Title: Neighboring kids might hurt themselves on our patio

Question:
I live in a four unit townhouse with a common patio split into half and owned privately by the ground units.

The upper units have fire escape and the upstairs kids will occasionally play in our section of the patio. This is usually okay; the only annoying thing is that they will occasionally trip the motion sensor camera pointed at our patio door.

Today I noticed on the camera that they were balancing themselves on a flower pot on a ledge, to break off some icicles that had formed.

Given the circumstances, I am shocked they didn’t slip and hurt themselves, but am now thinking it’s only a matter of time until they do.

Since this is my private property, I’m guessing that if they hurt themselves, I will be held responsible in some way. I’m not sure what to do here.

Should I take the video to their parents and inform them, or leave it be because I won’t be held liable?

This is in Massachusetts, USA.

Thank you!

Answer:
 Either way, it would be in your best interests to show the video to the parents and ask that they keep the children off of your patio.

After you have talked to them,  regardless of how it goes,  send them a note thanking them for hearing you out on the issue of the children playing on the patio in a dangerous manner and your request that the children not play there.

Keep a copy of that dated note, and of the video.

If something happens in the future you are at least somewhat better protected.

Answer #2: Blows my mind that US law makes you liable instead of the injured (or injured’s parents) for something like this. How do we accept this as okay??Answer #3: Make sure your renters or homeowners insurance has adequate liability insurance, just in case.


Title: Am I allowed to talk about my sexual abuse and my abusers publicly (on social media) even if they haven’t been reported yet? And if they are?

Question:
Trigger warning mention of child sexual abuse
*I’m located in The Netherlands specifically*

I was sexually abused as a child for many many years, by 3 different people (my bio father as well as my bio brothers).

I want to ‘be out’ and talk about my life in a public way, probably on instagram, to help other victims with their trauma as well as people I know irl who don’t know me, and feel all alone.

I want to let people know they are not alone and it does get better, and support them as well as get support from others.

I am reporting them to the police and already have a date set, but I’m not sure I’m allowed to speak about it before the report, during the report or after the investigation is done.

What am I or am I not allowed to say online? I don’t plan on mentioning their names, but people who know me irl will know that bio father and bio brothers means they will know their names.

Could either of them sue me if I did that? And if so, what for exactly?

Answer: The abusers could sue for liable or slander. I’d get the reporting and any evidence you can find to the police first.


Title: HOA Approved new window installations and have since rescinded their approval

Question:
(WA - Mountlake Terrace) I am currently living in a Condominium complex with an HOA. No surprises there, but in December 2019 we requested approval to replace our windows that were 29 years old, which is our responsibility per HOA rules. I had sent the HOA Board spec sheets (the glass was noted as High Performance SmartSun Glass), pictures of other jobs the contractor completed, and 3D generated models that contractor made that detailed the new, custom windows quite well. The HOA replied, in email, that they approved the changes. Only once the contractor received the HOA approval could they move forward with the replacements.

Well, once we got that approval from the HOA Board, the replacements went without a hitch by January 15th. Fast forward to April 22nd, we receive a letter saying that the HOA had "issues" with the new windows and that they wanted to speak to us in an "informal meeting."

Their concern was the the window color was a green tint (High Performance SmartSun Glass), whereas all of the other units had clear glass. They are now requesting we replace the glass with clear glass that the contractor will not replace, as they are custom crafted windows. I have no plans to make the contractor replace the windows with clear glass as they did an outstanding job and the HOA Board had already approved the replacements and we approved their work.

At this time, they are effectively rescinding their approval based on the color of the previously approved glass as it "is not what they had in mind." They had every opportunity to review the spec sheets, contact the contractors, and even deny the request if it did not meet their requirements, but instead, they approved and now want to rescind their approval. Is there any immediate advice you fine folks of /r/legaladvice you could offer? Thanks!

Answer:
 Not a lawyer, but HOA board member. Sometimes we approve things that we later regret, but we have never asked them to change it afterward; we just deal with it.

Honestly, if you ignore them, they'll probably go away. If not, I'd just say something to the effect of "I paid $X for these windows that you approved, and imagine a replacement would be a similar cost. If you think that would be the best use of the association's money, and that the neighbors would all agree, I may consider replacement at your expense"

Of course, you don't actually have to, but the odds that they'd even entertain the idea is practically nil.Answer #2: They probably don't have a leg to stand on. But does the HOA rulebook say anything about tint specifically, or does it just say that changes have to be approved?


Title: Father of my child is abusive, threatening, and attacked me with my kids in the car

Question:
Throw away account...Apologies for length, but I wanted to give as much info as possible. I am located in NC.

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I have physical custody of my 4 year old daughter from a brief extremely physically and mentally abusive relationship from 5 years prior. I met the guy in question 5 years ago when I was 22 and had a 2yr old son. I was extremely socially isolated at the time and had depression issues. He acted like a friend at first and although there were no romantic feelings on my part I got pregnant after 2 months of knowing him. Which was I feel his intention bc shortly after that he started showing his true nature and physically abusing me and attacking my 2 yr old. He was also a heavy opiod user and still is. He has been receiving methadone at a clinic for the past 5 years as well. I moved in with him when I was 6 months pregnant and the abuse intensified. He kept me hostage by taking my car keys and phone away at times and giving me Xanax and painkillers to subdue me. I moved out 2 months postpartum. And him and his mother when to custody court and got every other weekend visitation. The stipulation of the visitation is that it is to be facilitated by his mother at her home and he is not to cause a disturbance.

On November 2 I went to drop off my kid at his mother's house but she wasn't home. I sat in the driveway for a few minutes and the guy came out of the house and began to walk towards me in a threatening manner . He was obviously pissed I hadn't dropped off my daughter yet. I backed out of the drive way and he ran to get in front of my van and block me in. When I tried to go around he kept moving to put himself in front of my vehicle. He grabbed my windshield wipers and bent them. I started to drive forward and he literally tried to push back on my van instead of move. He then jumped onto my hood and I drove onto the adjoining street with him on my hood. He then smashed his bare fist into my windshield shattering glass before jumping off. My 7 yr old was in the front seat at the time and my 4 yr old was hiding in the back. I filed a police report, filed for restraining order which was denied for lack of evidence although I have texts from his mother apologizing on his behalf. I also filed in custody court for contempt of court on his part for attacking me. Since then I haven't dropped my daughter off for visitation again and I'm waiting for the custody court date next month.

Last Friday was a visitation weekend and when I didn't drop off my kid. The guy his mom and two cops showed up at my parents house where I happened to be . The cop( same cop that wrote the incident report when he jumped on my vehicle) The cop asked me why I hadn't dropped off my daughter. I told him bc I was attacked last time(which he already knew) and there was already a date set in court for this matter and that this wasn't a police issue. The cop got mad that I said this and obviously siding with the other party, said "for me to quit smoking meth" ( obviously getting this untrue info from my attacker) and "that I tried to run the other party over and wasn't attacked". Then after saying those inappropriate and biased things they all left as police don't have authority to enforce visitation.

**Am I justified in doing this? And what are my legal options to resolve this situation and prevent him from harming me or my kids in the future? Thank you so much as this is really affecting my life as I always have to look over my shoulder for my children's and my own safety.**

Answer: Ex jumping on your moving vehicle and smashing the windshield when you and the children are in it is kind of a serious criminal act.  Did you call 911 when it happened?  When you filed your motion  did you do it ex parte?  You filed contempt for him breaking your windshield?  This is all confusing and it doesn't sound like you know what your legally doing in trying to protect yourself, please somehow someway get an attorney ASAP!  If what your saying is true there is no reason why you should ever be put in this situation again with competent representation.  Answer #2: You cannot violate the court order. You can call CPS if the child is in danger with the father or get a lawyer and see if they can rush the hearing.


Title: Customer called in and said they slipped on the sidewalk outside my storefront and she's sending me the medical bill.

Question: I'm obviously not going to pay it. It's summer and it has been raining a lot. Seems like she intends on suing. What's my course of action? Storefront is in Kentucky. I have a $1m insurance policy.

Answer: Contact the store's insurance and forward them the bill.


Title: What would happen if an entire parking structure collapses with cars in it?

Answer: Insurance nightmare.Answer #2: It would depend on why it collapsed. If it were a natural disaster, people would probably be on their own with their own insurance. If were due to some negligence by the building owner, the people whose cars were destroyed might be able to sue.


Title: Illegal ambulance entrance at hospital?

Question:
I live in Queens, NY, and my building backs up to a hospital. There's construction going on there now, so I don't know whether this is temporary or permanent, but as it is now the ambulances must back into the driveway that they use to bring people to the hospital (presumably so that when an emergency strikes they can waste no time getting out of there).

My super mentioned that it's an illegal ambulance entrance because of the backing in, but he's no lawyer and might have just been saying that. However, I'm curious now -- is there any law saying that ambulances can't back in to hospitals like that? I'm about 90% sure I've seen them do this even when they are bringing patients to the hospital (as opposed to just returning to wait for new assignments). I certainly wouldn't want myself or a loved one to have to wait while an ambulance slowly backs up to the hospital because the entrance wasn't well designed!

I'm a little biased here because the backing-up noise disturbs us at all hours of the day/night. I'm hoping part of the construction is to build an area where ambulances can turn around so it's no longer necessary.

Edit: It seems like backing up is standard practice. Darn!! It's SO annoying!!!!!

Edit 2: My question is NOT about ambulances pulling up to some sort of loading/unloading bay at the hospital and then backing into it. It's about ambulances backing up through an entire driveway (as in, from the street, past my whole building, up to the hospital behind me). My apologies if this wasn't clear in the original post. Anyway, thanks to those of you who answered!

Answer: Just to chip in what everyone else is saying, backing up is standard. I was a dispatcher and they backed into pretty much every hospital and some nursing homes. I remember this clearly because of how much trouble they had during blizzards because it would all collect at the bay.


Question:
 Should I continue to copy online court filings when representing myself or just comply with requirements but write like the lay person I am? GEORGIA, Fulton County
Question: Is it better to copy/paste online court filings and create a document almost identical to ones filed by attorneys when acting pro se, or should I just sound like a normal non-lawyer?

An attorney, hired by my daughter and with whom I have no contract, is suing me for my daughter's divorce bills because I paid him until I found out she was using drugs and then notified him in writing I would no longer assist her and asked him about the moral issues surrounding helping an admitted addict obtain sole custody of her children.  He did not reply, but continued to run up unreasonable bills,  really without a client to even talk to because my daughter became homeless and I was given her young children to raise in an emergency hearing.  (Fuck meth and heroin, btw). He was told in a deposition of her psychiatrist that she was actively using meth and heroin, and I confirmed it when I arrived in Georgia.

I'm doing this myself, without an attorney, because I retired the day I got the kids and have virtually no income... been too busy with PTSD children to get to filing for SS, and I wasn't quite of age yet. I qualify for Montana legal aid, but they cannot help me with a GA case. I do not qualify for GA legal aid.

So my answer to his complaint was pretty much cut-and-paste from online court records.  I used a case as a template and had to google some definitions and used words I didn't understand completely. But it looked damn GOOD, according to my next-door-neighbor attorney who glanced at it after it was done.

Now the discovery sent in response is 1/3 asking WHO HELPED ME!!. Apparently he's an asshole who underestimated me because I'm "just a nurse." (But unbeknownst to him, I also have two masters degrees, in business and data management.)

I am now tempted to write the discovery freehand, just to mess with him. AND I'm simultaneously tempted to do an even BETTER job on the discovery.

Should I continue my imitation of an attorney or save myself many hours and just write it up like a lay person? What will penetrate the cold heart of this atty who will not even respond to my attempts to work it out amongst ourselves? (AND WHY ISN'T HE TALKING TO ME DIRECTLY? I thought judges are not happy when attorneys don't try to come to an agreement instead of taking up court time.)

One more thing: The kids are very young and still in therapy and needing help with so much they missed out on, like eating healthy food and growing 2 inches the first 2 monthS here, learning to swim, ride bikes, make friends, hike, camp (We live in Montana, so that all goes with the territory), so spending hours and hours online copying court cases takes away from time with these children, who spent most of their lives in drug user's apartments alone and unattended and unfed or driving all around a big city while the adults scored drugs.

Many thanks in advance and just for being here so I can read all the threads! My son is awaiting his bar exam results so I cannot even run this by him, because, well...it just wouldn't be a nice thing for a mom to do to her son. ("Hey, Son. Break the law while you're stressed out waiting for bar exam results.") I haven't even told him what's going on, because he's a good guy who should not have to suffer for his sister's choices/problems.

I hope this is an appropriate question. I'm in over my head and trying my best.

Edit: Incomplete sentence

Answer:
 You need to write legal arguments.  So no, you shouldn't be copying and pasting things you don't understand, and you shouldn't be writing like a Reddit post either. You have to research and write legal arguments.

You aren't going to be given any breaks because you are representing yourself.


Title: FBI wants to talk to me, should I get a lawyer?

Question:
Hello,

So while I was out of the country.  A couple FBI agents came to my house and talked to my parents.  They were looking for me and wanted to question me.  Still not sure about what, but they did hint around stories and writing.  I write short stories as a hobby so I'm supposing its around one of the ones I wrote.  Not going into detail about it here.  Will just say it's a horror story and that it deals with questionable content.

I just came back to the country and want to know if I should get a lawyer first before talking to them.  From what it sounds like, they have received a tip and they just want to get though this quickly.  I have nothing to hide with this, I just don't want a misunderstanding to become greater.

If I should get a lawyer, what kind?  How much would it cost?  Anything specific I should look for in a lawyer?

Answer: Yes, you should hire an attorney. You're looking for a criminal defense attorney.


Title: Sandwich Shop Arrest

Question: I am a former worker (female) at sandwich shop in North Texas. A burglary happened at the store and they think I was involved. There is an ongoing investigation but I closed the store the night before and was arrested the next morning. The poice were waiting for me and questioned me about closing. My ex-manager also claims they can just take my check to cover what was taken from the store. They are talking about the situation to other employees, but I definitely had nothing to do with the burglary. I'm am lost and don't know what to do, who to call, or where to start. Any help would be much appreciated, nothing like this has ever happened to me before.

Answer:
 Your best bet is to stop talking to the police and get a lawyer. Don't forget to document everything. Does your shop have security footage?

xxAnswer #2: IANAL but I suspect you are getting set up by your manager.


Title: Victim of a felony assault - have received $0 in restitution

Question:
I’ve been apart of a lingering case for three years and I would love some advice and ideas before I seek further legal counsel.

A long story short, my neighbors were partying with loud music, and yelling on a Sunday night at 1AM. I go onto my balcony to get their attention and ask them to lower their music and quiet down. Being drunk and unruly, they throw all types of stuff at me from their balcony. Some of these things include whiskey bottles, nails, paint cans, and construction tools. My cousin, friend, and I met these three neighbors outside which turned into a physical altercation.

They assaulted my cousin and I with a metal pipe leading to us requiring medical attention for the injuries we sustained. We filed a police report along with pressing charges. Thankfully they were found guilty in court, and ordered to pay victim restitution.

So now I get a call from one of their probation officers this week telling me that the third defendant was not ordered by the court to make any victim restitution payments due to an incomplete form. The probation officer told me it’s due to an error on their part. As a result, my paperwork has been sitting on someone's desk for a very long time collecting dust and while we were unaware of this for three years.

Throughout this time, I would call and check the status of this case from the three points of contact I have, only to be told that the process moves slow and that I should call back at a later date to check back. Throughout the 3 years, I’ve been FORCED to make payments toward my own medical bills otherwise the department of tax and collections threatened to freeze my accounts.

The problem:

All defendants need to be court ordered to make victim restitution payments before any of them start making payments, but due to an error on the side of whoever filed the paperwork, one of the defendants was never court ordered to make payments therefore none of them have made payments towards my restitution. The probation officer told me that the longest period of time they can hold someone in probation is 5 years. It's been three years, and I’ve received $0 for the property they damaged, the work I missed, and medical bills I incurred.

How do I go about clearing up this mess up? FYI Restitution is under 10k, I live in California, and If you need further clarification, just ask.

Answer: Sue them in civil court. Also, if your medical bills exceeded the court ordered restitution then Sue for the greater amount.


Title: I'm being blackmailed, and I don't know what to do.

Question:
Hello. Recently I tried to cut contact with an individual. However, shortly after I blocked him he messaged me on a separate platform, threatening to call the police if I didn't unblock and talk to him. I've tried to reason with him and explain that his motives are contradictory, but he believes that he's in the right and is practically forcing me to give him another chance. I want nothing to do with him, but I'm scared to block him again or to tell anyone about this situation, as he also threatened me with the latter.

He plans on informing the police about my depression and suicidal thoughts, despite the fact that he also experiences such ideations on a frequent basis.

What I would prefer to do is just completely cut him out of my life, but I'm extremely anxious of the potential consequences. I don't want to run the risk of him actually going through with his threat and placing even more unneeded stress on my shoulders. The whole concept of being forced to communicate with someone or else being threatened to have the police knock on my door over something that he also goes through is just really disturbing to me. I don't know what the best solution for this situation would be, and any advice would be appreciated. I'm not interested in pressing any potential charges; I just want him completely out of my life for good.

[As proof, here are some screenshots of our conversation] (https://imgur.com/a/SQPgEdX).

Answer:
 The depression and suicidal thoughts aren't relevant,  nor are they that uncommon. The police deal with this sort of thing all the time. Some random dude telling them that some other, equally random person is crazy might lead them to doing a wellness check, but doesn't automatically mean a psych hold, or have it affect your life in any way. If anything, the police can probably point you in the direction of support.

What is relevant is the evidence of harassment, threats, and extortion attempts.

Get ahead of this and tell the police yourself.


Title: GoFundMe recourse?

Question:
Austin, Texas:
Three days ago my wife put up a gofundme campaign to raise money to hire legal council to fight what we believe was an unjust decision by her school.  We had linked to a plethora of evidence, which included two screenshots of text messages that we had inadvertently left the phone number showing.  The instructor asked that we please remove the number, which we did immediately. I also combed through every document and redacted anything that could be personal and against gofundme's policy. Her attorney already encouraged her to go public with the matter, but it is a violation of policy.

The initial email was very cordial and simply said redact the personal info and we will put the campaign back up.

She replied and explained that had been done twelve hours prior and please put  the campaign back up.

At this point we discovered that there is NO WAY POSSIBLE to contact them except via email.  After literally dozens of emails, she has not had a reply in days.  They are not only keeping the campaign on hold, but they are also withholding two thousand dollars that came directly from her dad and brother.  She NEEDS this money to move forward and neither she, nor her family can access the money.

We believe that this is a campaign to stall because she only has so many days to appeal the decision and without legal council she is going to lose.  This is a solid case but here we are, in compliance, with no campaign and no access to the $2K her own family has given her.  Do we have any recourse?

Answer:
 >We believe that this is a campaign to stall because she only has so many days to appeal the decision and without legal council she is going to lose.

 Wait, you believe that GoFundMe is helping an unaffiliated third party stall? Is that what you're saying?Answer #2: If the gofundme account was suspended, the father and brother should request refunds. They can give your wife the money directly.


Title: Was accused and almost got fired for failing to report a lost and found item.

Question:
I found a purse on the pantry of our office, it has money ID and debit cards. I placed it on a paper bag on top of my workstation for safekeeping. 2 days has passed i forgot to report it or to return it back to the owner. My company attempted to file a theft case and put me under preventive suspension upto termination. They saw on cctv that i picked it up and placed it in my paper bag on my workstation. I told them they can get the purse at my station intact and untouched. They got the purse and drop the case. Should i file an ethics complaint against them for treating me that way?
Topic:
Labor Law (Unions)

Answer: Treating you what way? By all appearances, you were stealing the purse.Answer #2: If you feel like it, you're always welcome to, but look at it from their point of view. You found a purse, put in in a paper bag (obscuring what the item was), put it in your personal work space, and didn't report it to anyone.


Title: Parents just informed the house they’ve rented for 11 years is being foreclosed. Records show it as owner occupied. Owner not responding. California.

Question:
My parents had a real estate agent show up at their door last week saying the house is being foreclosed.  The records showed owner occupied, so the agent was offering to help sell and avoid foreclosure.  It had just begun on that day.

To be brief, they confirmed it is actually starting foreclosure, owners are $40,000+ behind, 1 year of payments.

Parents are on friendly terms with the owners, who live in another house they own in the next city over.

However, the owners have been completely unresponsive to calls for the last ~year.  Parents were going to be a few days late on rent due to medical stuff, tried to inform them.  Dozen or so calls unreturned.  Water heater died, no calls returned, they ended up replacing it and deducted cost from rent. Never a whisper.

Rent checks continue to be cashed/deposited.

Strange things:
They bumped into the owners a few months ago at a restaurant (between the late rent and the water heater times), and everything seemed fine, caught up on things, talked about stuff as normal.

They are the original owners, house is old enough to be paid off (unless they paid minimum, which is far far less than the rental payment), and is currently worth 3.5x the original price, a lot of money on the table.

How in the world could they get a year behind? (Not really the question, but is mind boggling.)

———

Real questions:

How can they inform the right parties that the property is actually tenant occupied?  Who are the right parties to inform?

They have proof of paying rent for 11 years, and the original lease from the first year.

How can they stay longer, avoid getting immediately evicted?  I’ve read banks often do this and get away with it when it is technically illegal?

We’ve heard maybe they will end up not paying rent for awhile.  A friend of theirs in the industry (title something?) said they should immediately stop paying rent. True? Partly true?

It seems the new owner will be responsible for “returning” the security deposit.  How can they ensure they get that?  Parents have significantly improved the place over the 11 years and it is perfectly clean.  They ‘should’ get 100% of it - my opinion.

Coincidentally, parents are moving soon-ish, but don’t know when, pending a job at their destination city.  So they don’t want to be forced out early.

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 1) It doesn't matter who occupies the place.  It's about to get a new owner.

2) The new owner may not evict them.  Banks like money and evicting tenants means less money.

3) Even if the new owner chooses to evict there's 30 days to move

4) Would I stop paying rent?  Hell no.  That's an excuse to make it a 3-day eviction

5) The new owner assumes the debt of the security deposit, but you really do want to have proof of the amount paid.

&#x200B;

Good luck.

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Title: How many times can a defense lawyer call in sick?

Question: I'm in Texas. My daughter was raped. The sicko's lawyer has told the DA that they will plead guilty. They keep telling me the sentencing has been pushed back due to the defense lawyer being sick. Meanwhile a rapist is running around, enjoying freedom, going to all the latest movies, getting drunk, etc. It's been a year. I'm starting to feel like Gerard Butler. How is this ok/legal?

Answer:
 Unfortunately it's not as rare as you'd think. A close friend of mine had to wait five years for her trial to end because his lawyer kept having "emergencies" and asking for adjournments.

It's not okay, not even a little, but it is the law. I'm really sorry you and your daughter are going through it.


Title: [AL] Is it possible to be evicted from an apartment months after moving out?

Question:
I got a job in a new city in Alabama and talked to my landlord about moving.  They didn't offer a buy-out clause but agreed to let me move as long as I gave 60 days notice.

I gave written notice and moved.  I continued to pay rent for the 60 days, but the next month I got a phone call threatening to evict me if I did not continue paying rent.

My agreement was verbal with the apartment management so I don't have a written record of this.  The only thing written was my 60 days notice which I honored.

My copy of the lease was lost during the move.  Is it possible that they can evict me and have a public action taken even if I've already moved out of the apartment 60 days ago with written notice that I was doing so?

Answer:
 It's going to be very, very hard to prove to a judge if the other person goes into court and says something to the effect of "I never said that".

Just because you're not living there isn't proof that that the landlord agreed to let you out of the lease. Are you sure you don't have E-Mails or Texts or something durable that refers to the agreement?

What was the Security Deposit situation? Did they return it?

You should get some free consultations from lawyers to bury this situation.Answer #2: I think everyone missed the actual question here. They landlord cannot evict you since you do not live there anymore. It is possible for the landlord to sue you for breaching the lease so if the notice was not proper they can try and get how much rent they have lost out on since you left.


Title: Someone wants to collect firewood from my property. How can I protect myself from being sued if they hurt themselves in the process?

Question:
I live in the USA, in the State of Virginia.

(Edit for clarification--I'm the one trying to procure these services). This person would be bringing their own chainsaws, vehicles, and other equipment to remove the firewood, and likely other people. I feel as though I should have them sign some type of document or contract in case they hurt themselves while removing the wood and decide to sue. I'm not sure what this document would be called though, or if a lawyer would draft something like this, or if it's even needed. Perhaps our homeowner's insurance protects us from something like this?

Thank you for any advice you might have!

Edit: New information--I called State Farm to see what the homeowners policy covers. Like another poster said, anyone can sue...they'll have to prove in court that we were negligent...but they can sue. Looks like we have personal liability plus limited medical payments. The agent seemed confident that we were covered in this situation. But it would still be nice to have any real legal advice or anecdotes. Thank you again!

Answer:
 IANAL. Wouldn't this be called a basic liability waiver?Answer #2: If you're really worried you could get a bid umbrella insurance policy. I've got one for a million dollars and it costs me less than $200/yearAnswer #3: There is nothing you can do to stop an actual suit being filed against you if they decide to file, other than not letting them on to your property at all.

You can attempt to protect yourself from having to personally pay damages in a suit by making sure that you have the right insurance coverage.


Title: High School Student, I was robbed by the school drug dealer who graduated last year. How can I get him arrested? I have his full name/snapchat

Question:
I got robbed by the school drug dealer, when I went to buy weed from him, who graduated last year. I have his full name and snapchat. If anyone hits him up on snapchat to make a deal he'll go through with it, he's not very smart. I don't know where he lives. His little brother goes to the high school too. So is there anything I can do to get back at him, like go to the school officer and give him all the info and tell him that's where everyone in the high school gets their drugs at? I also am not 18 years old for another month so would the school officer be forced to tell my parents?  Any insight helps, thanks.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Answer: Something tells me you were robbed trying to buy drugs.


Title: Landlord in Alberta, Canada trying to force unwanted construction on us.

Question:
I rent a full house in Calgary, AB, Canada.  I'm on a 1-year lease, which expires in a couple of months.  Our landlord has decided to sell the property, and we have been accommodating showings, repairs and even an open house for the last month.

Immediately when the landlord told us they were selling the place we offered to move out early to help them out and reduce disruption to our lives.  They decided to continue with the lease though.  We were not given the option to renew our current lease, and the earliest possession date on the listing for the home is after our lease expires on June 30th.  We have signed a lease on another home for June 1st, giving us a month of overlap.

After all of this, the landlord has decided that they need to build a garage on the property in order to sell it.  We would lose access to our parking pad and our back yard during construction, both of which are included as part of our lease and were a big part of why we chose to live here in the first place.  Street parking would be extremely inconvenient for us, and our children use the back yard daily.  The noise and debris from construction is also undesirable.

We have told the landlord that we want them to wait until we're out of the house (a month prior to the end of our lease) to start this construction. Today, we noticed that the listing for the home has been updated as of a couple days ago to a higher price and that the description mentions a garage "to be completed in early May" (which is well before we'll be moving).  They have not contacted us to inform us of this decision.

**So, my questions**:

- is it possible to get some kind of injunction that would block the construction temporarily?
- would there be legal consequences against us if we physically blocked the construction, for example by placing an immovable trailer on part of the parking pad?
- Am I totally misreading the law?  Does the landlord have the right to start new construction (i.e. *not* repairs) like this?
- are there any other remedies we can seek in this situation?  A rent abatement or an early end to the lease do not help us at all.
- does the fact that my landlord is a lawyer by profession have any bearing?

Literally all we want is to be left in peace until we can move out.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 They cannot remove your access to things mentioned in your lease. It would be a breach of your lease on their part.

Your best bet for a resolution is to get the government involved. There is a tribunal that hears residential tenancy disputes: http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/landlord-tenant-disputes.cfm

The only bearing that your landlord being a lawyer has is that the tribunal will probably be harder on him - he has less excuse to not know his responsibilities as landlord.


Title: 1993 Ford Taurus in the shop for 11 weeks

Question:
**TL;DR My car has been in a transmission shop for 11 weeks (under warranty) and I keep getting told I will get it back "in two days" or "tomorrow". I've tried everything and am considering legal action**

Located in Western Washington.
Starting at the beginning, I've had a 1993 Ford Taurus for about five/six years now. About three years ago we took it into a transmission repair shop because, well, the transmission was having issues. Paid to have it fixed, it was done under a week, no problem. On top of the repair, I was promised a XXX mile warranty/**three** year warranty.

Fast forward two and half years: my car is having transmission issues again. I was a bit disappointed I had to take it back in so soon but I figured it was okay because I had the warranty. Take it back in, everything is fine, they tell me it should be done in one week.

I call one week later to check on the status of the car and they tell me it's bad - worse than they thought. I understand and am told it will take another couple of days.

Call a few days later, and am told how bad it really is: I'm going to need a whole new transmission. Apparently, it wasn't fixed correctly the first time, something wasn't screwed in properly and it had made the issue much worse. I am told it will take two weeks for a new transmission to be shipped to me.

Balls.

Fast forward another two weeks and I give them a call. They tell me they're going to need another day, meaning I won't get it back until after the weekend. I've waited this long right? (We're up to four weeks now).

Monday rolls around and and I give them a call. I'm told it won't be ready until the end of the week. At this point, the owner is getting annoyed with my frequent calls and tells me he will call me when the car is ready. Sure enough Friday rolls around aaaaand....
No call. At this point, I'm pretty frustrated and tried calling them - nothing. No one even picked up the phone. I'm pretty upset at this point, but luckily for me I'm about to go on vacation for a week and my step-dad (who is a mechanic) says he'll try contacting them, seeing he has quite a bit more knowledge then me. I say fine and go off on vacation.

I get back from vacation (up to six weeks now) to find that not only is my car not fixed, the shop in which it was getting fixed is **closed down**. My step dad had tried going over to the shop to talk with them face to face only to find the shop had been closed. At this point, we (my step-dad and I) are very confused and upset. I'm still attending college at this point and am nearing finals week, so my step-dad offers to take over handling the issue.

After some calls, my step-dad had gotten hold of the CFO of the company; *supposedly*, the transmission they ordered for my car had gone missing (???) or something had occurred while in shipping. The CFO says he will personally buy a new transmission, but it will take another two weeks.

Another two weeks rolls by and the car has been moved to another branch. (We're up to eight weeks now) Over the course of the next three weeks, I am told "Oh, something came up" or "Oh, we'll need another two days" but it ALWAYS gets pushed back. Come last night, before we go to pick it up when it would supposedly be ready, and lo and behold, it's not.

I think I've been pretty lenient so far about this issue, and have dealt with this pretty level-headed. I feel I have exhausted all paths at this point (talking face-to-face, contacting higher ups, etc) and that the only path left is through legal means. I've gotten by borrowing cars and riding the bus but it has been a HUGE hindrance to not only me, but those that have helped me (rescheduling of doctors appointments, driving unfamiliar cars, only being allowed to use the cars for short periods of time, etc.). At this point, I just want my car back or some other means of getting from point A to point B without having to burden others.
  edit 1: The car had NOT gotten over the warranty mileage. As for whether it has gone over the three year warranty, I know when I had initially taken it in, it had NOT been three years.
  edit 2: They have told me that because the transmission broke under warranty, I will receive another three warranty when I get the new transmission. (I was told all this several weeks ago)
  edit 3: Retrieval of the car is impossible because it is not in running condition.
  **final edit: We contacted corporate this morning letting them know we were considering taking legal action. Just got a call ten minutes ago letting me know my car was repaired.**

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Former auto claims adjuster here. I've dealt with some of the most insane body shops/mechanics.

It's your car, you can go there with a police officer and get it towed out of there whenever you want to another shop. The shop will have to be compensated for any out-of-pocket work they did though. (or storage fees.)

Ultimately, where you get your car repaired is your decision.

Although, a 93 taurus is probably worth like $500. 90s tauruses have lost so much of their value, especially one that's 22 years old. If it wasn't for the warranty, your car would be totaled, so I wouldn't recommend paying out of pocket for a new transmission.Answer #2: Now, I'm no expert, but I noticed a thing.

You said you got a three-year warranty on the transmission, or some number of miles. I'm assuming that you haven't gone over that mileage, so I'm going to ask: when does the warranty run out?


Title: [Finland] Gf is being investigated for an aggrevated drug offence that she did not commit. How can I reassure her?

Question: My gf got a call from the customs a few weeks ago, stating that a package meant for her contained 60g of MDMA and 15 tabs of LSD. She doesn't have a job and less than 50 euros on her bank account, so there's no way she could've afforded that. She's been interviewed by the police recently and they told her that they will continue the investigation. Obviously the whole situation is pretty bizarre and my gf has been shaken up by it. Is there any way that I can reassure her that things will turn out okay?

Answer: Probably not many people on this sub knowledgeable about Finnish criminal investigations. I suggest a consultation with a criminal defense attorney.


Title: My dad's withholding inheritance from a bunch of family members

Question:
New York

A year ago, my grandpa (dad's father) died. He was the last grandparent I had. In addition to my mom and dad, my three siblings and I were named to inherit $10,000 each, and my (non-biological) aunt (my dad's dead brother's wife) is supposed to inherit $20,000.

I don't need the money and I don't want it. In fact, I never expected to get the money at all, My dad's a cash-strapped pathological liar who truly believes his lies, and truly believes everyone else should believe them.

The issue is, my non-biological aunt is wondering where that money is. And she thinks my grandpa left her $500,000. My dad never told her it was reduced to $20,000 and for some reason he wants her to believe it's still a half mil.

My dad keeps thinking of excuses why he hasn't--and doesn't need to--pay anyone, and I don't think he knows what he's talking about.

The following are just a sampling of excuses why he hasn't distributed the money:

1. My sister is getting married (even though her fiance's family is paying for the wedding) and my parents need the money to help them out

2. It's tied up in a trust that the time isn't right to break

3. He has the money, but his lawyers are advising him against giving it out at the moment

4. If he gives us the money before December, he needs to pay a $10,000 inheritance tax for each child (???) and he'll need to pay us again in January (?????????)

5. My grandpa lent my aunt $40,000 while he was alive, and therefore my dad is not legally obligated to give any more money (even though the only proof of that $40,000 is a signed, not notarized, scrap paper reading "Lent [aunt's name] $40,000"

Honestly I want him to stop lying more than I want the money and I told him that, if my parents need the money to live that's fine but stop changing the stories, but if I bring it up he gets frustrated, calls me a greedy money hungry pig. I'm just curious about what legal recourse my aunt might take. And how this inheritance law BS works. I keep telling my dad he can't keep pulling excuses out of his ass when my aunt is involved because she, unlike his kids, actually will come after him legally.

Answer: As executor, your Dad is held to strict legal fiduciary obligations.  Your aunt needs to to seek counsel with an attorney experienced in probate to investigate. Answer #2: I've taken a tax class and the tax should have already been paid through the estate. I also believe that the inheritance needs to be paid out by a certain time line and if parties don't collect it it is forfeit. Maybe your dad is trying to run out the clock to claim it all. It might be worth it for all the family members to chip in on a lawyer


Title: [Oklahoma] Are employers required to allow employees to attend their bi-weekly therapy sessions?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Does this person qualify for FMLA protected leave?  Have she told them she will miss an important appointment because of this change?


Title: Guy I "rear-ended" over 2 years ago is trying to sue me

Question: Back in June of 2016, I got into this minor car accident. It was at a stoplight and we were in the left turn lane. The car in front of me (the guy trying to sue me now) started to move forward, so I did too, but then he slammed his brakes in the middle of the intersection as we were turning and I bumped into him. After I had given him my insurance information and phone number, he texted me asking for $200 and said if I gave him the money, he wouldn't file a claim. At this point he already had all of my insurance information, so I just left it up to them, as I was skeptical he was going to fie anyways even with the money. My insurance settled for around $1000. I understand I was at fault for not leaving enough room in front. However, it was literally only a scuff on his bumper, not even a dent, so I was baffled at how much they were giving him. Last night, almost 2 and a half years later, he texts me saying he wants to serve me papers. I haven't replied to his text yet, as I want to contact the auto insurance company I had before first, to see if he can even do this. Meanwhile I wanted to see what you guys advise. It seems to me like he's just trying to scam people out of money. I read up a little on car accident law suits and it said they need to have a good proof of reason for suing more than a year later. How worried should I be over this?

Answer:
 Contact your insurance company and don’t have anxiety about it. Don’t have any contact with him. Answer #2: > My insurance settled for around $1000.

If he agreed to a settlement, he shouldn't be able to sue you. Typically, settlements have clauses in them that take away the right to sue in the future.

Contact your insurance from that time and get any paperwork associated with the case. It's most likely that this guy is blowing hot air and hoping you'll just throw money at him. Ignore him, but if you actually do get served, don't ignore that.


Title: Got sucked into Credit Card Fraud, not sure what is gonna happen to me. Please give me some advice.

Question:
Hi I am currently an international student in Ohio, in my senior year (I'm graduating in May). My home country is Vietnam.

I knew a dude who had helped me various stuffs in the past and we often talked on skype. Since 2013 he asked me to receive the items for him (he's from Vietnam too). Basically he bought stuffs from United States and it would be sent over to my address in the US then I would pick them up and bring them to UPS with a label that he already prepaid for it. This semester he did ask me to help him with some cosmetic items as well. (when i started helping him i did check if they were illegal stuffs but they were mostly cosmetics stuff with receipts on them so I thought they were fine). It turned out he was using someone credit cards and probably not just one but a lot of people (most likely stolen credit card or hacked info) and the police stopped by my house yesterday with a search warrant and took all the stuffs. I did not know anything about this and i had a chat in a private room with the detective that came and told him everything i can. He said he would have to take away my laptop and extract data out of it but after the talk I think my honesty and cooperative attitude convinced him and he told me to send him everything related to the guy to him through email while he was there. I did just that and they let me have my room back and also let me have the laptop back. He also made me sign an agreement in which I would allow him to have access to all my future mail since the guy is still sending stuffs over my place. He said if I order stuffs with my own credit card during this period just tell him and he will make sure i get the items that I'm supposed to get, but all the items come from the other guys will go to him. For the time being, I have a feeling he believed that I just get sucked into this and is in a pretty bad situation and he promised to be honest with me and help me out if anything happened. He also told me to not tell the guy anything about this for now.

I don't know what are possible consequences since it just happened so suddenly and the thought that my friend used fraud credit cards info never crossed my mind. I'm worried sick because I'd be graduating in May and will come back to Vietnam a week after that so I do not know what might happen and how it will affect me. Please give me some advice.

Answer:
 I don't say this often, but at this point, trust the cops. Sounds like they're more interested in catching your friend. You haven't been arrested or charged. Continue on with your schoolwork and cooperate with the police. You should make it until May. If they ask you to make another statement, get a lawyer. Your school may have legal aid.

Edit: Oops, I posted under the wrong username. Well, I suppose this is ironic.Answer #2: Yup, you were a reshipping mule.  Scammer uses stolen credit cards to purchase goods that the merchant will not ship overseas.  Scammer has goods shipped to the reshipping mule who then ships the goods overseas.  (This is done because the stolen credit card is a US card and if it was used to purchase goods in or to be shipped to overseas, then red flags would come up with the merchant and the charge would be denied.)

I only know of one case where a reshipping mule was charged and convicted of participating in the scam, and that's because she was repeatedly told by the authorities that it was a scam but she continued because she was not only a victim of a reshipping mule scam, but she was also a victim of a romance scam (she couldn't believe that her "friend" was also scamming her and using her as an illegal reshipping mule).

Post back here if anything more happens to you, or if they catch your "friend" in Vietnam.Answer #3: This thread has been linked to from another place on reddit.

- [/r/scams] [Here's what a reshipping scam looks like from a guy who was innocently involved in one. \[x-post from /r/legaladvice\]](//np.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/31wdo0/heres_what_a_reshipping_scam_looks_like_from_a/)

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Title: How is this animal shelter not facing criminal charges for neglect?

Question:
http://m.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/lincoln-county-animal-shelter-fined-animal-neglect/npmCP/

I'm a veterinarian in NC having a hard time understanding why no one at this shelter is facing criminal charges. Over 8 months 216 animals were found dead in their cages and no one contacted the staff veterinarian about it. Some months were worse than others. Maybe there are details I don't know but 50 animals being found dead in their cages in a single month implies an abhorrent level of neglect and it's appalling to me that a vet wasn't even consulted about it. My job/training means I'm much more aware than most of just how sick an animal has to look before they drop dead. Healthy looking animals don't just keel over - they look really obviously bad in the days leading up to it. This also implies absolutely abysmal disease control / quarantine / "herd" health policies.

Beef and dairy cow farmers take better care of their herds than this. Losing 50 head of cattle in a month, even from a huge herd, would be catastrophic.

"Not enough money" isn't an excuse because it's not an excuse for the general public when they neglect to seek veterinary care. If an average person did this with one or just a few animals they'd be facing misdemeanor and felony charges. That shelter is a death trap.

https://asci.uvm.edu/equine/law/cruelty/nc_cruel.htm here's the animal cruelty laws for NC.

I'm posting because
1. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding something and there's a reason why no one is facing criminal charges?
2. If there is no reason - how do I do something about this? Is there someone I can report this to who has the power to do something?

Shelters shouldn't get a free pass to kill animals in this way. Something needs to dramatically change because right now they are allowing animals to needlessly suffer and die. A higher euthanasia rate would be better than this - at least then they wouldn't suffer. They could raise adoption prices, hold fundraisers, apply for grants - there are ways to get more money. This should not be acceptable.

And yes - I am far more aware than most that there simply aren't enough homes for them all and pet overpopulation is a huge, nationwide problem. But that doesn't excuse allowing hundreds of animals to suffer until they die. If they can't afford to treat them then the animals should be humanely euthanized. They at least deserve an easy death. That's why this bothers me so much. 216 extra euthanasias wouldn't faze me - it's the fact that 216 animals suffered and were neglected until they were found dead and no one even tried to help them.

What can I do legally to stop this from happening?

Answer: It is entirely the State's choice whether they want to pursue criminal charges and/or civil liability for wrong doing by a person or institution. You could complain to the county DA about the lack of a criminal prosecution.


Title: [Kansas] Roomate is threatening to sue after being asked to leave

Question:
So I had a roommate live here for a week no contract or lease. It didn't work out. he complained constantly about trivial things. crickets outside being too loud for him to sleep, house being too warm, he blew up my phone at work for not being able to figure out the wifi password. one day it was too hot for him I guess and he walked upstairs not noticing I was right there in sight of the thermostat and I see him start hitting the "temperature down" on the touchpad pretty aggressively. I didn't bother to look and see if it took any damage but when I came home from work he mentions that it was broken and he didn't know how it happened which sounded like an outright lie to me as its just me and him in the house that day. At that point I decided he has to leave.
fast forward to today when he is told he has to leave. hes pretty upset that I accused him of breaking the thermostat. we gave him his 30 days but he is leaving today. he was really sour about it. he says he called the cops telling them that there is suspicious activity going on here, he told them about my firearm collection as well (its a hobby, its not a crime and I got them all legally through ffl's). the guy had brain surgery and showed me a video of his surgery. I honestly did not care about it but he is claiming that he has audio of me saying something discriminitive against I guess you can say "his kind?". I don't even use my voice inside the house I stay in my room then go to work. I need advice on this. I don't plan on letting my life be ruined by someone like this.
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 IANAL. Kansas is a one-party consent state, so your roommate is in the clear for recording you as long as he was a party to the conversation. If he hid a recording device and left, that'll be a problem for him. Try to put it out of your mind unless you do get served with a lawsuit, most threats to sue don't end up materializing after tempers cool and/or lawyers don't want to take the case.Answer #2: >I need advice on this.

1 - Make sure he doesn't destroy anything else while you wait for him to gtfo.

2 - Celebrate.

3 - Rethink your no-contract/no-deposit strategy.


Title: Employer withholding personal belongings until non-compete is signed

Question:
Asking for a friend located in SC.

&#x200B;

They were laid off a few days ago and could not retrieve all of their personal belongings in their desk as the keys to it weren't available.  The company offered them a severance package that includes a non-compete clause and is now requiring my friend to submit the signed document before they will return the personal belongings.

&#x200B;

This screams not right to me. Is this somehow allowed or am I right in thinking this is larceny or theft of some sort?

&#x200B;

Thank you for your help in advance.

Answer:
 Your friend may want to ask for a police escort while he visits in person to collect his belongings. If they have told him he's also not welcome on the property, then he can take his former employer to small claims - I _believe_ South Carolina allows replevin actions in small claims, but even if not, he can sue them for every penny that property is worth.

It's unclear whether this would amount to _criminal_ theft, but it's definitely civil theft. A police report would be a good way to find out whether the employer will be prosecuted, but my expectations are low as they previously had legal authorization to possess his property (i.e., he left it at work) and are now abusing that access, rather than taking his property without authorization in the first place.


Title: Doctor Forcing 67 old Patient to Office for Simple Medication Refill

Question:
Hello,
My mother is 67 years old on oxygen at home and has lung  issues. She has a appointment schedule for tomorrow March 18th at 9:30 am for a check up so she can get her pain medication refilled.

Every month she has to have a appointment to see the doctor in person to do a drug test so that he will refill her pain medication. And every month for the last year she has complied. It is always a struggle for her to make these kinds of trip due to her health issues but she dance through the red tape to gain relief from her ailments.

Yesterday, Monday March 16, 2020 I called the doctors office to discuss the current events directed at cornavirus and the warnings that are in each of our communities to help prevent the spread, as well, to protect those over 60 with underling health risk. I explained the situation, my concerns and what is being advised for everyone in our community. I explained that my mother, the patient, is 67 years old on oxygen, with lung issues but at the moment she has no real need to see the doctor because all she needs is a refill on her medication. I explained that I was wondering if the doctor could just write the prescription for a family member to pick and to get it filled so that my mom wouldn't have to put herself at risk by coming into the office where sick people are going to be. Explaining that she has no other issues to discuss or any other health issues that needed to be addressed. I had to leave a message for the nurse, no one was available to talk.

Today, they called to tell my mom she has to come to the office to get her medication refill. However, they told her to stay in the vehicle, to not come into the lobby to check in but to call to let them know she was there, in the parking lot waiting to see the doctor. They explained futher by telling her that when the doctor is ready to see her they will call her back to come inside through the lobby and down the hall to get to a room for the doctor to see her.

I think this is insane to put her at risk. Any legal thoughts on the matter?

Answer:
 A doctor can require a patient come into office before writing a script. It's actually fairly common to require as much for pain medications.

It sounds like the doctor's office is taking steps to ensure patient safety.


Title: Missouri Employer Refusing To Pay Wages Owed After Employment Ended, Says I owe Them Money For Vacation Time Used

Question:
**Missouri**

My last employer is not paying me wages owed during my last pay period, which were worked on an hourly basis.

They are claiming I owe them money for vacation time that I used during my employment. The typical arrangement for vacation time for them is one week of paid vacation time earned after one year of employment, however, due to mine and their positions, one week of vacation time and paid holidays was negotiated to be available to me upon me starting my employment.

During my time working there, I was able to use the vacation time with no questions asked and it being approved from my superiors on multiple occasions including them asking me if wanted to use vacation time for January 2nd 2015, a day that was either a day without pay or a vacation pay day since the plant was closed.

I did not work there for more than a year, and decided to look for employment elsewhere when they had to lay people off and work was slow. [Terminating employment at any time for any reason is part of the Employment-At-Will doctrine,](http://labor.mo.gov/DLS/General/discharged) and also means that any and all wages are to be dispersed upon terminating employment.

Sorry for the poor quality, its a scanned document written by the HR lady there, [but they acknowledge I worked for 23.75 hours during the last pay period, and that I had used 32 hours of vacation time during my employment..](http://i.imgur.com/WscKsay.png)

Both the former employer and I both acknowledge the hours worked, and the fact I used the 32 hours of vacation time, but where we disagree is I am not owed any of my wages due to them "making a mistake" by letting me use the PTO. Due to them "making a mistake" they say I now owe them for the vacation time i used, which adds up to more than my owed wages to the sum of $156.75 owed to them by me.

**TL;DR: Former employer is claiming I owe them $156.75 for vacation time that was used and negotiated at start of employment, now claims it was a mistake that i was able to use it and wants it back so they aren't paying me wages that are owed from hourly pay.**

Answer: File a complaint with the Missouri Department of Labor and let them sort it out.


Title: Committed perjury on background check for hand gun purchase

Question:
So I went to purchase a handgun for my father for Christmas, when I went to the FFL dealer to fill out the paper work and background check I had put down the address that is on my license (which is an old address) so when they looked me up the state has my current address in the system so now I technically just committed perjury. I didn't FULLY submit the form which would have let me take the gun home but I filled out the serialized form. Now, the guy said if I submit the form and sign under section C  and take the gun home Ill be prosecuted or I can walk away from the gun, so I did. Can I still be charged even though I didnt FULLY go through with it? He said he has to submit the form that is serialized.
Topic:
Background Checks and Expungements

Answer:
 Perjury requires intent . This sounds like either an honest mistake or that you didn’t understand the form. Under those circumstances I don’t think you committed a crime.

Unless there’s something you have to hide, and this mistake would have helped you do that, I doubt a prosecutor would look much into this.


Title: Dad quit his job

Question:
So currently I'm in college and my dad recently quit his job and is now workings odd jobs. I receive financial aid from the fasfa,  still not 21 so my financial aid cant be based on my own income. Is there a special tax form for his situation? Is he technically self-employed? Is there something he should avoid doing, or something he should do. His also immigrant, so I have no clue what he should do.
In Arkansas is that matters.

Edit* His a skilled tradesmen so he does random jobs for a living, and his not currently living in the house at the moment. Mom is in the process of  getting a job, however she's also an immigrant. He will file his earning to the IRS.

Answer:
 Your father must legally report all of his taxable income. Full stop. It's way cheaper for HIM to be paid over the table, as his employer will pay their portion (7.8%) of his taxes.

However, even if he chooses to continue to work under the table, he can report it as self-employment income and will owe roughly 30% of it in taxes. This is why you want to be paid over the table.

Failure to do this could result in some huge fines and fees, plus you won't be able to file your FAFSA if he doesn't file.


Title: I was denied an ARD/IEP meeting. Filed a request for a special education due process hearing. What now? Texas

Question:
My children and I recently moved to Texas. I have had some issues with the local school district.

My son has an IEP/ARD in place from his previous school. I have asked the school district several times to set up an IEP/ARD meeting so that my son's grade level placement could be reevaluated. I first asked for an IEP/ARD meeting the first week of August. I was told by the district's Special Education Director that I had no recourse and that per district policy all children 11 years of age had to be promoted to sixth grade regardless of any other circumstances. I was told that any requests for a meeting or complaints filed with TEA (Texas Education Agency) would be denied as the current IEP/ARD was from another state.

My son has ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder and struggles immensely with social skills and academics. I do not believe it would be in the best interest of my child's educational or development needs to be enrolled in sixth grade. He was previously being pulled for resource to help address his academic needs and many social delays. I have three previous IEP/ARD’s that state he struggled greatly with his social skills development.

Yesterday I spoke with the special education department at TEA and they informed me that the information I was receiving from the school was wildly inaccurate. The person I spoke with suggested that I file a Request for Special Education Due Process Hearing as it would invoke the "stay put" provision allowing my son to remain at his current school where he was enrolled in the fifth grade.

I spoke with the elementary school principal and she was unfamiliar with the due process hearing request. I explained the 'stay put' provision and was directed to speak with the director for special education.

I spoke with the SPED director and she stated that my child would be withdrawn from the elementary since his current IEP/ARD from his previous school states that he should be promoted to sixth grade. SPED director stated that she would pass along the hearing request documents to the school attorney. SPED director also mentioned that if I did not enroll my child in the middle school they would start the truancy process.

As of yesterday the district withdrew my child from the elementary he was already enrolled in without my consent or approval.

I received a phone call today that my case was currently being processed and I should receive notification about a prehearing conference soon.

What else can I do?

Answer: What does your IEP from the prior school state re: your son's enrollment and on what basis are you contesting it? Do you have a psych ed profile or other documentation that counters the IEP claim?


Title: Applied for a job at Burger King. They called offering me an interview. I checked and realized I've gotten the last two digits of my SSN wrong on my application. When should I let them know?

Question: Title.

Answer: It is not a big deal.  Let them know during the interview because there is no way they used your social to do a background yet, not legally that is.  Not a big deal


Title: [NC] Vengeful mentally ill wife threatening to accuse me of domestic violence for the express purpose of getting my firearms taken away

Question:
My wife is bi-polar. Except instead of depression she snaps into anger. She says the most hateful, vile things she can think of in order to hurt as viciously as she can. Insulting my mother and son, making fun of my best friend who died of a brain aneurysm a few years ago. Threatening to report the car stolen when I go to work so I lose my job. And on and on and on. I've been dealing with this for almost four years. I've choked down my own anger at her cruelty for so long now, but it's reaching new levels. She just digs and twists and ridicules until she finally gets a reaction. And of course within a day or two, she's fine and everything is rosey. She feels great. But I'm still left feeling every emotional cut she inflicted.

I'm a legal firearm owner and enthusiast. On the wave of recent anti-gun sentiment that's been in all the news lately, her threats have turned to accusing me of DV just to get my guns confiscated and to make it so I can never own one again.

I know the second I file for divorce, this is what awaits me. Is there any way I can preemptively strike against this bullshit? Notify the police of what she's saying? Record her saying it? I'm just so tired of her grinding away every moment of enjoyment in my life. I just want to get away from her and have some happiness.

For the record, I've never once hit her or any other woman. I've never been arrested for anything but a traffic infraction over 15 years ago. I pass all background checks, NICS checks, and have several purchase permits by the Sheriff's Department.

We both have grown kids from previous relationships who are out on their own so that's not an issue. We both work(ed) but she recently got fired, and there's no income dependence, so spousal support isn't really a concern. My only real hobby is my guns and she will go after them because she knows that's the only way she can really hurt me. And she will if she can.

Please tell me there's something I can do to protect myself from this and salvage what's left of my life.

Answer:
 Move out immediately and never be in the same place as her without an impartial third party to witness. That's it. Then fine for divorce. Also, hire an attorney tomorrowAnswer #2: > Is there any way I can preemptively strike against this bullshit?

You can ensure that there's no credible way for you to have done anything violent, for example by being somewhere else and avoiding contact other than through your attorney.

If you don't have a history of domestic violence and she only starts accusing you of it after you file for divorce, and if she has no other supporting evidence (impartial witnesses, medical evidence of violence such as bruises, or what have you), it's _very_ unlikely that you will be convicted of a domestic violence offence. There's plenty of room for reasonable doubt there. However, that doesn't mean she can't make a complaint to the police, or that the police won't take it seriously initially. Your lawyer is best positioned to advise you on how to handle that if the police contact you.


Title: Is it legal to be fired for bringing up what other people make?

Question:
First off, I work in TN, which I know is an at-will state. With that being said, can my employer fire me for bringing up what others make? I know it's a risky move, but people who have worked there less time than me and with a lot less skill/motivation make almost $2 an hour more than me. Is it legal to fire me for bringing that up since I'm in a right to work state? For the past two years I've worked right around 60 hours a week. Yesterday my manager said that we all have to take our optional day off now due to pay roll being too high. This in turn makes me lose 12 hours of overtime every week. I'm not happy at the moment and wanted to try my way into getting a raise. It seems unfair to me that people who don't even regularly show up on time and half ass everything are getting paid more then me. Especially considering my skill level is well over theirs. I'm reliable, in the two years I've been there I've never been late, called out, or asked for days off. I don't see why my manager would fire over it. Just wondering everyone's thoughts and the laws on this.

TL; DR is it legal to fire someone for bringing up what other people make even in an at-will state like TN?

Edit: Changed right to work to at-will. Sorry I've always heard it referred to as right to work.

Answer:
 First, you mean at-will, not right to work. At-will has many exceptions, though. One of the exceptions is that employers cannot prevent you from discussing other employees' wages, nor can they retaliate against you for it. So no, they cannot fire you for merely mentioning your coworkers' wages.

However, they can fire you for no reason at all, and you would have to prove that it was retaliation for discussing wages. Also, they *can* fire you for discussing wages if that discussion is keeping you from doing your job. Answer #2: Some of the answers in this thread are a bit too dismissive of the potential NLRB violation here.  It is a violation of the NLRB for an employer to fire you solely for discussing or disclosing your or others' salaries. See, e.g., ["NLRB Says Individual Gripes About Wages are 'Inherently Concerted' Activity"] (https://www.bakerdonelson.com/NLRB-Says-Individual-Gripes-About-Wages-are-Inherently-Concerted-Activity-01-20-2015). I'm not aware of any case involving someone who was fired for discussing salaries in the context of asking for a raise, but your boss likely couldn't fire you (legally) for bringing up others' salaries if you weren't asking for a raise, so your boss would need to prove that he fired you for solely because you asked for a raise (or some other legal reason) and that the decision had nothing to do with your discussing others' salaries.


Title: Bought car, previous owners credit union sent title to previous owner instead of my credit union. Previous owner is MIA. (SC)

Question:
I will try to be concise but also put all the relevant information.

I live in SC, I found a Jeep I wanted to purchase in NC.  I arranged to purchase the Jeep through my credit union here in SC.  He owed some money on the Jeep to a credit union in Virginia where he originally lived.

My bank issued two checks one for him and one for what he owed to his credit union they would mail straight to his credit union.  When I took him his check and picked up the Jeep, he had to sign a letter my credit union drew up instructing his credit union to send the title to my credit union.

This did not happen.  My credit union sent the check with the letter, they sent the title to the original owner in NC.  We have a copy of that signed letter, a signed bill of sale, and paperwork that shows both checks from my credit union were cashed.

The original owner never called and told us about this, we had to find out ourselves because my 45 day temporary tag was about to run out.  Any attempts to reach him have gone unanswered. (This was before the hurricane)

I have now made two payments on a vehicle I cannot legally drive.  My credit union just wants to wait and continue trying to reach this guy and acts like we are completely at his mercy because they say that Virginia DMV will only resend the title to his listed address no matter what.  SC DMV will not issue me another 45 day temporary tag under any circumstances, I even called head quarters and explained my situation and was told there was nothing they can do.

Today I told my credit union I needed to speak with their legal department and we needed to figure out what a course of action is other than wait and hope.  I was told the person I would need to talk to was on vacation for at least this week and possibly next.

Overall I feel completely powerless here.  What are my options to try to get this resolved?

What can my credit union realistically do?

And what is my ultimate worst case scenario?  Am I stuck paying for a vehicle I cannot drive or tanking my credit by refusing to pay for it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: I say calles the copa. He took your check, and monety. I am not a lawyer though. But you need to get one asap


Title: My neighbors dog barks for 3-6 hours every night. It's been years now. I will not approach him about it. He's a cop.

Question:
He knows how wrong it is. Its been years.  He just puts his dog out every night from when he gets home, till he gets up for his shift at 5 am. And it just barks. 2 barks, one pause, 2 barks, one pause, 1 bark. Like an S.O.S. forever. My soft heart breaks when its 30f. out. As it does when its 102f. This dog needs a better life.

I live in the inner city. Gun shots are less bothersome.

How can I report this about this without it getting back to me in any way? The cops in this city are assholes who would most certainly fuck with me if they knew who reported them. So I can't involve just calling a non emergency line.

Answer:
 I would try Animal Control. There are generally ordinances about incessant barking and leaving the animal out in extreme temperatures can also be seen as cruelty.

This was in Los Angeles and is anecdotal but I was able to anonymously file an animal control complaint against my back neighbor for having a crowing rooster. Hopefully there's similar provisions for anonymity in DC.


Title: Parking ticket for parking both ways?

Question: My parents have lived in the same house ever since they married, which was 20 years ago. They have both parked the same way outside of the house, facing downhill on the left side of the street. Maybe a year or two ago, my mom got a parking ticket for parking against the flow of traffic. So naturally, we started parking in the other direction on the same side of the street. Everything was fine for quite a while. A few months ago I obtained my own car and proceeded to park in the same direction, on the same side of the street. Now our neighbors, who moved in around September last year, don't know all of the laws, and have always parked the way my parents used to, facing downhill. My mom got a bit pissed off by this seeing as how they didn't get a ticket and started to park her car the same way again (facing downhill, note this is with her car and not mine.). At this point I'm still parked facing uphill. This morning, my dad informs me that I got a ticket for parking against the flow of traffic. Uh.....okay then? Now I'm just confused....is there no right way to park in front of my house suddenly? I am located in PA, in a suburb of Pittsburgh.  I would really like some help here, I'm totally lost as to what to do. My dad took a picture of it before he went to work this morning, so I have that.

Answer:
 On a two way street, you park to the right (with the passenger side of the car at the curb).

If you were parked that way, and you got a ticket for facing the wrong way, then you contest that ticket because you were properly parked.


Title: Are there any legal doctrines that deal with the intangible?

Question:
As bizarre as this seems, this is a serious post. The type of phenomenon I am discussing is as follows. In advance please refrain from any  comments referencing medical advice.

* Ability to read minds.
* Ability to remote control a human being through their mind.
* Employer telepathic hierarchy.
* Telepathy and other similar abilities in society
* Intangible effects that result from sexual intercourse between two people

This science may be related to these type of phenomenon.

* https://www.sheldrake.org/research/morphic-resonance/introduction
* Article almost 20 years old now... https://ssi.armywarcollege.edu/pubs/parameters/articles/98spring/thomas.htm

Answer:
 I don't get your last bullet.

The rest of these things aren't real, so, no, unless you mean legal doctrines dealing with insane people or dismissing unprovable claims.Answer #2: Found Jaden Smith's Reddit account.


Title: Should I have a lawyer review a work contract which would commit me to working for 3-years at my company?

Question:
I've been at this company for nearly 4 years, and I've been identified as a high potential employee. I've bounced around through a few roles, but was recently given an offer to develop me into an engineering subject matter expert.  They'd be spending a significant amount of money on training and education for me (about $30,000 per year) so they want to have a commitment from me that I won't leave.  I haven't seen the agreement yet, but I've been told it's 1 year of training, with a 2-year commitment after that.  There's also some language about me leading/developing at least 2 projects that add $150,000 of value to the company.  Should I have a lawyer look over this agreement for me?  What should I know about before signing something like this?

edit: I live in Illinois.

Answer:
 Well first of all congratulations!

Usually with jobs where you commit for a number of years the biggest consideration you'll have to make will be determining what the penalty is if you leave early. They can usually be pretty significant.

Try giving the contract a read through yourself and if you have questions about certain sections or parts are unclear you should have an attorney review it. Answer #2: >There's also some language about me leading/developing at least 2 projects that add $150,000 of value to the company.

Given that i's not entirely within your power to control this (company decides what projects to pursue, value is subjective, etc) , may be worth introducing some sort of language that limits the consequences of this.


Title: Are you still criminally liable for having sex with an underage girl if she "lied" about it?

Question:
A bit of a fear of mine. Ruining my life over a random hook up

1) Let's say she says she's legal age but she isn't. Are you liable?

2) you meet at a club that requires she be legal age to enter. Her presence there implies she is legal age. Is it my duty to still verify her age?

3) I directly cite her licence... but later find out its fake.

Answer:
 In general, in the USA, statutory rape is a strict liability offense;  it only matters how old your partner actually is.

If she lies to you, you're still criminally liable.

The circumstances under which you meet make no difference;  nightclub, bar, online app... no difference.

She provides a fake ID ?  Still no difference.

But if you're posting here, I have the old spidey-sense tingle that her "father" is calling you and threatening to go to the police if you don't give him money.Answer #2: Happened to a dude I knew in the Navy. We were stationed in Pensacola and he met her in a bar. Thinking she was at least 21 (since he met her *in a bar*), he slept with her. Turned out she was 16.

Arrested a few days later.


Title: USA - Academic Question - Speed limits

Question:
This should be pretty straight forward, but Google has been resisting my efforts to get an answer to this question. From what reference frame are speed limits calculated? Even if the answer is "The road you are on" does this calculation have a specific boundry? Or is it the average vector to the center of mass/area of the road as a whole?

For example, imagine a switch/back road which proceeds up or down a hill. You could be moving at a much higher radial velocity than you ultimate closing velocity to the road as a whole on the straightaways.

Do some states define this and others don't? Is there a US statute on the matter?

Again, purely acedmic.

Edit: This was predicated from a discussion with my significant other whether there any examples of physics codified in law. I just figured this would be an obvious target for people who would come up with ways to game the system, resulting in physics having to be put on the books. If any examples of cases exist, even losing ones, I am extremely curious.

Answer: Speed is the absolute value of the first derivative of your position. You are making this more difficult than you need to.


Title: Is a pharmacist allowed to withhold a prescription for a made up reason?

Question: So I went to go pick up my mom's medicine, which was not a controlled substance, therefore I didn't need an ID to pick it up, and have picked it up in the past several times. I got up to the counter, told her the name, and then she told me I needed to be 18 or older to pick it up. I went through the same thing with the same woman a couple days earlier, but when my of age driver came up to get the prescription for me, the pharmacist didn't even look at his ID. Is she legally allowed to do this? Because I know for certain I can legally pick up the medications, so this one woman made it up that I couldn't.

Answer: The pharmacy does not have to release the perscription to someone who is not the holder of the perscription in any case.


Title: SK, Canada. What can I do if my company does not act on my harassment claims against a client that hired us?

Question:
I am planning on speaking with HR about harassment.

------------------------------------------------------------
What happened: (i don't know how relevant this info would be to you)
Some girl (employee) wanted to date me, I wasn't interested. She didn't like that. Later on, another girl (non-employee but my ex-co-worker) comes and bothers me, I am really not interested in this one at all. I showed disinterest. But them and their friends (employees) think it's ok to make me feel shitty, and watched and bother me while I am out and about, in and out of work. I do not bother them, next year they will be a memory that I do not care about, I do my work, and go home. And that's it. If they are friendly to me, I am friendly to them. I am not interested in being friends. Period.

---------------------------------------------
How they harass:
They will drop hints and info about my life just to annoy me. Constantly. Everywhere I go, they have a plant, a friend to bother me. They follow me on Facebook. I guarantee they are reading this right now. I would be 0% surprised if they at some point accessed my emails or any other social media. They will quote my family to me, my reddit comments, my facebook posts, my instagram, and my twitter. They will pretend that they did nothing wrong, or said anything wrong. They will probably try to make me look like I am crazy. They are a real set of winners this bunch.

I am not interested in being their friend or dating them or any of their friends. I am here to work and raise my kid. I already quit my other job because of these people at that job and I really don't want to quit this one. I just want to live in peace and I am not interested in the type of people these people have shown me that they are. Maybe they can explain to my son why dad's leaving again.

----------------------------------------------
Relevant legal info:

Now, our company is hired by other companies. I tried once to talk to their boss about their behavior but their bosses will always side with their employee, as I have learned. I will speak to our HR and complain of these people. I am not really sure what they will do, but I won't stop until something happens. I have spoke to my boss, who spoke to our HR about this. He said to not contact their boss and that was about it. Nothing came of it. I don't even want to go to work tomorrow.

I will not let this slide any longer. I am incredibly tired of all the BS. The stress of getting something resolved through HR will be nothing compared to how it feels day to day when they gossip about me and tell people to bother me.

Answer: Well, without evidence they are actually doing any of this prepare to have absolutely zero people believe you. For instance, I don't believe you right now.


Title: Got 3 alcohol related charges last night.

Question:
So I was sitting in passenger side of a car and there was alchohol in front of the seat I was sitting in and one of them was open. I was charge with MIP, MIC, and open container in passenger seat of vehicle. I totally complied with the officer and have a clean record. What are the odds of them going on my record? Is it possible to diverge all 3? Should I get a lawyer for my first court date in two weeks?
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 > Should I get a lawyer for my first court date in two weeks?

Only if you want someone with knowledge and experience. who knows the system, advocating for you to get the best deal.

If you'd prefer a crap shoot, are willing to accept less than optimal results and don't really care if you have a record then do it yourself.


Title: I financed a fence for my bf's house and made payments in lieu of rent. He wants me to move out. Can I get him to take over payments/give me the money to pay off loan?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You know you have a keeper when she finances a fence for you.Answer #2: If the financing is only in your name, you're the one responsible for it.

You could try to sue him in small claims if you have proof of his plan to repay you but even then it's not likely.


Title: (MN) got into a tiff with estranged mother (TX) and had the cops called to my apt. I was sleeping, but they (3) broke in and searched my place

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You sent her pictures of your guns and made a veiled threat and wonder why she calls the cops on you? Dude.

If you want to cut ties with your family that's not a legal issue, it's a relationships one. You aren't required to maintain a relationship with anyone you don't want to if you're an adult. Change your phone number, don't give it to anyone (except your sister, if you trust your sister not to give it out), don't accept calls from unknown numbers or their numbers, and if your family comes over uninvited don't answer the door and tell them to leave. Don't reply to any communication. Don't contact any of them again.


Title: (FL) A woman claims to have followed "diet advice" from my blog and got sick. She wants to sue, what do I do?

Question:
I have a food blog, it's similar r/cheapandhealthy. It doesn't offer advice on losing weight or dieting just feeding yourself and your family on a small budget while eating healthy.

I do have a disclaimer on my blog stating that I'm not a nutritionist or Doctor, none of what I say has been approved/reviewed by the FDA, it's for information purposes only take as your own risk sort of thing.

The woman that claims to have gotten sick supposedly has developed scurvy and gained weight. I have blocked her from commenting on the blog by from what she posted already it looks like she changed the recipes completely for example she swapped spaghetti squash for ramen and ignored fruit completely.

Can I get in any trouble for her reading my blog then changing the recipes completely?

Answer:
 Ignore her.  You can't control whether she sues you -- all you can do is respond if she does.  Answer #2: While hilarious, she just needs to drink some orange juice. I'd be really surprised if you were legally culpable in any way.

Don't ignore court papers, but unless you're actually served you don't have anything to worry about. No lawyer would help her file suit if they wanted to keep their law license.Answer #3: The odds that she'll actually sue you are almost zero.   Ignore her unless you actually get served with a summons.

There's just no chance that you have a duty to monitor, select, or enforce her diet.   Even if she sued you in small claims court, she simply doesn't have a cause of action.

There was a similar post here a few weeks ago in which the neighbor of a person who is a personal trainer started exercising, got hurt, and threatened to sue the personal trainer for negligence.   The person had never been a client in any way.

And of course, they didn't actually sue.Answer #4: IANAL, but even if this was some bizarre world where you were liable if she followed what your said, somehow I feel that given how much she altered it, it's not even "really" what you said. Like, "I followed your advice on how to build stairs, but I didn't have any wood or nails, and I couldn't afford carpet, so I made it out of paper maiche, bandaids, and hair clippings. It collapsed when I used it AND NOW I'M GONNA SUE YOU!!"

I guess this isn't really legal advice, just astonishment at the stupidity of that woman.


Title: Forgot about a free trial, now the service requests money even though I never used it.

Question:
Hello,

&#x200B;

I signed up to UseNext for Tapjoy credits (to earn a tiny bit of cash) and forgot to cancel it.

&#x200B;

I, after a month, was contacted to pay up 100 euros, as part of the subscription. I have asked for a waiver since I never used the account/service, however that was refused. (I since emailed their customer support to truly cancel the subscription). They have said they would resort to international debt collecting agencies if I do not pay soon.

&#x200B;

Is there nothing I can do?

Answer: Whether you used a service is irrelevant to whether you owe the cost for the service. If it were cable do you think you would get any traction not paying the bill if you left your TV off all month?


Title: No Online Site Can Ever Confirm My Identity

Question:
Hi, I am 21 and no website that requires it can ever confirm my identity. Be it Uber, Amazon MTurk, or whoever, once I get to a step that says to enter my SSN I know I'm screwed because every time they do a background check etc they will tell me they could not confirm my identity and as such I can't use that site. Very frustrating.
So what do I do here?

Random info about me that may or may not be relevant-I've had one normal, real-life job, I've never had a credit card, I've never been arrested and I have a PO Box. Any knowledge would be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer:
 Online identity verification is driven by public records (address history, people also linked to those addresses, and sometimes car ownership history) and credit reporting. Without enough information from these sources, it can't generate enough questions for you or verify you exist.

The site you are using should have alternative methods, but you may have to contact them to find out what they are.

If you want to fix this yourself, the easiest thing to do would be to begin to build credit by getting a credit card (and it's really something people should generally do anyways).Answer #2: Contact the Social Security Administration and tell them you want to verify you’ve got the right number in your records and explain the problem?


Title: Apartment Complex wants to charge me $500 for transferring my lease to someone else.

Question:
My apartment complex wants to charge me $500 to transfer my lease. Is this charge legal? There is nothing in my contract about this. A few months earlier they said it was $400 now they raised it to $500. It seems like I have to pay it or I am stuck in my contract.
I live in the state of Utah if that information is helpful.

Answer: They aren't obligated to let you transfer it at all, unless the lease says otherwise.


Title: [KY] Can I sue a restaurant for having maggots in the same container that my hot wings came in?

Question: My girlfriend and I both ate one before her friend pointed out that there were maggots in the hot wings that we had just eaten. I'm not sure what else to provide but if anyone could help me out, I'd appreciate it.

Answer:
 Sure. You could sue them for the price you paid for the hot wings.

If you complain you'll probably get a refund and a free coupon though, so probably better to just do that.Answer #2: Why do people think you can sue over every little thing? Your damages is your cost of the wings. You can sue for that. Which honestly will be less than the filing fee to sue.