Title: I'm suing a telemarketer in IL small claims court, what happens if I lose?

Question:
This is in IL, other party is based in CA.

Long time listener, first time caller!

A number kept calling my cell every day at the same time several weeks ago, leaving no message.  I answered one day, they ask for me but butchered my last name and as I sat in silence while they struggled to say my name, they hung up.

After some sleuthing, including call from a landline to that number, I got to a voicemail message that names the company in CA as the owner of the phone number. Further research got me their website and a contact name and address.  They are indeed some kind of telemarketing  company that I have no business relationship with.

More internet sleuthing got me onto several blogs and articles about the TCPA and rules related to it.

Specifically I was looking at the following:
*Five violations of 47 U.S.C. 227(b)(1)(A)(iii) at $500 each (prohibits calling cell phones whether the call is from a live or a recorded message)
*Five violations of 47 U.S.C. 227(b)(1)(B) at $500 each (prohibits calling landlines or cell phones with a recorded message unless the company calling has a business relationship with the recipient)
*Five violations of 47 C.F.R. 64.1200(c)(2) at $500 each (prohibits calling any number on the national Do Not Call list)

I printed out the relevant TCPA text, call records from my cell for the number, confirmation of my cell being on the Do Not Call Registry as of a year ago, and a list of recordings of the answered calls on my automatic call recorder.  I sent all of these via certified mail, return receipt last month requesting $500 in damages related to three parts of the TCPA for five calls I received, asking for $7,500 in compensation.

I advised in the letter how to contact me and that if I did not hear back in 14 business days from the date they receive the letter, I would file suit for the damages.  That date is quickly approaching and I am prepared to file in IL small claims.

**Advice needed: Does my evidence sound good for a small claims case? If they don’t respond to the small claims suit and I win, how do I collect?  Whether they show up or not and I lose, am I penalized in some way?  Can they counter-sue for some reason anyone sees here?**

TLDR; I have too much free time on my hands and am suing telemarketer in small claims, mainly I’m concerned about what happens if I lose?

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 First you should check to see if your local small claims even hears/adjudicates disputes under the TCPA.  I don't know IL specifically, but their general [AG page](http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/smlclaims.html) doesn't have me sold.

You'd also have to check to see if your small claims actually has jurisdiction over the company.  Again, I know nothing of IL specifically, but generally small claims courts only have jurisdiction over defendants that reside in their geographical district.

If you decide to go forward in IL anyway and they don't show, it's likely because of your jurisdiction issue.  In that event, any judgment you do get wouldn't be worth the paper it's written on.

If there is jurisdiction, and you get a judgment, but there are no assets of the company in IL, then you would have to go about getting the judgment ratified in CA and go through collection actions there.


Title: [California] My dog bit another dog. Owner wants me to pay full vet bill which includes unrelated treatment.

Question:
My dog bit another dog. I offered to reimburse the owner for a vet visit and any costs related to the incident. We exchanged information and he left.
Next day he sends me an image of the vet invoice and I noticed that dental scaling was included. The great people over in [/r/askvet](https://np.reddit.com/r/askvet) helped me confirm that dental is definitely not routine when treating wounds, and they probably did it to cut costs. So I subtracted the dental since it was unrelated and offered to pay the difference which was still more than half the bill. The owner didn't like this. Saying I'm lucky he isn't already suing. That I caused his dog pain and trauma and that I should just pay the bill without even negotiating.

I know that I'm responsible for damages stemming from the attack and I would gladly pay for it, but I really can't afford to pay more than that since I'm paying out of pocket (unfortunately my homeowners insurance doesn't cover dog on dog). Isn't it unreasonable to make me pay for something that's completely unrelated?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 The other guy wants to sue you for the dog's pain and suffering?

What you did is entirely reasonable. Cease communications with this nutjob. Send him a "do not contact me again" message if you're so inclined. He will probably blow his gasket and make a lot of noise about suing. He may even spend $100 to have a lawyer send you a formal-looking demand for payment. Ignore all of this until you're actually sued. If that happens, explain what you told us. The judge will probably laugh him out of court.


Title: Super Speeder Ticket in GA under 21 help??

Question: Recently, I received a ticket for going 95 in a 70 on I 20 in Greene county, Georgia. I was planning on going to court and pleading NOLO. However I am 19 which means I would lose my license due to Super Speeder Laws. As a college student that commutes to school, I cannot plea NOLO because that puts my education in jeopardy. I called the probate court and she just said to show up in court because there was no way of working out a plea with solicitor beforehand. What are my best options? I've heard of people taking defensive driving beforehand to get it reduced? Should I just hire a lawyer? Will a lawyer even be able to help? In need of advice because I really need my license.

Answer: Get an attorney. You stand a better chance with one. But there will be some consequences here for you.


Title: Apartment complex removing bicycle from patio for not being in "working order"

Question:
I live in San Diego, CA. Just received a newsletter from my apartment complex saying that starting next week if you have a bicycle on your patio that is "not in working order," they will cut the lock, store it in maintenance for 15 days, and then give it to good will.

There was nothing like this in our lease, and we've lived here for 2 years now. Is this legal?

Answer: It would be considered general maintenance of the property. Broken bikes look like shit, and it's especially not appetizing to potential tenants.


Title: [IL, USA] Fired with no reason?

Question:
Hey guys, so this may seem really stupid but I honestly don't know where else to head to with advice. Today I just got a call from my manager, and she told me that the two owners told her to fire me. That's fine and dandy, except when I pressed for a reason as to why, the reason wasn't even really a reason. She told me that it was because they didn't want my mom to be mad about me working late (I'm still trying to figure what this means but ok?). I kept pressing but that was the only reason she had. If there was another reason I would have no idea what it could be since even yesterday they told me they appreciated my work there and valued me. I'm not really great at the law, but aren't you supposed to be at least given some sort of warning? I don't know but the whole situation seems very shady and fishy to me and I would just like to know if there's anything legally I should do? Thank you guys so much, I'm honestly really confused right now.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: You can be fired for no reason. File for unemployment.


Title: Genetic contributer repeatedly ghosts his kids [Ca]

Question:
I have 3 children. Their father and I are not together, and never married. My children's father, took me to court in June to establish custody, which we had agreed upon weekends. He didn't show up to the court date, and the judge awarded him an extra day, after school, he has NEVER ONCE called or shown up for. I work everyday, and go to school, and he continuously shows up hours late, or not at all. I live with my parents, and the task of watching my 3 children falls on them, constantly.
He won't communicate with me at all, I've downloaded and sent him info on a court text app, because he is blocked on my phone for being abusive, and refuses to participate in any conversation about our children. So he communicates with my mother, but is completely one sided, and doesn't respond at all if she's asking questions, or needs information.
I feel awful for my parents, because it is a lot to help raise 3 little ones, and they end up picking up the slack he doesn't care to. I want them to see their father, but everyone in my household has grown weary of this situation and him manipulating it without any recourse.
Add on question: we made a verbal agreement about child support ($400 a month) but he hasn't paid since June. I am filing on Monday once VIOLA systems are back online, are the kids entitled to back support? We are on a sinking ship here. Any advice is appreciated, and thank you for your time.

Answer:
 To be clear, there is no court order for child support?

Assuming no order, you can get back support back to the date that he is served with your request for back support. If there is an order for support, you can demand all the payments he has failed to make. Answer #2: You need to start keeping records of his failure to communicate or pick up the kids - if you want to change custody you'll need the help of a lawyer and documentation will help.

And you need to put an official child support order in place. The state can help with that: [http://www.childsup.ca.gov/](http://www.childsup.ca.gov/) . Do not make any more informal arrangements with him.


Title: My sister is in danger of being fired due to a random schedule change

Question:
Massachusetts

My sister is a single (Legally) mother, she and her boyfriend live together and they have two 11 year old daughters (One is his, the other is hers). Her Boyfriend has a very demanding job and works 60+ hours a week and so isn't home much during week days.

For several years my sister has had an arrangement where she is able to work from home during hours where the kids will be home so that she is able to take care of them. She goes into the office when necessary during mid day for any meetings/tasks that she is required to do.

Well recently her company was merged with another, and she has been placed under the management of a new boss who has decided that despite her being a productive and successful member of the company, that she needs to come in full time. This is impossible for her as there is no one to take care of the kids and she cannot afford to put them in daycare 5 days a week. They gave her two weeks to comply.

What are her options? If they fire her would she be eligible for unemployment even if the reason for her termination in that case would be 'Attendance'? There is no change to her job function and no practical reason for her to need to start coming in besides her new boss is a traditional 'butt in chair' type manager. If you're on unemployment does it make it easier to get mass health?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 It is entirely legal and not entirely unreasonable to expect an employee to be in the office during work hours. She may or may not be able to collect unemployment if she is terminated for not showing up to work.

Two 11-year-olds generally do not need full-time childcare.


Title: [Texas] Daughter has house on my property. House and electric is in my name. How to evict/make them leave?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Yes. You give her proper written notice which is likely 30 days. Then file legal eviction if she doesn't leave. Answer #2: Do not mess with the utilities. No matter whose name it is in, in Texas the LL can not shut off the utilities, even for non-payment.


Title: Living next to a noisy mill—and it's getting noisier.

Question:
I live in a smallish town in Michigan, about a half of a block from a somewhat large grain mill right in the center of town, bordering a residential area. There has always been a near-constant drone from their operations but it's been bearable. The mill really takes liberties and is not at all considerate of those living around it. There are big trucks driving through all night and left idling parked on the sidewalks, alarms going off at all hours of day/night, lound bangs from lids being let to slam shut, people throwing pallets around, etc. Yesterday I was woken up at 4:30am by people slamming around and couldn't get back to sleep.

Last year when they built a new building, there was a period of about a week where they had some sort of concrete dryer running 24 hours which was so loud that I wrote to the town hall office to complain. Nothing emotional or over the top, just matter of factly like in this post. About a week after I wrote them, my dad said to me "I hear you were bitching about [name of the mill]", which kind of alarmed me. They are a major source of income for the town and I'm sure are very cozy with the local government.

The noise level has recently increased dramatically, and I don't know what my options are for recourse. I am somewhat afraid of taking it to the city hall again and am wondering if there is some sort of state or federal agency that handles things like this where I can remain anonymous.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: I'm not looking for opinions about whether my complaints are valid or not. I'm looking for advice on how to find out if the company is breaking the law, and if so, what to do about it. That's it.

Answer: If you choose to live next to an industrial site, you get to listen to it. You can't expect anything differentAnswer #2: Ear plugs, white noise machine, better windows and insulation on your house?  You could try calling the police and filing a noise complaint, but there is a good chance that they have a zoning variance, or something, that allows them a certain level of noise 24 hours a day.


Title: How were police legally able to confiscate my skateboard?

Question:
Two times when I was growing up in the 1980s (in Oak Park, IL), police stopped me on my skateboard and took it away. Both times, I had to go to court a few weeks later and pay a fine (somewhere around $75) to get it back.

As I recall, I wasn't doing anything disruptive or unusually dangerous when they stopped me. Even if I was, though, how were the police just able to confiscate my property for weeks on end and hold it hostage? Isn't this being deprived of property without due process of law?

Details are slightly hazy due to this being 30+ years ago, but the basics are correct.

Answer:
 If you had to go to court and pay a fine, that tells me that you were doing something illegal, regardless of whether it was disruptive or dangerous.  Example:  Skating on a public sidewalk is often illegal.  Yes, those laws are often ignored, but they're still laws, and if the cop wants to enforce them, he can.

The skateboard, then, was evidence of the crime, and they're allowed to seize evidence and keep it *at least* until the trial is over.  They don't *have* to seize it, but they usually do.Answer #2: Years ago, a kid was skateboarding and grinded on a raised concrete flower bed near the local bank. He fell and broke the window of the bank. I had heard that he got a decent settlement from the accident. Months later , the downtown area had muncipal  No Skateboarding signs littered there. Anyone skateboarding had the board taken and a ticket in return.Answer #3: Where there any local restrictions on skateboarding? Where you on private property? If public, was it allowed where you were?


Title: Parent used my information while I was out of the country to get an apartment and now she says my wages will be garnished. I'm in Utah, what can I do?

Question:
My mother used mine and my sister's information to get an apartment because her credit is horrible. I'm 25 and apparently this happened a few years ago and I just learned that my wages will be garnished because of it. What can I do? I wasn't even in the country when this happened.

EDIT: I don't want my mom to go to jail for this. What can I do? Apparently there has already been a judgement on it.

Answer:
 File a police report and talk to a lawyer ASAP.

Be aware that doing so will likely result in your mother going to prison.Answer #2: You can either deal with it by paying for it, or you can let your mother face criminal charges. There is no magic way to make it go away without consequences.Answer #3: You don't want her to go to jail? Sorry, but if your mother used your identity without your knowledge, that's good for you in that you didn't knowingly participate in something illegal. However, it's bad for you in that your mother is— legally-speaking— a scumbag. I mean, it's inexcusable to steal anyone's identity, but your own kid? Really?
If you take this now she'll just keep taking advantage of you. Don't enable her. There's a reason she's got terrible credit and I'm sure that it's due to a lot of very bad life choices and I wouldn't be anything resembling surprised if they included substance abuse.Answer #4: If you don't want your mother to go to jail, the only thing you can do is pay it.Answer #5: This is identity theft. [Report it](https://www.identitytheft.gov/), contact the credit bureaus to [freeze your credit,](https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs) and [find a lawyer](http://www.utahbar.org/public-services/i-need-a-lawyer/enhanced-attorney-listings/) for the legal side of things.

Answer #6: I'm gonna second what was already said.

Call the police, file a report and talk to a lawyer.

If you don't you will have to pay or your wages will be garnished. And this will happen again. Maybe she'll open a credit card next...

It's time to grow up and stop being taken advantage of.Answer #7: You can pay the judgement and have this probably happen again. You can report your mother and dispute it (best option) or do nothing and let them garnish your wages.


Title: I just learned that the restaurant I work for cooks vegetarian side dishes in the same oil used to cook bacon. What can I do?

Question:
I work in Minnesota. The restaurant I work for cooks French fries and potatoes in the same fryer as the bacon, with no oil change. There is no mention of these sides containing animal products on any menus or online. Employees haven't been aware of this. I'm very concerned and angry that vegetarians and those who do not eat pork for religious reasons have been unknowingly ingesting it.

I want to take action, but I'm not sure how. The managers I've spoken to don't seem to care. I want to let people who have eaten these items know, and clue others in. I'm worried about legal repercussions. What can I do?

Answer:
 The people I know who keep kosher either do it all the way, i.e., only eating at certified kosher restaurants, or just live with the fact that if they're eating out, bacon molecules may have migrated onto their food at some point and don't sweat it.

I don't know about people who are following halal rules, and I do know that vegetarians can get pretty het up.

Is the restaurant claiming that these dishes are vegetarian/kosher/halal?Answer #2: restaurant deep fries bacon?Answer #3: You may want to edit your post

Per the side bar
>Posts or comments encouraging others to contact the media or to post on social media will be removed.


Title: My ex has kicked me out of our apartment. How do I get out of the lease?

Question:
Hello! I'm having a bit of drama concerning my ex boyfriend who I was still cohabitating with up until last night.

We live in Texas. Both of our names are on our apartment lease (which doesn't expire til the end of next summer). From what I recall, the lease is more of a "I'll make sure someone cuts a check" and not a "Party A pays $X and party B pays $Y" and there's no written agreement on how much we would each be responsible for. That said, ex's dad has a lawyer on retainer and I don't.

Presumably my ex wishes to continue his residence there, as he attends university nearby. So it wouldn't be getting out of the lease completely. What I'm really interested in is just getting my own name off the lease so I can't be held financially responsible anymore. My ex will not permit me to enter the residence, Nd I sure as hell am not going to pay for a living space I'm not inhabiting.

TL;DR: nasty break up. I was kicked out. How do I get my name off the apartment lease?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Your ex cannot kick you out of the apartment. The only one who can do that is a judge. You have as much right to be there as he does. Answer #2: So, realistically, you're asking how to voluntarily break your lease. The landlord is under no obligation to do so, but may take pity on you if you talk to him nicely. He's more likely to do so if you or your ex can give him a suitable replacement tenant when you speak with him.

Until then, each of you are likely joint and severably liable for the lease payment, meaning if he is short on rent, the landlord can come after you, even if you aren't living there.

If you want back into the apartment, contact the police on the non-emergency line and let them know your ex has performed an illegal self help eviction. Regardless, your boyfriend can't evict you: he's not your landlord and has no authority to do so.

If he threatens you, get a restraining order and get back in your apartment. Then he'll need to stay x number of yards away from you, forcing him out on the street.

Answer #3: Go talk to the landlord. That is the only way to get off the lease. All parties have to agree to it.


Title: Owner of bridal shop in Raleigh, NC bails in exit scam, stealing thousands from employees & brides-to-be

Question:
My sister is one of these brides, now without a wedding gown and out thousands of dollars because this owner and her daughter left the store and its employees with nothing. She has no idea what to do, and the owner filed bankruptcy to avoid any settlements regarding the thousands of dollars she stole. I don't understand how this crap can even be legal, can you really steal money, dresses and wages from employees and not be held liable? What a disgusting human being and ridiculous legal system.

Not sure what my sis should do in this situation, her wedding is in October and she is probably broke. I do know she made the mistake by paying up-front for the dress, but I'm guessing that was part of the owner's plan by persuading all these women to pay for their dresses up front. From what the store manager told my sister and other customers, the owner had been planning this exit scam for weeks.

Just hoping someone might have any information or suggestions, I feel very bad for all of these women and of course my sibling, and hope they get quick justice and can have weddings they are proud of.

Link to article:   http://www.wral.com/brides-in-limbo-after-raleigh-shop-locked-up/14797589/

Answer:
 Debts arising from theft are nondischargeable in bankruptcy.

Your sister, or preferably her attorney, will need to file a nondischargeability complaint in the bankruptcy proceeding as part of the overall strategy to hold the business and the owners liable for the money.


Title: (AZ) I got a concussion at work, and have been out for two months on workers comp. I am no longer able to perform my job, and I think I am getting fired tomorrow.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Absolutely get a consult with an attorney.

When you go in tomorrow, do not get upset, do not try to explain or argue, and absolutely DO NOT sign anything without having it reviewed by your attorney.


Title: (USA-CA) SO may be deported after a family issue at the border, should she be worried?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Immigration

Answer: She should always worry about being caught and deported. Doesn't sound like this has made it more likely.


Title: [TX] my employer holds your first paycheck until you leave the company

Question:
For example, the first paycheck you are supposed to recieve is held until the week after you recieve the check from your final week on payroll, is this legal?

**edit** to help clarify, I didn't recieve my first check until week 3 of employment

Answer:
 If what you're describing is that they pay somewhat in arrears - that is they pay on a pay date for the week ending a week before the pay date, that is both legal and common.

In that sense they're not "holding" your pay until you leave.  Rather you work two weeks, then they take a week to process the payroll, and then you're paid for those two weeks.  They're never holding more than last weeks pay, and that only to allow time to process the payroll and "cut the check" (or make the direct deposit transaction).


Title: Security clearance with a juvenile hacking felony?

Question:
I am a current Computer Science junior with a 4.0 gpa who was offered a dream internship at a big defense company. They need me to obtain a security clearance before I work there.

(~3 years ago) While I was in high school, I hacked into my school’s grading system and changed my grades. I was convicted as a juvenile and was sentenced to a year probation. I flew straight and never did anything stupid like that again. I ended up getting my felony expunged/sealed so I am legally able to tell an employer I have never committed a felony.

I scanned over the SF86 form and realize that I still have to mention my crime. However, the SF86 also has a specific section for Information Technology tampering, Section 27. So I technically have to mention it twice.

My Questions:

1) As of now I haven’t told my company that I have a record. Should I tell them? They are sponsoring my clearance, but I don’t know if I have to tell them because of my sealed record. I don’t want to tell them if I don’t have to.

2) Do I have a chance at getting a clearance? I fixed my mistakes, and tried to make everything right. My probation officer has nothing but good things to say about me and I have flown straight ever since. I realize I was stupid and have learned my lesson a long time ago.

Thanks everyone for the help.

Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 >1) As of now I haven’t told my company that I have a record. Should I tell them? They are sponsoring my clearance, but I don’t know if I have to tell them because of my sealed record. I don’t want to tell them if I don’t have to.

You're not obligated to tell your employer. You should mention it on your SF86.

>2) Do I have a chance at getting a clearance? I fixed my mistakes, and tried to make everything right. My probation officer has nothing but good things to say about me and I have flown straight ever since. I realize I was stupid and have learned my lesson a long time ago.

I'd wager most people who apply for a clearance have some form of blemish on their records. So long as you don't hide it you'll be fine.

Edit: I'm amazed I got downvoted for this. I work for a private employer who is a contractor for the DOE. We make nuclear weapons components, and we require all our employees to possess a top secret (Q) clearance. The employer is not permitted to know **anything** on your SF86. They are only permitted to know the status of your clearance and nothing more. Can they fire you for not getting cleared? Absolutely, but they can also fire you for taking a dump at 11AM instead of 1PM.


Title: Will I ever be able to own a gun after my PPO is up?

Question:
Just curious, after my 2 year personal protective order is up; Can I ever own a gun?

I’m aware I can’t own a firearm during these 2 years (4 months remaining). But am I actually restricted from ever purchasing one for the rest of my life? I can understand while during the court order but for life seems a little ridiculous. But the law’s the law. Like I said, just curious.

Thank you
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Location is not optional.


Title: NY - My airbags did not deploy

Question:
I was in a car accident and my airbags did not deploy. The car knew it was in a wreck as the engine automatically turned off and the emergency lights came on.

As I was recollecting myself after impact, I noticed smoke filling the car and the smell of gunpowder. I panicked and exited the vehicle quickly. Upon returning I found no deployed airbags. Is the car manufacturer responsible for any sort of negligence in this incident?

Answer:
 They're not designed to deploy in every accident, especially since airbags can cause some pretty significant injuries.

Were you injured because you hit your steering wheel or anything?


Title: My son fell at daycare and his 4 front teeth were caved in, his adult teeth may never come in as a result. He was playing on a hardwood play set in socks, because there’s a no shoe rule, can I sue for medical bills?

Question: We are in Wisconsin. The play set seems incredibly unsafe since it’s made of wood and they make him take his shoes off. He slipped and his gums hit the corner of a step. His front 4 teeth were pushed back 45 degrees. We went to the local children’s hospital and 6 hours later he has temporary braces, they don’t know if his adult teeth will be able to develop because of this injury.

Answer: sure, if you can prove they were negligent. Also a consideration, whatever agreement you signed, it may contain a "hold harmless" clause which might impede this. It is NOT a horrible idea to contact a lawyer and ask.


Title: Mandatory car insurance required in some states? What consequences can happen?

Question: So my friend just told me that he was told by his fathers insurance company, that since his address is listed as his father's and has a driver's license he needs car insurance. Even though he only obtained his license as a form of identification for school and whenever he gets into places that require ID. He was wondering if it was true, and if he didn't get insurance by the new year what consequences would happen? Since I'm not an expert I decided to ask reddit for just some advice since Google searching didn't bring us any luck. He lives in NC.

Answer:
 Most insurance policies require that the policy holder include all licensed drivers in the household. I'm guessing this is what they're talking about and things got a little twisted in the retelling.

I'm thinking Dad is realizing how much it costs to insure a newly licensed male driver and is asking for a contribution?


Title: I just got fired for going on Reddit

Question:
(some context, the job I worked was in medicine with patient information. Michigan, USA)

I was called into my boss's office and informed that I was to be fired for looking at Reddit, which I will admit is on a work computer and not all of it was educational. But I wasn't disclosing any information other than the occasional good job on the story or hey I have a cool idea lets see what other redditors think, and I was only on it when there was no other work to be done. But I never signed any forms other than my job application and my background check, and there was no formal training, only on the job and basically other do the job I was to be doing. I have a copy of every document I have signed and there is nothing in any of them about proper use of company computers. Can they fire me without any warning for this?

EDIT!

What I think is lacking in this is that I wasn't fired for being on the internet doing goofy things, they specifically fired me over reddit. Even though the firewall didn't stop me until my last day of employment, AND my coworkers doing the same job are frequently on sites like buzzfeed and local news, even going so far as to print out coupons on work computers. I just don't think its right I was singled out when it appeared everyone else was doing it without consequence. Don't employers have to give you a rules sheet before they can fire you for breaking them?

Answer:
 > Can they fire me without any warning for this?

Yes. They could fire you (absent a contract as caringexecutive points out) for *not* going on reddit. They don't have to warn you. Presuming this is in the US, and not in Montana or D.C.


Title: [Tennessee] Being charged with shoplifting [accessory to?]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Show up at the time and date. You are not required to say anything to the police without a lawyer present. If you cannot afford one, plead not guilty and a public defender will be assigned to you.


Title: us [TN] A car dealership ran 5 credit checks on my wife AFTER she cosigned for a car.

Question: So my wife cosigned on a car for our child. She asked the dealership how many times they would run a credit check. They told her once. About a week after we had already bought the car they called her and told her they had found better rates. When she went back up there she asked them again how many times they had ran her credit and the told her that they had ran it 3 times in total. It turns out they lied. They ran her credit a total of 6 times. Once for the initial purchase and 5 more times after the purchase now it is showing up on her credit. Is there anything we can do to get this removed? We about about to finalize a mortgage on a new house and don't want this to affect anything.

Answer: They were shopping her loan. It only counts as one hard inquiry. There is nothing to see here move along.


Title: [NJ] I broke engagement with my fiancee. Do I have any legal obligation

Question:
I got engaged couple of months back in New Jersey (I live in WA). Things did not work out between my fiancee and me and I broke up. She did not want to but I was not happy with the relationship. Do I have any legal obligation for breaking the engagement. I am fine with my fiancee keeping the ring but I really would not want her to take any legal measures against me. Doing due diligence for that.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: As long as there has been no payments for the wedding to vendors there should be no bills you might be responsible for. BTW, you can demand to get the ring back because the wedding is off.


Title: Got into an accident in someone else's car

Question: My boss loaned me his car to get around for work since mine was in the shop. I used poor judgement and drove it to a friends barbecue where I had three beers. I believed I was fine to drive, but I did not account for how sleepy I was. I crashed the car like a half mile from home, when the officers showed up I immediately asked for a breathalyzer, I passed it. But i still feel terrible, this was a case of me driving drowsy and there was no excuse. However, my boss wants to transfer the title into my name and have me pay him 10 grand for the car out of pocket. I know i messed up, but we both have insurance and I am willing to bear the cost of my idiocy.  Can he demand cash payment? He insists he will take me to court for business costs to the tune of $600 a day, even though it is a personal vehicle. This is in Maryland if it matters, I just wanted to hear what my options were in this case. Thanks in advice guys.

Answer:
 You were driving the bosses car with his permission.  You should be an insured driver under his insurance policy. The car should be repaired or totaled according to that insurance policy. Either way, you should only owe the deductible.

He can claim you owe him $600 a day all he wants. People claim all kinds of stupid crap daily. He'll need to prove that the loss of the vehicle cost his $600 a day to get that money from you.

Report the accident to your insurance so they know what is going on.Answer #2: I do not know if insurance covers drunk driving. But either way, yes he can sue you for the cost of the car. And he may be able to recover business expenses if he can prove that the car was used for business purposes regularly and that being out the car is costing the business. He is not required to use his insurance.


Title: Child visitation

Question: My husband has a son in California. A year after his mom took him and moved up north 8 hours away we decided to move to Arkansas because we just could not afford California. They have never gone to court just have an agreement she made 3 years ago that they got notarized. She is refusing to allow my husband to fly his son here and says we have to go there to see him. He’s going to start the process of going to court so all visitation is court ordered because they can’t not fight. Is there any reason the judge would not allow his son to be flown out here and for us to still have to go out there for every visit? I’m just curious and I can’t find any similar situation online

Answer: OP- Going to family court is the right step to get guaranteed visitation rights/terms for your husband. There are so many variables here though that /r/legaladvice is unlikely to be able to give you much guidance on what will happen in court. Retaining a family law attorney would be your husband's best bet to have the outcome he's looking for.


Title: Couple is splitting, one wants to sell the house, one refuses, what can they do?

Question:
Okay, so I know a couple, Tom and Layla, that have been together for ~3 years. They have been engaged for about 1 year and have a son together, as well as a house and a car under both their names. The car for this story isnt important as it is pennies owed compared to the house and the future of the baby.

All seemed well with the couple in recent weeks, sure they have their fights, but all is normal. They recently bought this house together in the suburbs of Detroit, about the same time the baby boy was born. The house seemed to be in good shape, until they found out it has structural damage that the sellers did not tell them about. Thus putting the couple in a financial bind that will later cause issues.

Recently, Layla came out of nowhere and said she did not love Tom anymore and wanted him out. Just a day or so after that, Layla was fired from her job. At this point, Tom sees a change in his wifes behavior, she is sometimes very aggressive and sometimes very happy (almost bipolar). (Tom has audio recording of layla threatening his life and his family (not the son)) But for the most part have been sharing the responsibilities evenly with the care of their son, and moving on.  At this point in time Tom thinks layla's father will co-sign the house and he will wash his hands of it.

Tom recently found out some new information on layla, he found out that she was a part time prostitute, had 5 abortions during their relationship, and even separate affairs. (e- Tom has proof of the prostitution via texts, screen shot links) Layla's boss had audio recording of Layla talking on the phone about all of this. Not to mention, Layla allegedly has a new man who promised to take care of her.

So at this point, Tom really needs to distance himself from Layla, he is filing for full custody of their son, and needs to sell the house. Layla refuses to sell the house, she doesnt care if it ruins her credit, as long as Tom gets taken down with her.

Layla likely wont make mortgage payments, and refuses to sell the home. Tom cant make the payments himself, doesnt want to make the payments and give Layla any equity, and doesnt want to destroy his credit by declaring bankruptcy.

What can Tom do to sell the home? How exactly will declaring bankruptcy help or hurt him in the short and long term?

Answer:
 **TL;DR:** Two people who are not married share equity in a mortgaged house, one wants to keep it and let it go underwater in bad faith, the other wants out.

He should leave and sue her for the value of the equity left in the house, and let her worry about how she's going to come up with that money. An interim order to prevent her from improvidently depleting the house's equity wouldn't be a bad idea either.

He needs a civil lawyer.


Title: FIL was exposed to chlorine gas at an indoor swimming pool. Looking for advice on how to proceed.

Question:
This is in Utah. My FIL went to swim laps at the indoor pool at the private gym franchise he goes to. After swimming for about 20 minutes, a gym employee came in and told him that the ventilation system was broken and he had to get out of there. There were no signage or warnings not to enter the pool area. My FIL went into respiratory distress shortly afterwards, gym called 911 and an ambulance took him to the hospital where he is now in the ICU. He is stable, and they think they can send him home with an oxygen tank in a day or two.

I'm not really sure how to proceed. Should we contact a lawyer right away, or should we wait until we know the extent of the financial and physical damage? Is a personal injury lawyer the right person to contact? Is there anything else we should be doing to create records of the incident, like reporting to the health department or filing a police report or something? I really appreciate any advice on what we should do. Thanks!

Answer:
 1. Document.

2. Speak with the gym. They should have insurance to cover this type of injury.

3. You should likely speak to an attorney because chlorine gas exposure can result in permanent lung damage.Answer #2: Also report the incident to your local health department. Health departments usually handle enforcement of regulations for commercial pools. Answer #3: He should get a personal injury attorney and maintain records of everything - hospital/doctor visits, bills, etc.


Title: Weird custody situation!

Question:
My ex and I were not married when our son was born. That being said, we were together and he is on my son's birth certificate and my son is legitimized.

Since my son's birth a lot has changed. My ex relapsed into heavy drug use (we are talking crack cocaine and draining my bank accounts/stealing and selling everything valuable I owned and borrowing money from my family to pay off his drug debts). Obviously we split. He is "trying to get clean" but honestly this is a long term pattern of behavior. He and I had only been exclusive for a few months when we found out we were pregnant and I honestly just had no idea.

We are friendly, attempt to "coparent". What that means is that he occasionally gives me a small amount of cash for diapers when he can manage to make it to work and I take our son to visit him in his town an hour away every two weeks or so. We do "fun things" like go to the zoo, aquarium, etc. he gets to bond with our son, he calls him every day and my son loves him and calls him Daddy.

Despite their somewhat relationship now- he has never woken up with him once. He has never been able to support him financially. He has kept him two times in the past 15 months he has been alive, the first time he was a newborn and I was in the hospital with complications from child birth- it was a disaster and he was calling me telling that he was leaving him in his crib until I got out of my procedure because he wouldn't stop crying and it was time he learned some independence... He was a week old.

The next and final time I had to work a 7 hour shift and he insisted upon being the one to watch him. He then let him cry for hours, he was only able to get him to take two ounces of formula the entire time (he was 3 months old) and his way of handling that was to keep trying to stuff now old formula in his mouth while he cried that would have made him sick of he did eat it.

He is getting better now, but it took a LONG time. And he is only capable of the duties of a "fun uncle".

So. My question is, if I die. I would like my son to go to my parents. I want my ex to be in his life, in the form of visitation the way that he basically is now. I want the default caregivers on the event of my untimely death to be my parents. How do I go about legally insuring that?

Edit: We live in Georgia

Answer: There is no way to really ensure this will happen. You can explain your wishes in your will but if he involves a court they will make a determination based on best interests which most often involves the court trying to keep children with their biological parents.


Title: What can I do in response to a pissed off fire chief

Question:
This just happened yesterday, but this as also been like a year long process in the making finally coming to a head.

My fiance health is hard to manage, and as a type 1 diabetic, he's still learning how to manage but when he goes low he can't seem to bring it back. It usually happens while sleeping, and at least 1 or 2 a month I have to dial 911.

Imagine having to make that call between 3 and 7 am, every month. It's scary. But I also can understand this guys frustration having to constantly show up to at out house, over the last year or so

On January 1st, 2018, he yelled at me. Outside in front of an officer, saying I need to stop calling 911 and to get his shit together, that he can't keep coming out here because this isn't what the services/emt's  are for.

I had a serious talk at that point because the guy scared me into thinking if I can't call 911 in an emergency when his sugar lvls are below 30 and he's in a state of unconsciousness and I came bring him around then we needed to figure out how to keep him from having future lows. And for 3 months we managed, or I shoved sugars and soda down him without calling 911 in the hopes he didn't choke on anything and I'd managed to bring him back around on my own. Yes, his doctor was aware of is frequent lows, but he's a PCP not a diabetic/pancreatic doctor.

YESTERDAY he went to lay down during his lunch break, he was normal, and 2 hrs later I grew suspicious bc he hasn't gotten back up and his breathing was loudly concerning. So I went to check on him, and he's in a dangerous state with blood sugar lvls at 20, and had been for 2 hours apparently from what the hospital told us. You bet your ass I dialed 911.

Not knowing who was on shift (how could I) this guy shows back up with his team, doesn't look at me, doesn't acknowledge me and just is overall upset. They bring out the stretcher, and say they are taking him to the hospital because they aren't gonna just give him a shot of sugar and leave, and it doesn't matter that he doesn't want to go to a hospital that's the recourse of our having to call at this point. I asked him to leave and I'll not need them if that's the case, he says he won't and he's taking him and I can't do anything about it at this point. The fire chief also said next time I call he himself will call the police, and I thought for What? It's an emergency, and I called an emergency services line

What do I do? I got his name and his supervisors name for one of the other guys on the tuck after I'd followed them to the hospital in my vehicle. What can I do or say in response to him wanting to call the cops? I understand he's frustrated but I'm frustrated waking up in the middle of the night to him almost dying. I'd love to say it won't happen again but there's no denying it will happen again.

Tldr; fiancee health is hard to control at times, constantly calling 911. Fire chief/paramedics are tired of coming out and threaten to start calling the cops if we call for help again. This is Miami Dade county in south Florida btw.

Answer: This isn’t really a legal issue.  The cops won’t do anything if he did call, but at the same time taking him to the hospital is likely the responsible thing to do if they have been there this much.  FYI, this isn’t normal, your fiancé needs to figure this out and get a better doctor of the current one cannot provide appropriate training and care.  Type 1 diabetics don’t all need to call 911 once a month, and having to do it regularly after a year of diagnosis is a strong indication that something else is going on or your fiancé isn’t taking it seriously enough.  In fairness the fire chief is correct to some extent, EMS isn’t for regular care, and that’s what this is becoming.


Title: [FL] [Custody] Can I prevent my daughter from being withheld from me this upcoming weekend?

Question:
My ex and I share custody of our 5 year old. The custody plan has been in place for a little less than a year, and I have a little more time sharing than he does. I haven't been with him since our child was a baby, and I have been in a stable, committed relationship for a year and a half.

I wrote the parenting plan to reduce conflict- we only communicate through OFW, exchanges are done at the child care center, and we have set times for phone calls to the other parent. Yet he has still managed to stretch the parenting plan to it's limits. So it needs more details.

Tonight, he has called me 55 times in the past two-ish hours in an attempt to speak to our child. Tonight is not a night for phone calls, per the parenting plan. Now, if he was reasonable, I wouldn't have a problem facilitating a phone call. But he interrogates 5YO on the phone, asks if she is following his "rules"/ keeping his promises, and is overall set on turning her against my bf. So I am not going to facilitate a phone call on a night not outlined in the parenting plan.

He's now sending messages via OFW saying "Karma will get you," "Just wait for Saturday you'll see," "You'll regret this," and the like.

My most pressing concern is that we are each supposed to have two uninterrupted weeks during the summer. One of mine is supposed to start on Friday. We had already exchanged messages about this over OFW and it was agreed upon. Now, he is telling me that he won't return her until next Monday night and that he is taking her out of town. I'm worried that I will lose this weekend that I have been planning for, even if I go to the courthouse tomorrow morning. Is there anything I can do to resolve this quickly?

Answer:
 Are your OFW messages shared with the court automatically?

There's nothing you can do until your visitation is denied. As soon as it is, you will go to the court and file paperwork to have him held in contempt. You can't do anything before that.

I suggest you send a calm, rational message on OFW reminding him that your agreed upon week begins at X time, and you expect the court order to be followed. Answer #2: If he does screw up your weekend, it will hurt, but remember that he is only screwing himself in the end.  The one weekend he screws you over can cost him a lot of visitation if you have him held in contempt then file to adjust the parenting plan in your favor.Answer #3: Take a lot of pictures of your kid before handing her back, so if he tries to give her bruises and then blame you, you have proof otherwise Answer #4: Just to clarify, your custody plan is officially done, through the court system?Answer #5: >Now, he is telling me that he won't return her until next Monday night and that he is taking her out of town.

/u/napalmentor is this parental kidnapping?Answer #6: my sons mother took my son away from me by going "out of town" for the weekend. That was 7 years ago. Now she is off the grid and untraceable. I feel for you if he does this to you.


Title: Credit Card Fraud

Question:
I fell victim to identity theft for the first time ever in the middle of November. Six or seven account were opened or attempted to be opened in two days in Maryland, where I also reside.  I found out right away because of credit monitoring through my bank and reported all of them as fraud. It wasn't too difficult you have all but one of them closed.

The account opened at best buy already had a 3500 dollar balance. I semt in the form they require with various info and they have deemed it not fraud. I callled them and they reopened it but quickly sent me another letter saying it was not fraud, citing "exact signature match" as the reason it was not fraud. I find this impossible to believe, especially because the other accounts were determined fraudulent. They are constantly calling about my missed payments. The account was opened with a shortened version of my first name, not something I would ever do. Could this be helpful?

My credit has been frozen already.

What should I do? I was a part of the Equifax breach so I imagine that is the cause. Is there a way to persue damages?

Answer:
 Ask for an image of the person making the purchase?

They have cameras everywhere in those stores.


Title: [WA] Roommates want me to tell Landlord I have vacated and pay rent to them.

Question:
I live in a household share with people on individual leases. Until recently I had been renting a room with my partner for a little over 1k a month; however, we both had individual leases for the space. Here is where things get complicated. My partner moved out and no longer lives in the space. I continued to pay my Landlord the specified amount on my lease, half of what the space was originally rented for.

About a month ago my roommates told me they had told the Landlord I had vacated and I should start paying rent to them. I raised concerns that I thought this would create an illegal sublease and remove many of my tenet rights, but they assured me it would be fine.
I kept paying my rent to my Landlord because I am not a tool: from my Landlord's perspective going along with my roommates plans would have been robbing him of rent.

Now my roommates are up in arms because I am refusing to pay them in and claim I've raised the rent. Additionally claim that if they have to keep paying the same amount they want the larger space, which is specified as the space I occupy in my lease and I don't really want to give it up.

It appears like there might be a lease for the whole house and a lease for individual rooms. How does this happen?

Questions Summary:

- Is telling the Landlord I moved out while continuing to live there illegal? I am guessing yes.

- Do my roommates have any claim to the space outlined in the lease I signed because they are paying more?

- How bad is this?

**Update from comments:**
Unfortunately for me the roommates were able to convince the landlord that was the one out of line and acting up. I kind of expected this as some of the roommates are expert manipulators and lairs.

Unfortunately for my roommates the entire fraud with me via text message. Sending off a time-stamped message to the Landlord was easy as pie. I image this will destroy any credibility left.

Finally, in the text the number of roommates is listed. The landlord promptly contact me and asked why was there one more person living in the house. This is unconfirmed but it looks like sketchy roommates had been collecting rent from another roommate the landlord never knew about to for a total of at least 9 months est $5,000.

Answer: Take this directly to your landlord and tell them how your scumbag roommates are attempting to steal his rent


Title: [IA] Using a known sperm donor in a state where same sex parents can both be on the birth certificate

Question:
So I am one half (she's the better half) of a lesbian couple. Like many couples, we want children. Unluckily, because of geography and the fact the the majority of Iowa is relatively rural, using legally clean, sperm bank sperm is difficult (frozen semen is typically less viable, shipping makes timing difficult, it costs over $800 an attempt just to purchase the sperm).

We're now looking into using a known donor. We will do a legal consultation and draw up a contract dictating terms of contact and if the donor is to be involved at all (ideally after 18 and no). In my state, we are legally able to list two women on the birth certificate. Does this mean we are legally in the clear (contract + birth certificate) concerning his parental rights and the state going after him for child support, should that ever be necessary?

Answer:
 You need to speak to a lawyer about this first to find out the specifics of the law. I do not recommend relying on the internet to give you accurate and up to date info. You cannot afford not to talk to a lawyer and have a lawyer involved in ensuring the rights of everyone involved.

In some states, that contract will not guarantee that the state would not go after him for child support. In my state for example, in order for sperm donation to be viewed as sperm donation, you have to involve a physician. I tried googling to find Iowa's stance but most of it was either out of state or related to the birth certificate ruling.

Paying for a lawyer is important. You do not want to find out the information is incorrect and someone loses the right to their child or the sperm donor is suddenly on the hook for child support. What if the sperm donor decides he wants rights?


Title: Dine and Dash

Question: So I recently (accidentally) dined and dashed at a restaurant. I realized I had forgotten my wallet at home, left without telling them, went to my house to grab my wallet and then came back and paid. Is this a crime? Could I be charged with anything? Thanks so much!

Answer:
 Dining and dashing is a crime (basically theft). However, given the fact that you went back and paid, the issue was resolved, and I'd be highly skeptical any prosecutor would charge this as a crime, given the circumstances described.

ETA: of course, if arrested get a lawyer. Also, if you forget your wallet again, try calling someone to bring your wallet to you instead of leaving. That'd be the best way to resolve that sort of situation.  Answer #2: That's not an accident- you did it on purpose.


Title: [PA] Cited for Public Drunkenness. Fine On Citation Was Incorrect.

Question: A few weeks ago, I spent the night in the drunk tank at my university's public safety. The citation I received indicated that I owed $35.50. I mailed in the citation with a guilty plea along with a check to pay the $35.50 which was cashed. Apparently the fine was something like $600. I just received a phone call from home that there is now a bench warrant out for my arrest because of this fine. Nowhere on this citation indicates that I owe anything beyond the $35.50. How exactly do I go about addressing this? Do I actually have to pay the fine even though the police officer screwed up the citation?

Answer:
 > Do I actually have to pay the fine even though the police officer screwed up the citation?

Yes, you have to pay the fine.  Your story is a potential defense to the bench warrant, and to any extra fines or interest, but it is not a defense to the original punishment.


Title: [IL] Child protective service confusion

Question:
To make an incredibly long story short I have a 7 year old daughter that for the last 3 years has primarily lived with her mother. We were never married and there is no formal custody arrangement but I am on the birth certificate and have been there financially and emotionally since day one. My child's mother has a history of addiction and my daughter lived with me for a year (between 2013-14). Her mom got cleaned up and seemed to be doing well and my daughter missed being with her siblings (ex has two other kids) and I felt comfortable letting her return. Things have been ok since then until about a month ago I got a call from child protective services saying she had been arrested. (just to note my ex and daughter currently live 3 hours from me but in the same state)

I immediately told the social worker that my daughter could come live with me and I have no problem keeping her indefinitely. I have the space and the resources (although I'm not rich I do ok). The social worker seemed happy to hear that and expressed concern about where my daughter had been living and my ex's ability to care for her. He said my daughter was being cared for by my ex's aunt and that they needed to have someone come do a parallel visit at my home and as soon as that was completed I could get her.

That was on a Friday and the social worker said expect someone Monday. That was a month ago. I've been calling everyday and was able to get the supervisor's number so I've been calling that too. At first they'd say they put the request in and someone should be coming any day. For the past 2 weeks they haven't answered at all. My ex was released on bail and from speaking to her I know the social worker has been setting up visitation between her and my daughter. They've (social worker and ex) have been in frequent communication. The social worker has also been talking to the father of my ex's youngest child (I know him and have spoken to him about it). I don't understand how/why I'm being left in the dark. I don't understand why I can't just go get my kid. But the social worker was adamant that I have to wait until the parallel visit is completed.

My biggest question is what can I do now? I continue to call and leave messages daily and no one responds. Is it true that I have to wait until this parallel visit before getting my daughter? I have no history with child protective services so I'm confused as to why I can't just go get my kid. I know she's safe with her great aunt but I'm her dad, I just want to bring her home. I'm also nervous that they're working with my ex to help her get her back. My ex posted a status yesterday saying she was in the final steps to get the kids back. Why would they give my kid to her? I don't feel like she can keep my kid safe right now. Should I file with family court and get full custody? Any guidance would be so appreciated.

Answer: You'll need to speak with a lawyer who specializes in custody cases/family law. The devil will be in the details.


Title: [Oklahoma] When can I run a red light if it is malfunctioning and not giving me a green?

Question: So there is one intersection near my house that if you are in the left turn lane and no one else is around it will never give you a green arrow/light. The street it is on intersects with the I-35 service road if that's makes a difference. I've sat there late at night for around 15 minutes before before I said screw it and went anyways. Since there were no other cars around it couldn't sense me for some reason and never changed. When can I legally go without getting a ticket?

Answer: Call whichever agency has control (city? ODOT?) and make formal complaint. They can't fix it if they don't know about it, and if you do get ticketed, a documented complaint may be helpful.Answer #2: Oklahoma has a provision for motorcyclists and bicyclists to run red lights if it fails to turn green due to a malfunction in the sensor, but I don't see anything about it applying to cars as well.Answer #3: You should report it to ODOT. Answer #4: I would be interested in the answer to this as well.  As a side note, to get it to sense you try this when you have some time. Try stopping about 15 feet in front of the stop line.  Stay there for 5 min, then pull forward 3 feet and wait another 5 and repeat. When you find the "sweet spot" remember it and stop there every time.


Title: My moms boyfriend (and daughters father) has been sleeping with prostitutes and the prostitutes have sent me screenshots of their conversations. Can I get in trouble for posting the screenshots online/to Facebook?

Question:
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: I cannot imagine why the prostitutes sent you those screenshots. It's probably not illegal to post them. But I expect that your parents will be none too pleased.


Title: Jury Duty Help

Question:
So, I have dual citizenship (US and Philippines). I have just been notified by my estranged father in the US that I was summoned for jury duty. However, I can not attend because I am currently abroad (in the Philippines, studying). What should I do?

*cold sweating/panicking rn*

Answer: Call court, explain issue.  This sort of thing happens all the time.


Title: I added our PDF brochure to our competitors USB's after a post office mix up. Threated being sued, Is that possible ?

Question:
So our competitors had a huge box of USB's sent to us rather than them with the intention of the USB's to be sent out to all their clients. I added a PDF brochure on to each USB then sent them back to our competitors. They sent them all out without realising my PDFs were on each one. Called this morning threating legal action. Do they have a case ?

Location: England

Thanks

Answer:
 Yup. Tortious interference.  I don't know much about law in the UK, but I know tortious interference exists, and you committed it, and you're about to get fucked in the courtroom.  You should head on over to /r/LegalAdviceUK and see what you can do to mitigate that as much as you can.

EDIT:  You'll also likely have to pay for all the thumb drives you ruined.  You're clearly a shady person, and no judge in his right mind would do anything but have the thumb drives destroyed and require you to pay for it.Answer #2: You need to have engaged a criminal defense attorney yesterday. Stop discussing this on Reddit.Answer #3: They will sue and easily win.

Hope you have a good lawyer.


Title: Laptop stolen, report filed, laptop located. What are my next steps?

Question:
First time posting here, wanted to try r/lawenforcement, but they only accept video/pictures or something.

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Before I place a phone call to the police (having already filed a report) referencing my report number, and providing them with the serial number and approximate location (corner apartment unit on one of several floors), I wanted to ask you guys if there's a better way to go about this. In addition to the laptop, the thief also took tools, all of my vehicle documents (insurance, registration, receipts from repairs, warranty information), and my roadside emergency kit (what the hell?).

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Yesterday, the officer I filed the report with essentially told me if I located my stolen property, I should go get it. I'm not exactly keen on going to the residence of somebody who steals from cars in the middle of the night (or somebody who buys a laptop from somebody who steals from cars in the middle of the night).

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I guess what I'm asking is: What is my best course of action in getting the police to retrieve my stolen belongings?

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Thanks guys, and my apologies if this is the wrong sub.  Any direction would be appreciated.

Answer:
 You should report your new information to the police. What action they may take on that varies.

You should also maintain realistic expectations that when the person denies having the laptop, denies involvement, and refuses a search, that may be the end of this matter.


Title: Job in my company open only to outside applicants: application was rejected based solely on the fact that I'm a current employee

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You have no caseAnswer #2: ~~Maybe they aren't willing to consider you because you have a hard time following directions and *providing your location*~~  If you're in the US this is not illegal discrimination.


Title: (PA) Stuck in a contract with a fraternity which is forcing me to pay even though I quit

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I've never heard of a fraternity not just allowing its members to resign if they asked to, but also the bursars billing through the school is unusual. Not illegal, just unusual. I'm an attorney now and was president of the largest house at a state school in undergrad, are you comfortable sharing the National affiliation of your chapter? can you afford to pay now register for all your classes and sort this out later? the legality of the chapter's actions depend on the terms of the contract you signed after initiations, the first step I'd recommend is a strongly worded letter from a local attorney, or most schools provide legal aid to students, see if they will do it for free for you!


Title: Too young to buy a lighter?

Question: Don’t know if this is the right place to post this as it isn’t a big deal, but i don’t know where else to put it. I didn’t know there was an age limit on buying lighters... but i just tried to buy one at the dollar store and she told me she couldn’t sell it to me because i’m under 18 (im 17) I mean i guess i could see how that seems sketchy because of weed and cigarettes and what not but idk was just trying to buy it for some candles and didn’t know there was a restriction on it

Answer: In most places this is more a matter of store policy and liability than actual law. It doesn't change the outcome for you, but it might mean you can shop elsewhere.


Title: A delivery truck swiped my parked car and left. Coworkers witnessed the hit. I got the truck's info and called them a bunch of times (still waiting for a call back...). The next day I went to go file a police report but was told it's too late because I moved the car.

Question:
My car was parked on a NY city street outside of my job. My coworkers were nearby and watched a delivery truck get real close to my car while it pulled in to park at a hydrant. I was parked right behind the hydrant. Coworkers couldn't leave their post but told me to check out my car and when I did as soon as I could at the end of the day, sure enough my car is scratched up on the bumper and paint is chipped off.
So I went over to the delivery site and asked them for the truck's info. They were very helpful and provided me with the info I needed. I googled the truck to confirm with coworkers this was the same truck. As soon as my coworkers confirmed the next day I called the company twice and was told I would get a call back. Nothing.
So I walked over to the police precinct and they were nasty and told me I needed to leave the car at the site of the incident and call 911 from there. Basically told me since I moved the car it was too late to file a report.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

Answer: If cops refuse to follow it up you'll need to file a civil suit in the small claims. Small filing fee. Ask your colleagues to write and sign witness statements as supporting documents.


Title: Need advice concerning my neighbor and their right of way before I go insane

Question:
A little background first, and I apologize, it is VERY long, but I BEG for somebody to read this because its starting to keep me up at night, and I'm about ready to kill someone.

My grandfather owned a farm in Pennsylvania for the most part of his life, and when he got older he decided to retire and sold it to a man and his wife (lets call them "Gary" and "Linda") in 1982. Now before he sold the farm he divided the land up so that he would still have a small 3 acre plot of land next to another acre plot that he gave to his sister to build a house on. When Gary was going over the papers for buying the land he was concerned about the driveway, because to get to the farm you had to use a driveway that was on the edge of the 3 acre plot and the plot he gave to his sister, which is about 300 feet long. He said he was worried that my grandfather was going to limit the driveway to 50 feet, i guess that was state minimum length for a driveway, but my grandfather assured him that he was not going to touch the driveway. So Gary and Linda moved in, my grandfather built a house on that 3 acre plot of land for himself to live in, and his sister had a house built on that other piece of land. Remember this is back in 1982, now up until 1999 when my grandfather died there was absolutely NO PROBLEMS. That is until my father decided to move in to my grandfathers house. Now at my grandfathers funeral Linda showed up (at this point she has divorced Gary and moved on to another boyfriend) and she asked my father at the damn funeral before my grandfather was even buried yet: "What are you going to do with your fathers land?" My dad replied, "I'm moving in." and she goes "Oh" and she sounded disappointed.

The first year my dad moves in we start having problems. I'm not going to elaborate what they were but they ranged from her declaring she owned three feet over the fence line to bitching about my mom throwing dirty dishwater on the road because it was, quote, "Creating a ditch in the road." Now naturally my father doesn't take bullshit so the moment she came down declaring she owned 3 feet of OUR property, the next decade or so was riddled with disputes. In these disputes she had threatened to go to a lawyer to make the road 50 foot wide, which we knew she couldn't do. Gary knew this too and told her several times (at this point she's been flip-flopping between her ex husband and her new boyfriend) so everything has been relatively OK, until Gary died, then her 1st boyfriend died, now she has this 90 year old boyfriend that I swear she kidnapped from a nursing home somewhere.

The last couple of disputes that we got into with her since Gary died she threatened to ONCE AGAIN to go to a lawyer and make the driveway 50 foot wide, and during the dispute my dad told her "Go ahead, but no lawyer will ever agree to it" And I thought he was right because my mom was a friend with the woman that went up to the farm and took care of Linda's horses for her and my moms friend said that she did indeed go to a lawyer BUT the lawyer said he wasn't going anywhere near the case because of how ugly it was. Well about a month ago I wake up to a couple of guys in orange vests walking the edges of our property, my dad goes outside and sits out the front door and asks what's going on, and get this HIS COUSIN is the one doing the survey for her and he says "Look all were doing is surveying the current property markers to make sure their in the right place" Well surprise! They were. So they packed up and left. At first we thought she was looking into the fence line like she complained about so many years ago, but a week later the same guys are back and this time they're hammering wooden stakes about 20 feet away from the center of the road on both sides of the road, my mom tells them to get off the property or she's going to call the cops, they say go ahead because they aren't moving until their done. At this point my mom goes inside and calls the cops and my dad comes out of his aunts house (she's 97 and he's 55, he usually goes up there everyday to to make sure she's still okay because she has dementia and denied the medication the doctors told her would help) and starts yelling at them to explain what the hell is going on. My dads cousin tells him their just surveying her legal right of way. My mom comes back out and tells him to back away and wait because the cops are on their way. The state cop comes out and talks to them at the bottom of the road (sounds more like he joking around and laughing with them) then comes up to talk to us. Long story short: the cop cant stop the surveyors from doing their job and she has a right to make the road however wide the surveyors tell her the stakes go. The cop tells us that we can dispute their survey if we get one of our own and it shows something different from theirs. Well thats just not going to happen because my dads on disability and we are barely getting enough food to support us to the end of the month, so a $500 survey is not going to happen. The cop says thats too bad I guess you'll have to bite your teeth and let her do what she wants. I would rather blow my fucking brains out all over the wall before she does that. The cop leaves and we are left here with about four wooden stakes on my dads property and my Great aunts property, which we had to put my dads name on the deed because Linda went up there with Gary years ago and for over an hour tried to persuade her to let them buy her property and let her live there rent free until she died. Now as they finish putting the stakes on our property my mom starts crying hysterically, and I look out our front door (which is about 25-30 feet away from the driveway) that bitch is putting a stake about two fucking feet out our kitchen door, I swear to god I was one step away from walking out there and choking the life out of her. That was about 2-3 weeks ago and the cop said she told him they weren't going to make the road wider they were just going to fix the road, if thats the case then why the hell do they need those stakes in the yard? My Great aunt said she's about to go out there and rip those stakes out of her yard, we told her that the cop said we couldn't because thats the property of the survey company and we could be charged if we did, but because she has dementia she says this almost every day.

God bless you if you took the time to read this, I have but one question: What the hell are we supposed to do in this situation?

EDIT: Forgot to mention the first cop told us that she had papers saying she can do what she wants and that she WAS going to make the road 50 foot wide because she needs to get "equipment" up the road. What piece of equipment is 50 foot wide? And even if she does have a 50 foot wide piece of equipment it wouldn't make it onto the main road that connects to the driveway because its only 33 feet wide.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 TL; DR:

You folks sold some *property* ~~road~~, with a right of way on the driveway.

The buyer is now trying to widen the driveway to 50 feet wide.

She had surveyors come out and put stakes in your land.

You're pissed but can't afford a surveyor.

So what I'm unclear about is what the sales contract actually said.  What do they own, what do you own?

Generally, private surveyors don't define the scope of land ownership.  That is done by the county, based on the sales contract, which usually includes survey data.

* edited for accuracy

** Edit #2:  Wow, downvoters on a TL;DR?  Without an actual substantive "you are wrong" response?  What is this sub coming to.


Title: What resources can I resort to to learn my full rights

Question:
I am an American citizen and I want to be informed on ALL my rights, both human rights & citizenship rights. Links or legal documents which fully outline every right I have would be extremely helpful.

Workers rights (legal grounds on being fired)
American Citizenship rights
Rights when it comes to the police
Rights when it comes to being asked to leave a business

Answer:
 >Links or legal documents which fully outline every right I have would be extremely helpful.

I wish someone had linked me to that magical document in law school.

What you are asking for doesn't exist. Answer #2: I will answer the last one. A private business can force you to leave any time.Answer #3: [This site](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/boundvolumes.aspx) should give you a good idea of the scope of your rights.  Read through some of the links there and come back if you have any questions.


Title: Need advice! Just got served a restraint order.

Question: My ex and I have been divorced for about three years. We would tallj almost daily about the kids. She started dating and I had some difficulty with that issue. And she asked the kids not contact me. I sent here some real nasty texts. And I immediately apologized. Should get an attorney?

Answer: Honor the restraining order. Get a lawyer. Stop acting like you have a right to tell your ex what to do and don't threaten or harass her anymore if you want the restraining order to go away.


Title: Sold my car and that night the guy got it towed!

Question:
Hi All. Here is the deal. I live in Illinois and sold my car on Craigslist on 10/26. I went with the buyer to change the title, but he didn't have proper identification for the currency exchange (foreign ID) and couldn't prove residency. At that point I filled out the transfer information on the title and literally signed over the car with the idea that he would get the info and go back.

I obviously took my plates with me, and he never returned to register the car, so he got towed for not having license plates (this happened in the early morning of 10/27)

Here are the documents I have in my possession and what I've done:
1. A picture of the signed title and all of his information (dated 10/26)
2.  A bill of sale dated dated 10/26 with both our information and the vehicle information
3. He paid in cash, but I have the receipt for the exact amount deposited into my account dated 10/26
4. A copy of my sellers report of sale (that I mailed that day to the Secretary of State)

Who is liable for the car? Do I need to fill anything else out?!?!?  I'm planning on filling out a release of reliability as well (thank you internet).

What else should I do? Can someone explain to me if I still own the car and am responsible for the ticket or towing.

 Please help!

Answer:
 NAL, but something very similar happened to me in MN, though not on the same day I sold the car.

In MN at least, if no one picks up an impounded/towed car, the lot can keep/auction the car to recover the cost of the tow and impounding.  No risk on the sellers end.

But without proof of ownership, the buyer (in my case) called me up and came over in a panic to get some extra documents signed or something like that so they would be able to get the car out of impound.

If in doubt, I would just call the local non-emergency police line and ask them.Answer #2: I believe that in most places you can go to the registry office and inform them of the sale. That way you aren't on the hook for any tickets the vehicle gets before the buyer registers it.


Title: Law Majors & School Questions

Question:
Hi all.

Im looking to major in the legal field. I'm pretty confused on the major process for it though.

Most schools have a "pre-law" degree, rather than a specific law major. Which makes sense, because law school comes afterward. My question though, is a pre-law "degree" worth it? I know that it's more of a focus, which kind of concerns me. I'm worried that it might be a rip off for me.

The type of legal profession I'd like to go into is a paralegal study, which a lot of schools don't offer. I like the idea of a paralegal more than a lawyer. Does being a paralegal require law school?

I've tried to google these and I can't seem to find a clear answer. I was hoping someone who wasn't a robot could help :)

My questions: is pre-law worth is? Or am I just going to waste my money on school, especially if I'm going to (potentially) be a paralegal?

Also, legal studies? What does that put one on track for? Would a degree in legal studies essentially be better than majoring in say political science or a pre-law focus?

Hopefully this wasn't too confusing!
thank you all.

Answer:
 Prelaw degree is bullshit.  Don't take it.

If you can, take a subject you can be truly interested in, that you think will stack well with law school.

Take any technical subject, like engineering or biology.

If you hate that, take a subject like accounting.

If you hate technical subjects, do something like theater.  Litigation is basically theater, so that will be useful too.

If you hate that, do something like speech and debate.  The research will be very useful.

If you hate that, do something like sociology.  Figuring out how people's brains work is really useful.

If that doesn't work for you, take psychology.

If that doesn't work, take underwater basket weaving, before you do prelaw.


Title: Does Castle Doctrine apply when a third party attempting to rescue someone from attack? (USA)

Question:
I brought this here for a more concrete answer after asking the question in another thread.  From my understanding, Castle Doctrine justifies the use of (potentially deadly) force when one is under the threat of death or serious bodily harm.  Does this apply if one is attempting to help a defenseless individual who is reasonably at risk of death or serious bodily harm at the hands of their assailant, especially if the danger is too imminent to wait for police response?

Since this is encoded on a state-by-state basis (by my understanding), what are the notable consistencies and differences we tend to see across the board?

I should mention that this is purely hypothetical, but it seems like a sticky situation worth knowing more about.

Answer: You are going to have to post your state. There are at least a couple states in the US in which there IS no castle doctrine and you have a duty to retreat.


Title: Blackmailed to pay vet fees

Question:
Before I go into this, I would like to say sorry for not being able to take care of this situation myself and give our dog the proper life it shoudlve had.

So... My parents own a dog and although they provide it food/water/shelter, they don't do much else with it. They call groomers in every few weeks but has never taken him to the vet. His eyes have gotten a bit foggy over the years from what I can tell.

A couple days ago, some cleaners came over to our house and one of them saw the dog. He asked my parents if they still wanted him and was willing to pay money for the dog. My dad didn't like the idea of selling the dog and after talking with the family, we decided it would be best to let him have it as the dog would probably have a happier time/life with someone who knew what they were doing.

Today, my mom received a text message from the guy saying he took the dog to the vet and ended up paying $800 for the vet fees (he did provide screenshots so i dont doubt he paid that much) and then proceeded to berate my parents, saying how horrible they were for mistreating the dog. He then said the police was questioning him asking for who the previous owners were and that this was a jail-able offence. He finally said that if we didn't pay for the vet fees, he would provide the information as well as blast our address/names as well as pictures that he took secretly in our home.

I completely understand asking for vet fees and we (my family) all agree that is completely understandable. What we didn't like was the way he threatened us and essentially blackmailing us for the money.

What would be the best course of action here?

Is this really a jail-able? I googled animal abuse/neglet and it was nowhere near that bad. We played with our dog, we fed him, and gave him shelter. We just never took him to a vet.

Answer:
 This isn't even "essentially blackmailing you"; this is **literally** blackmail. Contact the police.Answer #2: Omg. How hard is this. What state are you in?

I’m not trying to be mean but it varies so much by state I can’t begin to helpAnswer #3: NAL but if you don't give me money I will do XYZ is usually illegal. Illegal enough the police will act, I don't know. But save those messages. Also withholding information from the police in order to be paid money also seems pretty illegal.

Not taking a dog to the vet for routine care is not. If the dog was bleeding, had broken bones, or some other serious imminent threat condition a normal person could see from looking at the dog might be animal neglect/cruelty. If you are giving us the entire story I don't see any wrongdoing.

Do the screenshots provided give you any info on what the dog had done? Have you confirmed this with the vet?

Personally I'd get ahead of this and go to the police or even better a lawyer with the evidence of blackmail you have and see what can be done.

Other than that dogs are usually property in most states. Once he owned the property any bills are his problem unless he can prove you knowingly mislead him about the condition of the dog.


Title: Are privilege point-based application systems legal?

Question:
hello! i lurk here a lot and finally came across something at work that i felt the need to ask about. this is a throwaway & im going to try to be vague without leaving out too many details.

i’m a (20/f/UT) web developer at a university. one of the academic departments reached out to me with a very specific project they want me to build out. they said this was to make the application review process easier for them.

essentially, the form will have a behind-the-scenes point-based system running. when we were speaking about it in meeting, i just assumed it would be like a tally to see who has met the most requirements and gotten the most experience, etc. then last night I got an email with some sample questions.

* Ethnicity: (White = 0 points, anything else = +0.5 point)
* I attended high school in an under resourced area or my high school has low graduation rates. (Yes = +0.5 point, No = 0 points)
* English is my second language. (Yes = +0.5 point, No = 0 points)
* I am a first generation college student. (Yes = +0.5 point, No = 0 points)

got a weird feeling in my stomach when the email said “We will NOT publish the points values and applicants should not know that these values exist.”  is this okay? i might just be looking too into it but something just feels off.

thanks guys

Answer:
 Your university very likely has a legal department.  It might behoove you to swing by and ask them about the legality of this based on your location and type of university, since you didn't provide that despite being asked multiple times.

At face value, it is fine.


Title: [NY] My college busted me for shipping fake ID's to the school. The DMV is now in custody of them. What happens now?

Question:
Basically I made a bad decision sending the fake ID's to the school but they ended up opening my mail without my consent, is that legal? I called my university police department for a status on the case and they said they sent the four ID's to the DMV and they can come and arrest me at any moment's notice (or they may not). What should my course of action be here? Should I get a lawyer? Are they allowed to open my mail? Is it illegal to have fake ID's shipped to you? Any advice would be appreciated.

Edit: "Is it illegal to have fake ID's shipped to you?" - By this I meant does the burden fall all on me since it was in my mailing box or would I be in lesser trouble if I would have hypothetically sent it to one of my friend's mailboxes? Will I in trouble because I placed the order or because it was in my mailbox?

Answer:
 Did you really just ask, "Is it illegal to have fake ID's shipped to you?"?  Are you currently taking any prescription medication?

Sorry about that.  It's just that a question like that deserves the internet equivalent of a bucket of water over the face.

More seriously, yes of course: you need a lawyer.  And you should consider what you say on this SubReddit.  It's possible that some of what you wrote could be construed as admitting to performing acts that are outside the bounds of the law.  So you should keep that in mind.

Now as for the "can they open my mail?" question: usually not, but it's going to depend on so many things.  Who opened it?  Cops?  Did they have a warrant?  If they didn't have a warrant, could you have agreed at some point with the university that they could go through your mail?  These, of course, are complex legal questions that a lawyer in your jurisdiction should be researching.  So contact one.  So you should be talking to one and NOBODY else in the meantime.Answer #2: >Is it illegal to have fake IDs shipped to you?

Yes. Yes it is.


Title: Legal services as an employee benefit, worth it?

Question:
Hello,

I have the opportunity to sign up for legal services as an employee benefit through ‘Hyatt Group Legal Services’. It’s $15 dollars a month and I’m debating with myself. It’s pretty cheap, but I have a very tight budget. In this sub’s opinion would I be penny wise and pound foolish to decline this?
Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 I’ve been a hyatt attorney for several people, and like any other insurance, it’s great when you use it but most people never will. Answer #2: We used it for one year specifically to get a will drawn up.  I can’t remember how much we paid per month, but it was cheaper that route.  Answer #3: If you're on a tight budget, where 15 dollars can make a difference, I'd have to say no.  Most people don't ever really need legal service, and it's not worth sacrificing necessities.  (Assuming you don't get sued, divorced, or arrested very often.)

If, on the other hand, you spend that much on coffee every couple of days, then by all means, get it.Answer #4: I've had a couple of jobs that offered this but I don't know anyone who has actually used it--of course, they might have been using it for stuff that they didn't want to confess to the office.  Personally I wouldn't bother--the services you're paying for are generally pretty limited anyway.Answer #5: Without knowing what your plan offers, we have employer provided legal coverage, and it's been great. We've primarily used it for estate planning, but coworkers have used it for traffic tickets and it's easily paid for itself that way. We had a dispute with our mortgage lender at one point. They made an error on their end and wanted us to make up the difference. I probably could have fought it myself but it was resolved much faster with a quick phone call to a lawyer and one email.


Title: [RI] Told I was free to go by University police, hit and run charges filed

Question:
About a year ago, I hit a woman who walked out into the street from between two parked cars. I was able to slow down considerably before actually contacting her, and she appeared to be uninjured. An ambulance was not called for her, and she did not note any injuries. An officer witnessed the crash, and spoke with both parties. After confirming that the woman did not need any medical attention, he told me that I was free to leave. I was shaken up, but my wife and I expected nothing further to come of it.

Yesterday, my wife saw a woman in my driveway taking pictures of our car. When she went to confront her, she said that she had been hit by a driver about a year ago and believed that it was the same car. It turned out that this was the woman who I had hit a year ago. I left work to come and talk with her at my wife's request. The woman said that the officer who told me I could leave was not, in fact, a police officer and that he was actually a university security officer. After I had left, the woman had approached an actual police officer and filed a report for hit and run.

The woman said that she had experienced anxiety and PTSD from this incident and had been seeing a therapist twice a week for the past year in order to cope with her symptoms. She asked for a large sum of money in order to help pay for these bills, and said that she would be telling the police that she had identified me and found where I lived if I did not pay.

After doing a bit of research, the university in question has both a university police and a university security force. The police division is made up of sworn officers, but the security division is not. Both wear police uniforms and are distinguished from each other by the color of their uniform patch (red for police and blue for security). It was a university security officer that I spoke to at the scene of the accident. I'd like to know what next steps I should take in addressing this issue. Although I have sympathy for the woman, her claim that she attended a year of intensive counseling to "deal with" a crash where she was uninjured seems to reek of bullshit. At the same time, though, if there is a hit-and-run charge filed this could be a huge deal. I told the woman that I would call her after speaking with my banker and have her phone number. I'm not really sure what the best way to proceed here is. Would it be best to pay this woman the money and hope the situation goes away, to go to a police station and turn myself in, or some other action?

I'm sorry for the wall of text, but I haven't been in this situation before and really have no idea how to proceed. Thank you in advance for any advice you have on this topic!

Answer:
 > She asked for a large sum of money in order to help pay for these bills, and said that she would be telling the police that she had identified me and found where I lived if I did not pay.

This is extortion, and is illegal. Properly documenting this can only help you. I believe Rhode Island is a one-party consent state, which means that you are allowed to record any phone calls.Answer #2: First of all, if the cops press charges, you will be against the state, not her. You will pay your fines to the state, not her.

She can file a civil suit, but until then don't give her any money.Answer #3: Sounds like you need a lawyer. You need to contact your insurance ASAP. Answer #4: Oh wow a year later and she hunts you down to try and extort money out of you? how lovely. Do not pay her amything and if she does go to the police report her for trying to blackmail you. As for the hit and run claims, try to find the campus poice officer or contact the department and see if there is any report/record about you that day. IIRC if you hit her on campus property the campus police (may) have full jurisdiction so he would have been within his power to take reports and allow you to leave.


Title: [NM] Name Change of a Minor

Question:
I have sole, legal, physical custody of my toddler. The father has been estranged since our child was 3 months old, but is court ordered to pay child support.

I recently asked the father to consent to change the name of my toddler to match the surname of my family since I have now married and have a new baby.

This is where things get complicated. The father's attorney just notified me that he objects to the name change but will agree to an adoption.

I would totally go the adoption route, but right now I am not working to spend time with my new baby. My family benefits from the extra money from the child support.

Some advice with moving forward is appreciated before I meet with an attorney regarding getting the name change, but also keep the child support flowing in before we start the adoption process.

Answer: You have two choices; Go through with the adoption, change the name, forfeit child support OR don't go through with the adoption, keep getting support, and the last name stays.


Title: Florida - Is it possible to legally have DCFS keep a 17yr old

Question:
Hello,

At the beginning of the month my step daughter (will be 18 before the end of the year) made allegations of sexual abuse against my SO. She spoke to a counselor at her school. They in turn contacted DCFS.  She was brought to a family member's house for a few days while they tried to find her a place to stay during their investigation. She was then moved to a group home and has been there since.

This is her 3rd attempt at allegations since she has been in Florida, she also made 3 other allegations while she lived with her mother in California. All allegations have been proven false. She has been diagnosed with multiple mental illnesses, and is on medication for them. She also receives disability money from social security because of these.

At this stage we don't feel safe having her in our home for fear of doing anything wrong and starting this process all over again. My SO also has significant health issues (mostly heart related) and the stress of these things can actually kill him. Is there anything we can do legally that can prevent DCFS from returning her to our house when they have finished their side of things? (The sheriff's office has finished their part of the investigation, we are now just waiting on DCFS.)   We understand that no matter what happens we will have a financial obligation to her, we just can't face her living with us any longer.

Thank you for reading.

Answer:
 As parents, you can place her with any relatives or anyone that's willing to take her in. However, like you noted, you would still be required to provide for her. You could send her to some form of military school or reform school. Answer #2: Is her mother in the picture?

Can you afford an in-placement school for her that works with mentally ill children?