Title: I’m a photographer and my photo was used on social media without permission and without being credited to me.

Question: A few days ago Swae Lee of the rap group Rae Sremmurd liked one of my photos I took of him at a festival. Yesterday he posted that same photo to the group’s Instagram without crediting me as the photographer. At this point the photo has 25,000 likes and all I can do is comment on it saying I’m the photographer. I’ve messaged them asking them to credit me or tag me in the photo and I’ve gotten no response. Do I have any legal recourse?

Answer:
 You can report it to Instagram.Answer #2: You can have the photo taken down through instagram on the web. You need to google "instagram copyright".

You're going to be fighting a losing battle trying to get credit for this from someone who willingly stole your photo. You're likely not going to see anything of monetary value from an instagram post, especially one that already has garnered the likes it is going get.Answer #3: At this point send a dmca and then send an invoice. Next time watermark your stuff. Theft of photography and art and becoming increasingly commonAnswer #4: ....you could also just comment “hey credit the photographer” and have your people tag you in the comments a bunch. This is how we get things credited when they won’t respond to messages. It usually works. It’s only slightly pushy, and generally artists respect artist. But there has to be more than just one comments tagging you for it to be noticedAnswer #5: If you uploaded it to facebook you've given them limited ownership rights, which allows other facebook users to share the photo. Instagram is owned by facebook.

You will unfortunately have to put in a DMCA takedown request which will have the picture (and all its likes) removed.
https://www.facebook.com/help/190268144407210?helpref=uf_permalink

https://help.instagram.com/454951664593304


Title: My friends and I made a joke Tinder account of our rude classmate and she’s threatening to get police involved. Are we in actual danger?

Question:
For context, we included her Instagram and Snapchat usernames in the Tinder account. The joke never meant to get out of hand (idk if she’s lying or not). Are our actions a punishable offense?

We live in North Carolina if it matters.

Answer:
 You cyberbullied her while doxxing her at the same time. I'd say you need a lawyer. Answer #2: > The joke never meant to get out of hand

But did it?  What happened?  Were there threats?  Could a reasonable person think there were threats?  What happened is critical to answering if there is any chance you committed criminal offences.  Don't tell us, stop talking, if the cops show up refuse to talk to them without an attorney, don't give them access to any electronics or consent to any search at all.Answer #3: That kinda sounds like it could fall under identity theft. I don't know much about law and if being a joke matters though.


Title: I found out my mom is cheating on my stepdad, which he said is the only reason he'd ever leave her. I'm trying to figure out if what she said about divorce settlements is true.

Question:
We live in Ohio, and my mom said if my stepdad found out she was cheating he would get a divorce settlement and not a disillusion.

She told me he'd get half of everything she owns - her savings, her retirement fund, and most importantly the house. She'd have to sell the house so she could give him half of its worth.

The thing is, they've only been married for two years. She makes house payments to the bank, but she's not renting. We've had this house for 17 years, so I feel like he would have no right to get any of it since he only moved in two years ago, but I don't know if that's how the legality of it works.

They bought two cars during their marriage, and he's a car salesman so they came from his place of work. How would this factor into the settlement?

I'm going through a lot, so my mind is just flooded with confusion. I tried googling this stuff, but I think information attuned to my situation would be the most helpful.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: You should not be involved in this. It is between the adults who made and broke vows. However, it is unlikely that after a two-year marriage, your mother's husband would get half of her assets. It is more likely that he will get half of their marital assets, including half of the home equity that accumulated during the marriage (house bought for $100K in 2000, worth $180K when they married in 2015, now worth $185K when they divorce in 2017 means that $5K of the house equity is a marital asset and he gets $2500). If she has been paying on a house for 17 years she likely has enough equity to borrow a small percentage to pay him off without having to sell the house.


Title: Wife filed ppo (USA) and now we have been secretly talking

Question: She initiated talking I was respecting the ppo. But we talked today and trying to figure out is there a way to void a ppo without her going to court? Is the only way to have the ppo disappearto legally go to the judge?

Answer:
 So what happens when you inevitably piss her off and she contacts the police saying you’ve been contacting her in secret?

Leave her alone until she can go to court and request to have the order dismissed. Answer #2: Don't violate the ppo is the correct advice here this could get you in a lot of trouble.


Title: Stalker [NJ]

Question: I am 23, female, and about 110 lbs soaking wet. I live alone in the city. There is a man at my job who has been harassing and sort of stalking me for almost a year. He's bigger than me, he's a lot older than me, and I'm pretty sure he's either completely unstable or trying to get fired in the most fucked up way. My job is to answer phones. He calls my job from blocked numbers and hangs up if it isn't me. He used to call and say gross stuff. He then started calling to say scary stuff. I've seen him follow my car before. He gets behind me, follows me for a bit, waits for me to get good and freaked out and get on my cell phone, and then inexplicably turns around and goes the opposite way down the same road. I've gotten flowers sent to my job a couple of times. He used all of my information to order them online, and the flower company needs a subpoena to release the credit card information so I can't prove it that way. They always have these strange notes with them. We've only ever proven it through ways that I feel like wont hold up in court. We moved his lunch hour and the calls moved with it. Literally back to back, for a straight hour. After that, managers sat down with him and explained that they had proved it like this and he better knock it off. He flipped, said this was slander and cried lawsuit. My job is terrified of getting sued. My GM actually pulled me aside at one point and said "cant your boyfriend or your father just handle this?". The detective I spoke with was pretty real with me and he did try. He basically said it's damn near impossible to trace these calls. I read the creep my police report number over the phone and he left me alone for a little while. Now he's back. Last week he started calling from a blocked number again, to tell me I'll be receiving a subpoena in the mail soon. Called my detective and he has no record of it, thinks the dude is just trying to scare me. He realized I'd called his bluff and started calling more frequently, asking if I'm "ready to talk about all of the lies I spoke" about him. I can't have panic attacks at work anymore. I've been really really trying to stay out of court with this because I'm completely broke and having to convince a room full of people that I'm being victimized while some terrifying man screams "lying bitch" is literally my worst fucking nightmare. I'm at a point where I'm ready to do that though. I want to feel safe. My job is doing nothing. What are my options here? I've heard that you can only get a restraining order in New Jersey if you lived with the person or dated.

Answer: You can always go to court as a pro se plaintiff in a temporary restraining order request after speaking with the police.  With a TRO, if he continues to commit any of the activities you laid out, he may be subject to criminal prosecution. I'd speak with your detective again and see if he can get you into a TRO judge for the case.


Title: [WA] Animal left in vehicle for over 48 hrs

Question:
EDIT:GREAT NEWS. The owner contacted his friend from jail and had him come pick the dog up. The dog is now safe, in good health, and in good care!

Earlier today I found a dog (black lab) that appears to have been abandoned inside a vehicle, parked in a public parking lot that I am responsible for. To my knowledge the vehicle and dog had been there for approximately 24 hours. After reviewing surveillance, the vehicle arrived almost 48 hrs prior and no one has been back to the vehicle. There is no food or water for the animal inside the vehicle, and the dog has endured two nights of below freezing temperatures inside the vehicle. I contacted the local law enforcement and asked they respond. An officer and a lieutenant arrived and looked at the dog. They said the dog looked just fine to them and it wasn't in any danger, and they left.

 I later learned that the owner had been arrested shortly after arriving (by the same agency) and was being held in jail on felony charges. I called dispatch and requested the Lt contact me and I received no response. I then later called again and requested an officer make contact with me, and was told that officers were tied up but one will contact me. And here it is, now 8 hours later, and no officer has contacted me.

Animal control will not respond, due to a jurisdictional issue. The towing company refuses to impound or transport the vehicle with an animal inside. And the local police dept apparently refuses to become involved. I am at my wits end.

My understanding is it would be against the law to just take the animal from the vehicle myself and take it to the shelter... But that's pretty much my only option I'm seeing at this point. What, realistically, can I do?

[Here's the poor dog](http://i.imgur.com/pCV7s4R.jpg)

Answer:
 I'll assume you've already exhausted your options calling the local police non-emergency line. Call your local department/precinct and talk to the desk officer. If he doesn't help you just keep going up the chain. Be calm and polite, but firm.

If you absolutely can't get any action out of the cops raise a stink. Call the local rescue, call the news, call the Mayor. Sooner or later someone will shift the boys in blue off their asses.Answer #2: Here's what I'd do.   This is a dog, and he looks cute and in danger.  I'd assume the risk for the smashed window, and save the dog.  It's $100 at the most, and totally worth the risk of having to pay.

Leave a note for the owner, I doubt he'll make you pay since you saved his dog's life.  The dog is old, judging by the grey hairs, this guy was riding around with his dog, he probably sees it like a family member like I would.

In fact, OP, go smash that window and save the dog.  If the owner makes you pay, contact me here, I'll paypal you the money for the window.Answer #3: Not a fan of PETA & its ilk, but this is when you want to call in the crazy animal folks.  Because someone needs to break that window and rescue that poor dog.

Can you call a local shelter (rather than animal control) and ask if they can help?


Title: EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS

Question:
So I moved into a new appartment little over a month ago and I have 4 registered emotional support cockatiels.  After some back and forth between both the body corporate and the resident manager reguarding the issue they said that I cannot keep them. Is this a form of discrimination? Even though it is in breach of the by-laws or are they in full right to have the cockatiels removed.
QLD, Australia

Answer:
 > So I moved into a new appartment little over a month ago and I have 4 registered emotional support cockatiels.

What do you mean by "registered"?Answer #2: What, you didn't want to go all in with peacocks?


Title: Possibility of me staying home on disability; I want to use my 2 acres with a horse stable as side income, how would I go about this legally? [MA]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Sounds like you are capable of working and not disabled.

As long as you claim all your work and invoice with the disability department I guess it is fine. They will decide eligibility.


Title: Police harassment (United States, KY)

Question:
Okay so me and my wife divorced about 4 months ago and I decided to get back out there and date around. I found a really nice girl on POF and went out on a few dates and learned that she was in the process of divorce and her ex-husband works for the local law enforcement. I also found out it is a nasty divorce and he is being extremely vindictive. She had been harassed by them...being stopped multiple times in the same week with no charges, being followed, Etc. but said it had stopped.

We stopped dating, but yesterday an unmarked police car followed me home and parked a few houses down and sat there for a while. I thought this was strange because I live in a very out of the way place. After he left I texted her and asked about it, and turns out the same car was following her around that day, and also followed her home, a 20min drive away (she works in the town I live in). She told her divorce attorney this morning and after he contacted the police they had nothing on record about the car even being out. She has an attorney to protect her....but I am worried I have been targeted as well. How do I protect myself? What are my options? I live in a tiny town known for it's corruption and I'm afraid to poke the bear too much.

Answer:
 How do you know it was an "unmarked police car?"

Did you get a plate?

Because otherwise, it's possible you saw a car, and she saw a similar car.


Title: Breast feeding mothers law

Question: Hi everyone. I need some advice. My direct supervisor at work told me that she has been monitoring how long/ how often I pump at work. I am the only one that she does this too (4 other women pump where I work and I spoke with all of them). I plan on having a meeting tomorrow with my administrator to talk about this as I feel like she is singling only me out and it makes me uncomfortable, but would like some advice on laws, questions to ask, materials I can bring ect for tomorrow. Also, this is in the state of Alabama. Any advice would be welcome. (If I'm over reacting please let me know. I just dont know what to do.)

Answer:
 Are you being punished for pumping? I doubt there's a law barring her for simply monitoring how long/often you pump.Answer #2: It's not inherently discrimination to keep track of your pumping breaks. Why did they say they were singling you out?Answer #3: I'm not understanding the problem.Answer #4: Does your company have more than 50 employees?

How long/how often are you pumping?


Title: My ex-husband says he's moving back to my state. He has a history of abusive behavior. How do I keep him from having access to our son?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If a court ordered him to get anger management, then he does have a record.  You need to find these documents.  They are proof.  They might not be enough to cut him off from his son, but they are enough to start a record.

You need to lawyer up and petition the court for what you think is appropriate.  Expect this battle to take a long time.


Title: Want to get legally divorced (US marriage, US citizen, Thai Spouse). Not sure even how to approach it (where,what,how).

Question:
So I'm a US Citizen, I have a legal wife (separated) who is Thai. We were legally married in the state of Tennessee. We lived in the US for 9 months. As of now, she lives in Thailand, and literally has no means to get a VISA to enter the US (She would get denied since well basically the US Consulate in Thailand denies everyone who doesn't have work/school related approval or isn't middle class at least.).

So, how can we be legally divorced. We were separated a year ago and have both moved on. We both want to be divorced legally. I actually decided to give her half of my money anyway since I was the one who left her. I basically paid her half my savings (not a huge amount) over monthly payments 7 months.

Also, we are on OK terms and even quite friendly terms over the past year. Now, I don't talk to her so much since we have moved on but she is game for doing/signing whatever to get this done with (she has a new boyfriend and maybe future husband and I have a new GF and future wife).

Also, I am currently located in Thailand. So I would be able to meet her at the US Consulate. Finally, the US consulate doesn't offer *any* advice at all. You have to go there with your papers 100% in order before they will touch or say anything. They have a garbage list of lawyers in Thailand but it's actually just a random list of lawyers with many scammers in it (law is much more dodgy here). Finally, those guys handle Thai law.

A few ideas I have heard of so far though, but it all is kind of vague to me so I'm not sure what would actually be needed:

* Can she just sign/mail paperwork from Thailand to get divorced? If so that would be best.
* Get power of attorney so that I can act through her legally in the US. But this sounds dodgy/questionable in and of itself. This would allow me to get divorced in the US without her being there. But if that's the best way what else can I do? OR, get a third party (another person besides me) to have US power of attorney for her so that she can efficiently get divorced in the US without having to be there.
* Bring some paperwork to the US Consulate, get it notarized, and send it to the US?

Answer:
 You can't get divorced in the US with one party using a power of attorney. Most states have residency requirements for filing a divorce and neither of you are currently a resident of any US state.

I believe that leaves only the second option if you don't plan on returning to the US anytime soon. (seek a divorce in Thailand according to their laws).Answer #2: Divorce is in the place where you are resident, not where you got married or where you have citizenship. Thai law and courts have jurisdiction here.

Also, to get divorced in most places, you must have been resident for some period of time (commonly a year), to prevent forum shopping and the like (ie one party moves to California and files for divorce in order to take advantage of the community property rules)


Title: Spouse broke in held a knife to me said no one gets out alive last night. Now trying to force a short sale of our home. 100,00 in equity

Question:
Texas.

Spouse out earns me by double. Just found he has not paid the mortgage in 3 months. Trying to force a short sale (mortgage is not in my name , house has joint deed).

I have been living in the master closet with a dresser barricading the door for several weeks, after he broke the lock on the master and removed the door. He had been living in a room on the first floor. we had been trying to finish renovations on the house. Half of the second floor is subflooring at this time. Tile and carpet are onsite, but not installed. I have been trying to find someone to do the work cash at closing, but have been unsuccessful. The realtor tells me this is a $40,000 difference in listing price. I have $400 left to my name as the rest was earmarked for our daughter and in   a joint account, which he not only drained, but overdrafted 400 yesterday. BOA let him take the money from the ATM knowing it would overdraft.

He has left the state for business, will be gone at least 4 weeks. I stupidly resisted calling the police despite escalating violence and clear indicators of eroding sanity (hears voices, claims I caused a stroke from 2000 miles away) for a number of reasons. We have been married 24 years, I didn't think it could get this bad. When I suggested help he threatened any EMS or police and started making paranoid comments about "taking someone out." When I tried to reach out to a divorce lawyer and filled out  the form online, I did not hear from the law firm, but did get an email from an address I didn't recognize with the information I had sent attached and a threat that I should not pursue this avenue.

He has broken bones, threatened me, choked me, and calmly explained that I caused it. Even to the point of saying I broke my own hand. He tried to get me to help him cut his own jugular or to call the police so they would shoot him. I refused. I did finally file a report with the police, and will be at the courthouse Monday for a protection order.

My mother died recently, my dad is dying, I don't have anyone to turn to. I took out a loan from my 401k several months ago and sold my car, the proceeds went into the renovations. If he forces the short sale I don't know how I will get a divorce, a car, a place, or back on my feet. My job is fulltime, project based. currently no job for the next few weeks. $925 every 2 weeks from unemployment. I have no access to his funds. I am continuing to work on the house and am working on continuing education as I have an expired teaching licence. Until recently spouse traveled for work about 11 months a year, I was sole parent to a high maintenance child, and caring for my mom. Child is a recent high school graduate and lives elsewhere for the moment. The point is, I am working to fix the financial reality. I am an educated professional and a bit disgusted with myself that I allowed this to happen.

Maybe some of that is not relevant, i'll admit I am not thinking clearly. Fundamentally, what can I do about the house???

Answer:
 Call a women's DV center/hotline -- they can answer many questions for you and steer you to needed resources like financial help and lawyer referrals, etc. Answer #2: Please note, the police are involved. I am not thinking clearly, and I am sorry if the post is not well organized. I really need help finding someone who might be able to give me advice regarding the sale without a 5,000 retainer, which I don't have. I can hardly buy a gallon of milk at this time. I was trying to provide context.

I have read enough threads where this community was very helpful to think it was worth a try, and I am desperate.Answer #3: You need an attorney.  Full stop.


Title: Not guilty of shoplifting. Please help.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > I gathered some items to purchase and placed one in my purse because I didn't have a way of carrying it all

...at which point in most jurisdictions, you're considered guilty of shoplifting, as you're in the process of discovering.

> I walked out of the store.

...at which point you're guilty of shoplifting in *every* jurisdiction. Answer #2: >  I had no incentive to steal, especially since I was using my boyfriends wallet.

Lots of people who have money to pay for what they are stealing still steal.

> The policeman said that he would document that what I told him and that the charges would most likely be dropped given the totality of the circumstances

The police will say anything to keep people calm and not go berserk and cause a scene.

> what now?

Hire a lawyer if you want to fight the charge. You may be eligible for a first time offender program.

Did the hospital tell you to go home and rest? If they did, it was for your own good and you should have listened.Answer #3: Yes, you should get a lawyer. Think of it as an investment in your future.  You will be much better off if you can avoid having a conviction follow you around.

And don't talk to the police anymore, they aren't your friend. Answer #4: First time youthful offenders often get into diversion make-it-go-away-with-good-behavior programs - - It would be worth your while to at least chat-up a crim defense lawyer (I would hire one).

Drugs-Made-Me-Tote-In-A-Purse is a probably not a good defense here (most places have baskets/carts, yes?)... Hire a lawyer and get into a diversion program.


Title: Boss routinely paying us late, and lately not at all

Question:
Ok so I'm a short-time lurker and first time poster, never put up a post on reddit before and no one I know personally are involved in law, which brings me here!

I live in Perth, Western Australia and I work for a company as a wedding videographer and editor. It's great fun and I love what I do but our boss is a bit disorganised. (Scratch that; he's out and out a bad person but we're here to talk about paychecks and not the other stuff).

I work casually, generally three days editing and one wedding to shoot per week. Boss doesn't process payslips for all of us but so far he's at least been consistent with me. When things are running normally, we get paid on a weekly basis. One problem is that we may sometimes go a week without. The following week isn't the sum of the outstanding paychecks, but only the next one up, so when he does get around to it, we're not caught up, we're still a week behind.

This month has been particularly bad now, and the consistency is out the window. Some of us are still getting paid on time, on a weekly basis, others like myself have just been forgotten about.

The week ending the 19th of March is still an outstanding payment despite the fact I have the payslip for that week. I've been paid for the week following (ending the 26th) and had nothing else so far.

I've stressed to him and reminded him that I need him to pay me, he acknowledges his mistake and promises he'll get right on it, but never does.

I really wanted to look at some legal options before kicking up a storm in his office demanding my money and if anyone was wondering, I am searching for another job. The man is condescending, rude, childish, far from professional and possibly a psychopath.

One more important detail; one of his former employees discovered that he hadn't been paid a cent of superannuation over his five years of working there. He had plenty of evidence and paperwork to make the case, took the boss to court and somehow lost. It's a watered down, second hand story but I was wondering just how that's possible?

TLDR; Boss missed a weeks pay, and has yet to pay me for last week, I brought it to his attention three times, he hasn't done anything, asking politely isn't going to work. What are my legal options?

Answer: /r/auslaw and find a new job


Title: Is this illegal???

Question: I have a question about apartment landlords. So a few weeks ago I guess someone was parked in front of my neighbors garage I live in a duplex. It was not me or anyone I knew. The next morning I had someone ringing my doorbell aggressively saying it was maintenance so I hopped out of bed real quick and ran down there it was some guy and the 2 lady’s that work at the leasing office. They were threatening me saying they were going to charge me and have my car towed along with the other car. Which my car was not in the way it was in front of my garage. Is this in any way illegal? 1. For them to express they are someone they are not and 2. For threatening me for something that wasn’t my issue

Answer:
 1)  Nothing illegal in this case.

2) How could they know the car had nothing to do with you without asking?


Title: Disputed a $32.00 parking ticket, now owe $120 and am being told I have no more recourse unless I pay $200 for a hearing

Question:
Location: Philadelphia PA.

September 2018: I had a job interview in the city. Every parking garage was full so I decided to park on the street. When attempting to pay for my parking validation via a kiosk, I was met with a network error after inserting my card. I tried another credit card and was presented with the same error. I ran down the block and tried a second kiosk. Same error. A lady approached me from another block over and asked if I was receiving network errors. It was obvious at this point that the system was down.

The job interview was in a federal building where phones were prohibited so I did not have it on me to take a picture of the network error. I instead went back to my car and wrote a hand written note on the windshield explaining the situation. Upon returning to my car after the interview, there was a ticket on my windshield (along with every other car parked on the street).

I then submitted an appeal online outlining what had happen and explaining why I feel that my ticket should be forgiven.

May 2019: I receive a letter in the mail saying from the Philadelphia Parking Authority Adjudication Department explaining that my appeal was reviewed by an adjudicator and was denied with no explanation given why. I had 30 days to send another appeal and was urged to send it via certified mail. I sent it a week before the due date. Through the USPS website, I saw that multiple delivery attempts were made and that no one was there to sign. It was not until after the due date that the letter was delivered and signed for.

Shortly after the due date had passed, I received a letter in the mail explaining that my second appeal was denied due to being received past the due date and that my only option left was to go to City Hall to request a hearing. I took a day off work and went to City Hall and learned that I had to pay $200 to request a hearing. They further explained that at this point, there was nothing left I could do except pay $120 for the fine or $200 for the hearing.

My question: Are there any people in the government who I could contact about this? It almost feels like I'm a victim of the racket and there are a lot of unfair things about this situation. I'm living paycheck to paycheck and $120 is not a drop in the bucket for me. Would the news be interested in a story like this or is this just so common that no one would care?

Answer:
 Contact your state's attorney generals office.Answer #2: Contact your state representative too, or city councilman or equivalent.Answer #3: Legally you should be in the clear since official docs sent by mail are postmarked from the date they're registered at the post office. So even if the office receives it after the due date, it counts as being filed in a timely manner.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/7502

Is there a direct contact number to the dept? You might want to try to speak to someone there otherwise, your best bet might be to contact a local representative for help.


Title: Is Child Porn illegal when we are both underage?

Question:
so me and my gf are both 15.

if we exchanged nudes, would that be illegal?

also we live in germany
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer: I don't know about Germany, but in the US, if you and your girlfriend send each other a nude, that's six felonies for each of you.Answer #2: Leaning towards yesAnswer #3: I don't know about Germany, but it's super-duper illegal in the US.


Title: 20 year old male got a dui back in October and I got a mip today on the river what advise?

Question: The dui was in Arkansas I live in arkansas I got the mip today in Missouri just wondering what's going to happen

Answer:
 Stop drinking until you are of legal age.
Stop drinking and driving forever.Answer #2: Are you still on probation for the DUI ?   Is it supervised or unsupervised probation ?   Did the terms of your probation prohibit you from committing alcohol-related violations or any other crimes (they always do) ?

A Missouri minor-in-possession conviction will result in your driver's license being suspended for 30 days.

The way they do this when you don't have a Missouri driver's license is that they create a "driver record", then suspend *that*, then report the suspension to your home state, who then suspends your actual driver's license.

That's the probable mechanism by which your probation officer (or the probation office, if it's unsupervised) gets notified that you violated probation.

The most likely outcome is that your probation and license suspension will be extended.   It's unlikely (though maybe possible) that your probation will be revoked and you'll have to serve a short jail term on the DUI.

All that depends on you getting convicted on the Missouri charge.

Because the stakes are higher for you as an Arkansas probationer, you should hire a Missouri criminal defense attorney to help try to plead down to a lesser offense (littering is popular) so that you avoid the conviction.


Title: [TX] I am another target of an ADA lawsuit troll

Question:
Hello everyone. I was recently served papers that I, and my business are being sued by a plaintiff who is represented by an attorney who has a record of suing businesses who aren't fully ADA compliant. Looking at the papers, these people are pros. The attorney has an article about him where he even talks about being proud of the legal fees he collects from lawsuits going to settlements. They take measurements of every fixture, doorway, and ramp and document it in the complaint. They are very well versed in ADA law. The person isn't even a customer of ours. I vividly remember them coming in. I came and opened the door for them, then cleared a path in the dining room to make it easier for them to navigate to the restroom. They were in the restroom for a bit, then left. I'm pretty sure they only came because they knew it was an old business in an old building and they were sure they would find something. Side note: I was pretty sure that we were grandfathered into old building codes that made it so we didn't even have to be ADA compliant (advice regarding that would be cool).

Have any of y'all ever heard or dealt with anything like this? This comes as a shocker to us. It's disheartening that there are people like this in this world.

Answer: You need to hire a local attorney. That is really your only option here.


Title: [NJ] I was contacted by a lawyer in Australia who said that I share a surname similar to her deceased client and that she wanted to talk to me about how I was entitled to his estate?

Question:
The man's surname is shorter than mine, and I have never met either him or the lawyer or have heard of their names.  Another vital thing to mention is that he apparently died in a car accident ***a couple of years ago.***

I was born in and grew up in New Jersey, and I have never visited Australia before, so I am not exactly sure how they managed to find my email? Maybe by searching up my name, but again I have never been contacted by these people before.

I have received a total of 3 emails from the lawyer. The first one her introducing herself to me, the second one is a PDF of a letter that talks about all of the details, and the third one is exactly the same as the first one, as well as the most recent email I have gotten. I have only replied to the first one, which was what led to the lawyer sending me the second email. I have not checked to see if her law firm is genuine.

What exactly should I do here? The only time I responded was to the first one asking her what she meant, only for her to send me the PDF letter. I have not responded since. I don't need to get law enforcement involved as long as I don't do anything right?

I also wanted to know if I can upload screenshots of the email into the post? (I've already blurred out all personal information in the email)
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer: Ignore and move on. It’s a scam.


Title: (FL) I'm underage. My "friends" are threatening to call the police on an older guy I slept with, and I have no idea how to handle this.

Question:
I slept with someone a couple of times (I'm 17, he is 23). I understand this is illegal but I didn't expect that a friend of mine would go out of her way to attempt to get him in trouble. I don't feel that he should get into any legal trouble at all over this and don't want to be involved in this situation. Willingly sleeping with someone a few months younger than 18 is not deserving of a life-ruining charge.

A girl I was very close friends with (let's call her C) suddenly starts telling strangers about our "relationship" and making up things about him, and telling me she wants to call the police on him for sleeping with me.

While C is telling me that she wants to have this guy arrested for someone unknown reason, apparently she has been telling tons of people about it as well, and over exaggerating extensively. She has a history of making up lies often, I might add. I had a person I've never met before send me Facebook messages threatening to turn my "boyfriend" in to the police, and saying other things about him that were apparently made up in great detail: "C told me he's 26 years old and does heroin. He's not safe you know, it'd be better for someone to turn him in." "I know you guys have posted videos of you having sex online too." (none of those things are true). Apparently she has been telling people all of these things about him for a while that are completely fabricated, she's always said she hated him but they've never even spoken before.

Now, I'm not sure how to handle the situation if she/someone actually did call the police. C is manipulative, a compulsive liar, and has serious mental issues that I had discovered over time. She has made up several elaborate, hurtful lies about people I know in the past, which is why we haven't spoken lately. But, considering this guy did sleep with a minor, I'm afraid that they may actually call the police for whatever reason and get him into trouble.

So, my questions are:
Would their word be enough to have him arrested for this?
Can any of you provide any tips on what I should do, or in the worst case scenario, what to say if the police contacted me?

TL;DR: A knowingly delusional "ex"-friend of mine telling everyone she knows about me having sex with a man who would legally be considered a sexual predator (I'm 17, he's 22) and threatening to call the police on him. Not sure what to do.

Answer:
 Florida appears not to criminalize sexual contact between someone under 24 and someone who is 17. Answer #2: Florida has instituted so called "Romeo and Juliet" laws: [Florida Statute 794.05](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0794/Sections/0794.05.html)

(1) A person 24 years of age or older who engages in sexual activity with a person 16 or 17 years of age commits a felony of the second degree

It lowers the age of consent to 16 if and only if the other partner is between 16-23.

If it outside that, there's nothing you can do. Your partner has done something illegal and they know that. The laws are there to prevent minors from unfairly being exploited, which is a legitimate public policy concern.Answer #3: you're likely fine.

http://www.ageofconsent.com/florida.htmAnswer #4: Others have commented about the Romeo and Juliet statute, so I won't dive deeper into that. If the cops get called and question you and your former partner, **DO NOT** talk to them without a lawyer present. Just say, "I exercise my right to remain silent." and leave it at that. Do not pass Go; do not collect $200; just stay quiet and refuse to answer questions.


Title: Work place harassment?

Question:
A year ago a new janitor came into the yard that I had to train. Since the first day she has been saying nasty things about me, either to my face or to co-workers who inform me of it later, such things include:

Im a worthless piece of shit
Im a fat lazy piece of shit
I don't do my job
she had to train me to do my job eveb though I was here longer.
she has to come back and clean up after me.

Since our shifts now intersect at the end of the night, she has been asking me the last time I cleaned a specific area, if I actually did anything tonight and more.

In top of that, she was asking various foremen why I still even work in the yard, that because of my points I should have been fired a long time ago.

I have personally told her to stop and to leave me alone. She told my foreman I was harassing her. I have spoke to my foreman about this twice and nothing has been done, even though they say they told her to leave me alone. I have complained to my union who has also not done anything about this.

I am posting this now because she purposely got up and held the door open for me, simply so she could make a dirty remark about my person. I am sick abd tired of this, I feel she is creating an aggressive work enviroment. I have at least 4 witnesses to her behavior, its getting to the point I want to punch her in the throat.

I talked with my foremen about this and they assured me that there were no problems and to ignore her, but she is purposely going out of her way to bother me.

Would I have any case filing for work place harassment?

Answer: No, people saying mean things about you does not constitute harassment unless it's due to your membership in a protected class, which it's not.


Title: Summoned to court in Barcelona, from the UK and a victim

Question:
So earlier this year myself and my girlfriend were victims of attempted robbery in Barcelona whilst on holiday.

The guy was caught and 2 days later we had to go to the courts and give a statement. (With the guy sat directly behind us...) We then identified him in one of those witness parade thugs behind the one way glass.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and my girlfriend received a summons to the court hearing. For some strange reason, my name isn’t even mentioned in the summons, only her? Failure to appear can result in a €5000 fine.

Is there any way we can get out of this, statement over video link or something? It seems ridiculous they would make us travel all that way when surely there are other means of getting our sides across?

My girlfriend struggles with depression and anxiety and this really is the last thing we needed after other issues here at home non-related.

Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.

Answer:
 I doubt we have anyone here that knows spanish law.

you could try the spanish embassy, or the british embassy in spain, or contact a spanish lawyer for a phone/email consult.Answer #2: Try r/legaladviceuk


Title: [CA]-[MO] Assumed 1099 employee do I get a meal break? 8+ hour shifts, pregnant.

Question:
Hello!

Sorry if this is long, just trying to convey all the information!

Just trying to figure out a bit more information if I have any room to demand a short meal break legally or not before I push this issue any further with HR.

I live and reside in California. At the beginning of the year, I was hired by a company that's main office is located in Missouri. The company sells merchandise at various show locations around the world (US/Europe/Asia/Aulstrailia etc). I work shows locally but also have been flown out to nearby states to work conventions to sell their merchandise.

When I was hired I was told I was verbally told I was a 1099 contractor- but after researching a bit it seems that can be a very grey line in the first place. (When I receive my paychecks I receive a Earning Statement and believe I will not be issued a W-2 later in the year.)

When I was first hired, I asked about what meal breaks are provided. And was answered verbally stating that "we do not give them, because in most cases your very busy working all shift" These shifts typically last all day normally starting around 9am-6~8pm. I also asked about bathroom breaks, and was stated you can take them but your liable for the merchandise if you are the sole seller present. (This was red flag number one but I wanted to try it out regardless-I didn't mind bringing snacks testing the waters.)

Shortly after being hired I found out I was pregnant. I continued working but soon realized the no full meal and just snacks policy and bathroom breaks being frowned upon wasn't going to cut it later in my pregnancy. I notified HR of my pregnancy situation and asked if I could be provided with **one 30 minute meal break** during my upcoming conventions as I would be 5 months + pregnant at the time. *Big surprise I got NO response.*

I worked my next convention and notified the other sellers along with an employee they had sent from the main office to 'observer' what could be improved upon. This particular convention required manual labor under 107 degree weather outdoors and no extra precautions were set in place. I survived but I wrote a much needed complaint to HR again linking them with OSHA heat guidelines and asking this time to ensure my next convention I could be guaranteed one 30 minute meal break during shift.

The response I received from HR was great! Until I got the second email...

> Hi [NARIKO],
>
> Thank you for sending me this information. I will work with [OTHER HR STAFF] and [CONVENTION SELLER LEAD] to ensure a safe working environment. They should be getting the contract to you shortly if they have not done so already. Please notify us of any changes regarding the ability to perform Seller work functions, this is definitely an active position and we do not want any complications to be incurred.
>
> Regarding your concerns:
> Weather Conditions: We train and review how to set up and take down for conventions to allow you to prepare accordingly. During warm weather, indoor breaks may be needed as well and ensuring you have enough water to get you through the day. This is why we allot & reimburse for meal expenses.
> Communication: The Convention department is always working hard to improve & streamline communication within the team and via contractors. I will bring this up during the department meeting to ensure that all contractors are given ample time to prepare for travel arrangements.
>
> Thank you and have a great day!
>
> HR Manager

I saw this as I woke up and thought great, but thought great- (I had been told we would not be reimburse for food and another complaint I had was that I was only informed LESS THAN 24 hours my flight arrangements. So I was planning to readdress this in my response... But then I received this about 30 minutes later...

> [NARIKO],
>
> In my previous email, I mentioned meal expenses, this is not something [COMPANY] reimburses for. We allot for meals within our pay structure. I apologize for the miscommunication.
>
> In terms of a 30-minute meal during the convention, that is not something we can guarantee. Many Sellers bring food and water with them to ensure they are able to eat during the convention. Due to the unpredictable nature of conventions, meal breaks are unable to be preplanned.
>
> Thank you,
>
> HR Manager

I'm at a bit of a loss. I bring snacks already but my main concern was that I notice becoming nauseated (even in second trimester) if I do not eat a meal every 4-5 hours (I mentioned this in my original and follow up email to HR).

I've looked online through California's OSHA/ Independent contractor laws and it looks like I may not actually be one? I also know that Meal and rest break in California requires a 30 minute meal break if your shift is over 5 hours. What I don't know is if I qualify under this as being deemed by the company as a "1099 contractor". I assumed 'yes' just because I've worked conventions before as a volunteer and they were required to follow these laws without pay. But maybe its different?

I'd love if someone could point me in the right direction or if I can even fight on this one for my next few upcoming conventions. I'd like to specifically link HR these rules if possible if they are indeed required to comply legally.

I also don't know if being pregnant changes anything if I do fall under 1099 (looks like no... but I thought I'd bring it up). So I guess some quick info that may be relevant in determining course of action:

* Company's main office is located in Missouri
* I was hired / currently reside in California.
* I work mainly in California but have also worked in various nearby states.
* My contract neglects to mention anything about meals or breaks in it. (its just not stated at all)
* The first time I worked with this company I was "trained" (had an overseer).
* I do not bring any of my own devices to work (pens/cards/ipads/checkout software & devices/advertisement poster). This is provided / shipped to me by the company to my working destination.
* Shifts normally are 9am-6-8pm but solely depend on convention.
* HR has been notified of me being pregnant not once but twice (first time was either overlooked/ not recognized).

Can I do anything about this? It seems silly that I cannot be guaranteed ONE 30 minute meal break during an 8 hour shift. Or am I shit out of luck?

Thanks!
[edit: put this under Employment Law but I have no idea if that's actually the right flair for this topic]

Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 I thought that if the employer can set your shifts, and mandate breaks, you cant be considered a contractor.  OP IANAL  but i dont think youre legally a contractor but are a w2 employee by law. If so your work could owe a bunch of taxes for misclassifuing you and not paying the taxes employers have to payAnswer #2: >  was verbally told I was a 1099 contractor- but after researching a bit it seems that can be a very grey line in the first place.

It isn't a grey area. It's a very clear definition.

If you do not have control over how you conduct your job duties you're not a contractor. The IRS goes into this in a fair amount of depth [here](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15.pdf).

MO law **may** apply for breaks here, but that's also a weird area, and depends on where you primarily do business, not the company. For some rules they can declare MO as the state of law, but I'm honestly not sure how that applies to mandatory breaks in CA v. MO

Honestly the statement of your duties and the company's influence in your duties is vague, but I tend to doubt someone is a contractor in situations like this. Answer #3: Sounds like you're likely an employee, not a contractor.  You don't bring your own tools and your company sets where and when you perform your work.


Title: [Missouri] What are some legal professions or hobbies that I can take or do without a degree in law?

Question:
Ok so very wide question here. I've had a fascination with law for the better part of 7 years. I'm not prepared to quit my job and seek a profession in a legal field but I would like to explore it more as a hobby. I'm wondering how I could go about exploring the legal system and legal professions without having a law degree.

Is there some weekend paralegal work I could look into or perhaps something else I could find? Sorry if this isn't the right place to post it this but I figured the legal experts of reddit might have a few recommendations I could look into.

Answer: Paralegal would require certification, you could look into being a research assistant, but again that would require some work and likely a degree of sorts.


Title: Kid purposely shattered my phone in school

Question:
So I walked into gym class and a kid I previously had conflicts with says to his delinquent friends, “hey guys watch this.” He proceeded to throw a basketball at me as hard as he could, I dropped my phone and the screen/screen protector shattered.

I said to him that he cracked it and he needs to pay for it. Responded with, “haha I don’t give a sh*t”

Clearly this kid threw the ball at me on purpose, what can I do from here if I receive no help from the school.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: File a police report and send the bill for a new phone to his parents. If they refuse to pay, make a claim in small claims court. (Chances are that you will never get repaid for your phone, but this is the only legal recourse you have.)Answer #2: What happened when you told your parents?


Title: Scared father to be?

Question:
Bit of a long one.
I am 22, live in America and was having a fling with a girl that goes to school with me.  When we first became intimate I had asked and insisted on a condom.  She refused, taking off the condom when we first had sex, and every other time insisting that I didn't wear one.  She had an IUD, which I could feel, and assured me that she would not be pregnant.  Lo and behold, after the 6th time sleeping with her, (and only the 3rd time finishing inside her) she claims she is pregnant.  This is where the story gets sidetracked.
First thing, she shouts this outside of my door while I'm with another girl in my room.  When we first became intimate we agreed it was only for sex, and that we could be with other people, as long as we told each other about it, and wore condoms after that. That was extant of our contact with one another.  So I freak out, and discuss termination.  She insists that the doctors (she was 3 weeks allegedly) say that the pill is two dangerous for her uterus.  Instead she was going to not tell her parents and give it up for adoption.  Finally she said that they were going to induce at 5 months to make it easier for her.  This freaks me out and I go to bed.  She comes back in later drunk, and reeking of pot and alcohol.  I protest, and she keeps saying that I shouldn't worry and that it was done with and handled.

The next day her roommate comes up to me, and tells me it was all a big lie to get back at me for being a douchebag.  This upsets me, and I arrange for the pregnant one to take a pregnancy test.  She approaches me with "legal documents" that she typed up on the computer, admonishing my parental rights and exempting me from child support.  I say I will not sign these until she takes a pregnancy test, which she refuses.  When I ask why she gives many reasons why it will come up negative like "act of god", or that her roommate would pee on it for her so that it would come up negative.  I go back to her room with her and confront her and her roommate, demanding to know the truth.  Her roommate says that it was all a lie, and the pregnant girl, acting very nonchalant says "you should just believe her".  However, I demanded that she say "I was making it up", but she would not.  Eventually she does, and I leave disgusted at the two.

Today I get a text from her explaining how she lied about lying, and it was just a ploy to get me out of her room so that she could study.  She says how she is still not going to tell her parents and that she is going to have the doctors induce 4 months early.  I plead with her to reconsider the logistics of a pregnancy and to talk to her parents.  She insists that I should be thankful that I am not going to have to pay child support, and that she has already found a family for the child with "a father who is a doctor at stanford". She still has not provided me with a positive pregnancy test.

Legal Questions:
1. Do you think she is pregnant?

2. Can she actually exempt me from child support if she signs the legal paperwork for it?

3. Can I demand a pregnancy test?

4. How can I legally protect myself from getting screwed?  Assuming she wants nothing to do with me and will sign any paperwork put in front of her?

5.  Any other legal advice?

Thank you for your help.  I am not trying to seem like a horrible person, but I need advice and was hoping to get some non-judgmental opinions.  Any useful advice or guidance would be appreciated.  Thanks!

TL;DR- In America: Fling claims she is knocked up w/ no proving pregnancy test, she wants to keep it, doesn't want me involved.  Provides bogus paperwork for me to relinquish my parental rights.  Her roommate says she is lying, after questioning says she is lying.  Gets text today saying that the lie was a lie and she is actually pregnant.  Going to early induce 4 months early and give it up. I have legal questions ^

Edit: 12/17/12 People keep asking for jurisdiction.  The proble is that she is from California and I am from Maryland.  Which Jurisdiction do we use?

Edit: 12/18/12  Called the roommate to confirm her story.  Apparently Pregnant is NOT faking it.  I still have no positive pregnancy test.  Now that it is apparently "official" Can I get a lawyer to draw up LEGAL paperwork that would admonish me of parental control, and of future child support?  I am still under the impression, and she holds that she is going to give it up for adoption.

Answer:
 No doctor *ever* would induce at "5 months". First of all, they usually measure gestation in weeks. "5 months" could be 20—24-ish weeks, which is not at the point if fetal viability.

"3 weeks pregnant " is suspect as well because it's pretty rare to even suspect a pregnancy (and thus take a test) before 4 weeks after last menstrual period (which works out to roughly 2 weeks gestation).

She is full of shit.


Title: Out of state driver in New York busted for marijuana and wondering the consequences of a guilty conviction.

Question:
Let me start by saying I am guilty and let me give some background. Driving in New York State pulled over for speeding. Officer smells marijuana I lie for all of 2.5 seconds then admit to my crime. I think I even said "you can search the rest if you want". 2 bowls and 3gs. Paperwork is completed and, due to out-of-state status I am in front of a judge in 45 minutes. I was told by the officer is was a $100 fine and its not that bad, we all make mistakes and then I'd be on my way. She was very nice. I was ready to plead guilty as I figured I am guilty as all hell, but the judge insisted he postpone the adjournment. He spent about 5 minutes telling me all the reasons I might want to plead not guilty. I explained I could not afford a lawyer and actually pleaded guilty, but he would have none of it. He told me I didn't need a lawyer, but to leave and familiarize myself with the law and my case. He said it may affect my student loan (I already graduated, but am still paying them back). I decided to take his unofficial advice and I am expected back in New York in about a week and half. After I pleaded 'not guilty' he said "good girl" and the officer gave me a thumbs up. They were both so nice and I actually think the officer liked me. She was a women I am also a women. I thanked them and said I will see you in a few weeks and the officer clearly stated she would not see me. So here are my questions:

1.) I understand any record at all is not a good thing, but will I lose my student loans? I just don't see how that is possible since I already got the degree and I can't give them money I don't have right now. I would have to go on a payment plan which is basically the same thing. I also don't plan on going back to school so new student loans are not an issue.

2.) What do you make of the judges and the officers actions? Doesn't the police officer have to be there in order for me to be found guilty?

3.) Besides dressing well and getting a lawyer what else can I do? I don't have a case with illegal search and seizures especially without a lawyer. Is there possibly a lesser charge or alternative I can request. I am familiar with the 1st time offender 1 year probation thing, but I assume that's for in state only.

4.) What does the court have to do to find me guilty?

I have done the research on the law in New York, but I was just hoping someone here could give me the extra info I cant seem to get a grasp on.

Thank you and I'm sorry it's so long

Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 1) "drug crimes" tend to only affect you *getting* new student loans, not paying back old ones.  That said, UPM (221.05) is *not* a "crime" in New York, it is a violation (like a speeding ticket).

2)

>...the officer clearly stated she would not see me.

Sounds like the cop doesn't plan on coming back to court on the adjourn date to testify against you (in which case the ticket would be dismissed).

3) This is probably the lowest charge you can get that doesn't involve points on your license.  Short of maybe a plea to a parking violation (I guess you can ask), this is pretty much the bottom of the barrel already.

You can ask for (and have a good shot at) an "ACD" adjournment in contemplation of dismissal.  It basically means that you stay out of trouble for 6 months and this ticket gets dismissed like it never happened.  (But if you do get another ticket in those 6 months, you have to answer for both that new ticket and this ticket).

4) Say, "I find you guilty".


Title: [USA][PA] Received an unsolicited text message & want to sue. Questions about Telephone Consumer Protection Act, state enforcement of TCPA, & employee protections

Question:
Side note: I have marked each question based on the location that's relevant to that specific question.

Background: I am both an employee and a customer of my place of employment. Recently, I received an unsolicited text message from my place of employment advertising services. They got my phone number from the waiver we are required to sign. I have a copy of the waiver I signed and it does not mention anything about consenting to phone calls or text messages. Here are my questions:

* [USA] I know you can sue $500 for each infraction of the TCPA. According to my understanding of [Satterfield v. Simon & Schuster, Inc. (2009)](http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2009/06/19/07-16356.pdf), text messages fall under the TCPA. Am I correct in assuming I could sue for $500 for an unsolicited text message? Also, I believe I should be able to request a copy of their "do not call" policy as well and sue for another $500 if they don't send it to me, right?

* [PA] I live in Pennsylvania but have an out of state area code. Would I be able to sue in Pennsylvania or would I have to sue in the state my area code is in?

* [PA][USA] If I sue my employer as the TCPA allows, am I protected from any repercussions for my actions? The way I'm thinking is I'd be suing them as "customer" me but I don't want to do it if they can do anything to "employee" me.

* [USA] Is there a statute of limitations on suing someone under the TCPA? For example, if I have a new job in 2 years, would I be able to sue then?

* [USA] My employer uses a text message marketing platform. Is this text message marketing service liable? I'm fairly confident my employer is the one pressing "send" on the text messages, so I don't think the marketing company would be but wanted to double check!

My current employer doesn't have the best business practices, if you can't tell, so I'm completely comfortable going after them if I'm protected from any repercussions. I have a friend who diligently sues telemarketers that break TCPA (the ones where he can figure out the business behind the calls, anyways) and collects in the thousands regularly. That's what got me interestedi n the first place.

Answer: Are you just looking for an easy payday? Because you might win, but if I was your employer I would fire you on the spot and then blackball the hell out of you.


Title: [TX] Abandoned house next door. What can I do?

Question: There is an abandoned house next door to my house. It's been abandoned for years, probably lowering the value of my house. The backyard is overgrown and it has been broken into many times and been vandalized. Is there a way I can go about purchasing the house. I'd like to rent it out. The police check on it every once in a while and usually have to re-board up the windows and put new locks on the doors. It's really getting out of control and I'd like to take care of it myself. Thanks!

Answer:
 > Is there a way I can go about purchasing the house. I'd like to rent it out.

Yes, contact the owner and make an offer.Answer #2: You can probably find out who owns the property checking with the [county recorders office](http://deed.co.travis.tx.us/ords/f?p=105:5:0::NO:::) (an example from Travis county). That would at least get you a place to start to find the owner, the first step in acquiring the title legally and without liens. Answer #3: Ignore everyone in here saying anything about adversely possessing the house.  The standards for that are higher than most people think--adverse possession is mainly about clearing up older "adverse" claims and boundary disputes.  It's exceptionally difficult for a squatter to just move in and take real property.

The best thing to do would be to buy the property.  The best way to find the owner is to check with the county appraisal district.  If you're having trouble tracking them down, the county tax assessor probably is too and the property may get foreclosed on for failure to pay property taxes--that would be a good time to look into purchasing it.  Depending on where you live, there may also be some kind of municipal violations for the dilapidated conditions, which can sometimes ripen into liens on the property that could also get foreclosed on.


Title: Got denied entry to the US

Question:
Just got denied entry to the US. Not close to home. I have a very old pot trafficking charge. Have a Canadian pardon but the US didn’t like that, for the first time in a very long time. How can I get a waiver quickly?
Am I screwed ?

Answer: Probably screwed.  You have no right to enter the US unless you are a citizen, you can be denied entry for any reason and drug trafficking isn’t just any reason, it’s a good reason.


Title: possible harassment from a date (Washington DC)

Question:
I went on a few dates with a girl I met on Bumble, and we slept together on multiple occasions. She would get really upset if I did anything besides spend time with her, and often would make passive aggressive comments about my having hobbies outside of going on dates with her. I saw this as a warning sign and told her I didn't think we should continue to see each other as it was unhealthy. She was *very* upset about this and began texting and calling me nonstop. I then blocked her number as well as blocking her on other forms of social media. I have not contacted her in any shape or form since then.

She has managed to find me on social networks we were not previously connected on and has been messaging me nonstop, threatening self harm on multiple occasions and now trying to convince me that she's pregnant. Would that be cause enough to file a complaint about harassment or do the police not care enough? This is in DC but she's a resident of Florida and will be returning there soon.

Answer: You should be able to go get a civil stay away/restraining/etc order but I’m not 100% sure cause it’s DC. Answer #2: I am not an attorney, but I would file a police report about the harassment. This way if she goes to the cops claiming anything, you have some previous evidence in place. It will also help establish a pattern should you seek a restraining order.


Title: Hit by a car with neither party having insurance CA, USA

Question:
My brother was hit by a truck driven by an intoxicated, ex-felon on parole whom doesn't have insurance. My brother doesn't have insurance either. Is there any way for him to get the medical bills covered?

Edit: My brother was just standing around at the time, not on the road

Answer: He sues the intoxicated ex-felon. But I wouldn't be at all hopeful about getting any money.


Title: [NY] House burned down, clean up company is trying to claim up to $74,000 extra in clean up services I never approved of. What can I do, who can I talk to?

Question:
My house in Flushing, New York, had burned down January, 21, 2017. Many clean up companies were informed, out of all of them my neighbor had mentioned good things about a specific company which came to talk to me and presented me with a contract as seen here

- The clean up company told me they would not charge me or take money from my insurance settlement, but charge my insurance company separately for debris removal.

- Later on I find out my insurance company doesn't want to deal with the clean up company, pays me in my settlement to deal with clean up company directly instead.

- I believe the clean up company took advantage of their contract by prolonging their time in service to me (by working more months than necessary), by constantly moving debris from location to another in the house instead of throwing them away all together.

- The Insurance company had allocated money for demolition services as it is necessary for future restoration.  The problem is that the clean up company claims they are entitled to the money the insurance company set aside for the demolition services even though I did not consent for them to do that job.

- I prohibited doing any demolition in the house.  But they did some of demolition anyway.  For example, they tore down walls between rooms, in the kitchen they broke cabinets, some containing kitchen utensils, including very expensive Chinaware, pots, pans, electrical appliances, etc that the fire didn't effect. I informed them of the unaffected items of the fire and then specifically asked them not to touch the items, but they demolished them anyway.

- I want to only pay them for cleaning of debris only caused by the fire.

The adjustor who was at the time suggested to me by the clean up company (who I am having this dispute with now) informed me that I am to owe $95,000 to the clean up company.  Of the $95,000 I only agreed to pay $21,000 which is for the debris clean up caused by the fire.  I never approved of any sort of demolition and removal which they are now charging me a staggering $74,000 for.

I also believe that the "public adjuster" is in partnership or cooperating with the clean up company's best interest over mine.  By claiming as much money as they can for the clean up company.  I believe this is wrong and unfair at my expense.

How do I properly dispute my claim, or what kind of lawyer can I reach out to for seeking assistance.  Is there any lawyer in NYC dealing with this kind of matter?
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 $74,000 is a hell of a lot of money and well beyond the scope of free internet advice.  You are spot on that you need a lawyer.

This sub doesn’t provide specific recommendations for lawyers though.  What you should do is call your local bar association and ask for a list of local lawyers that might handle this and start making phone calls.  The sooner the better.


Title: [PA] Weapon on campus?

Question:
First off, I'll explain this is just a "what if" question, I'm not actually in trouble for this type of thing.

My question would be, if one were to bring a weapon into a college campus (no gun zone) and a school shooting occurs, and the shooter gets taken down by said person, what would be the legal repercussions for this (if any)?

Answer:
 Unless you brought the gun onto campus while the shooting was occurring, for the purpose of stopping that shooting, you have no defense of necessity. Just because it happened to come in useful that you were breaking the law does not mean it's permitted.

On the other hand, "School Shooting Hero Charged with Illegally Carrying Gun that Saved Dozens" makes a bad newspaper headline, so there is a decent chance that a district attorney would not want to prosecute you.


Title: Could a person carry around a corpse?

Question: So I know this is a strange question but it stemmed from a strange argument. So, this assumes that the state has released the body back to the family of course. Could a person feasibly carry a corpse around in public? Like walk with it over their shoulder down the main street of their town? If it helps, I'm in Michigan.

Answer:
 The exact rules are going to vary from state to state, but generally speaking.... no.

In [New York](http://w3.health.state.ny.us/dbspace/NYCRR10.nsf/0/8525652c00680c3e852565300065d48d?OpenDocument), for example:

>(1) dead bodies shall be encased in a rigid container which is so constructed as to withstand hazards associated with the methods of transportation used. In order to prevent the leakage of body fluids either the dead body must be placed in a leak-proof pouch within the container, or the container must be leakproof or the container must be placed in a leak-proof container; andAnswer #2: Along with the already posted answer of no,  it would be considered a biohazard and al the rules and regulations that go along with that. Answer #3: Even if it were to be legal,  if a cop pulled you over with a dead relative in your car I'm sure you wouldn't be going anywhere for a while until the cop made sure everything is legit


Title: Excluding murder cases, what is the likelihood of a conviction for cases in which the victim chooses not to testify? (WA)

Question: I suspect this would be a potential scenario in cases of sexual assault or for other crimes which the victim might be too embarrassed to press charges. What is the least amount of evidence necessary to convict someone of a crime such as physical assault or rape? Is a confession by the defendant sufficient if no witnesses testify? On a similar note, would failing a polygraph be enough evidence (I imagine failure would spur further investigation but still...)?

Answer: This varies in literally every single case depending on what evidence exists/circumstances/the parties involved/etc. This question isn't possible to answer, though I can say that polygraphs aren't admissible (though some states allow them if all parties agree).


Title: [CT] No lease, no rent tenant told to leave. Can I just pack up his stuff and put it outside?

Question:
First off- this is for a friend of mine, not me personally

My friend has been letting one of his coworkers (C) stay in his guest room for the last few months because he had nowhere else to go. My friend does some work on the side and said that he would let C help with the work and let him stay in the house as payment until he put in enough work to start earning cash and paying rent, no lease agreement or anything. My friend even let him borrow a car they had fixed up because he was giving C rides to work everyday. They had plans to make the side work a bigger project to go into together, but C turned out to be pretty scummy and lazy and did a number of things behind my friend's back. C even did some damage to the room he was in such as punching holes in the wall and mounting wall/door decor that will leave behind noticeable holes and marks.

C was told that he is not allowed to live there anymore and was supposed to pick up his stuff but is now being difficult and making excuses why he cannot come by. My friend simply just wants to not have to deal with any of this and wants to pack C's stuff up and leave it outside or bring it to their place of work.

C is also claiming that he is owed money for the work he put in and claims he "did extra work" that was not approved of nor was it known that he even did it. So my friend is worried he might try and take this to small claims. Does he have a leg to stand on? And can he just be kicked out like this?

Answer: What you're describing is illegal eviction and it will get your friend sued for many thousands of dollars, successfully. The court *does not* take a weak stance on self help eviction. He needs to be evicted as a month-to-month tenant according to the laws of your state. That means serving him with proper and legally ample written notice to vacate. It is usually 30 days notice, and if at the end of the notice period the tenant hasn't vacated, then they can file for eviction through the courts. They cannot remove his things, they cannot call the police, they cannot change the locks. They need to follow the eviction process.


Title: My gf got scammed.

Question: My gf met a woman in front of a gas station that claimed she would give her money for a ride. My gf said sure, and she asked my gf to go to an atm. She told my gf that she needed my gfs bank card and pin so she can deposite her check into her account. She deposites about 1500. She takes out most of it. Leaves about 200. My gf comes back and tells me about this "nice woman". I tell her she just got scammed. She's freaking out. What are her options?

Answer:
 Report to police and ask for gas station camera.

Also, get an education of how ATM works and how check deposit work. Talk to the bank and they'll gladly teach you these thing. You can also deposit check using bank app now (or at least I know BofA can do this).Answer #2: She can make a police report and contact her bank to have that card cancelled and replaced, and change her PIN.

Her bank isn't likely to be willing to do much more than that since she almost certainly violated their policies by giving a total stranger her card and PIN.


Title: [MI] How do I go about leaving my home before I'm 18?

Question:
Hi, I cannot tolerate my abusive mother anymore. She's not physically abusive(so I have no marks), but very verbally and emotionally abusive. I'll be 17 in April if that is important. I also have a job that i can support myself with, i make around $13 an hour. What can I do to get out of this situation?

Edit; Also, is it possible for me to move in with someone? I've found apartments that would fit inside the budget of how much I'd make a month and allow me to get food, but it'd be easier to have a roommate. Do I need complete financial independence?

Answer: $13/hr won't support you.


Title: If a cis lesbian couple used IVF for a child, with one partner providing the egg & the other carrying to term, could that guarantee both partners would legally be recognized as the child's parents?

Question:
This has been on my mind for a while.

I've seen stories floating around the internet where a gay couple (either m/m or f/f in this case) had a child, with one partner providing the biological component and using a surrogate/donor for the other half of the DNA. The biological parent later dies, and despite whatever legal precautions the couple took, the bio parent's homophobic family is able to legally gain custody of the child and completely shut the other parent out.

Or, in other cases, the couple divorces and the bio parent is able to take complete custody of the child, leaving their ex-partner in the dust.

While it sadly doesn't work for m/m couples, would it be possible for a f/f couple to use the method described in the title to ensure both would have guaranteed legal right to the child, no matter how conservatively the area's laws are written? If the partner who carried to term dies, the child is genetically descended from the surviving parent. If the partner who provided the egg dies, well, the remaining parent is on the birth certificate!

I'm not at all familiar with family law in the US (or anywhere), but does this sound plausible?

Answer: Technically the person carrying the baby could be seen as a surrogate. An adoption would probably be a good choice with that route.  What might work is if the egg was modified to have both people's DNA.


Title: Disabled College Student School ignoring my accommodations

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Asking for the grading policy to be changed is not a reasonable accommodation.

Reasonable accommodations are meant to help you accomplish the requirements by removing any barriers, not alter the requirements you have to accomplish.


Title: Fired for attending Trump rally

Question:
Hello lawyers! Broke father of 3 here being terminated for participation at a Trump rally while wearing my company Tshirt. I am being offered a release since they are claiming backlash due to the rally what should I do?

California

Answer: File for unemployment.


Title: [NY] Mother working at Macy's makeup counter for ~5 years. She has just been forced to sign resignation papers due to her manager claiming "sabotage".

Question:
This has just happened within the past few hours and she is still at work so please forgive any missing puzzle pieces, I am still trying to figure out what is actually going on.

My mother has been selling skin care products at Macy's for around 5 years. She is consistently one of the top earners in the country and always the top salesperson in her store. Within the last week she hit yet another outrageous sales goal record. When I was chatting with her yesterday she was obviously riding high on her achievement because it guaranteed that she would be able to come visit me the day my daughter is born (any day now) and also for a week later in the summer. She told me how she and the other ladies she worked with decided to invent a new job for her that basically involved only doing all of the fun parts of everyone's job. To me it seemed like obvious silliness but this morning I get a message saying that she has been forced to turn in her two week notice due to three managers accusing her of "sabotage". [Edit: They claimed that she was trying to get them fired by saying they weren't doing their jobs and that she was trying to take the job of her direct manager] They told her if she didn't sign the resignation then she wouldn't get her paid time off that she requested to come help with my baby.

To me this is just them bullying her out of collecting unemployment. I told her to go home, send in a email stating that due to the circumstances she will be taking the rest of the day off to seek legal advice. She said no, that she was outnumbered and it was "a big no-no to walk out on such a busy day". I know she is very shaken up since if she cannot collect unemployment then she has nothing but I believe she should not work the next two weeks and walk out as though she has been fired. They have always been bullies to all the employees, they keep them on probation at all times to scare them. She has been looking unsuccessfully for a new job for months, if not closer to a year.

I have found several numbers for her to call for local legal advice but I don't expect that to happen until Monday and she is still expected to work tomorrow. Would I be right to tell her to not go and file for unemployment immediately?

Answer:
 File for unemployment immediately and report that she was threatened with discipline unless she resigned. Employers can't get out of unemployment with those strong arm tactics. Answer #2: Not legal advice, but life advice.  If your mother is as successful at selling as you say, she should consider starting her own business selling makeup.  Then she doesn't have to deal with power-hungry managers.Answer #3: "She told me how she and the other ladies she worked with decided to invent a new job for her that basically involved only doing all of the fun parts of everyone's job"

Wait what does this mean?


Title: Need advice on how to legally marry my boyfriend who is on an F-1 visa here for school.

Question:
I was in a long distance relationship since March of last year until my boyfriend finally moved here to the US. (I'm from Ohio and he's from Sweden). We had visited each other several times during the long distance aspect of our relationship and he decided he wanted to go to school here. So he applied and got accepted to a college here, got his F-1 visa, moved here 3 weeks ago and is starting school next week. We've had lengthy discussions about marriage and decided we want to get married in about 3 months. I am worried that itll be difficult to do as he is on an F-1 visa here and would get in some kind of trouble if he got married to a US citizen and applied for a green card while on a F-1 visa? If waiting is necessary we can do that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!
Topic:
Immigration

Answer: Getting married is the easy part. Getting citizenship will be harder. It would be easiest if you got an attorney to help you (around $5k generally).


Title: [CA] Divorce finalized with shared custody didn't ask for child support or alimony for either party. Now ex-Wife wants husband to give her money.

Question: So one of my cousins recently had his divorce finalized. They only have one child and I kept telling him to get a custody order but he's still in love with her so it complicates things. Neither asked for child support or alimony. He makes more money than her and she only works part time. His ex-Wife is now asking him for money, like 1000$ a month. What should he do to keep records well enough so that she can't in the future say that he never gave her money to support his son. TIA

Answer:
 He should consult with his attorney now.

This could get very expensive and his child could be used to manipulate him (he may never see them) if he doesn't act now.


Title: Returned to my car that had a note.

Question: I park on the street everyday at work and today on my car was a note that said I had scratched their car **last week** and they want me to call them. I have no idea what they are claiming. Is this a scam? How should I proceed? Should I call my insurance or just offer money to them? Honestly it's annoying that someone wants anything for they describe as a "scratch". I park in DC and my car has been dinged, broken into, somebody jumped on my hood and roof all while I've been at work. This person sounds like an entitled            a$$hole but it's seriously making me anxious. What could they do legally?

Answer: A quick Google shows this to be a pretty common scam.


Title: Kicked someone out of my car, got kicked out of my apartment

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Until you get a court order saying otherwise you can go back whenever you please. A police officer can't ban you from your own home.

Try to avoid fights over "something" (drugs) in the future.Answer #2: You are going to get hit with domestic violence charges if you aren't careful. That is pretty obviously the angle these cops were taking.


Title: Michigan, USA - Discrimination Based on Intelligence

Question:
Went to Meijer Ace Hardware, they have a nation-wide promotional offer where every shopping basket has an attached barcode which provides $0-$5 off any purchase. I asked about all terms and conditions, however there were none other than a verbal condition that only one barcode could be scanned per visit to the store. They did not have a minimum purchase value, minimum quantity of items, or any other logical limitations to the use of the barcode. I even asked if I could make a purchase, go out to my car and return to make a second purchase with a new basket, and they agreed I could. I never did this, however as I did not want to cheat the system.

Using process of elimination (and a base assumption that the most prevalent barcode would be "No Discount"), I spent about $20 or so selecting baskets with different barcodes on them and simply remembering which barcodes I had chosen on separate visits to the store over the course of a week or more. There were only 4 different barcodes: No Discount, $1 off, $3 off, and $5 off, so the process of elimination only took a short time. After I knew which basket was $5 off, every time I returned to the store, I would grab the $5 off basket and make my purchase. I never bought any item less than $5, and often I would even spend an additional $10 so I wasn't walking out of the store with free items.

I went into the store today, and they refused to scan my barcode. I asked why and they said the manager told the cashiers not to scan my basket specifically. I asked if this denial of service was applied to anyone else and they said it only applied to me. I spoke with the manager, and he said, "You solved the puzzle, now you don't get to play." I was in no way violating their terms and conditions (as I said there were none), yet they refused to apply the discount to only me (other customers could still use it) based solely on the fact that I was smart enough to know which was which.

I feel that this discrimination against just one individual is illegal. Isn't that why there is so much fine print in any promotional offer or coupon? What course of action should I take against this organization? I feel as though there were several other courses of action they could take with ease that would not discriminate, including: establish terms and conditions in writing, mix up the barcodes regularly within their point of purchase machines, discontinue the promotion for everyone, utilize NFC or RFID tags so the coding isn't visible, etc. However the course of action chosen was to single me out due to my intelligence and no longer offer me the discount.

What was the purpose of their promotion in the first place? To drive more business to the store? To retain customers and encourage relationships between customers/employees? If the first, I shopped there almost exclusively for my hardware needs during the time the promotion was applied to me, and I informed at least 10+ other individuals of the promotion and encouraged them to shop there. If the second, they retained me as a customer over Lowes or Home Depot who had better prices; I also got to know their staff well as I was in the store on a weekly basis. I am very frustrated that I have been discriminated against due to my ability to learn.

Answer:
 >I feel that this discrimination against just one individual is illegal.

Your feelings are wrong.  Answer #2: For someone who is supposedly being discriminated against due to intelligence, you seem to have forgotten that a business is perfectly within their rights to terminate their relationship with you at any time for almost any reason.

Being "too smart" is not a protected class.

It really doesn't matter if you think it's a poor business choice - they are legally allowed to make whatever choice they want in that regard.


Title: In a criminal case between me and the daughter of a millionaire? How are my chances going to affected by her economic status?

Question:
Worcester Massachusetts Becker College(18)

Long story short, woman attacked me with a weapon and caused 500$ worth of damage.  To defend myself I attempted to push her out of my room however she struggled and fell back hitting her head on the door.  That was enough for me to be arrested and charged with assault and battery.  She is the adopted daughter of a multi-millionaire English bank manager and I’m afraid she will use her wealth to cheat the US justice system.  What advice can you guys give me? I have hired an attorney and intend on her paying for both damages as well as my legal expenses.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: You have a lawyer so you should listen to any and all advice from said lawyer.


Title: Can I get out of my lease based on new rules which prevent my kids from playing outside?

Question:
I am currently leasing a townhome in southern California. A few weeks ago, I received a notice from the management that stated:

"It has come to my attention that there are several kids throughout the community that are playing in the driveways and roads. Please do not allow your kids to play, ride bikes/scooters and kick around or throw balls."

This is in a community where there are no other options for kids. There is a very small park that is designed for toddlers. There are no other play areas within walking distance.

My lease states that I have to give 30 days notice and pay one month's rent in order to get out early. Can I get out of paying this on the ground that my kids should be able to play outside?

Answer:
 Is there a grassy area?

This sucks for kids but I understand concerns of liability if kids are playing on roads or driveways.


Title: [seattle] Landlord signed agreement to leasing terms, now changing mind on service dog

Question:
What the title says. Roommate and I paid $500 to take an apartment off the market, filled out applications, and signed an agreement to leasing terms (BUT didn't receive lease yet). The landlord and agent were aware early on that my roommate has a service dog, and were okay with it even though they have never had dogs in the apartment complex before.

We were just about to get the lease when all of the sudden the service dog was an issue. The asset manager got back from abroad and said they would only give us a 2 month lease (against the signed agreement leasing terms) as a "probationary period" to determine if the service dog can live there. My roommate is furious and wants to sue for discrimination, because they are saying anyone can get a service dog. She gave them the paperwork and form from her doctor about her disability, but they kept asking her for more information and to be able to call her doctor.

This was going to be our new place because so many things lined up well, but now we are unsure. Can we file a discrimination case against them for their breach of the agreement of leasing terms or altered treatment due to the service dog?

Answer: Yeah...a service dog can't legally be an issue. Nor can an ESA for that matter since the only thing they are protected on is housing. But a legitimately trained service dog is a SUPER protected thing. I'm not certain that she legally HAD to provide them with documentation of her disability. Tell them to pound sand unless they want the wrath of the ADA to decent upon them


Title: (CA) Can my boss do this?? Waitress at a Restaurant!

Question:
Hello, I am in California, orange county.

I worked as a server at a restaurant under a horrible boss.
He would yell at all of us for various reasons and generally avoided even talking to me. He would speak to an older coworker and then that person would correspond to me.

Here are the things I need advice on.

* I have been receiving only 10-15$ average per day in tip around a week or two after my employment while my server coworkers report receiving around 50-70. They say I have to receive a lower percentage of the shared tip because I am new/training. But it had been 2 months.

I know this is not because of my performance because I regularly get very high tips from my service. I just barely receive any of it! Is there anything that states when an employee starts receiving full tip?

* My boss went on a rant that I was a horrible worker and hadn't improved at all and he didn't know what to do with me. So I promptly told him that I'd be quitting before the month ends and asked when would be good for him. He then looked shocked and said his head hurts and he'd talk to me later. He never did and kept avoiding me, so one day after work, I got fed up and texted him that my last day would be the 17th. Giving him 2 weeks notice. He never messaged back. For the next two weeks I haven't been scheduled to any work without being told I was fired or anything.

Is it legal for him to not schedule me for any work if I am still hired? And if I was fired but not notified, is it legal for him to give me my paycheck 2 weeks after my last scheduled day?

* My coworker has texted me that my paycheck has been prepared (on the 16th). I asked that it be delivered to me by mail but she says I need to pick it up from the restaurant itself.

Is it really required that I return to the workplace to receive it?

Thank you very much for reading. I don't quite know how these things work, so I apologize if these concerns are trivial...

Answer: Yes it is. They don't have to schedule you. Essentially they're saying "No, you quit now." Basically the only reason they didn't say "No, you're fired" is to passively attempt to avoid you collecting unemployment. Just go pick up the check. If they don't want to pay for postage you can't really make them. Look for a new job. Answer #2: If you're making $10-15/day in tips and I assume server wages of a couple bucks an hour, how long are your shifts?  If you average below minimum wage in your paycheck, your employer must pay the difference to at least get you up to actual minimum wage. That said, if there are shifts where you make above minimum and others where you're below, this doesn't apply (again, as long as you're above minimum over the course of your paycheck, dividing pre-tax income by hours worked)