew (14/m) stole my ADHD and narcotic pain medication from my house yesterday. He is currently being admitted to the Hospital's psychiatric, and staff confiscated the remainder of my pills he stole. His Mom (my SIL) brought them with them to the hospital incase he needed to have his stomach pumped.

Is there ANY way to get it refilled WITHOUT filing a police report? The Percocet was left over from dental surgery, so I'm not "missing" that. On the other hand, my mind is really craving my ADHD medication, and I'm in a pretty heavy brain fog from missing today's morning and noon doses. Any advice is SO greatly appreciated!

Answer:
 > Is there ANY way to get it refilled WITHOUT filing a police report?

Nope.

Your doctor may be willing to work with you on finding alternate, non-narcotic pain management, but without a police report it's _very_ difficult to get a prescription for a controlled medication reissued. The doc and the pharmacist (who also knows full well when your prescription is supposed to run out) aren't going to be complicit in your nephew's theft.

It's also somewhat likely the police are _already_ involved, as your nephew is in hospital care, and was found in possession of controlled narcotics.Answer #2: He's been seen by a boatload of mandated reporters who are already aware that he stole and took a bunch of pills.

Make the police report.


Title: My neighbor refuses to show us their vet bill.

Question:
So a few weeks ago my neighbor took her 10 pound dog outside and my 80 pound dog jumped the fence. We share a drive way and put back yards are connected with the drive way. I watched my dog sit right in front of them just wanting to play.  I understand it might of been scary to see a dog right there but the lady went on the ground kicking my dog while her dog was aggressively trying to attack my dog. My dog didn't even make a sound. After I got to my dog an apologized she tried to hit my fiance, then me, and actually punched her husband 3 times after he said the dog was fine.     The cops came and animal control came to write up a report because she told me she was going to kill my dog if she has to. Animal control said there was a small cut in the dogs ear which is probably from her scratching it on the pavement. That dog is 10 pounds if my dog bit the ear it would of came off because he is so big.
Today the neighbor walks on to our property told us we are not allowed to have to dog out to do it's business because she has people over even though my dog is on the leash with a harness and a muzzle on our property. She then wanted our insurance for the vet bills. We already said we would pay for the visit. The thing is we asked to see her bill to make sure she didn't add anything  that didn't pertain to what happen but she refuses to show us and keeps telling us it doesn't matter just give us your insurance. I am not sure if I should go to court for this or not. Should I also get camera's for our property too? She keeps taking the dog on our property as well and is using our drive way to back out now.

Answer:
 Cameras are definitely a good idea. You might consider both hidden ones and ones that are obviously there. Be sure they don't point into her windows.

Your dog didn't cause any damage at all, so why would you agree to pay? If she does file in court, you will have to respond, but until she does it's just an empty threat.

Can you fence in your back yard fully?


Title: Someone is harassing my fiance.

Question:
Long story short someone has been creating multiple facebook accounts to send my fiance messages they know will make her uncomfortable. The woman in question is married to the ex of my fiance. I don't know why she does it, and from what I can tell my fiance has no contact with her. This doesn't occur often, and it had been probably a year since the last one before she contacted my fiance again yesterday. The woman said she drove by our house the other day while visiting a friend. She correctly stated the address of the home we just bought in January and claimed to have seen me outside wearing specific clothing (which I only wear when doing yard work or working on our vehicles). So, she obviously drove by and saw me, or she wouldn't know these things. The messages have never been threatening, but there is no reason for the contact other than to harass my fiance. Is there any chance we can get a restraining order on this woman? This is something like the 3rd or 4th facebook account she has created just to message my fiance because the others have been blocked.

*Edit: I forgot to mention we live in Tennessee.

*Edit: I have looked into it, and I do not believe there is a setting where you can block all non-friends from messaging you. You can only block specific individuals. Therefore, the woman is able to send a message from a newly created account before my fiance can block her.

Answer: What do these messages say? Are they threatening? There is no general law against sending messages that make somebody "uncomfortable". It's also not illegal to drive by somebody's house. Has she told this person to stop contacting her?  I'm pretty sure you can set your privacy settings so that nobody who isn't your friend can message you.


Title: I can't find it on google, so does anyone know what (if any) oath ICE officers have to swear?

Answer: "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."Answer #2: Same as all other federal employees except military enlistees and the President: “I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. (So help me God.)”


Title: I think my bro fucked himself out of 20k

Question:
I think my brother just let 20-30K slip between his fingers by not dealing with a personal injury claim before the 2 year statute of limitations ended here in Oregon.

2 years ago he was hit by car while cycling to work. It was completely the drivers fault. He's a proper cyclist who wears protective gear and lights. The bike was totaled and he took the ambulance to the ER where he had a couple broken ribs, bruised lung and concussion. He was in pain for several weeks but no major injuries.

His insurance is the same as the drivers. They paid medical bills amounting to 30K. They offered him 20K as a settlement. Fast forward to yesterday where he tells me that he might not get anything because missed the deadline to file a lawsuit, which is 2 years.

Is there any way he can salvage this and get something for his replacement bike and pain and suffering?

Answer:
 He screwed himself out of compensation for his injuries (not smart) but...

 his bike is his property, and Statute of Limitations for property  damage is 6 years http://codes.findlaw.com/or/title-2-procedure-in-civil-proceedings/or-st-sect-12-080.htmlAnswer #2: Did he take the 20k to settle?


Title: (IL) Company has not paid me for over 3 months. Seeking advice on what to do.

Question:
I work for a non-profit based out of Chicago. After month of loosing clients my company has not been able to pay us. I spent three months working and have still not received my pay. The situation has gotten so bad I have been forced to move back to my home in Boston.

I have been patient and have decided not to go after them with a lawsuit but I have hit a point where I have no other options. My boss keeps telling me this is legal yet I cannot believe that to be true.

I am here to ask what I should do and how much I am owed in compensations for three months of no pay.

Answer:
 >I am here to ask what I should do

Stop working there, file a wage claim, try to find other work.


Title: Plumber left his snake in my sewer line...

Question: My sewer lateral clogged, so I called a plumber.  He removed the cleanout cap (in my garage) and used a snake which easily cleared the clog.  But then he claimed that he could not remove the snake, because it was stuck.  He claimed that I need to pay him to excavate my driveway and replace the entire sewer lateral (est $5,000).  I told him to fuck off, so he left the snake inside of the pipe.  With the cap off, my garage now stinks of sewer gas.  He is now billing me for the snake ($800) plus its "downtime".  I am going to hire a second plumber to remove the snake.  But what are my legal options?  Seems like he got his snake stuck, so he should have to remove it.  I never signed anything (contract, etc).  Location: Milpitas, California.

Answer:
 First, stuff a rag around the opening to the pipe. That will keep the gas out of garage until this is fixed.

Second, having another plumber come in is a good idea, but it's somewhat likely that the reason the snake is stuck is a root or other obstruction got into the pipe. That may be the cause of the clog, too. If that's the case, it not the plumber's fault that the snake got stuck.


Title: What sort of authority do Fish and Game officials have over hikers?

Question:
F&G officials have a huge amount of power over hunters and fisherman.  To fulfill the mandate of game laws, they can detain people, question them at length (preventing them from leaving) and conduct detailed searches of their possessions for illegally hidden game or game parts.

And check weapons for legality.  And verify licenses.  If there are boats involved, verify safety rules.  All in all, it's a lot of power.

It seems on occasion, when encountering hikers or trail joggers, some agents seem convinced they have apprehended a violating hunter or fisherman who has stashed all his gear somewhere (with illegal takings).

How far can agents pursue their *detain and/or search agenda* with hikers so mistakenly identified?  California.

Answer:
 "Wardens have Statewide jurisdiction and although their primary function is to enforce Fish and Game code, they may be called upon to enforce any of California's laws."

&#x200B;

[https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/enforcement/career](https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/enforcement/career)Answer #2: Under California Fish and Game Code § 856 and California Penal Code § 830.2(e), fish and game wardens are peace officer with law enforcement authority throughout the state. So they have same authority over hikers as any other police officer would.


Title: 15 days in Jail for "racing" [CA]

Question:
I got pulled over for speeding going 70 in a 40. I was told recently by the judge I might have to face 15 days in jail because the cop noted I was racing when I wasn't. My trial date is coming up and i'm unsure on what to do. Any advice is appreciated.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Hire an attorney.

ETA: This is also the second time in a year you've been cited for speeding like this. You should probably consider selling your car.


Title: Fender Bender with service truck. Third Party workers-comp company says I'm on the hook for thousands. How does this work? What do I do?

Question:
Oregon.

I was in a low-speed fender bender with a Pest Control truck. There was no damage, but apparently the guy was "injured" (which is amazing since he got out and we talked normally for about ten minutes and exchanged information, and he said he was fine).

I realize I'm at fault here for the accident -- but when I got a notice from this company saying that I "may be legally responsible" for the costs and damages resulting from the "injuries" this guy sustained, I'm a little surprised and not sure how to handle it from here.

i've never been in a situation like this before. Do I notify my insurance company -- do I just pay it? I don't exactly have that kind of cash on hand... What do I do?

Thanks in advance.

Answer: Just note that soft tissue damage often doesn't show up for hours. Ever worked out? You often don't feel sore until the next day. Same basic premise here.Answer #2: Notify your insurance company. They will handle it.


Title: If apartment leasing office moves packages from unsecured location to secure location- does this imply liability?

Question:
My apartment has a package locker. It has 12 lockers. Our complex has 200+ units. Often these lockers are full. So then package carriers often drop packages off at individual residence doors. There are posted signs in the mailroom saying “Do not leave packages here. If no lockers are available, they must leave them at the units door.” However the mailroom is not monitored and many package carriers leave the package on the floor in the mail room. My lease does have a provision saying the complex holds no liability for packages in the mail room.

So in December many packages were stolen. So in response the leasing staff has started grabbing all packages from the mail room and keeping them in a locked closet. Only available while they’re open.

If anything were to happen to a package after they remove it from the mail room, and take possession of the packages, put them into a secure room, would they have any liability?

Answer: By taking the packages, they have probably created a gratuitous bailment. Generally, a gratuitous bailee is liable only for gross negligence.


Title: FMLA laws

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 FMLA has nothing to do with whether you chose to use vacation or sick to cover that absence. Whether they have to allow you to go back that far is a policy matter not a legal matter. it's 2 days, let it go.

>  but FMLA shows that it shouldn't matter, they still have to let me know, and they didn't.

What law do you believes requires them to notify an employee  of their rights under a law they wouldn't qualify for.Answer #2: Why would they have to let you know of rights you didn't qualify for? That is inane. It would make zero difference.

You were not sick. They do not have to change it.


Title: A grease fire broke out in the kitchen I was working in, and my ANSUL system didn't go off. I had to fight the fire with a faulty fire extinguisher and I was almost badly hurt. What can I do to get compensation?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Almost hurt isn't not the same as actually hurt. You'd have no damages to pursue if you weren't injured. Answer #2: What actual damages do you have?


Title: How can I sue the US federal government?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 You can't sue the government because some people break the law.

Just like I can't sue my state/city because it takes me longer to get to work than people who speed.


Title: [IL] Just put up a new fence after permit was approved. Code enforcement came by and said we have to take it down.

Question:
Hello!
Here's the story:
My husband and I just purchased our first home. Besides just wanting a nice fence, we have a lab, so that makes a fence a must for us. We found a great fence company and started the project. The fence company took care of the permit with the village. Everything got approved, and the crew started building the fence.

Just as the project was about to be finished, (everything was done besides the back gate) the code enforcement officer told the crew to stop. He said he got a call from our neighbor, complaining that our fence was against regulation because it was a "parallel fence".

We purposely left a 4 foot gap between our fence and our neighbor's fence because our neighbor's fence is two feet into their property (their fence does not go all the way to their property line.) Since we can't put our fence on their property, we decided to put our fence also two feet onto our property, to leave us with about a 4 foot gap between the fences, which provides plenty of space to maintain the grass with a lawn mower, rake, weed whacker, etc.

So, here's where it gets complicated. Our neighbor is very elderly, and her daughters take care of all her business for her. According to the code enforcement officer, it was our neighbor's granddaughter who called to complain. At this point, I'm so confused with who's in charge and who I'm even dealing with. I find it unfair that I have to go through an entire group of people who don't even live next door to me to deal with this problem. Alas, I still managed to get ahold of one of our neighbor's daughters. She explicitly told me she will NOT do the code enforcer's solution, which would be to have them remove their chain link fence on that one side of their yard, and let our fence be on the property line to divide both of our yards. She did, however, agree that us having the gap between our fences is fine, and she is completely okay with leaving our fences the way it is. (Which is still annoying, because it defeats the purpose of the complaint the family made in the first place! Whatever.) So now at this point I just have to get the village to approve our fence.

After questioning why we got our permit approved but yet are now in violation, the code enforcement officer basically excused the guy who approved our permit. He said "How much was the permit, $50? yeah, that's not enough to justify him coming out here and checking it. He assumed the fence company understood the rules." The code enforcer repeatedly try to put the blame on our fence company. But honestly, I believe it should be the other way around.

Here's one more situation I'm dealing with- I live in a very small town. Everyone knows everyone, and is friends or family with everyone, and my husband and I are outsiders essentially, so we're out of luck. It turns out our neighbor's daughter is a big name in the town, and the code enforcer knows the family well.

So, to summarize:
1. As a homeowner, I feel like it should be my right to have a fence, and my neighbor should NOT be able to essentially have the authority to say I can't have one.
2. Even though my neighbor is elderly, I feel like I shouldn't have to go through the entire family (once again, none of them live there. they visit on occasion at most) to discuss this situation.
3. OUR PERMIT GOT APPROVED, so it is not fair that they decided to say it was against code AFTER it got approved and it got put up.
4. If the area between the fences is maintained and there are no issues, than there is no harm in having the two fences. Our fence does not disrupt our neighbor or her property in any way. If anything, it provides her with just as much privacy as it does us.
5. Although this may not be provable, it's worth to add that I do feel like I'm up against a biased decision.

Anyway, so here's where I'm at now... I'm going to be turning in a variance about the situation to the village. I just would like advice on the situation, and what my rights are with this. How can I go about this in the most professional way possible? Thank you!

Answer:
 It sounds like you've reached a compromise with the neighbor... why not just submit for a variance for the permit, saying you've discussed it with the neighbor (ask them for a written statement if you're really worried about it)

It's a small town, you can probably find and run it by the code officer before you go apply for the permit variance, just to be sure.  If everyone's on board, there's little reason for them to deny your variance.