Title: Poop Smeared on Apartment Door - What can I do?

Question:
Hello - Tonight my girlfriend and I came home to poop smeared all over our door including door handle and key lock. It was pretty clear someone did this on purpose. We live in a high end luxury building with about 100+ apartments ($3000 Rent, Boston area). It is very disturbing to have this happen and my girlfriend is very concern for our safety that someone did this intentionally. We do not interact with anyone in the building or were there cameras in the hall ways. We contacted our management and he said they will have someone clean up the mess in the morning also not worrying about investigating.

After calling friends, we were told to file a police report which we did. The policeman came 15 minutes later and notified us that one of main building doors was unlock and that this will be under investigation.

Obviously, this is very disturbing for us. The building company does not seem to help us with the situation. We want to move out and break our lease and move to a complex next store. Not sure if we have a stocker or just a bad end of a prank. Either way, our building management company is not being supportive to our safety as well as wellbeing.

Any advise would be appreciated. Thank You!

Answer:
 Not legal advice, but was your door the only one vandalized? Any incidents with other tenants such as a parking dispute, etc. that may have angered someone?

In other words was this a random act of unkindness or do you think someone has a grudge against you personally?

(Shitty MS-Paint diagram of the door isn't needed, we get the idea.)


Title: What can you do about a dangerous dog?

Question: Tonight while walking down the street with my groceries a unleashed  pitbull game charging at me and scared the crap out of me. I dashed into the street and almost got hit by a car. I’m here waiting for the cops to show up. Is there anything I can do to get this dog taken away from this owner and put down?

Answer:
 I understand a fine. But Why do you want the dog dead?Answer #2: A little extreme aren't you?Answer #3: Euthanizing an animal is literally the last resort. And often dogs run toward someone they're excited to see, not to harm (you were there, I wasn't, so only you know). But if you have concerns, a lot of jurisdictions have leash laws, and if an owner isn't keeping an animal on the leash they can be fined.

But I'd keep the euthanasia idea to yourself unless a dog has actually mauled someone. You're not likely to receive much sympathy.

Source: I'm a pup parent. Answer #4: You can report what happened to police and/or animal control. What happens after that, however, is not up to you and there's really not a whole lot else for you to do.


Title: Sounds frivolous , but I was bitten by a spider in our hotel room.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: That is unfortunate and super gross, but I mean the hotel can't really prevent every insect from getting inside, and I assume that this was not a pet spider that the hotel owner had set loose.


Title: I'm negotiating equity at a new job and want to get it right

Question:
Hey all,

So, I'm negotiating equity at a new job and wanted to make sure I'm addressing a few things.

My shares are not going to be diluted - how do I make the case for this and what are the right terms to use?

Also, are there any rules for how long time you have to be in the company before they can fire you without you exercising your options? This happened to me recently, so want to make sure I do what I can to prevent that from happening again.

Anything else I should be aware of?

Answer:
 > My shares are not going to be diluted

Good luck with that. The company almost certainly won't agree, as it will limit their ability to raise financing through equity in the future. You can try, but don't hold your breath.

> Also, are there any rules for how long time you have to be in the company before they can fire you without you exercising your options?

This is down to the vesting schedule in your grant. It's fairly common for equity grants and option grants to come with a vesting schedule where no equity vests for a year, then a large block vests at that time, with proportionate amounts vesting monthly or quarterly thereafter. Depending on the type of grant, the vested parts may turn directly into shares, or may turn into exercisable options, which expire if not exercised at some point after your departure.

I'd generally always recommend having an attorney review equity offers, because they can be complex, but I'm also of the personal opinion that equity is only valuable in public companies.Answer #2: The term you are looking for is full-ratchet anti-dilution. There is almost no chance the company will accept this provision. I would actually be concerned if they did. This would be a major red flag to future investors.

Most options have vesting periods. They will most likely require you to work at the company for a while before you are able to exercise your stock options or restricted stock units.


Title: AT&T disconnected my phone line and refused to reconnect it unless I bought DirecTV.

Question:
So just like the title says, ATT disconnected my phone line and made me buy DirecTV. My phone line is my home and business line, and I lost a few calls during the down time. The att representative on the phone claimed they disconnected my line because of incompatibility with my current tv provider, and refused to reconnect it unless I agreed to switch to DirecTV. Once I agreed and gave him my word, I was transfered over to someone else who reconnected my line and set up the installation date for DirecTV.

I highly doubt it, but was anything about this entire ordeal legal by any means? What are my options here? The installation date is the 26th of this month.

I couldn’t even say no because I was desperate to get my line back up and running so client calls can come through. I’m in California, Los Angeles area.

Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 Not a lawyer: This is not the first time they've done this. They have a legal duty to provide reliable service. I'm surprised I haven't seen a class action law suit. Did they also switch the delivery method of your service to voice over ip from regular plain old telephone service? In which case if they told you they were reconnecting your old service, then that's false. There are many difference between the two (including reliability particuarly if the power goes out). Hopefully you find a good lawyer!Answer #2: One option (you may have others) is that you could file a complaint with the FCC. Given the current administration I'm not sure it would help, though.Answer #3: Please file a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission.  AT&T's disruption to your phone line (assuming conventional, old-school phone line) should fall under their regulatory purview.

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/communications/

"The CPUC develops and implements policies for the telecommunications industry, including ensuring fair, affordable universal access to necessary services; developing clear rules of the game and regulatory tools to allow flexibility without compromising due process; removing barriers that prevent a fully competitive market; and reducing or eliminating burdensome regulation."

Your complaint, regarding AT&T disconnecting your terrestrial, conventional phone line, to get you to pay for new, unrelated service you do not need -- falls within multiple aspects of their jurisdiction.


Title: [Tennessee]how hard is it to get a class b felony expunged or repealed?

Question: It a violent sex offender case in question and has had the perpetrator on parole for 17 years with no jail time bc of a deal made for a plead of guilty. He signed papers stating guilt and now wants his rights back. Honestly curious what you people think as my own research has only told me that class e felonies can be "fixed" in my state. Thank you in advance. I was redirected here.

Answer: A violent sex offense? Not. A. Chance.


Title: Own a Condo in CA, Getting Married Soon & Wondering How to Avoid Giving Up Too Much Equity

Question:
My fiancee and I are getting married in a little over a year.  I purchased a condo in California 3 years ago and paid the entire downpayment (about 70% of the condos value).  I have been paying mortgage payment, HOA, and property taxes out of my bank account, but have also been charging her rent (about 40% of monthly costs for mortgage, HOA & prop tax).

I want to open a combined bank account with her to share combined expenses.  However I want to avoid paying for the mortgage out of this account if this would entitle her to half the property.  I would like to cede a % of the property based on the value we have each contributed to the condo (I believe I can do this with a prenup).

How should I set up our bank accounts where it will not entitle her to a portion of the house.  Can we have a joint account that transfers to an account in my name, and I pay my mortgage from that account?  Or does the money trail still exist there.

Answer: You are misunderstanding several things here, but if you're getting a prenup you need an attorney anyway.  Ask their advice.


Title: Can employer change my availability without permission?

Question: For a bit of background information, my retail employer has stated that, with the holiday season, we would have to update our availability if we wanted to be put on for the extended hours. As I do not own a car and have to commute on the bus, I left my available hours the same, from 8 am until 11 pm. While I was looking for my schedule for the coming weeks, I saw that I had been scheduled on not one but several days until 12:30 am, when it will be impossible for me to get home without having to pay for a pickup service each of those nights. Is it legal that they were able to change my given availability without my permission? What action can I take here, and what kind of trouble could I be in for explicitly stating that I must leave by 11 pm on these nights?

Answer:
 Your employer can determine job requirements at their sole discretion. I would suggest making it clear to your employer that you cannot physically be at work at those times; hopefully they would be reasonable enough to understand the situation. If not, you have no other recourse.

What action can I take here, and what kind of trouble could I be in for explicitly stating that I must leave by 11 pm on these nights? They are absolutely allowed to set the required hours for work. If you tell them you cannot work after 11 PM, they could be understanding and change the schedule, or they could fire you for not agreeing to work the times they need.


Title: [WA] I keep getting camera and parking tickets for a car I sold. The court has given me answers ranging from "I've updated our records and resolved the issue" to "I don't know how to handle this" Do I have any recourse or avenue to stop this in the future?

Question:
In January 2018 I sold a car that wasn't running. A guy picked it up on a trailer. I have the bill of sale. When I went to the DOL to transfer it out of my name the clerk couldn't read the guy's name and I wasn't sure either. He had a thick Eastern-European accent. She told me that if they couldn't find the new registered owner that I would be liable for any fines. There wasn't much I could do at that point so she just guessed the spelling of his name.

In October I received a red light camera violation in the mail from Seattle Municipal Court. Remembering what the woman at the DOL said, I put on my IT-guy hat and tracked the guy down. I took the report of sale along with a small dossier on the guy to Seattle Municipal Court and the clerk was very helpful. She told me it was resolved but may take some time so if I saw any more tickets to just call and they'd be able to take care of it over the phone.

I'm now on ticket number twelve or so from this vehicle. I've called the court and been told that the issue was resolved, the DOL reports the correct owner, and I would no longer get tickets. Another time I was told that the ticket was taken out of my name but that the DOL reported something about an unknown owner so I would keep getting tickets and having to call back. Another time I was told that there was no way to take a ticket out of my name and I'd have to get a call back from a supervisor. They never called back. When I followed up nobody knew anything about it but the tickets had been taken out of my name again.

I can't get a consistent answer about this from anyone. I would like to stop getting these tickets and having to call the court every other week. Is there anyone I can put legal pressure on to resolve this? The court? The DOL? Do I have to take the guy who bought it to small claims court or something? I just want the tickets to stop.

Thanks.

Answer:
 You seem to have gone through the correct channels and the issue is not resolved.

I would suggest contacting your local elected representative.  They should have a "constituent services" group or something to that effect.  Politicians love being able to be the hero to a voter, especially on something like this where the issue is just the bureaucratic shuffle.

They can probably get the issued resolved in a few calls to people who you don't know on numbers you don't have access to who wouldn't take your call even if you could call them.Answer #2: OP, whenever I deal with a bureaucratic run-around, I send a Registered Letter. Registered Letters seem to be taken seriously; they are not given to some powerless office drone, but to Someone Who Has A Title, and who can get things done.

A RL means "Okay, from now on the gloves come off. I'm starting a paper trail that will end with legal action."


Title: Found Out My "Landlord" Isn't Even a Tenant. [California]

Question:
My girlfriend and I signed a year long lease and have been living in an apartment for around 5 months now. Supposedly, our roommate/landlord has been subletting the room to us, but today I found out from the apartment manager that not only does the apartment not allow sublets, but the apartment is in someone else's name who had lived in the room I am staying in before I moved in. Also, the apartment is in a college town and only does month to month leases.

After talking with the apartment manager she basically said that she is going to post a 3 day notice for everyone currently living in the apartment to sign a new lease, or move out. This is good news for me because my landlord is kind of shady (for example, he has threatened my security deposit over utilities that I had already paid, also tried to charge my girlfriend and I $100 for a parking pass that the apartment complex gives out for free), and I just figured that I will not sign the new lease and move out in 3 days. I am just worried that I will still be responsible for paying rent for the 7 months remaining on the illegal sublease, and/or that I will never see my security deposit again. If anyone has any insight on this issue or any other advice, I appreciate it.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 No, you’re not responsible for the remaining months on the sublease. Your “landlord” does owe you your deposit back. Good luck!Answer #2: In general, a California lease must explicitly allow subletting for it to be allowed.   Sounds like the real master lease doesn't allow it, so that person is breaching their lease and both you and your landlord are subject to eviction after a 3-day cure or quit notice.

Your landlord breached the lease from its inception and has no claim on your security deposit.   The odds of you getting it back without suing him are very low.

On the bright side, he can't sue to enforce the lease that he doesn't have the right to enter into, so there's no chance that you can be forced to continue paying rent after you leave.    Get a letter from the apartment manager with the master tenant's information and a summary of the situation for use in case your landlord has the chutzpah to attempt to sue you.

> Also, the apartment is in a college town and only does month to month leases.

Talk to the real apartment manager about that, without your roommate present.   It is very unusual for a college-town apartment building to not use fixed-term leases.    It doesn't really affect your situation, but it rings funny.

And not for nothing;  can you find another apartment for two people in a college town in the middle of the school year on three day's notice ?Answer #3: You should sue for the money you paid the fake landlord on illegal lease


Title: Possible HIPPA violation from snapchat post

Question:
A friend of mine works at a hospital and posted a picture of her computer screen she was working on to her snapchat story. The picture she posted was making fun of a patients name. The rest of the patient's info is blacked out. I was hoping someone could tell me if this was a HIPPA violation and if she has any legal liability.

Location: MA

Answer:
 Obviously, a patient's name (especially if it is an unusual name) is identifying information. The fact that the disclosure was intentional, public, and apparently malicious aggravate the employee's (and employer's) liability. Identifying someone as a patient is protected health information. Answer #2: HIPAA. It's called HIPAA.

And yes, disclosing patient information in this way is bad, and I'd give it about 2 in 5 that she's already fired.


Title: Irrelevant questions during a deposition

Question:
I had my first deposition this week. I was in a wreck three years ago (a fender bender under 10 mph). I was behind a lady at a yield, and I saw her drive (but she stopped/I didn't realize this). I was looking to my left when I hit her (didn't even hit the gas).

Well, she's suing me for 200,000k, and my insurance lawyer told me not to worry about it. She has a history of preexisting conditions and was on all kinds of meds before the incident. The lawyer also said she seemed kind of nutty during her deposition. My case is going to trial in July, and I'm moving states in June (So, I won't be able to be there).

During my deposition, they asked me really weird questions about my family and if I were married or single (would they ask me this if I were male, I wondered?). I don't see how my relationship has anything to do with the wreck I was in.... but I answered all the questions honestly. My lawyer said I did fine. I want to know.... why do they ask questions like this?

Answer: They can ask far reaching questions in a civil deposition. Most likely they were asking about friends and family to see if they are tied to the ownership of the car to find out if they can add someone else to the lawsuit. \(This is all just a guess\)


Title: Client wants me to change the date of an invoice to a period covered under my business insurance. Is this legal?

Question: Client says he won't pay me unless I obtain insurance and change the date he was invoiced to a date covered by the insurance policy. Is it legal for me to oblige her request?

Answer:
 Lying to your insurance company to gain coverage is, at minimum, a violation of your policy, and more likely insurance fraud.

If your contract with the client didn't require business insurance, then they can't require it as a condition of payment now.


Title: Life insurance told my dad his net worth was $650,000 (which is much more than expected). How does he find out if his parents left him money?

Question:
My dad went to get life insurance recently and was told he has a net worth of $650,000. My dad recently took out a mortgage, bought a boat and a new car. The numbers do not add up. This is the second time he's been told he has an extremely higher net worth than he should have. The first time someone told him, he thought it was a mistake but now is starting to question if his mom left him some money before she passed.

My dad grew up in Washington D.C with his single mom. His mom remarried into a wealthy family in which her new husband did not like my dad. Shortly after high school my dad joined the military, married, moved to TX and only spoke to his mom and step dad a few times every year (if that).  His mom told him he was getting a 3rd of the family's money (split between him and his two step sisters) before she became ill and passed away about 8 years ago. My dad never was never contacted. His step dad also passed away about 4 years ago. Due to the bad family dynamic, if some money was passed down to my dad, both of his sisters and his step dad would not have told him.

 Who should he get in touch with to find out if any money was passed down? And/or find out if the insurance system is incorrect?

Answer:
 There's no central insurance system where your net worth is tracked. Either he or his insurance agent gave that figure to the insurance company on the application. Or they did some kind of estimate based on the home and vehicles that were registered in his name.Answer #2: That number probably isn't what you (or he) think it is.

That number is probably "If you were to die today, this is the money that would give your spouse an annual income equal to what you take in if she were to invest in prudently."    It's basically the amount of the policy.

If your dad is buying life insurance, general advice is to buy term, not permanent or whole life.  Life insurance isn't a good savings vehicle -- commissions are very high and rate of return is low.  He's typically going to be better off buying a term policy and then investing the premium difference in an IRA or 401(k) or (if all his retirement savings are maxed out) in a no-load mutual fund.Answer #3: He should ask the life insurance company how they came up with that figure.  Your father does not have an account somewhere that the insurance company knows about and your father does not.  That is not how things work.

Someone who is familiar with TX estates law will have to chime in for a real answer, but I suspect that your father probably does not have money sitting around waiting to be collected by him.  If his siblings are the sort to conceal assets like that, then they are also likely to have taken the money for themselves, in which case you are in lawsuit territory.


Title: Neighbors signed for a package that was mine and contained Schedule I prescription drugs. What do?

Question: So there were two errors involved in this - FedEx delivered my package to the wrong door in our building (it's a house made up of individual apartment units), and my neighbor signed for the package, I imagine without having to provide ID as is required, and took my package. I've tried knocking on his door to retrieve it, but there was no answer (even though I know he's in because I live next door and the walls are thin). FedEx claims that they're coming back to try and fix the mistake, but what should I do if the neighbors still don't answer and/or return the package? The package contains Adderall, which is Schedule I without a prescription, and I need it to function at the level of a normal human being, so this is extremely demoralizing given that I've essentially had a mountain of work piling up while awaiting my prescription refill to be sent to me. I'd like to settle this without filing a police report, but what options are available to me in order to ensure that the medication is returned, or that my neighbors are at least put to justice for stealing the package?

Answer: Call the police non-emergency number.Answer #2: So... who gets Adderall via the mail? Is this prescription legal? Because your advice depends on this answer.


Title: HOA is harassing my parents, and keep billing them for ridiculous charges. Latest one is that their vehicle is inoperable and not allowed in front of the house.

Question:
My parents HOA recently sent them a charge for one of their cars they have parked in front of the house, on the street. Completely legal, there’s other cars parked just the same.
They’ve had it like this for 16 years. The car is and old muscle, but works and is maintained and driven around. Insurance is still on the car.

They tried contacting the assholes but of course they haven’t answered or responded. They stalk the neighborhood, and a guy with a white truck drives around, takes pictures consistently. It’s ridiculous and I’m livid.

They sent them a third violation, and the violation states the vehicle is inoperable/not use which is a load of BS because this thing is still used. I don’t see them charging the other neighbors for this.

Do I tell them to ignore it, or should I write up an email? Some kind of cease and desist? Please help, they’ve become increasingly volatile over the past 3 years and have been giving my parents a lot of trouble. I appreciate it.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Not a lawyer, but your parents should look into the CC&Rs for the community. Find what is covered and the processes and procedures called out in those for how the HOA handles violations. Also probably try attending an HOA meeting to bring up concerns directly to the HOA board and get a feel for who they’re dealing with.


Title: (CA) Biking ticket through red light

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 You've presented no credible defense. You ARE guilty by your own admission and you made a confession.Answer #2: It sure sounds like you admitted to not stopping at a red light. And, yes, seeing that the cross traffic light was green means that your light was red, which you admit to. Answer #3: If you want to contest the ticket, get an attorney.  Stop screwing around with stuff like asking the cop for his eye examination when you flat out admitted you ran the red light.  Your just going to piss off the people who are in a position to offer you a plea agreement.

If you want to go in and offer a mitigating statement, or request a deferment, or whatever else your jurisdiction offers that's fine to go at it by yourself without an attorney.

But, if you continue acting on this bad advice, you are going to end up screwing the pooch.

I'd suggest to just hire an attorney.  Let him handle it.  You probably won't even need to show up for court.


Title: Moved from California to Utah, car smelled like weed.

Question:
So as the title says I moved from California to Utah 2 weeks ago. I knew weed is not legal in utah, I had my medical license in Cali for back issues. I was driving home at night and was unaware my fiance had left a pipe with a very small amount of weed in the car. I was also unaware my license plate light was out. Now, I smoke cigarettes so I couldn't even smell any weed in the car. I was pulled over an the officer said he smelled pot and had a legal right to search the car. Not being an asshole, and thinking there was nothing in there, I let him search the vehicle. He found the pipe with the small amount of weed an my stomach dropped. I thought I was going to jail. Luckily he just gace me a ticket for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and failure to illuminate registration. Now, I have a clean record, never been arrested for anything. So my question is, is there any way to make sure this doesent go on my permanent record, what do I have to do so this doesent ruin my life.

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can give me.

P.S. my fiance feels terrible, and realizes what a stupid mistake that was

Answer:
 You were in possession of a controlled substance.  It's going to show up on your arrest record no matter what you do.

If you don't want it to show up as a drug conviction then you need to not be convicted of the crime you admittedly committed.

Most states have diversion programs for first time offenders to avoid convictions.  An attorney can help make sure you get into this program.

Stop using and transporting illegal drugs, particularly across state lines.Answer #2: You get a lawyer and listen to his or her advice.


Title: [FL] (Hurrican Evacuation) Divorced with two kids and equal time sharing. My ex wants to ride the storm out with the kids in town i want to evacuate as instructed. We both have houses where the hurricane is making landfall on the east coast.

Question:
She currently has the kids as it is her day to have them. I want to take the kids to somewhere safer but she will not allow it. We're are 5 miles from the coast and the storm is making landfall in our town. What, if anything can i do here?

Info: we live in separate houses. She will be staying for the storm around the corner from my house so we're close to one another.

Kids ages are 3 and 1

Equal time sharing

She normally has the kids today as i would normally be working but everything is closed.

Our area has an evacuation order.

Answer:
 I don't know if local police could provide any assistance convincing her to leave or at least allow you to evacuate with the kids.  With time of the essence, your best bet may be to leverage social pressure (are you still in contact with any of her family or close friends?) and remove whatever barriers have her convinced that it's in her and the kids best interest to stay.  Would she have a place to stay once evacuated?  Pay for a hotel.  Is it pets?  Pay to have them boarded outside of the evacuation zone.  Unreliable transportation and unwilling to be separated from the kids during the storm?  Drive her out with you and the kids.  If worst comes to worst, threaten to use this incident to petition the court to amend your custodial agreement, because she is not acting in the best interests of your children.  Do whatever you need to do to keep your family safe.  Good luck.Answer #2: Take your kids with you away from the hurricane.

You can fix whatever legal issues you get from it later, you can't fix dead kids.Answer #3: Mandatory evacuation, hurricane on the way, kids on the line? Yeah fuck the law, I'm getting my kids out of harm's way and I'll defend that to a court after the fact. Sometimes the law isn't very useful or relevant. This is one of those times.Answer #4: Do whatever you can to get the babies to safety. Please update when you can!Answer #5: Look on the bright side, you're definitely going to be getting more time with your kids after this.


Title: North Carolina, shared custody, found out that my ex is using drugs. what do i do?!

Question: I have a shared custody agreement with my ex. I am the primary. I found out through a messaging application left open on my child's tablet that my ex's spouse was using while tablet was in there possession. In the open messages it states that ex and spouse are heavily using drugs. Several conversations between each other and pictures, and messages to said dealers. I have saved them all! I just do not know the proper steps and or how to report this, one, being tactful and ex not being tipped off and two, how to do it so I can not allow my kids to go back to they're house and be involved in that. Would Child Protective services by the choice, or do i call the police? I was also told that if i were to get them drug tested that i should make sure it is a blood, hair and cheek swab. That urine is not ample enough, drugs can leave body fast/urine tampered with and hair bleaching can also kill what ever is in the hair? Help! what do I do and how do I do it!

Answer:
 What do you want to happen?

Do you want the ex to go to jail?  If so, then call the police.

Do you want the ex to have custody limited or revoked?  File for a change of custody in family court.  If you think the drug use is placing your child in immediate danger, file for an emergency hearing.  With those you can usually be seen the same day.


Title: Roommate moved in friend without permission or warning.

Question:
Hi reddit, here's my story.
 About a month ago I found a house on craigslist in Nashville, TN for someone looking to fill a room in a three bedroom house. The third room was being rented out as an Airbnb with the previous tenant to help cut down on rent and I decided to go along with it to see how things were.  The room is right next to mine and shares a bathroom.  It was ok but it had problems ; mainly you can hear the people in the next room if they're talking, watching tv, having sex ( big thing I hated), and such and I also didn't like living close to strangers as I'm a shy introvert and don't like sharing a bathroom.
 The other roommate's room is at the other side of the house with a private bathroom and he never had to worry about even seeing them. Just collecting the money

 We've since stopped the airbnb and twice now the roommate asked if I wanted to add a 3rd roommate. Some girl who airbnb'd in the past. I told him I didn't really want another roommate, the house isn't that big and I liked the peace without walking over another person or worrying about too much noise when my boyfriend comes  over.  He dropped it  but and a week ago asked about another 3rd, some friend of his and I told him I didn't want one.
  I came home last friday  and someone had moved in. He'd disregarded my feelings and just had his friend move in and then claimed he'd told me this from the beginning.
I was FURIOUS! I found is disrespectful and felt he thought I was an idiot or a pushover and told him his friend had to go.
 I know this friend is not on the lease and also learned last week that the roommate did not have the landlord's permission to run and airbnb or have the permits to do so. I'm worried that now I may get in some sort of trouble for benefiting from this deal and am now stuck with a roommate I am not allowing in the house. The only deal I would make is for us to switch rooms and he be near his friend and he have his friend on the lease just like me to pay deposits and stay the remainder of the term
 So, what are my options? As a co-lease signer can I forbid this 3rd roommate? If the landlord was angry would he put us both out? I wouldn't mind if he kicked them out and I kept the place and found another roommate.
Thanks!

Answer: You have no personal rights but you can go to the landlord over this. If I was your landlord I'd probably evict all of you for using my rental property as an AirBNB and moving an unauthorized tenant in.


Title: Sister lying telling others I threatened to kill her. What can I do? [Oregon/California]

Question:
I'm talking cease and desist, civil suit for slander what? What steps should I take. I'm not sure how many other people she has told besides immediate family. I'm not interested in lying about myself in order to fix the family relationships (my father says I should just say sorry to her and move on even though I insist I didn't do it, for many reasons including distrust I do not feel like compromising myself this way and living a lie for family peace)
I live in Oregon and she in California. It is a common thing for family members to lie about things. I come from a very dysfunctional family. I am the one that escaped, and I am in the process of trying to connect (testing the waters with some of my younger siblings). I found this out as I tried to connect again. I do not know the extent of the lies.
What can I do?

Answer:
 > I do not know the extent of the lies.

There's your problem. You can't sue her for slander if you don't even know what she said. You need to find out what she said, that it isn't true, and that someone believed her. If everyone knows shes nuts, no slander.


Title: WTF is this Richard Spencer/NPI Natzi crap??

Question:
I listened to the speech. He sounds like a stupid POS. What am I missing? Why is this news? Other than the fact that he used Cuck in a speech and really over uses air quotes.

[Link](https://youtu.be/Xq-LnO2DOGE) to speech

Sorry I messed up Nazi in the title. My bad

Answer: Because he used a lot of language very similar to what the Nazis used back in the day.  The most obvious being closing with "Hail Trump".....you know....like Heil (hail) Hitler.  And the crowd then stood and many were caught on tape giving the Nazi salute in response.


Title: My partner is not licensed as a Psychologist in America, but she is still practising.

Question:
So, my partner is a fully qualified Psychologist in Australia. She is in private practice, working for years with no issues. (It is worth noting that much of her caseload are online clients).

BUT we are currently in America, South Carolina to be exact, visiting my side of the family. She is still practising with some long term clients. She is working online via webcam. All of her sessions have been encrypted. All have been with Australian citizens, currently residing in Australia.

Soooo....America is pretty strict re HIPAA. Is her practising like this an issue? Where does she go to look it up?

Thank you... it only just occurred to me to look it up.

Answer: If she's just visiting family, she's likely not running afoul of any U.S. laws. If she were to *move* here and continue to do that, that may be issue.


Title: Jeweler swapped on us, please help us.

Question:
Location: Virginia

I bought my fiancee a pendant and a necklace, the hook clasp broke, we went to a jeweler to get it fixed. After we got home, we realized that is was not the correct chain. It was longer than before while comparing old picture. This chain is more than 4-5 years old and is white gold. It has more sentimental value than it is worth ~200USD. Helzberg, the place I bought it from, confirmed that it did not sell that chain. I spoke to one employee from Helzberg and they recommended the place that swapped on us right before we had it done. We really just want the chain back, what can we do at this time? Thank you for your time.

UPDATE: We went to the store and confronted the owners of the business.
They immediately knew who we were and proceeded to be defensive. They did not even bother looking for the chain in question. We got mall security involved and from there the situation got better. We wanted to bring up security cam footage, but then they quickly shifted the blame on us. We stated that we can escalate this and file for legal matters, because we had all the proof we needed, if that were the case. They offered us 1:1 in-store value, but we just wanted our property back. Not once did they apologize and we eventually left with a check for the retail value of the original necklace after being cursed at. We walked couple yards to Helzberg Jewelers and bought the similar style and similar price necklace and accepted our loss.

If anyone reads this, please protect yourself and your property, regardless of the reputation of the business. Take plenty of pictures and bring it to a different jeweler to confirm the before and after.

Once again, thank you for your time and helping us through this predicament.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

Answer: Have you actually asked the jeweler what happened to the chain?Answer #2: What type of chain is it? Is it a woven chain, or does it have solid links? Is the length the only difference, or is it also a different style?


Title: Is it plagiarism if you quote yourself?

Question:
I want to use a segment of a paper I wrote in another paper, both are educational/being turned in and neither are/will be published.
I live in the US

Answer:
 Plagiarism is an academic ethics issue, not a legal issue. Either way, there is such a thing as "self plagiarism". You should cite your source, even if it's yourself.

Talk to your professor for clarity if you need it.


Title: My roommate stopped cleaning up after her cats, the apartment is now permeated with ammonia and other toxic chemicals

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This isn't a legal issue and it's not the leasing office's fault your roommate is a slob. This is part of living with another person and you will have to work it out between the two of you.


Title: Not being allowed to move in with Father-In-Law because of his soon to be ex-wife

Question:
Hello!

So our apartment lease is up soon and we decided to move to my wife's Father house for a couple months until we are ready to move out to the midwest (She is in the process of waiting for acceptance letters for schools).

This has been known by her father-in-law for a over 6 months...but recently his soon-to-be ex-wife has filed for divorce and has come up with some 'paper' that states that we can not move in to that house. They've been married for a little over 3 years and have a child about that age.

From what I gather her name isn't on the house at all...I was just wondering if this is something she can do and if we should start looking into a short-term place to stay. If it helps the state he currently resides in is Connecticut.

edit: Wife's Father. Woops!

edit2: They haven't been to court yet but she is threatening to draw up something that says we aren't allowed to move in to the house.

Answer: It depends on what the "paper" is. If it's an order by the court stating that she has control over he house, then she has control of the house. If it's just a napkin with some words written in crayon, then she can't.


Title: My grandmother just died and I don't know what to do.

Question:
NEVADA

So my grandmother was found dead inside of her apartment yesterday. She was dead for at least a few days. I loved my grandma very much and this came as a shock to me. We talked over the phone every other week and it worried me when she stopped calling. Anyways, I know my grandmother left a will because she told me she did last summer. She mentioned in the car that she wanted to give me everything because I was the only relative she was close to. I want to get into her apartment and find the will before someone else does (mainly my uncle). He could find the will and decide not to tell anyone and by default, get 50% of her assets. I'm trying to avoid this. My uncle is a very shady guy. Does anyone know how I could get access to her apartment?

Update: I also apologize if this post is in the wrong sub.

Answer: Sorry for your loss. What is stopping you from getting into the apartment before your uncle? Does he have a key and you do not?


Title: A man named "D"(for short) is harassing my girlfriend and making her feel unsafe. He recently threatened her with violence. What are my options? I've included a picture of everything that happened, listed by my girlfriend

Question: My girlfriend works at a resteraunt that fired an employee months ago for beating his girlfriend. The managers are friends with this man, and did nothing. It took Human Resources getting involved to be able to handle it. He still shows up to work and hangs around just because he is friends with the people there. Just between a couple of months ago, he took pictures of my girlfriend. This made her uncomfortable, and is also illegal(but if I am wrong then please let me know). We have no evidence of this. Because of what he has done, my girlfriend does not like him and rightfully so. He tried to ask her why, and she said "don't talk to me.". This... idk hurt his feelings? Fast forward to today, over the past month he constantly asks about my girlfriend to his friends here, and today he finally decided to have the balls to ask her why she didn't like him. She told him it was pathetic to care as much as he did about her because she doesn't care about him. I don't agree with the insult, but he then chose to threaten her with violence and insult her. What are my legal routes to solve this?

Answer:
 It is not illegal for him to take photos of her and it is not illegal for him to ask questions about her or be in an establishment where he is welcomed.

If he threatened her then a statement needs to be given to the police.


Title: (NY) My boyfriend has been summoned for jury duty tomorrow in Brooklyn and just came down with a nasty intestinal bug. What are our options?

Question: Boyfriend is currently curled up in bed moaning in pain. It says "must serve" on his summons; he postponed serving previously because he was out of state at college. What happens if he's too sick to go tomorrow? Can we go to an urgent care, get a doctor's note and send it in as proof he wasn't just skipping? Or is this the kind of situation where he needs to show up no matter what, even if that means puking on a clerk?

Answer:
 Can he call the clerk tomorrow morning early enough that if they say "come in anyway" he won't be late? If so, do that. Check court clerk phone hours online. Answer #2: Hi. I'm a NY resident who was in a similar situation. I called, and explained i was sick. They told me to come in. So I did. I made it about 20 minutes before I puked at the sign in desk. they let me leave. Let them learn the hard way that people do get sick. Answer #3: **NAL**

Request a postponement for medical hardship by contacting your local Commissioner of Jurors. You will need to provide supporting documentation (official notice from his PCP or urgent care clinic should suffice).

For your ease of use, go to the [official NY Juror's website Q&A](http://www.nyjuror.gov/juryQandA.shtml) and select:

>Can I request an excuse from service due to a financial or medical hardship?

Which will have a selection of emails depending on which county you reside in.Answer #4: IANAL, but courts are supposed to have alternate jurors that can take the place of a sick juror. The courthouse should have a jury administrator/clerk whom you can call to report sickness. You may be asked to fax in documentation to prove your illness. Just call.


Title: Sue over a bet

Question: Can someone be sued over a bet? I was joking with a coworker that i would quit my job by the end of the year and i wont be able to do so.. He said if i didnt quit by 2019 i would have to give him 2019 dollars. I dont really think it was a bet because the opposite wasnt said and they deny that it would work like that. (They paying me if i did quit). . i obviously thought he was joking but he is talking about taking me to small claims court.

Answer:
 Gambling is illegal almost everywhere in the U.S. so this would be like suing over a drug deal. Answer #2: He would be laughed out of court. Parts of a contract:

Offer: sure, MAYBE there is an offer.

Acceptance: you must have accepted his offer for there to be a contract, you didn't.

Consideration: both parties need to get something. For example if I offer to sell you a car for $1,000 we both get something; I get money and you get a car. You get nothing in this agreement.

Contracts also require "meeting of the minds." In layman's terms, you both need to understand the basic parts of the contract. Here, you completely misunderstood him

Finally, betting like this is illegal in many places. Illegal contracts are not enforceable.

Tell him to pound sand.


Title: My E.R. nurse gave out my sensitive info to my wife without my consent. Now we're fighting and there isn't any peace. Can I sue hospital?

Question:
I go to the E.R. a few day ago because I fell down three times. I have a leg injury and I am learning to walk with a cane. I injured the other leg too.

Now I am being admitted into the hospital and they are settling me in my room. My wife asks my (very young nurse, no more than 23) "How is his blood work?" Being that I am diabetic, 400lbs, and have a few other problems, I totally understand that question. The young nurse however did not understand and and said "His blood test came back positive." I blurt out WHAT?!? For what am I positive?!?" This was said because I screw around on my wife. I was waiting for HIV,or something else. My wife says, "Positive for what?" and the nurse replies, "THC".

Now my wife isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer so she asked me, "When did you smoke pot? Is that why you was falling?" No, baby, pot can stay in your system for 6 months or longer because it's stored in fat cells. And then the nurse cuts me off and says, "No, it's only a week or two."

I've been smoking pot for 35 years and I always have to hide it from wife. We'd always fight and bitch about why do I do "drugs" and she even tried to get me into rehab, she didn't find one. Had several pastors pray for me and etc. It's a problem.

But! I figured out vape pens don't smell. They don't get you as high as a blunt or bong rip, but it gets you a nice level 5 buzz without the smell or hard core munchies.

Can I sue the hospital?

Answer:
 You asked what to the nurse with your wife present. What did you think the nurse would do? Write down the answer, seal it in an envelope and hand it to you?

And stop screwing around on your wife.


Title: Is it Legal for a Company to Ask For Business Ideas During the Hiring Process?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 It is a completely valid question.

It is unlikely that a prospective hire will produce a unique, unconsidered idea that really makes a considerable difference. The company wants to see how candidates think analytically.


Title: [Texas] Father planning to tempt neighbors to trespass/steal/vandalize so he can "take action"

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 [this](http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-montana-shooting-20141217-story.html)

Because your father talked openly about setting a lure to manufacture an excuse to shoot people he could very easily end up facing murder charges.

ETA. TX executed folks on the regular for premeditated murder.


Title: (UTAH) Two questions about my traffic stop

Question:
Ok so today I was dropping off my roommate at the airport and as I was on the off ramp there was a merge and I thought that the car in the lane next to me might merge into me because I was in his blindspot so I sped up a little just so he would see me. unfortunately there was a cop sitting waiting around the corner at the speed limit sign where it became 50mph from 70mph she pulled me over for going 64 in a 50 and after I gave her all my stuff she came back and said "Ok so I'm going to give you a verbal warning but you really need to slow down" I said something along the lines of "ok my apologies I will slow down" and then she said actually I smell something very distinct coming from your car do you know what that could be?" I responded by saying "no I have no idea what that could be" she then said " It smells like marijuana do you mind if I search your vehicle?" to which i responded with "I know for a fact that there are no drugs in my car and I would prefer if you didn't" she seemed surprised that I said no and asked why and I said that my roommate had to make his flight and I had to get home for class. she then went back to her car and called two other cops including her sergeant. she asked me to step out of the car and when I asked why she said that it smelled like marijuana and that is enough evidence to search the car. I questioned her because I know that in same states smell is not enough evidence to search but she was adamant that it was so I said ok. she then went on the search every crevice and make a mess in my car but obviously found nothing. Afterwards she asked me to get back in my car and when back to her SUV for like ten minutes. then she comes up to my window and says "I need you to sign this to show that you know your being cited" and i said "wait so your giving me a ticket?" "yes" " but you already said that your giving me a warning" and she responded with "no I said I was considering giving you a warning" and i said " no you said you ARE giving me a warning didn't you? you said that didn't you?" and she responded with "sir are you refusing to sign?" and I said no because i didn't want to get resisting something police officer blah blah.

So my questions are
Can the police search a car solely on the grounds that it smells like marijuana"
and
Can a police officer tell you they are giving you a warning and then go back on that and give you a ticket 20 mins later( she definitely did this because she didn't find anything)

Thanks for the help I plan on fighting the ticket so any advice is much appreciated!

TL;DR Cop says she is giving me a warning because she thinks she's got me for weed until she finds nothing and then gives me a ticket. Also searched my car solely because it smelled like weed.

Answer:
 > Can the police search a car solely on the grounds that it smells like marijuana" and Can a police officer tell you they are giving you a warning and then go back on that and give you a ticket 20 mins later

Yes and yes.


Title: Speed limit or flow of traffic?

Question: I just remembered a time a few years ago where I was driving on the interstate and in the course of a few miles, the speed limit dropped from 70 to 35. However, no one on the road was reducing their speed to anywhere near 35. If this ever happens to me again, what should I do? At 35, my presence on the road would be unsafe to all the people going 70, but at the same time, I'm sure there's a good reason the speed limit dropped so low. I suspect I was supposed to drive 35, but that seems like a really stupid idea in this circumstance.

Answer: You’re supposed to drive the speed limit.


Title: Maryland. My uncle sent a no trespassing letter to my parents. He possesses nearly all of my grandmother's belongings. We're suspicious. What now?

Question:
This is going to be a long, strange one so please bear with me here. I'm writing this more on behalf of my parents, who are the ones dealing with this. They are considering consulting a lawyer if anything else happens.

There has been a lot of arguing on my father's side of the family about my grandmother's living and financial situation. She has decided recently to give power of attorny to my dad. For some reason this situation has been met with a lot of anger from my uncle. We'll call him Bob.

Bob and his wife, who I'll call Lisa, have been on the opposing "side" of this whole disagreement. All of my grandmother's valuables are on Bob's property, which neither of my parents have visited for over a year and a half. This is because for a good while my grandmother lived with them, and it was very stressful for them. They were initially angry with the rest of the family for not helping enough.  Bob's first move after my grandmother was moved to a nursing home was to send out several phonecalls filled with yelling and colorful language to those of us in the family he disagrees with. We have one of these calls recorded.

We're not really sure where the agression comes from but there have been hints here and there that Bob and Lisa are in financial trouble. Keep in mind Bob has my grandmother's belongings and no one else in the family has had access to them for over a year. He and Lisa also have access to my grandmother's credit cards. We believe this is why he has been so defensive ever since learning that my dad is being given power of attorney shortly.

What really has us concerned is the recent letter Bob sent to us and another one of my aunts officially demanding that neither we, nor any of our friends and employees step foot on his property. It seems odd for this to come out of nowhere. Our concern is that my grandmother's valuables are no longer there and he is trying to hide that. Even worse, could he use these letters sent by official mail to indicate he was wary of theft and then claim someone had broken in and taken everything? Would he get away with that easily?

Also, Lisa works as a housekeeper. She has access to and often visits my granparent's home on my mother's side. We don't know if Lisa is aware of Bob's behavior. Should my grandparents fire her and deny her access to their home at least for now to be safe?

In less than a week, we will also be discovering if Bob and Lisa have been misusing my grandmother's credit cards. Any advice if that happens to be the case is appreciated. I care about my family but if this happens to be true I would like to see them prosecuted.

What can my immediate family do to defend ourselves and what should be done in the event of a faked theft of property? What should we do if we are the ones accused of trespassing and/or theft?  I've never heard of this happening before so I'm honestly clueless.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 Many states have statutes on elder abuse including financial abuse.

I would research the laws in your grandmothers state and immediately upon discovering anything illegal contact the police.

It will be a long drawn out investigation but if you don't start it immediately upon discovery it can mess things up.

Good luck. I would contact an estate attorney and ask their advice on getting a court order to retrieve the belongings.


Title: Indiana Handgun Lincense please help

Question: Okay, so for the last four years I have had a license to carry a handgun in Indiana and have done so daily. Just recently however, I had a very bad breakup with my girlfriend and the police were called and upon them entering my home, they decided to impound my firearms and submit me to a mental evaluation to check for suicide risks. Now I was immediately released within 24 hours and deemed not a threat to myself or anyone else, and wasn't prescribed medication or counseling or anything of the sort. And after a couple of weeks the police called me in to pick up my firearms from impound and sent me on my way without any fines or documentation or anything. There was never an official report filed or charges brought up, because nothing actually happened, and i never misused my firearms, I was just very drunk and they wanted to make sure I was okay. Now when I was leaving the police station I asked if my License was revoked or anything and they said no, because I didn't actually do anything wrong. So here's the problem, my License has now expired and I want to renew it, but it asks on the application have I ever been involuntarily treated for mental illness... And I have no idea how to  answer that, I was involuntarily evaluated, but no treatment was required... ??? Please help, I don't want to lie and get into trouble, but I also don't want to be denied for thinking i should answer yes when it's no.

Answer:
 The Indiana statute defining who is a "proper person" to possess a handgun specifically excludes temporary evaluations:

"Proper person" means a person who: . . . (11)  has not been involuntarily committed,  *other than a temporary commitment for observation and evaluation*,  to a mental institution by a court, board, commission or other lawful authority, . . .

http://iga.in.gov/legislative/laws/2014/ic/titles/035/articles/047/chapters/001/#section-7

You should check out the other qualifications on the list to be a "proper person" because some are somewhat vague and could potentially apply to your situation depending on the severity and frequency of police calls to your house in recent years, as well as terms concerning alcohol.

This one, for example, seems to leave a lot of room for interpretation: *(6)  does not have documented evidence which would give rise to a reasonable belief that the person has a propensity for violent or emotionally unstable conduct*.  You didn't give many details about how your drunkenness led to the police escorting you to a 24-hour hospital stay, but it is now a "documented" event and this section could be broadly interpreted to apply.


Title: Psycho Ex BF

Question:
Hi,
I am a 30 yo gay guy in Houston TX. I recently dated a guy for 6 months off and on. He has some mental health issues and was hiding a drug addiction, and I could not handle it. I am sober. I decided to break it off after he said some pretty hurtful stuff. I blocked him on social media, and my iPhone but he uses an app or website to text and call me anonymously. He gifted me a laptop computer (which does not work). He has been harassing me non-stop for almost three weeks now. Sending me suicidal threats, threatening violence towards me, and even a terroristic threat. Today he sent me a chain of texts threatening to come to my job and collect his laptop. I have stopped responding to him. He even called my job today to see if i was there. I issued a police report and am wondering what my next step should be. I want to return his laptop but do not know the safest way. i was thinking of using a courier. Any advice would help

Answer:
 Call your local police non emergency line and ask them to supervise the transfer of property. This is especially beneficial because they can serve as a witness to prove the transfer took place.

Consider seeking a PPO and send your ex a certified letter demanding he he stop contacting you. Any further contact after that make a police report.


Title: Landlord wants to terminate lease before move-in...Please help!

Question: So I finally found an apartment (Astoria NYC) and signed the lease last week. The owner/landlord signed as well. My boyfriend is also on the lease but lives in Philly still, but the landlord said he could sign whenever he's up. I emailed the landlord a few days later asking about the windows (they lacked screens/blinds when I saw the apartment originally). He got mad and said I could come by Monday (tomorrow) and pick up my deposit money. I paid security, deposit and broker fee. I apologized and said we still want the apartment - I signed the lease. Can deal with a minor issue like the windows. He still wants to terminate it seems. The broker/agent aren't much help - say they can't control the landlord. We really want this apartment - any suggestions? Is the landlord within his rights when he already signed this lease? Thanks!

Answer: I would demand a large fee if they want to break the lease, like 2-3 months rent. What goes around comes around.


Title: You are only required to give over your identification after being detained by the police, what about in a case of a car accident and investigation? [CA]

Question:
So, let's say I'm a passenger in a car and we get into an Accident. Clearly both drivers needs to hand over identification especially if the police are called to the scene.

I have been watching a lot of first amendment audits on YouTube, and the general gist I'm getting is you do not need to give the police any identification unless they suspect you of committing, about to commit, or have committed a crime. But I'm not sure about if they require ID if you've been in an Accident as a passenger??
Topic:
Constitution

Answer:
 >I have been watching a lot of first amendment audits on YouTube

You should stop, because most of those people have no idea what they are talking about.  Among other things, when you are required to present ID has nothing to do with the First Amendment.

If you're any kind of witness to an accident, the police are going to ask for your ID to document your name and address.  If you want to refuse, all you are going to accomplish is set off all sorts of alarm bells and make your own life more difficult.


Title: Help cite actual laws why schools can create additional rules that counteract the law (dress codes, firearm control, etc) [MA, but any state]

Question:
I am an educator. I am also a somewhat-liberal. I believe in people having rights, but I also believe in one person's right not infringing on somebody else's rights.

Those in education are always told that schools can create specific rules that partially go against the constitution, as long as it is in the best interested of "preserving the educational environment". Good examples include dress codes, firearms not allowed on school grounds, you can't just randomly talk during tests, etc.

**Today I came across [this guy](https://youtu.be/pn-WYzU6jYk). For those that don't want to go through his videos, he likes walking around on school grounds with rifles and other firearms strapped to himself.**

His interactions with police are all basically the same. The police are calm and try to talk to him, and he refuses to allow them to get out a sentence, all while nit-picking every last look, stance, and twitch they have. He gets downright insulting. His big go-to is always "is this not public property? that means that I paid for it and I have the right to be here"

I'm finding it quite difficult to actually find the case law that shows that, no, you cannot just walk around on school grounds with firearms. Heck, I can't even find an actual law that says school uniforms are legal.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

*(And, no, I do not plan on confronting this guy. Someone wise once told me 'never try to teach a pig to sing. You'll simply waste your time and annoy the pig.')*

Answer:
 Schools can't create rules which partially go against the constitution.

Rather, it's been ruled that certain things, like certain infringements on speech or dress in schools, aren't actually unconstitutional.Answer #2: > His big go-to is always "is this not public property? that means that I paid for it and I have the right to be here"

Separate from the firearm issue, he's generically wrong about that.  "Public property" does not mean that a member of the public can do whatever they want on that property whenever they want.  "Public property" means that the public, through their elected officials, decides the usage.  An individual person does not.

In Massachusetts, such activity is [specifically prohibited](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter269/Section10); other states make their own laws.


Title: [WI] "House stalker" situation and legality of cameras?

Question:
Posting on behalf of a friend.

So my friend, who lives on a dead-end street in Wisconsin, has what we're calling a "house stalker." This person slows down or stops altogether in front of my friend's house (it varies), then continues down the road and turns around, then slows down/stops again on the return trip. There's a large bush at the edge of the yard, which usually obscures half of the car.

My friend has seen this happen about five times per week for the past four months, but after talking to her neighbors, has discovered that it's more like four times per DAY. There's a big bush at the edge of her yard, and the...persistent parker, let's call her, usually keeps half the car behind the bush.

So my friend is going to call the non-emergency line soon and report this--obviously this person isn't doing anything strictly illegal, at least as far as I can tell, but we both feel there should be a report of the behavior in case it escalates, as it's obviously not normal.

I'm also trying to talk her into cameras. One over the front door and maybe one pointed at the street. I know recording laws vary by state, and I'm wondering at the legality of pointing a camera at the street? To me it seems like it should be legal as it's public property, but I've lurked here enough to know that the law isn't based on what *I* think should be legal.

Thanks.

Answer:
 It's perfectly legal to put a camera on the front of her house.

She could also go out and get a photo of the license plate next time she sees them.


Title: [CT] Loaned a friend $100. Keeps dodging me and making silly excuses to not pay me back

Question:
I never thought it’ll be an issue. He agreed to pay me back on Thursday at 11pm when he returns from work. 10:55 comes I ask him where is he and that I don’t see him near my house where he agreed to come. He says “tomorrow noon”. Ok... still not a big deal with me. I text him at 9am and ask is he coming. He says definitely. 11:21AM comes and I text him. Please note it’s always me reaching out. He says “closer to 3”. I express how he could’ve at least told me when he realized he will be a bit late. I have a life too. So 2:45 comes. Again I text him. “Can’t tonight”. Now I’m mad because one I have to keep texting him and two, it’s clear he’s avoiding me. And I never loan money I desperately need but it’s just simple respect. It’s been a few days and a dozen more excuses. I expressed to him that I will not hesitate to serve him and/or take him to court. My question is, how do I even go about doing so? Can I even take him to court for $100? I just don’t want him to think he can get away with it.

TL;DR: friend is dodging me and won’t give back money. Has dumb excuses and I always have to reach out to him. What are my options?

Answer: Small claims should have a guide for what you want to do. Yes you can


Title: Apartment complex flooded garage as part of maintenance. Now they say they’re not responsible for damaging my car (Texas)

Question:
Yesterday, I received a call from my apartment complex saying they were releasing a valve in an hour and I need to move my car. I said I’m not in the area and can’t.

They proceeded with maintenance and flooded the garage with three feet of water. My car and a few other cars now have flood damage. The car starts weird now. The complex says they are not on the hook because they gave us a warning.

This has to be bullshit, right? Where do I go from here?

Answer:
 Contact your insurance and let them deal with this. This is why you pay them.Answer #2: Flooding a parking garage with three feet of water cannot possibly be "part of maintenance."   Maintenance of what, exactly?  A flooded car would be considered salvage title and you are entitled to the full value of the car plus consequential damages.  In addition to putting in a claim with your own auto insurer, assuming you have comprehensive coverage, you also need to put in a claim with the apartment complex's premises liability insurance carrier, and/or any other similar insurance policies they probably have, such as general liability.  If there are any state agencies such as consumer affairs in Texas or your county, you should file formal complaints with those agencies as well.Answer #3: I assume they didn’t warn you beforehand?  Letter on your door / in the mail warning of the upcoming work?Answer #4: What kind of maintenance were they doing that required them to flood the parking garage and needed to be done that urgently?Answer #5: No need for a lawyer, your insurance will handle this. This is what you pay for. They’ll get your apartment complex to pony up.

Clearly the people who own your complex are morons, move the first chance you get.Answer #6: An hour? That's not enough warning. They needed to give at least a 24 hour notice to not be on the hook for damages.


Title: NJ-lemon law on a house?

Question:
I bought a home back in September.  Although it was sold as is,  it was priced similar to its comps around the neighborhood.  We knew it needed some paint and some new flooring and some cosmetic touch ups,  but even after the home inspection we're finding the walls are coming loose on the nails,  we need a new roof,  one bathroom has to get torn apart,  we may have an and colony in our wall.  And there's so much more.

It has become an overwhelming financial burden and a stress I don't need in my life.  Is there any action I can take to get money back? Money to fix it? Wash my hands of it? Anything that you know of? Thanks.

Answer: You do know what as is means right?


Title: [USA-TX] App that charges people to lookup publically hacked/leaked passwords for any email

Question: My buddy and I (high school students) made an app that compiles all of the hacks that are publically available into a single database that charges per lookup. Essentially users can lookup any email and find out if any passwords have been found for that email. They can see half the password for free, and pay $1 to unlock the entire password. The source of our data is https://databases.today/. **Are there any legal issues with selling this data?** The app is fully functional. If anyone wants to get a better idea of what the app does, I can add you into the iOS/Android closed beta. We have an LLC for tax purposes.

Answer:
 Absolutely there are. You are selling stolen data, even if it is publicly available, and you probably have zero ways of ensuring that you are providing the information to the correct party.

If I paid you $1, under your app, I could get passwords for my friends, family, or enemies, and use it to mess with their accounts.

This is secure data you are playing around with, and you could end up party to identity theft.

If you scrap the releasing of the complete password, and use the database as a way of seeing whether you were hacked, with the $1 fee being for the location of the hacked account, always keeping the password obfuscated, that might be a bit different.


Title: [Florida] Open carrying while fishing

Question:
Also posted in r/askLEO but I found this sub and it seems more active;

http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2011/790.25

Florida ss. 790.25:

(3) LAWFUL USES. - The provisions of ss. 790.053 and 790.06 do not apply in the following
instances, and, despite such sections, it is lawful for the following persons to own, possess, and
lawfully use firearms and other weapons, ammunition, and supplies for lawful purposes:

(h) A person engaged in fishing, camping, or lawful hunting or going to or returning from a fishing,
camping, or lawful hunting expedition;

Unfortunately the place with the best fishing at night is also a place that’s known to be a little rough and I know a person whose been mugged by some wannabe teenage gangsters a while back. I’m planning on OCing while I fish there, in an area I’m legally allowed to be and a place where I can legally fish. I’d much prefer to conceal carry but I’m not old enough to get the license however I am older than 18.

Will be open carrying my Glock 19 with one in the chamber. Just trying to gauge opinion from either people familiar with FL and gun laws and/or law enforcement. I know I’m legally allowed to carry under the statute but at the same time I don’t want any problems. If approached by LE I plan to act like a sensible human and do as told obviously.

I’m also gonna keep the statute in my wallet just in case it comes in handy although from what I can tell if I’m that far down the rabbit hole that I need to show them the statute they are probably too invested to care.

Answer: Having the statute doesn't stop them from detaining you, even arresting you, confiscating your firearm, and holding you. Eventually they will sort it all out, or you might get charged, because, as you said, its a rough area, and its at night, and the DA might believe he can convince a jury that 'fishing' was a cover for someone to carry a gun.


Title: (FL/TN)My wife left me in early April and found out she was pregnant on Apr 25th. Is there any way I can get a court ordered paternity test? We are still married. The baby is due in December

Question: Like the title says, my wife left me and found out soon after that she was pregnant (conception date was a couple of weeks before she left). She has since moved to TN with her parents. Right after she left me, she started a relationship with a woman (she is bi). We have never used any form or method of contraception in our 4 1/2 years together. I just figured I had something wrong with me, and this seems very coincidental given the time-line of our separation.  Just wondering what my rights are as far as a paternity test. Thank you.

Answer: Tennessee automatically requires a woman's spouse be listed on the birth certificate. So you can get a paternity test done, but you will automatically be listed at the child's father.


Title: Job overpaid me after leaving. They want there money back quick

Question: I have received an extra $1400 from getting an extra paycheck (and a half) from my employer. I emailed them, and they’re wanting it back within 2 installments. They were just gonna pull back the full amount back in 2 days but I quickly stopped that and said that’s not okay. My old job as had tons of mistakes specifically payroll so I wanted some time to research and make sure that I did owe $1400 and not less. My question is how long do I have to pay them back and how many installments can I do. I live Utah if that matters.  Thanks!

Answer: There is no statutory anything dictating how fast you have to pay it back.  It's up to you to agree to terms.  If you don't come up with an arrangement they like they can at the very least sue you (and win), and it's entirely possible they can legally deduct it from your account regardless of your opinion on the matter.


Title: [KY] Utility easement full of potholes. MS Paint diagram included!

Question:
Hi guys! Thanks for taking the time to read this.

[Here](http://imgur.com/a/fUbBI) is a quick diagram I did of the situation, I know how much y'all love your MS Paint!

November 1st I moved in to a new apartment.  It is on the second floor above a shop at the corner of a busy street and a side street, with the entrance and parking lot in the rear of the building. There are two entrances to the lot, one from the busy street and one from the side through another parking lot owned by the same person.

The lots are all gravel. In between the two lots is a curved strip of gravel that is absolutely riddled with potholes. I'm talking like 6 inches to a foot deep, and several feet long/wide. Could cause some serious damage to a car.

When I brought this up at the lease signing, the owner told me that it is an easement for the electric company. He said he used to fix it up every few years, at his own expense, but eventually decided to stop.

So **Question One:** Does the utility company have any onus to maintain this easement? I figure not, because it is for their use and there is still access from the other entrance.

The other thing that is at issue here is the parking lot itself, beyond the easement. The gravel is almost non-existant. It's just..whatever is under gravel normally, concrete maybe? with a few small rocks on it. It is also riddled with potholes, and when it rains there are large areas of water up to 3 inches deep. I can't get out of my car without stepping in it. I'm nervous about the upcoming winter and having this parking lot turn into an ice skating rink.

**Question Two:** Does the landlord have any requirement to maintain the apartment parking lot that he owns?

**Question Three:** Obviously nothing has happened yet, but if my car got messed up driving through the easement, would there be any recourse from the Utility Company? What about the lot (NOT THE EASEMENT), would I have recourse from the landlord? What if someone slipped on ice due to water pooling in the improperly drained lot?

Thanks again for reading.

**Tl;Dr:** Apartment parking lot has more craters and bumps than a pubescent teen's face. Anything I can do to get the owner to fix it? If not, and something is damaged, is there recourse?

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Question one: the utility company likely has shared use of that easement with the land owner, and unless the utility company is there everyday, causing the damage by using the easement, it is not solely their responsibility to fix the potholes. Unless that easement is used *exclusively* by the utility company, it's still landlord's property.

Question two: yes, especially if he doesn't want to deal with claims from authorized people using the parking lot who suffer damages.

Question three: the landlord would be liable, in the easement and in the lot (again, assuming shared use of the easement, and not exclusive use). Answer #2: Not sure whether to flair this Landlord Tenant or Traffic and Parking. *shrug*


Title: What would happen if I let a pizza burn down my house

Question:
Let's suppose two situations

&#x200B;

Chelsey: Single mother of two who works a full time with a part time job. One night she sticks a frozen pizza in the oven, and then she passes out from exhaustion. An hour later her fire alarm awkens her to the fire she started, And she rushes out of her apartment with her two kids, all her earthly possessions, and nothing else.

&#x200B;

Brett: Your typical college frat guy who threw a pizza in the oven and then proceeds to forget to take it out because he's too drunk, but manages to escape before the fire burned the entire complex down.

&#x200B;

What would the difference be between their two punishments? Obviously neither of them meant to burn down their apartments, but would one of them be found more liable than the other? What would happen if the two of them were blamed for the negligence that burned the apartment down?

Answer:
 What do you mean "punishments"? Neither of these people have committed a crime.

Hopefully they have insurance.


Title: [Florida] Concerned about Quality of Surgery.

Question:
I'll try to keep it simple and short.

In 2012, I was hit by a personal vehicle while biking to working.  My ankle was broken badly, as were the leg bones just above the ankle.  I got surgery done to get it fixed and got a settlement that covered my recovery time, paid surgery and all that.

My problem became apparent after the cast came off and I was cleared to return to work.  From the ankle down, it was discolored and tender.  I was told by the doctor on the visit where the cast was removed that this would pass in a few months as I recovered.

After working two months, I had numerous sores that opened up into open wounds that would not heal quickly.  I lost my job due to not being able to work on my feet.

I had to move home to Texas with my brother.  An ER visit when I got home resulted in the ER doc telling me that I had insufficient capillary work in my leg below the ankle.  Blood flows down into my foot, but it it can't back out. The dead blood then becomes acidic and opens wounds.  There's insufficient vein-work, I suppose you can say.  The blood gets in there and then dies due to being unable to get back out.  That's what's causing the discoloration and the wounds that take forever to heal.

I've been told by a few people that this is a case of lousy surgery work by the doctor.  My lawyer that I'd used for my accident wasn't interested since I can still work and it wasn't a drastic loss of life or limb.

I guess what I'm asking is, what are my options here?  Do I have a case worth pursuing?

Answer: Consult a medical malpractice attorney. Consults are free and they can tell you if you have a case against the doctor.


Title: School found a suicide pact between my girlfriend and me

Question:
And they are now threatening expulsion.

Background:

Second semester freshman year was a bad time for us both, and we were both contemplating suicide. We agreed that if either of us decide to go for real, we would go together. (Yeah, we're retarded, but it made sense and sounded nice at the time.) We wrote this agreement on paper and taped it to the back of a picture frame that she hangs on the wall. Fire inspection came this morning, took down the picture frame because it was in violation of some fire code, found the paper, and reported it. We're currently both sophomores.
They said that they are requiring us to take a leave and will expel if we do not agree to take a leave. Can they do this?

Answer: I assume this is college? It's really up to them. I'd talk to them to see if they'll agree to let you stay if you start therapy.


Title: [CA] Outside sewer backup due to rain led to overflow in my leased retail space; prop management billing me for damages to both my and neighboring unit

Question:
I lease a 1400 sqft. commercial space in a retail plaza in Southern California. The building is old and has many problems, and two years ago the property was sold and a new management company inherited my lease. In late 2014, heavy rains led to a single incident of overflow in the toilet in the bathroom in the unit; our staff came in to about 1/2" to 1" of standing water in the bathroom which had presumably been there overnight. We had experienced this problem once years before with the old management company, reported it, and nothing was done, and we thought nothing more of it (and unfortunately, did not document this).

Two months after the incident, and just after we signed an extension to our lease, we were informed that the neighboring unit was claiming damage from the incident, and that we were being held responsible. The property management company hired a mold remediation company to come in and tear up the drywall between the two units, discovered the presence of mold, and ended up removing that, testing the air quality over the next month, and re-carpeting the neighboring unit at their request. We were not part of this process as the neighbors demanded that property management clean it up and fix it, and they did so without our consent (and in some cases, without even telling us what was happening).

We were originally told the cleanup would be roughly $2.5K, then $5K, then $10K, and now the entire bill for this is north of $15K, and they have invoiced us for it. Of that total, only about $5K were for activities in our unit.

Our lease -- which is, as far as I know, a very standard California commercial property lease -- seems extremely specific in that we are responsible for damages to our unit that do not exceed 20% of the building's value, but nowhere does it mention any kind of responsibility for damages to neighboring units, nor does it mention anything in regards to damages caused to other units by way of ours.

Further, I have in writing (email) from the property manager an indication that they were aware the problem was not related to our plumbing, but rather to the sewer system between our unit and the city (which is very old). They have repeatedly tried to flush this system in the hopes it does not back up. Our unit's toilet happens to be the closest outlet to the septic system, so our theory is that it overflowed during the rain simply because it is the closest outlet. During this restoration process we did replace the very old toilet in our bathroom, but at no point were any repairs made or suggested that would have prevented this from happening. In other words, everybody seems to agree that the problem lay between the building and the city, and not with our unit.

I have been verbally asked by our property manager "to just submit this to your insurance as a claim, and they will pay it and that's that." My gut feeling is that per our lease we are likely responsible for the damages in our unit regardless of the exterior cause, but that we should not be responsible for the damages to the neighboring unit, and that the property manager knows that.

So, my questions:

* Does it sound like we would be responsible for the entirety of the damages? (I realize the exact language of our lease is relevant to this, but let's assume that what I wrote above is accurate)

* If I file the entire thing as an insurance claim, and my insurance ends up denying it, would that be used against me if I were to challenge this? Could they say that by filing a claim, I accepted that we were responsible?

* This event occurred in December 2014; we were asked to re-sign our lease in January 2015, and within one week of re-signing, we were then notified about this problem. Given that property management knew about it and did not tell us, it feels like we were hoodwinked a bit. Does this help us at all if we were to challenge it?

Ultimately I am trying to decide right now if filing a claim is the right next action, or if I should be speaking to a lawyer first.

Answer:
 > sewer system between our unit and the city (which is very old). They have repeatedly tried to flush this system in the hopes it does not back up. Our unit's toilet happens to be the closest outlet to the septic system

Wait.... sewer or septic?

If it's a septic system then why is the city involved? If it's city sewers, then what does the septic system do?


Title: [Colorado] Is comp time legal?

Question: Is comp time legal? My company wants me to work over time without paying me, but says every hour I work over time is one I don't work during the week. Even though I am always scheduled for 8 hour days anyway. There is also no system, other than the honor system, for tracking "comp" time.

Answer:
 Assuming you are paid hourly:

If you work over 8 hours but less than 12 in a day, it is legal to offset those hours by having you take those hours off paid later in the week as straight time.

Hours over 12 in one day or 40 in one week are to be paid at 1.5x your base rate. It can be legal to have you take OT as time off as 1.5 hours off for 1 OT hour worked.

But:

You must be paid for all hours worked in the pay period you worked them. So if you work 9 hours M-Th, you need to either use comp time on Friday or be paid for it. You can file a wage claim for unpaid overtime since you are not getting your comp hours and it does not appear they have any sort of tracking system for comp time owed or used. Even if the policy is for employees to track their own comp time and use in the same week, they must pay any you have worked. It is not legal to discharge an employee for filing a wage claim, but if the company has a written policy you have signed in the handbook or other document that it is the employees responsibility to track and use their comp time the week in which is was earned, they may be dismissed for not following the policy. However from what you describe, it sounds like that is not a documented policy and they are just winging things. Contact the Department of Labor.


Title: [SC] hurt on the job and other bs

Question:
So to star off I'm a delivery drine for a local pizza company. I was taking a delivery to a guys house and I make the delivery. His porch was incredibly cluttered and falling apart. I took a step down and stepped on some wet mildewed step and went flying down the stairs. Caught my arm on a rusty nail and ripped it open. Never knew what human muscle actually looks like til now.

I go to the ER and while in line I had a towel covered in blood on my arm. Shortly after I got incredibly dizzy and started to lose conciousness. My girlfriend told them that I was about to fall. They assumed I was overdosing on heroin since I was holding a bloody towel around a vein and she had to tell everyone I wasn't on drugs while they all watched and let me fall and bust my head on the wall. I don't remember much about this part as I was passed out. I woke up in a wheelchair and got stitched up and hooked up to an iv and ekg.

Everyone is telling me to sue everyone and I'm not the greedy type. With the hospital portion I really don't see much coming out of it as it was just a bump on the head and I wasn't seriously injured. But with the homeowner I'm not so sure of. I dont want to be a mr. Slipping jimmy but I also am not in a position financially to be able to pay for whatever the hospital is going to charge me. How do I handle this? Is this really as big of a deal as everyone is making it out to be?

Answer:
 IANAL

You may be eligible for Worker's Compensation through your employer as you were hurt during your scope of employment (for the first injury).Answer #2: You need to speak to your employer and file a workers' compensation claim. It's possible you can also file a suit against the home owner of the property on which you fell, but you need to speak to an attorney. There are plenty of attorneys that handle both PI and WC cases.


Title: [NY] My landlord claims that rent has not been paid, yet I have a receipt and won't accept that proof. What are my options?

Question:
Hello,

I have rented an apartment on February 2016 and paid first, last, and deposit. Last month and deposit were paid via certified checks. First month was paid in cash directly to the broker who gave me a receipt that I still have.

My landlord has been harassing me for months now saying that I didn't pay my July 2017 rent (last month rent on my lease, that was then renewed). He's saying that he can't get ahold of his broker... and that it's somehow proof that I did not pay. I'm pretty worried he'll try to keep my deposit.

Also, I rented the apartment next door at the same time (Feb 2016) and paid first last and deposit. This time using only certified checks so no worries on this one. Never late on payments or anything. Rent was increased by $500 (he initially offered $1000 increase) when the lease were renewed, don't even know if that's legal.

What can I do?

Thank you!

Answer:
 I'm guessing that the broker just stole the cash and never paid your LL. Make copies of that receipt and email yourself a copy so that you don't lose it.

If the agreement was for you to pay the broker, and the broker then pays the LL, you don't owe the LL anything. He needs to get the money from the broker, not you.Answer #2: If he does keep your deposit to cover "supposed" unpaid rents then your recourse will be to take him to smalls claims court over it. With receipts it should be easy to show that you did indeed pay and he incorrectly withheld your deposit. Also from the sounds of it, I'd make sure that you have good records (photos,videos) of the condition of the properly in case he overcharges you for damages when you do move out.
Answer #3: IANAL.  I've not seen this addressed by anyone else.  Raising your rent $500.  Some jurisdictions have a cap on how much rent can be raised (usually a percentage) at any given time.  That sounds like a massive increase and may not be legal.

Definitely contact you landlord tenant board and have discussion with them about this.Answer #4: You're sure you paid the broker fee separately from first month's rent? Typically rent goes to the landlord and only the broker fee goes to the broker. Brokers fee is often same as a month's rent. Does your receipt specify rent?


Title: Calculating Damages for My Service Dog

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You'd be owed the replacement cost of the animal. Vet bills would be calculated only of it were shots or other treatment that is needed for any new animal (if you needed to spay or neuter your new animal perhaps).

Edit: also vet bills incurred of the animal were only injured or injured but didn't die right away.Answer #2: I have a feeling your "training fee" is a basic obedience class. I breed/raise/train service dogs for 3 different veteran/ ptsd related charities. You do not have a service dog, you have a pet that you strap a vest on


Title: How do I serve papers to a city?

Question:
We are suing a construction company hired through the city. We need to serve both the construction company and the city itself. Do I have the papers served to the City Hall?

EDIT: City of Spokane, Washington

Answer:
 In the state of Nowhere you must wait until the blood moon and then deliver your complaint to Mayor by knocking three times on his *side* door, not the front or the back. And then attaching the complaint to his door with a *brass* nail, not iron, not steel, *brass*.

Your state/country might be different. Answer #2: >[RCW 4.28.080(2)](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/Rcw/default.aspx?cite=4.28.080) If against any town or incorporated city in the state, to the mayor, city manager, or, during normal office hours, to the mayor's or city manager's designated agent or the city clerk thereof.

Having said that, you might want to consider retaining an attorney. Suits against governments aren't usually DIY territory, because they will lawyer up and they do have legal protections that can be invoked.


Title: I was supposed to recieve a 50 cent raise as of 01/01/15 and have not yet

Question:
What is the most appropriate way to approach this with my HR department? My raise is over a month due and I even signed a paper stating that it is supposed to be effective. Thank you for your help
Edit: I am in escondido california

Answer:
 Say "Hey, hows the weather? Also, I was under the impression I was getting a raise 2 months ago. Am I wrong?"

Also, why wait two months to ask?


Title: Is it illegal to make an email account with a fake name in order to be anonymous?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 There are plenty of antonymous emails where you don't have to even give a name in the first place.  A google search for "antonymous email address" will turn up hundreds of these.

If you are sending anonymous emails to harass people or commit other criminal acts, those acts do not magically become legal because you're "anonymous."


Title: Narcotics and the police

Question: If the police suspected that you had narcotics on you, or on your property, and you decided to swallow all of the evidence before the police could seize anything (assuming that you are being confronted by police), can you still be charged with possession?

Answer: Well do the police know you swallowed something?  Because the first issue is you need to go to the hospital to get that crap out. But yes once it's recovered you can be charged with it. You can also be charged with destruction of evidence.


Title: Is there a law forbidding alcohol sales to 22 year old persons with a valid ‘vertical’ ID in the state of Maryland?

Question: I’m 22 years old, I have a valid ID that doesn’t expire until 2023. I had just gone to the local liquor store and attempted to buy a bottle of wine and was refused because apparently it’s ‘the law’. This really pissed me off and I got in an argument with the lady. The higher up manager came out and took her side insisting it’s “the law” and refused to sell. I cannot find a single source online that confirms there is a law saying you must refuse sale to people with valid vertical IDs, all sources I see claim that it’s up to the business owner whether or not they accept ‘vertical’ IDs. Afterwards, I left them horrible reviews on Google and Yelp saying they refuse to serve 22 year old customers with valid IDs, which I believe is rightful. Is there actually such a law in the state of Maryland or am I in the wrong here for leaving them bad reviews? if I am correct there is no such law I will be calling for an apology otherwise I’m keeping the reviews up. If there really is a law I’ll take my reviews down.

Answer:
 The law actually doesn't matter here. The store decided that they didn't want to accept your ID and they have that right. They are not required to sell to you and you are certainly not owed an apology. Answer #2: NAL- was bartender in Maryland 2007-2011. What I was told at multiple bars I worked at: the law says you're not allowed to buy alcohol with a vertical ID in Maryland even if you're of age. I was supposed to refuse service to anyone with a vertical ID. Not sure of the logic behind this but it is a thing. This is also problematic if say, your birthday is on July 4 and dmv is closed- legally that person can't be served alcohol in Maryland on their 21st birthday. They can celebrate the next day when they are able to get the horizontal ID on July 5.

Edit- and if you've seen it happen before they served that person illegallyAnswer #3: \> **all sources I see claim that it’s up to the business owner whether or not they accept ‘vertical’ IDs**

So why are you freaking out? The business owner decided to not accept vertical IDs.