Title: Mom disclosing personal medical information online without my consent and refuses to take it down.

Question:
I have a medical condition that I have to take daily medication for and sometimes end up in the ER because of this condition. Most of my family and friends know of my condition and my mother talks to her family and friends about it in person or over the phone, which I don’t really mind. But what bothers me is she posts details of my condition on Facebook, and I don’t have a Facebook so I find out about these posts from people I’m not close to asking if I’m okay, giving me unsolicited advice, and telling other people, based on my moms Facebook posts, which I am not okay with and have asked my mother to stop.

So whenever I would have to go to the ER, there would be a post on Facebook with every detail. What medications they had to give me/ medications I’m prescribed after, and just general details of the procedures done in the ER. I’ve asked her to remove these posts and she has always told me no, and that she’s doing it because our family/ friends worry about me and that they want to know what’s going on. She also said that because I was under 18, that she can post whatever she wants about me because she’s my legal guardian, etc. but I just turned 18,  and recently just had to go to the ER again, and another Facebook post was posted. I mentioned again that I don’t feel comfortable that all of our friends and family know all of these details and that I would like it to be taken down and she said no again.

So Reddit, I’m wondering if there is any type of legal action I can take to force her to take those posts about me down? She said there’s no law preventing her from posting on Facebook, but she’s posting my personal medical information and I am a legal adult. By the way, I live in Michigan if that makes a difference.

Answer: You can stop sharing the information you don’t want shared with her. But as a general rule, no you cannot stop her from publishing factual information.  The exception would be if the medical information in question would be the sort that is highly offensive to the average person.


Title: [FL] Do I put myself in legal danger by having stoner friends and roomates when I myself don't do any drugs?

Question:
I live with someone who smokes plenty of weed, meaning they have it in the house. Sometimes they have it on them when I drive them somewhere. Sometimes I'm at a party where people are smoking and I'm not.

Would I be in trouble if they got caught somehow? If I'm pulled over or my house somehow gets searched and the cop finds their weed but they own up to it, do I get busted to? I can pass a drug test.

Just wonderin', thanks. (Florida)
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: You're looking for "constructive possession." Answer #2: Yes.  Only you can assess the risks v. rewards.Answer #3: The answer is yes.  This would be a very poor decision from a legal perspective.  Answer #4: If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.Answer #5: think of it from the police's view: they find weed. How would they know that only your friends smoke it and not you?


Title: [21/M] Gunshot victim denied for disability with growing medical bills and no income.

Question:
Almost 6 months ago I was shot during a home invasion in FL. I was left with nerve damage and no use of my dominant hand. I was denied for disability the first time because they considered it a condition not to exceed more than 12 months. However the doctors said it could take up to two years to see any sort of improvement. Based on my age education and past work experience They concluded that I'll be able to perform other work that might only require short on the job training period.

Unfortunately I'm still in quite a bit of pain and on medications so driving to and from and working for multiple hours isn't something I'm ready for just yet. Having no income for the past 6 months which growing medical bills is killing me financially. I'm about to appeal for disability with new medical reports from my more recent corrective surgery and am asking for any information that can help.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Answer: What did your attorney say?


Title: Isn't prohibiting prescribed medication violating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Do you somehow think that the United Nations has the power to override the laws of a sovereign nation?Answer #2: 1. No.

2. UN Declarations do not override laws. They may inform the passage of new laws, or the repeal or modification of existing laws, but they are not, themselves, law.Answer #3: Okay enough! Just stop! You've posted here three times and have got solid advice. Just because you don't want to listen to it does not give you the right to spam us with the same question. Enough!


Title: My buddy and his wife were sent home from the maternity ward. She had the baby about an hour later. My buddy had to deliver all on his own.

Question:
In Northern Delaware. A Large well known hospital in the area. My buddy left work very excited on the 10th. He came back about an hour or so later (the hospital is less than a mile from our office) and said his wife was sent home. He didn't even get logged back into his system before he got a second call and left again.

Today (yes he's back today) he tells me of the harrowing adventure he had after he went home to get his wife again, and didn’t even make it out of the building. He called 911 but ended up delivering the baby on his own (with his wife of course) before the ambulance arrived.

This is info from him. I understand that after a few days the details may not be ‘fresh’ but I have worked with this guy for a few years and he is not given to exaggeration. He is a very hard worker and a great office mate. I tend to trust his opinion and judgement calls on situations here at work.

He tells me that during the first visit the hospital did three tests to see if her water had broken (I am aware of only one very easy test for that). Two were positive and the third was negative. She was 'only' 3 1/2 cm dilated. They told him to take her home.

During the second visit, he describes no less than 5 pediatricians and hospital staff coming in to make sure everyone was ok. He says (I'm not sure how much is extrapolation) they were concerned about some kind of lawsuit. He says he did not sign anything or make any statement about not pursuing legal action.

Mother and baby are healthy and happy, she is home with her mother, and my buddy is back at work.

I did a little asking around (friends of friends and the like) and was told by a Malpractice Attorney’s office, that they would only pursue if any damages were incurred. I'm sure he is not going to 'take the system down' over this, but it seems to a simple guy like me that this is a pretty clear case of negligence. Luckily nothing bad happened but I can imagine a whole host of scenarios that could have lead to disaster.

Is there anything he might be able to do?

Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 Medical malpractice is very fact specific and it is unfortunately beyond the scope of this subreddit. It is highly recommended to speak with a medical malpractice attorney; your state's bar may be able to refer you to one. They typically work on contingency, meaning there is little up front cost to you. Similarly, consultations are typically free. It wouldn't hurt to meet with one, have them look over your info, and go from there.

*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/legaladvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*Answer #2: >he describes no less than 5 pediatricians and hospital staff coming in to make sure everyone was ok.

As someone with a kid I can say this seems pretty normal there was probably 3-4 in the room and more people from different specialties checking thing shortly after. I imagine a home birth with no doctors around would require a few other tests/people as well.  Baby shit is basically crazy and there's no real way to judge anything that 3cms could have taken hours and hours to get bigger. If water breaking was the only sign of labor it isnt crazy to be sent home. We had ours 18 hours after water breaking and were glad to spend most of it at home. Its an unpredictable time

But for the most part you can tell you friend to do what auto mod is sayingAnswer #3: You can only recover damages for what actually happened, not what could have happened. Your friend can certainly complain to the Department Chair or ask for better staff training, or post about their experience online; but they aren't going to win a lawsuit if no one was injured.


Title: Private school, Daytona beach, Florida

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Your post is not very clear.  What is your legal question?Answer #2: You didn't offer anything here for anyone to be able to help you.  You claim in your letter that you don't think your trespass/temporary expulsion was done "by the books," but you didn't quote any relevant section of your student code of conduct.

Whatever you did I'm sure is a helluva story, since you said there are multiple charges, but only one is a felony.  That's some serious shit.  If you're banned from campus until your hearing Thursday, there's really not much of anything anyone can do to help you get on sooner unless you keep calling/emailing the dean in charge of the decision and get him/her to reconsider sooner.

If you need stuff, you can get back on campus with the escort.  As degrading as it may be, you made your bed and now have to lie in it.

>The school has not so much as suggested an alternative way for me to get food or a place to stay.

You're in college, you're an adult now.  If you need someone to suggest to you that there are hotels/friends' couches and restaurants/supermarkets nearby, then I really don't know what to tell you.


Title: Marriage in two different countries [SC]

Question: So my fiance is currently married to someone in China. They are separated, and we have started the divorce process. However, her ex-husband is being difficult and ignoring our emails and her lawyer's emails. Her lawyer is a lawyer in China. So I have a feeling this will take a long time for the divorce to go through. So my question is, can we go ahead and get married in SC, since she is in the process of being divorced. She is her in America on a F1 Student Visa, so she is legal. We would really like to get married. We are having a child soon, and i'm concerned what might happen to our child if we are not married.

Answer:
 No. That is illegal. You would be lying on government forms. Answer #2: Marrying your SO while she is still legally married to someone else is illegal (bigamy).

> i'm concerned what might happen to our child if we are not married.

What do you mean by this? After she gets divorced, and if you two get married, your child will be "legitimized" in the eyes of the law.

However, if you mean it may complicate her divorce, I don't know anything about Chinese law. However, if the circumstances were occurring in SC, *you* would have to be a part of your SO's divorce lawsuit (since baby is conceived during marriage and father of baby is known). Here, a baby conceived while the husband and wife are still legally married is presumed to the husband's baby. It is with paternity testing that the baby is bastardized, and someone other than the husband is named the bio father.


Title: Unexpected Airline Cancel. Can I Demand a Refund?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Ask for a refund or at least a travel voucher to use on a future trip.

If the flight had not left yet, you probably could have simply rebooked your mistake for a fee. Maybe $75 or $125?  I forget United's rules.


Title: Can you use home video in court in California?

Question: My dog is in the pound again. This time he bit a cat on my front lawn. I got one phone call. The bail is $50,000. The dog wasn't on a leash when the fight happened. My neighbor's cat came onto the lawn and started clawing it's face. Then the dog bit it and threw it about 10 ft. My neighbor called the cops and claimed the dog was off my property when the incident happened. They arrested my dog for assault. I have home video cameras so I can watch my front porch and I got the incident on video. Can I use this video in court or will they not allow it to be admitted as evidence?

Answer:
 I'm sorry but ...dogs can be arrested in California? With $50,000 bail? I was under the impression it had been more than a century since the last animal trial in the US, and that was of a pig.

What court are we talking about? Is there a court date, when are you going to court? What statutes have you been given?Answer #2: Yes, in this case the video should be admissible as evidence.

However, bail of $50,000 is absurd for this situation (California is in the process of abolishing cash bail for humans) and animals cannot be "arrested" in that sense.  I think you may not be understanding this case properly, because you have much bigger issues than whether this video is admissible.  Answer #3: Yes, home video can be used in court, assuming it otherwise meets the rules of evidence.Answer #4: Yes it can


Title: Sign or Else (IL)

Question:
My company has released a new confidentiality agreement. For multiple reasons I find this contract outrageous and have refused to sign it.

I've been told that I need to comply (to continue my employment being implied).

I understand that I'm an at-will employee who can be terminated at any time for almost any reason. I HATE this job and am planning to leave soon anyway. However, I think if I'm fired I will receive unemployment insurance + would be released from my financial incentive commitments. Alternatively, if I quit, I would not receive unemployment and would likely be forfeiting a significant amount of financial incentives from work.

So my question: if I continue to hold out and am thus terminated, would I be eligible for unemployment?

The alternative would be to sign this agreement. In all reality, I'm not planning on sharing confidential information, so I don't imagine any action being taken against me if I did sign this.

Any employment law advice for me? Should I keep holding out and hope to be terminated? Do I need to talk to an attorney who can review the specifics of my situation?

(I should say that I refuse to do a poor job and put myself into a position where I'd be terminated for cause.)

Answer: Refusing to sign a new agreement is not misconduct so yes you would probably qualify for unemployment.


Title: My neighbors dog just jumped their back fence and attacked me

Question:
I was walking my dog when their Rottweiler jumped the fence and tried to attack my Brussels. I grabbed up my dog in time but theirs bit my elbow. The cops are on there way and the owners arnt home (tried knocking on their door before I called the cops.)

Their fence is in a state of decay and obviously not secure enough to keep the dog in. As a college graduate with student loans.... do I have any chance of suing them? Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Depends exactly on dog laws in your state. Some say you get a free bite. Some say no. Some have extra for inherently dangerous animals, which some include certain dog breeds.

But at first glance you can get costs to cover medical, and you can get em on trespass to land (it doesn't have to be the person themselves - any of their property counts and dogs are considered property). But that is likely just a nominal award unless there was any further damage to your property.

You might be able to get em for pain and suffering but I doubt it would be much/you'd have to talk to an attorney about that.Answer #2: You definitely need to see urgent care.  Make sure to have the neighbor's name or at least the address. They will do a bite report which will go to animal control. But also file your own report as you want this addressed quickly.  The dog will go on a 10 day quarantine. This is usually done at home, so make sure that animal control knows about the non secure fence. They will warn him against letting the dog loose in the yard.

If your neighbor is halfway normal, all the attention from the county should shake him up enough to to do the right thing and pay your medical bills.


Title: I reported a Security Flaw with a web portal

Question:
Throwaway  ...
while trying to view my own report, I came across a url where changing the ID in it can retrieve other peoples' personal reports. I reported it anonymously. The data is medical and I believe is sensitive.

What should be my next steps? and should I reveal my ID and  contact them again if it's not resolved?

Answer:
 File a Security Rule Complaint for a Violation of Privacy or Security of Health Information (HIPAA). You have to provide your name to CMS but it's kept confidential.

https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/complaint-process/index.html


Title: Man walking dog on canal next to my house lets his dog swim in it, dog barks entire way down canal

Question:
[AZ, US] This has been going on for months.  Some guy on the canal, which backs up against my and other communities, goes on a walk every weekend morning with his dog.  The catch is that he lets his dog SWIM in the canal the whole way, barking all the while.  For the 20 or 30 minutes it takes him to get out of audible range my and my neighbors' dogs are going crazy.  Like non-stop barking all around me for 30 minutes at a time crazy.

Cops and animal control have been called on him over 20 times, but they say that he isn't endangering the dog so they let him keep going.  They also said that they won't fine him for his dog being off-leash because then they would have to fine everyone else who does it.  In the end every time the police or someone else confronts him he gets angry at everyone else then laughs as he walks away.

Is there anything me and my community can do to get this guy to at least put a leash on his dog?  We've gone up and actually talked to him a few times and he's incredibly aggressive about it.  I looked into what sort of disturbance of peace laws he could be violating but the sites I checked said that we can't have the police fine him directly, instead we have to take him to court ourselves.  Is this really the case?  I want this to stop but I'm not going willing to go pay for an attorney to fix it.  It's driving me and my neighbors up a wall and it ensures that nobody can get any peace on weekend mornings.

Answer:
 If there's no law against the dog swimming in the canal or being off leash, then there's nothing you can do provided the barking is happening during the hours noise is allowed. This will be city specific. In my city on the weekends, it's 8am to 10pm.

Your time would be better spent on training your dogs not to bark just cause some other dog is barking.


Title: Neighbour frustrated with noise called child services on us.

Question:
Background:

We're in Ontario, Canada, and recently moved into a two unit house a few months ago, and from the beginning we had issues with the other tenant.  He seemed kind of concerned we had kids because he said he smokes a lot.
 The first few nights we experienced an awful amount of cigarette smoke intrusion into our unit from his.  I asked him personally to take it easy with the smoking, and that it was pretty bad.  He didn't really stop, so I called the landlords (who insisted when we moved in that this was a non-smoking building), and they said they would send him a notice.

Ever since then he has been super evasive and generally bitter towards us.  He would run inside his unit and hide when we would leave, or enter, our apartment.

The two days ago, while my wife was giving the kids a bath she heard him shouting, she heard him shouting, "shut the fuck up," everytime my 2 year old son cried (he doesn't like water on his head), and she also heard him call her a, "fucking bitch," and that he was going to call the cops again.  She also heard him talking loudly outside to his weed smoking buddy about how much he hates kids.

My wife found a letter in our mailbox that we would be receiving a visit from child services.  Not our names on the letter, but my wife called about it, and they said that the guy wasn't sure what our names were and it was for us, and they said it was a week or so ago the guy called.

Really stressed out right now.  I was told by a relative who worked in that field that if they were truly concerned they would have been here already.  Anyways, looking for some advice what to do next.

edit: spoke to the landlords about this, they took all of the information down and said they will talk to the manager about it.

Also had to reduce my shift at work today in order to make the meeting, which cost me a few hundred dollars.  So, there is that as well.

Answer:
 They'll come and look around, make sure you have safe sleeping spaces for the kids and a habitable home, and talk to you and your family. They have to respond to a complaint, but it'll probably be a pretty simple case to close unless there's more going on in your home than you've described. Answer #2: You have nothing to fear from CAS. People far worse than your neighbour have tried to weaponize them.

Tell your LL what's going on. If this person harasses you again, pop in to the police station some afternoon and make a non-emergency report to get it written down.Answer #3: Just let the CAS worker know that this is a dispute with your neighbour.  Unfortunately they're very used to having people use them as a form of revenge.

The worker will have to ask some questions, and is required to see all the rooms in your house, and to check that there are adequate, working smoke detectors (those are your landlord's responsibility, so if they aren't working, you won't be in trouble).

They want to see that your house is relatively clean (not Martha Stewart style, just not dangerous), and that there's food in your fridge.

Try not to stress, this is an annoyance, nothing more.


Title: Medical Fraud?!

Question: I don't know if this is the right place to post so please, direct me if its not. I made an appointment with a psychiatrist to refill a monthly prescription. My normal doctor moved and so I needed to find someone new. He did recommend someone but they aren't taking new patients. I spoke with the receptionist on the phone regarding my reason for calling. They said they only take cash and charged $300. I though that was fine if I got a receipt for insurance. (Big mistake) so I see the doctor for about five minutes when he tells me he doesn't prescribe stimulants (which I am on). So I of course question why I was given an appointment when clearly that was addressed in the call. They refused to give me my money and said I paid for their time. Is there anything I can do or even complain to? The receipt doesn't even have any medical codes on it! They are affiliated with a local hospital. Even if I can just make a complaint so they are looked into. This is so frustrating. I don't even have a real receipt to get my insurance to look into it. Lesson learned? Thank you! State: Virginia

Answer:
 Since you paid cash, contact the ombudsman for the local hospital, and they should be able to route you to someone that can help.

You can also contact the state medical licensing board.


Title: Ex wont let me see my kids..

Question:
My kids dad wont let me see them he wans me to do supr vised visits and doesn't had papers from the court or anything saying its mandatory that i have to do that

I asked my lawyer and she doesnt hav anything and didn's sign anything.... I don't have anything and didnt sign anything saying it woudl only do supervised visits.

what do i do to make him let me have my kids for visits his i miss them so much all i do is cry all day i cant pay my bills and pay for supervised visits... And he wants child support too I only get one check a month how does he expect me to live on that? I shouldn't have to pay to spend time with my babies.

his wife isn't to have any say in anything abot my babies but I know he tells bout my emails. He won't talk to me on the phone he only emails.

can I make him let me see my kids at my house...

&#x200B;
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: You need to get court ordered visitation / shared custody.


Title: VA, US: Wife has been hiding my bank statements

Question:
I have a few consulting jobs on the side & have my own checking account that I deposit the money I earn in to.

For the past three months I haven't seen a bank statement. I didn't give it much thought because I a) really have nothing to hide & b) assumed one of the kids probably mixed it in with other junk mail & threw it away when they got the mail. The statements are addressed to me, alone, at my home.

Last night my wife confronted me with the most recent statement. I had been on a business trip & bought $75 worth of drinks at a bar - a round for myself & the 9 or so other guys I was with. She was demanding to know why I was spending so much at a bar.

I'm a pretty open guy & really don't mind my wife looking at my bank statements, but as it turns out she's been getting them for the past few months opening them & putting them in her underwear drawer. She never told me that she was doing so. Not really sure why or what she thought she was going to catch me doing, but that's beyond the scope of this question.

The more I think about this the madder I'm getting. Is this legal?

Answer:
 This is a relationship issue, not a legal one. Talk to your wife. When this gets into divorce territory, come back. Answer #2: You really are thinking about this as a legal issue? Pull your head out of your ass and have some discussions or therapy with your wife. If you are at the point where you are thinking about legal issues in your mail them you need to focus on what's important. Jesus Christ.Answer #3: > Not really sure why or what she thought she was going to catch me doing,

It's not hard to guess. She thinks you're cheating on her and hiding your expenditures on your girlfriend(s) by using your business account.Answer #4: Switch to online only statements? But yea this is a marriage issue not a legal one.Answer #5: If the bank account had been opened prior to the marriage, there is a sliver of a chance what she is doing could possibly, in the farthest reaches of legal argument, be illegal. Do you honestly want to ruin your entire marriage over something like this? In all honesty, the police probably wouldn't begin pursuing the matter until after a divorce action.Answer #6: LOL SUE HER!!!!!!!!

no.  talk to your wife.  sounds like she is paranoid.  either she is right to be, or she isnt, but you need to clear the air or youll end up needing one of us.

ball in your court.


Title: [PA] Friend's girlfriend is pregnant. Now breaking up but friend wants to be an involved father. Next steps?

Question:
Friend started dating a girl and she ended up getting pregnant. He wants very much to be an involved father and has been trying to make the relationship work for 5 months now but she wants nothing to do with him.

What are the steps to take to assure he can have some form of relationship/custody of the child? She is a flighty person and I believe she wouldn't keep her word if they agreed to visits based on the honor system.

There is also the added concern that he may not even be the father. Paternity testing? Does he write anything on the birth certificate when the baby is born? Would this effect him later if he ends up actually being the father?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Answer: He should start saving up for a family practice lawyer. When the baby is born he'll need to petition for a paternity test. Based on the results there he'll need to petition for custody. He'll have the best chance at these things by using a lawyer.


Title: Can parent force me to sign FERPA if they are paying for college

Question:
I have had a rocky relationship with grades and my parents. because my high school grades were online my parents could see them. They would often go one there to see a zero for a assignment and punish me for it. Even though thats how teachers in my school reminded themselves to put in a grade. I hand in all of my work but it takes time for teachers to grade it. I don't want them to freak out about the same thing. they still pay my phone bill going to pay for college with 529. I can't pay those on my own yet. My parents are saying they won't pay for these things if i don;t sign the FERPA waiver that lets them see my grades. Can they legal force me to sign it?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 They can't force you to sign anything.

They have zero obligation to pay for your phone or college.

And kids tried that "teachers reminded themselves by entering zeros" thing with me all the time, too. That's not getting you anywhere.


Title: Discrimination lawsuit against the Calgary Expo

Question:
I'm a curious third party also in Canada hoping to get some opinions on these lawsuits just filed by the Honey Badgers, a men's rights group. They were kicked out of the Calgary Expo ostensibly for  being dicks, but they claim it was ideologically motivated so they're suing for 50k, and suing The Mary Sue, a feminist website, for posting an article that was critical of them.

Here's a link to the documents filed and a quote of the first bit http://honeybadgerbrigade.com/2015/10/06/honey-badger-brigade-legal-documents/

>These are the current legal documents submitted to the Alberta Provincial court for Honey Badger Brigade’s lawsuit against the Calgary Entertainment Expo Inc and Abrams Media, operating under the name the Mary Sue.

>We are suing the Calgary Entertainment Expo for breech of contract and injurious falsehood and the Mary Sue for incitement of breech of contract and injurious falsehood.

>This claim was served out of the Alberta Provincial Court September 9, 2015. They were mailed to the defendants September 18th. Attached is a scan of the claim.

What do you guys think? Will they win?

Answer: FWIW, the lawyer the HBB hired was disbarred for massively overbilling clients.


Title: Rabies vaccine given contrary to instructions on the vial

Question:
Hi guys,
So through a bizarre series of events (which I could nearly write a novel out of at this stage) a bat that was found in my apartment (and may have been there for some time) was captured by animal control and tested positive for rabies.

The Centre for Disease Control got in touch with me and basically told me that because rabies is an invariably fatal illness, and I can't rule out having been bitten in my sleep (they have tiny teeth, apparently many people don't even notice or wake up), I should go immediately to the ER and start the post exposure vaccination process.
In a somewhat shaken state I went to the closest ER (which turns out wasn't in network) to start the course of vaccinations. It basically requires 5 or so intramuscular injections on the first day, then additional injections on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th days. The first day is the most important, because they give you a huge dose of antibodies to hold off any potential virus while the vaccine takes effect.

Long story short, they gave me 5 injections in the buttocks. After getting home from this treatment, I checked on the internet on the Centre for Disease control website to confirm when I should go for my next dose, only to find that almost EVERYWHERE it says that "The gluteal area should never be used for rabies vaccine injections because observations suggest administration in this area results in lower neutralizing antibody titers." Apparently it's even printed on the vaccine vials, and after looking on the internet at the FDA page on this particular vaccine, it's written on the data sheet plain as day.

I called the ER (I'm in Chicago IL by the way) and at first they palmed it off, saying "I've never heard that before!", before finally saying that I should call the Centre for Disease Control in the morning and ask if I should start the dose from the beginning again. I'm so confused right now, but my main question here is, is it possible that I will be able to dispute this bill with my insurance provider? I mean, they administered the drug contrary to the instructions apparently given clear as day on the label. If I hadn't noticed this on the internet, and I actually have been bitten by this rabid bat, then there is a non-vanishing chance that I could've actually wound up dying from this disease due to their incompetence. I've even read in a paper that I found on the topic that the vaccine has been shown to be 100% effective, except in cases in which it was administered incorrectly, such as through the buttocks, where there have been reported deaths of vaccinated individuals.

I'm so mad right now, and I'm not sure what to do next. Perhaps I should find another ER tomorrow (the ER is the only place you can get this vaccine) and have them call the CDC for me for some advice?
Thanks for your help.

Answer:
 Make sure that your treatment has been correct before you worry about the payment.

My daughter had to have the injections 20 years or so ago.  They were at widely spaced intervals of weeks.  In our state the injections were given in the county of residence, at an ER.

It could be that the information you got on the internet was out dated, or that there are different forms of the medication.

Why don't you call the CDC tomorrow to check on this, plus the county health department, and if you are still concerned see if there is a state health department.  For something this important you need to have peace of mind.

If you have to take the shots again, perhaps you should talk to a lawyer or legal aid.  If someone goofed up your injections, they may have done others incorrectly, too.  The situation would need to be corrected - quickly.


Title: My school is using a picture of me in their advertisement.

Question:
Greetings,

As said in the title, my school is using a picture of me in their advertisements without consent. Is there any way I can tell them to remove those advertisements as I would not want to be associated with them.

Answer: IANAL but I worked for a University for many years and the admission package and enrollment paperwork included a general photography consent form with a clause that photos could be used for recruitment. You might double check that you didn’t sign one without realizing it and if you did then go to the marketing/PR department and revoke it.


Title: Left Dog in Hot Car

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 He needs an attorney. Don't expect a lot of sympathy here or anywhere else. It's completely inexcusable what he did.
Answer #2: It's a hot button issue for people and states are willing to make examples. I wouldn't consider not having an attorney. The threat of jail time is real.


Title: [VA]Employer claims they are required by law to give me 30 minute lunch breaks

Question:
Location: Virginia

At my job, workers who are scheduled for 6 hour shifts (or longer) are required to take a 30 minute meal break. I do not want to take these 30 minute meal breaks. My employer claims these breaks are required due to employment laws. I looked up the laws in Virginia and as long as one isn't a minor, there are no laws regarding breaks or meal periods.
Is my employer wrong? Are there actually any laws requiring 30 minute breaks if a worker is scheduled for a certain amount of time?

Answer: it doesn't matter whether the break is required by law, your employer is still allowed to mandate it.


Title: Someone I threatening legal action against the domains I own

Question:
Bought 4 domains of a popular person who use post gone wild and other nude pics here on Reddit. She got some what big and now wants her own website. I originally bought the domains so I could make her a website back in May. She declined my offer and I have kept them ever since. But now she or the person she wants to make her website for her wants them. He has threatened legal action twice. But I think he is bluffing. So what are my legal options to keep my domains with out getting them taken away from me. Also yes I have a website up hosting my own content on one of the domains. Nothing related to the nude poster.

Hope someone can help!
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 The domains are of that person's name?

You're going to lose in court, because [cybersquatters always lose.](http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/property00/domain/legislation.html)  I advise you to sell them to her now, for an amount that is less than the amount that you think she will estimate will be her attorney fees to seize them from you.


Title: [MD] Received an implausibly high electric bill this month but the landlord or power company are no help.

Question:
Hi folks,

I'm renting a house in MD that's about below average compared to other houses on our street. During the summer/spring/fall time when the temperatures were reasonable and we didn't turn the A/C or heat on much, the bill was reasonable (between $80 to $200).

However, the last couple of months have seen a dramatic increase in the bill (~$400 last month and $700 this month). This is an implausibly high bill. I asked a lot of my neighbors using "Nextdoor" and pretty much all of them told me that the bill is ridiculous. My mother in law lives nearby and keeps the house at 75F and got a bill of ~$250 even though she has a much bigger house. My neighbors had similar bills with bigger houses and higher temperature.

Due to budget restraints, we had the house at 54 degrees (the minimum allowable by the lease). It's very cold but we manage by wearing layers. There is no way we can afford to live at this place with the bill being so high at 54F!

The corporate landlords kept repeating that it was a cold month. I asked them to check insulation and to install better insulation on the doors because we can feel the cold drafts coming through but they haven't sent anyone in a month. The electric company told me to increase my temperature to 68F and lower it at night to save energy and kept repeating that no matter what I said (we keep it constantly at 54 and don't change it at all).

Is there any way I can get the landlords to accept some responsibility for this? (faulty heater, bad insulation etc.).
We can't really afford an independent electrician to come take a look.

Thank you!

Answer:
 I bet pennies to the dollar your *landlords* hot water heater is leaking. *editAnswer #2: Check with the electric company to see if they offer free home electricity audits. That may help pinpoint the cause of the high bill.Answer #3: BGE? If you've been there a year or more, the back of the bill should have a chart of monthly kilowatt and gas usage. I think the chart also shows average temp.

If the usage is close to the same as last year, find last year's bill for the same periods and check the cost breakdowns. The bill breaks down to the thousandth of a penny what each kilowatt and gas therm costs.

If the usage is not the same, check the average temps for each billing period. A colder average costs more. Probably not a linear relationship, as cold as it was.

PEPCO and others should have a similar bill breakdown, but I am.most familiar with BGE.Answer #4: If you have a heat pump, make sure it is NOT using the EMER heat setting as that is just electrical resistance heat and is very expensive. It is "ok" if the system goes into AUX heat by itself when it's very cold outside, but it shouldn't be in it all the time.


Title: What happens if I am willed property with liens? (PA)

Question:
Either myself or my minor children are being named in a will to receive a home and a car. The problem is that the home has two mortgages and a lot of liens on it.  It is highly likely to also have back taxes. It also is in such a state of disrepair that it will not be sellable without a significant amount of repairs.

The car is worth $4500 according to KBB but needs significant repairs to pass inspection.

Can I refuse the inheritance?  Can I refuse on behalf of my minor children?  There are no other items of value or cash so we would deny the entire will.

If not,  will we be responsible for all or part of the debts when the house is inherited?

Answer: The debts will be resolved by the estate *before* anything is handed to you as part of your inheritance. Assets of the estate, such as the house and car, are likely going to be used to pay off the debts of the estate, such as the mortgage and liens. It won't make you responsible for the debts, but it's entirely possible that you won't actually inherit anything if there's more debt than what the assets are worth.


Title: What could I (15M) be prosecuted with?

Question:
To begin with, I have very limited knowledge in law, just the basics. So please have a little patience if I don't understand something.

To begin with, I have recently been "exposing" my biological father because he is a horrible person. On three different occasions I sent text messages to his immediate friends and family that "exposed" three horrible things about him that practically no one knows about. Two of the messages were about two different cheating instance's and the last one was about how he sexually objectifies women. I did this anonymously and sent the messages using a different phone number for each message. I used burner phone apps for the messages. Now he wants to get the police involved and wants something to happen, but I don't know what. Could this count as defamation/slander?? All of what I said was true. Also could the police track who the messages came from as I used anonymous numbers?? But I didn't use vpns (I know stupid me) Any help is appreciated.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: You could be charged with harassment. Leave these people alone. They don't want to be drug into your family drama.


Title: Neighbor Renting Moody House (CA)

Question:
Hello, finally have a dilemma to post to my favorite sub!

Our next door neighbors are trying to rent out their home for an insane asking price. Nothing exciting there, except that the previous tenants broke their lease due to their young children getting sick and hospitalised from the mold in the house. Since this, the homeowner has not made any attempts as far as we can tell to clean the house, as no tenting has gone up or new cars have been on our street (homebody, guilty as charged). We have been given a copy of the mold report by the previous tenants and just want to be sure there would not be any legal grounds stopping us from giving the report to families who come to the open house or whoever ends up moving in?

Thanks a bunch.

Answer:
 Nothing stopping you from giving the report to anyone. If you step on their property you can be asked to leave, and potentially charged with trespass if you do not.

You do have a potential civil issue though, as there's always the possibility you get sued for tortuous interference for messing with the rental or sale.


Title: If i call the victim during a no-contact from a blocked number, can that be figured it that i called?

Question:
Got into a fight with my ex and there's a no contact/stay away order. Unfortunately, we both need contact. She's also reached out to me a bunch of times. Hypothetically, i don't wanna risk it backfiring and she ends up reporting me calling her though. If i call her from \*67 to her private number and she answers and talks, and then hangs up and reports me calling her can i get in trouble? Wouldn't they have to prove it was me that called?(lots of blocked numbers call people)

I know if you call 911 from a blocked number anywhere, they can see who called, but private phonelines cannot do this (unless it's a super tech nerdy person who figured a way around it, but usually not.).  So do the cops have any way to be able to see what blocked number called someone's phone? I'm assuming  no, or not very easily unless it's a very serious case where they would subpoena phone records. I'm assuming they would call me and ask if i called her, and if i say i didn't that would be the end of it.

Answer: If you have a no contact order, do not contact them.


Title: Traumatized Restaurant Employee.

Question:
I am a teenager living in Pennsylvania.

Yesterday I was working a normal shift when a man entered the restaurant visibly winded. He didn't wait to be seated and walked the around the perimeter quickly. All the while, the man was shouting "Can I borrow somebody's phone" disturbing the 20 or so people that were already seated; this included children as it is a family store in the suburbs. When nobody responded to his plea he urgently followed it up with "Please somebody is trying to kill me" and at this point everybody in the store is visibly distressed and people are clamoring to leave. Shortly after, a second man enters the store yelling obscenities at the first man. The second man says that he is owed money, that he has a firearm, and that he is going to shoot and kill the first guy. Everybody in the restaurant is completely mortified. Staff are hiding in the dish-washing area and kitchen, a woman went to hide in the bathroom, several people are frozen and keeping themselves down. After a brief 'altercation' the two men laugh, claim it to be a prank, and leave. Everybody is shaken and the manager finally emerges from their office. This was only two days after the shooting at the Springfield Mall.

When the police finally arrived, staff who had seen the most gave details about the incident and the suspects. After this, both officers talked to the manager outside. When I saw my mom after work I was in shambles. She went to the restaurant to ask the manager for the officer's names. He claimed to not know them. When she asked how the case would be pursued he said, "The officers saw a video of what had happened and seeing as it was a prank, there was nothing they could do." To me, these both seem like transparent lies. After several hours and no response to the staff from either the owner or management, I quit. People who didn't work at the time of the incident still aren't aware it happened.

Is a business allowed to 'cover up' a terroristic threat and obstruct those who experienced trauma from the threat from achieving justice by way of pursuing the case through the PD? Am I entitled to any kind of worker's compensation?

Answer: What's the basis for cover-up and obstruction? The police will investigate, and things will either move (or not) from there. The restaurant has nothing to do with it. There are benefits available for "mental/mental injuries," but they're very difficult to prove and success or failure can vary extremely based on the facts. What losses did you suffer because of it?


Title: Can employer require me to sign a form saying I am staying and not looking for other work

Question:
My employer wants to ask all employees to sign a type of "retention" form that says we are committed to the job and are staying and not actively looking for another job.

She did not say what would happen if we didn't sign. But can I be fired for activity looking for another job? Can they force me to stay at this job legally? What else could be a possibility.

Answer:
 I'd sign it. At this point in time on June 4th 11:08am I don't wish to leave.

At 11:10 I started looking. Answer #2: They can require you to sign it, of course it is probably a meaningless document. Do you currently have a contract that specifies the terms, duration, and required notice of your employment? Most likely, if you don't sign it they can fire you, and if you do sign it, they can fire you anyways. Unless you have some guilty conscience about lying to your employer, then it probably means nothing whether you sign it or not. If you have a detailed employment contract already in place and this is being offered as an amendment with a potential introduction of an additional means to fire you for cause, your circumstances may be different and you should contact an attorney to review your contract.


Title: Is it legal to block an entrance to a parking lot/gas station/fast food restaurant/etc. while driving?

Question:
Trivial question, but I'm curious and can't find an answer anywhere:

Say you're driving and there's a red light up ahead. Cars are backed up in front of you, and next to you is the driveway to a strip mall or something, whatever. The car in front of you has cleared it, but if you pull up you'll block it. Should you leave a gap or pull forward?

My dad told me that "anywhere that a car can drive perpendicular to you is an intersection, and blocking an intersection is illegal", so I assumed you leave a gap. However, about a week ago when I did that, a car behind me honked. Also, I've noticed that a lot of cars don't do this and I've realized that some streets are so filled with driveways to parking lots that there would be almost no space for cars if everyone left a gap. What are you actually supposed to do?

Answer: Every state has different laws but in general you do not have to leave a gap for a parking lot exit.


Title: I had a sex and name change. Legally speaking, am I still married? (KY, USA)

Question:
We have not divorced. We just want to know if our marriage was nullified by the name change or sex change. Both occurred after gay marriage was legal in our nation.
Edit: We don't want to divorce. I was just checking to see if the marriage was valid.

Answer:
 You're still married until you have an order that says you aren't. Answer #2: I checked to confirm KY legalized same sex marriages and iirc it's recognized federally now.

So I was curious: before it was recognized federally, in a state where same sex marriage is not legal, would the sex change nullify the marriage?


Title: Insurance company sent me a check that I believe belongs to the state.

Question: I was in a one car wreck in March where I hit a light pole and destroyed it. After several months and my license being suspended for approximately one week, due to the insurance company's negligence. So what I want to know is if I should keep the check, cash it, or do nothing. The check has my name on it, if that helps. (Indiana)

Answer:
 Why don't you call the insurance company and discuss this with them.

Doing the right thing almost always works out better than doing the wrong thing.  Taking advantage of another's mistake is not the "right thing".


Title: I think my father's employer is discriminating against him at work

Question:
So, here it goes. So my dad has been working at a factory that makes car parts for over 20 years. This past December, he had a massive heart attack and was out of work a few weeks. He's 55, and he finally started working again. However, he's not as fast as he used to be because the heart attack caused clots in his legs that hes going to have to have another surgery on soon.
Anyways since he has been back to work, I feel like his company is treating him very poorly. He has been working the past 20 something days straight without a day off. His supervisor has made fun of him and berated him in front of the other coworkers. His supervisor said "you're too slow now, sucks to be you because I'm moving you to third shift." Not only is my dad now working third shift, not getting any days off, and being publicly humiliated. They are not letting him get overtime, by sending him home before the can hit over 40 hours before the work week turns over. They are also not letting him choose his vacation but forcing him to take his vacation time when they want without pay. My family has been very concerned what to do about money on top of the medical bills. So reddit, does anyone have any advice? Is what they are doing legal? He can't quit because we need the money but if he keeps working like this I'm afraid they'll cause him to have another heart attack.

United States, NC

Answer:
 Your father should probably just try to find another job. I'm unaware of any law that gives protection to an employee with medical problems. If he can't physically do the job, they don't have to keep employing him. He may be qualified for social security disability, he might want to look into that. Answer #2: It is legal to move someone to another shift because of decreasing performance (or any reason).  It is legal for an employer to reasonably criticize performance, even in front of other employees.  It is VERY legal (and common) for companies to prevent workers from reaching overtime.  It is legal for companies to deny vacation requests.

Some states have laws that stipulate how many days consecutive a worker may be scheduled to work.  Not sure if NC does.  They only have to give him PTO if he qualifies for it.  Given that he just returned from medical leave, it is very likely he does not have any PTO available right now.

That all being said, if you threaten to or initiate legal action, he will almost certainly be terminated.

This job may be too strenuous in nature for your father.  The onus is on him to find new employment with a more sympathetic company.


Title: [GA] Spouse is being asked to do unethical and illegal acts at work.

Question: My spouse is being asked to perform unethical activities at a new workplace.  These actions could cost my spouse their professional certifications and would likely end a career.  In a normal situation I would just say walk away and be done.  However, the employer has a contract and non compete that would force us to move a significant distance.  Is their any step besides proving the illegal actions?  And would proving it even matter?  We would rather just ask to walk away and be done with it but I highly doubt from the employer environment that it would go that well.

Answer: Illegal or unethical or both? Not the same thing.


Title: The owner of my apt. just asked me to take over as "manager" because he is having problems with the RealEstate company. What does this mean?

Question:
Cross posted from /r/RealEstate .
I live in Jacksonville Florida. I have lived in a garage apt. behind a duplex for a little over 2 years. I have seen the front tenants change multiple times. About 2 weeks ago our electricity stopped working on all our appliances and we finally figured out it was because the owner forgot to pay the bill. It was remedied within hours.

At this time, one of the front tenants told me that he pays the water bill for all 3 units and can't ever get ahold of the owner to talk to him about it. I assume he had already talked to the real estate company. The other tenant and I pay a monthly utility fee of $200 that is supposed to be going towards electric and water and she and I share the box thing on the side of the house that tells you how much electric has been used.

We all have a website we go through to make maintenance requests but the owner has asked me never to use it and to just call him instead, yet the third tenant always goes through the website for maintenance requests.

Honestly we had to call the post office to even find out what our mailing address was becaus no one seemed to know. I'm not sure this place I'm in is even legal to rent out.

Just now he called me and offered me $200 a month to take over as manager so he could fire the rental company (he lives far away). He said I would have to post ads for the places online and show them to people but he didn't mention anything else.

Is this even legal? Is something fishy here?

Can I take advantage of this somehow and install a jacuzzi in our shared courtyard if I say yes?!?!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Don't touch this with a ten foot barge pole. Your landlord sounds sketchy as hell and you'll probably end up complicit in something dodgy.

I would suggest getting together with the other tennants and figuring out your combined position though vis a vis the landlord. That way if it all goes tits up you can show a united front.


Title: Today I hit a pedestrian at an intersection. What can I expect?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Shh bby is ok.
You feel bad about this because you are a good person.  Take a deep breath.
This was an accident, not an on-purpose.
You were not to blame for this.
Answer #2: Sounds like the officer told you what to expect. You're likely okay, legally. Call your insurance, get your car repaired. If you are contacted by the woman, ignore it. Don't make any promises. If you receive a legal document regarding the accident from her, hire a lawyer.


Title: (MN) Is it kidnapping to remove a baby relative from a location where he is unsupervised?

Question:
I am 17/m, and the baby in question is my 4 month old cousin, who lives with me. I have paperwork to authorize me to pick him up from a daycare he goes to occasionally, signed by the father, if that has any bearing on this.

His mom had a medical emergency, and she had a friend take her to the hospital. My cousin is asleep in her car (not her friend's) with the door unlocked. Anyone could just take him.

His mom has accused me of kidnapping for taking him on a walk around the block while I was babysitting and she randomly showed up 2hr early.

I think she would press charges on me for this if it is illegal and she has proof, even if I leave a note.

I'm trying to get ahold of his dad, and he's at work with his phone turned off.

Am I in the clear for taking him home without her permission?

Answer:
 Let's just clarify. The baby is inside a car? Alone?

**Take the child.** Call CPCS. Call the police. Do whatever you have to do but **get the baby out of the car ASAP.**

Edit now that the important point has been made: Leave a message for the mom and the dad saying you have the kid and are taking him to your address. Also do this with a text to both. Also send them both an email. If you aren't willing to report a relative to child protective services then this is your next best step for protecting yourself. But even if she made a complaint to the police saying you kidnapped her kid you would have a great GREAT defense. And in so doing she would put you in a situation where you had no choice but to tell the police what you just posted for us and she would almost certainly lose custody of that baby. You will be feted as a a hero who potentially saved your nephew's life.Answer #2: Leaving a baby in a car is 100% illegal and 100% dangerous. The mother is the one who has reason to fear the police, not you. You will not be prosecuted for kidnapping for removing your cousin from the car. Or if the child does not appear to be in immediate distress, call the police to remove your cousin from the car.Answer #3: Get the baby out of the car ASAP. Call the police. Answer #4: Keep us updated, OP. Let us know what happened with the baby please!


Title: Can I bulk buy something that is pretty much free with staff discount?

Question:
I work at a major hardware franchise and with staff discount I can buy an item (Spring washers) for $0.01. What I'm wondering, is it possible for me to do hundreds of micro transactions so I will be buying these for pretty much for free?

*edit* I live in New Zealand, and a spring washer looks like this  https://img4.fastenal.com/productimages/71067_alt.jpg
*edit2.0* New Zealand doesn't have 1 cent coins, so it is rounded up or down, e.g $0.16 would be $0.20 but $0.14 would be $0.10

Answer:
 When management finds out, first you will be laughed at, then you will be fired. At that point you will be screwed and washered out. Don't entertain that idea anymore. Bolt now.

Jokes aside, bad idea all over it. Even if it works, after one day you end up with a thousand washers worth $140 retail, but are actually worth about $5 wholesale. You can't sell them for $140. You would take 5 years to sell them individually and you don't have a store and employees that would cost a lot more than $140.Answer #2: I'm sure that's outlined in a policy somewhere that governs the employee discount program.Answer #3: I'm pretty sure everyone can get bulk spring washers for that price or less.

The markup at retail hardware is pretty damn high because they cater to the guys that need two or three and they need it NOW.

You need to wrap your head around the fact that yes, they're really selling a part that cost half a cent wholesale for thirty times as much. Answer #4: Hop on alibaba, you can get 100 spring washers for less than a buck.

Well actually you can't order that small a batch, but you can get 5 metric tons for 3 grand.

https://m.alibaba.com/product/60521728219/DIN127-Metal-Spring-Washer.html?s=p&spm=a2700.7906341.35.1.oHAMnH&redirect=1

If you really want to be the split washer kingpin of New Zealand, you don't need to get fired to do it, but figure out first where you are going to store them.Answer #5: 5.000 washers for 8 bucks.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/5000pcs-lot-DIN127-M3-Spring-Washer-A2-Stainless-Steel/32555726917.html


Title: Presentability questions when showing a rented apartment in Arkansas.

Question:
Standard stuff: I am moving at the end of the month and my landlord is showing my apartment. My lease says my apartment should be reasonably show ready to the best of my ability with notice of 48 hours. Awesome. No problem.

The problem: I'm moving so I am packing. There are boxes in my house. During showings I've been moving them to a closet or corner in a effort to minimize the look of a apartment in the process of transitioning but it is pretty obvious I am moving. My bed is broken down. I'm sleeping on a made blow up mattress in my room but it is made and decorated like I give a crap about my space. Floors are clean but my decorations are boxed up because they aren't necessary for living. Basically, everything non essential is packed away and ready for my first wave of moving this weekend.

My landlord has a problem with this. He says it doesn't feel home-y. It doesn't look "nice" but he admits it looks "clean". I get it. It is sometimes hard to truly sell an empty place. That is why they have staging companies and staged apartments. I've been in one. They look better and really help sell the place but that isn't my problem. I don't own; I rent. I've given my notice, it is within the bounds of my lease, it has been accepted, my last month's rent is paid, my lease is finished. DONE.

Nope. My landlord is saying that because I refuse to make the apartment "show friendly" then if he can't find a renter, I have to pay another month. The apartment has problems. A leak in the roof needs to be fixed (his problem via the lease, not mine), the walls could use a touch up, the original hardwood could use a good professional polish and you notice those little imperfections more when there isn't anything in the room to distract.

So, Arkansas has some weird tenant laws. I have little rights but this is insane. How responsible am I for his ability to re rent AFTER my lease has expired and I've given notice to move?

Could I be forced to move my stuff out early so he can show the apartment? Which is what I am thinking he is might ask me.

Could I be forced to unbox my stuff and "decorate" my apartment again to make it look more presentable?

I leave in less than two weeks. It would be a pain to do that and work and try to move stuff.

Answer:
 OP, your best bet is going to be to have a quick conversation with a local attorney.  Consultations are usually free or cheap.

You're right, Arkansas does have some quirky LL/Tenant laws.


Title: Friend hit a cow on the highway in Missouri. Who's liable?

Question: I assume the cattle owner is liable here, curious if so is there insurance a cattle farmer would have for such an event?

Answer: Was your friend for some reason not to see the cow before colliding with it?


Title: [District of Columbia] Hit by car while on bicycle, put in hospital. Their insurance company tells friend to prepare for driver to be "possibly underinsured." Are they helping him out in advance or preparing to try to lowball him?

Question:
My friend was hit by a car while in a bike lane on a bicycle. Other vehicle was turning left and did not yield ROW to friend. Friend had no time to react resulting in a collision that threw friend from bike and left friend in hospital with a lacerated kidney and internal bleeding.

Friend recovered in hospital but is out of his lifestyle for 3 months minimum (climbing, running, hiking, lifting, etc). He is seeking full compensation from the driver's insurance company.

They have told him they "cannot make a formal dollar offer yet though [they] assume full responsibility for the accident". and furthermore "our insured may not have enough liability coverage to cover the extent of your damages" and that he should talk to his car insurance for the difference even though he was on a bicycle.

No dollar amounts have been disclosed yet.

Friend is trying to avoid civil court though he has a very strong case. Suing is his last resort. Like an insurance company, he wants to settle as quickly as possible out of court. Is it possible they are lying about the drivers' maximum liability? Can they do that? Is there anyway to fact check their claims? Is he being manipulated?

DC minimum for car insurance by law is $25,000 single person bodily injury. If the driver only had the minimum, is it better to seek the rest of the money from his insurance company under bodily injury protection or by taking the driver to civil court/trying to settle with the driver out of court?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 A few things...

If the driver had only $25k in coverage for liability, that's all his insurance co. is responsible for.  Your friend can inquire through his own insurance co. if he has any coverage, but I suspect not.  He would therefore have to sue the driver directly (or settle).  Whether that will be productive depends on whether the driver has any assets.  What he should not do is take the $25k from the insurance company and then plan to sue the driver later -- he will almost certainly have to sign a release of further liability.

Trying to settle fast may be a mistake.  Not all injuries (and therefore damages) are immediately apparent.

IMO, in a case of this type it's worth consulting with a few personal injury attorneys to explore the options.


Title: There's a guy selling weed in my neighborhood that's also a convicted sex offender, what are my options? [TX]

Question: Normally, I wouldn't care about a friendly neighborhood pot dealer but a rudimentary background check shows that this guy was convicted of some truly nasty stuff and is a risk level 2 sex offender. Not only is he selling weed to all sorts of people, especially teenagers, he does it in broad daylight. Can I call the cops with this info or is there some other institution that I should contact?

Answer:
 Sex offenders must

Register their addresses

Has he done that yet?


Title: Wife was fired from job while on maternity leave

Question:
This in the state of Michigan. My wife has been on maternity leave since October 9. Today she called her boss letting them know she was ready to come back to work on the 25th of November. My wife then received a text from her boss saying that the company was moving in a different direction and that she should use this time to find another job. I’m not to sure about the laws regarding maternity leave but I was under the assumption that she had 12 weeks and her job was legally protected.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Was she the only person fired? Anyone else in a similar position affected?

And to be clear, she's covered by the FMLA right? She's worked there at least 1 year, at least 1250 hours in the last 12 months, and there are at least 50 employees in 75 miles?


Title: Advice on first court appearance ever? 19F, terrified of the situation.

Question:
So here’s the deal. Last Monday, I was pulled over for the first time ever for speeding. I promptly received a speeding ticket that’ll likely be about $126. No problem, I can handle that.

However, my real issue is this: the officer said that my car smelled of marijuana, and my vehicle was then searched. I had NO actual marijuana on me, and therefore was unable to be charged for possession of illegal drugs.

But, there was a small glass bowl, and a grinder, in my car that the officer found and confiscated. So, I’m being charged with possession of drug paraphernalia in the state of Ohio.

I was incredibly forthcoming with the officer, honest about everything, and entirely cooperative.

I have never been charged of anything, and this is my first offense in my entire life.

But I can help but fall to pieces thinking that my life is ruined over this. I’ve never had to appear in court, I don’t know if I’m supposed to get a lawyer over misdemeanor charges like this, I don’t know if I should tell my parents about this, and I really really don’t want to go to jail. Can anyone please offer advice or help me with this situation?

Answer:
 > I was incredibly forthcoming with the officer, honest about everything, and entirely cooperative.

Why do people do this, confess to crimes when there is absolutely no reason to say "yes I committed crimes!" In the future don't cooperate, don't confess, it just makes what happens next harder.

> I don’t know if I’m supposed to get a lawyer over misdemeanor charges like this

Yes. But the good news is that a a minor misdemeanor does not create a criminal record in Ohio. The other good news is that it doesn't appear that you're looking at any potential jail time:

>Possession of marijuana paraphernalia is a minor misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $150, possible community service, and suspension of the offender's driver's license for 6 months to five years.

In some instances they will test the paraphernalia for drug residue, so if they find any, they can charge you for that as well.

You might be eligible for a diversion program.Answer #2: Lawyer. If that means telling your parents so they can pay for it, it will still turn out better than trying to go it alone.

Many places have special programs that give leniency for first-time offenders for things like this. Ask your lawyer what may be available where you are.


Title: Kay Jewelers took my ring in for routine Maintenance and returned it back to me looking like a whole different ring. Refusing to admit they messed anything up. What can I do??

Question:
So I am in a situation involving Kay Jewelers potentially losing and/or damaging my wedding ring. Wondering what steps of action I can take and what rights I have in this situation.

Backstory:

A few weeks ago I brought my wedding ring to the store for a routine warranty check. Under the warranty that my husband purchased with the ring you are required to bring it in every 6 months to have the stones checked. Also under this plan free rhodium replating is included. I have that done about once a year. I am a nurse and the ring gets washed very frequently so the coating does fade away.

When I originally dropped it off and upon inspection in the store the technician said everything checked out ok, no issues or loose stones. I asked for it to get sent in. He said no problem, filled out the ticket, I signed it and left the ring with them. They have a new system now where everything in computerized. And now with each inspection they take a picture under their microscope showing the stone and inscribed “geo number” to identify it is your stone. I have a Leo Diamond so it it has it’s very one ID number. That picture with the ticket is then emailed to the account holder (my husband).

Fast forward a few weeks and I get the call its finished I can come pick it up. When they give me back my ring with only one look I knew it wasn’t my ring. It was similar.. But not my ring. The center stone was in a different setting, the bands holding the stone in were shaped different, the surrounding stones were half covered with band, it was all wrong. I asked them to check the geo number because I was not sure this was mine. Under the scope there was no geo number visible. Their explanation in the moment was it must be behind the band holding it in place. (then what's the point of the number??)

I was able to pull up my Google photos and pull up old pictures of my ring. I was showing them so they could see the differences. Trying to prove I wasn't crazy.

After much back and forth it was discovered the ticket it was originally sent out with listed that 1) the engagement ring and wedding band needed to be sautered together and 2) the bands holding the stones in place “built up.”
They explained to me that the bands wear away over time and since the tech noticed it they just went ahead and did it. Kept telling me that when bands are built up it CAN change the shape and appearance of a ring.

So here are my concerns:
Why when I dropped it off did no one mention to me that bands were “worn away” and needed fixing. In fact they said everything looked perfect.
Why did they note the rings needed sautering.. They have been sautered together for 10 years! I did NOT drop off 2 different rings.
Why is the number not visible. If they were only replating it or building up bands why was the stone removed at all??
And HOW does replating it or building up the sides (as they say happened) change the entire structure and shape of my ring???

All questions they have no answers for. Even after they took a picture under the scope of the “after” and compared that to the original picture that THEY took…. They refuse to admit anything is a miss.

In conclusion they sent the ring back out.. Stated they will turn the stone to reveal the geo number. And they will ‘undo” the bands being built up back to the original ring. I have no confidence that my ring will come back looking right. Because you can't change the fundamental way a ring is shaped!

I put the pictures in the comments.. Tell me if I am being crazy. Tell me what think. Right now I am just sick over the fact the ring I love and cherish doesn’t exist.

What can I do with this situation legally? Take them to small claims court because they either damaged or lost my property?

If you made it this far.. Thanks for reading!

Answer: I'm based in Europe but im fairly sure i read about this issue on Buzzfeed a while back. Kays and another jewellers was swapping out stones and customers were getting the wrong rings back. Could be worth a quick Google and see if your issue is similar,  some one may have the answer to your questions on a specific page or forum.


Title: Your company gets acquired. New company requires non-compete. Can you collect unemployment if you refuse to sign? (Virginia)

Question: My wife works for a company that is being acquired.  The new company wants (needs) to retain the employees, but requires everyone to sign a non-compete.  If she refuses to sign, she will not gain employment with the new company.  Can she collect unemployment while she searches for a new job?

Answer: You missed a step. Getting fired for refusing to sign. She should keep showing up to work until told she was no longer employer. Then you would likely be eligible to collect unemployment.


Title: Domino's pizza cheated me.

Question: I ordered domino's pizza with buffalo sauce on it. I received only cheese and chicken pizza with no sauce at all. I immediately called the branch , but, they informed me that they cannot send me a replacement as I had already had 2 slices (there were 6 slices in total). I couldn't get manager on phone. I have sent email to costumer care and expecting a call from them tomorrow. Is there any legal action I can take, in case I don't get justice tomorrow?

Answer:
 You can sue them for damages, emotional distress, and most importantly sue them for disregarding article 13324.53 under the pizza sauce treaty signed between the United States of America and Italy in 1943.

Or you can smoke a little more weed and forget about this terrible evening in which you have no red sauce.


Title: Custody of dog from girlfriend of deceased brother, 3 years after his death

Question:
So this is a sticky situation.

I am located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

In  July of 2015 my older brother passed away. His girlfriend had moved in  with him about a year prior to his death, and 6 months prior to his death they got a dog.

My brother named and  paid for the dog (although there are no receipts for this, he was  purchased from a private breeder and paid for in cash)

My  brother had told his girlfriend that if they were to ever break up, the  dog would stay with him, and she agreed but that was all verbal and  between the two of them.

After my brother's  death, me, my family, and his girlfriend were obviously very upset. She  continued to live in the house they had lived in, and she would bring  the dog over to my parents house almost daily.

The girlfriend and I eventually developed feelings for each other. We kept our relationship a secret from my family.

Over  the years, the dog stayed with her, but we basically raised him  together. I was his 'dad' and she was his 'mom' as weird as it sounds.

Now, me and the girl have split, and it was fairly messy (that's a whole other post)

Over  the years I took most of the financial responsibility for the dog. He  was bit one time at the dog park while she was there with him, and I  paid the bill for his stitches. When he got neutered, I took the week  off work and paid for that. I have all the invoices for these things.

He's  micro chipped, and I am the one who registered his chip, and it's  registered under my name and address. (it says on the chip website that  this is not legal proof of ownership)

At the vets office, he is registered to me (My name and address is at the top of all the invoices)

I also have all the invoices and paid for most everything as far as vet care goes.

Now that we are split, my family and I would like custody of the dog, but she doesn't want to give him up.

Where  do we stand legally in all of this? It's been 3+ years since my  brother's death and she has technically been in possession of the dog  that whole time. We didn't live together so she would take the dog home  with her at night. My family never expressed that we wanted custody of  him back then.

Answer:
 Wow.

There's no such thing as pet custody. Pets are possessions and that one is hers. It's lived with her the whole time and she has cared for it as well. She had it before you ffs. It is obviously, obviously her dog. If you most likely want to get the smack laid down on you by a judge, you can try to sue for posession or value. Answer #2: You started dating a single woman who owned a dog. You never lived together and the dog went home with her every night. She had possession of the dog before dating you and after dating you.

That's the simplest way to look at it. Like the other commenter said, the time & money you put toward the dogs health can be seen as choices made to help another rather than expression of sole ownership and the time to fight over ownership of the dog was three years ago. The odds aren't in your favor.

As a side note: Why rip this dog away from the one constant owner it's had? Is she abusive?


Title: Are there faster alternatives to immigration if a gay person wants to get out of an oppressive and unsafe country?

Question:
I live in Lebanon and I really wish for nothing else than to get out of this oppressive environment and live somewhere freely. I really don't care where as long as I get to retain my freedom and stop being worried about who I am.

 As many of you may know, Hezbollah has a say in what goes around here. They are a religious group who promote Iranian ideals. While the Lebanese law does not condemn homosexuality with death, I fear that if Hezbollah keeps growing in power, we will soon be living in another Iran. Not just that but society is very harsh towards gay people here. If someone is known to be gay, they can't work and can't show their face in public. If someone attacks them, well it's their fault for being deviant.

I've done a good job at hiding my identity so far but I am getting to an age where life is starting to feel a whole lot meaningless especially that now everyone around me is getting married. Not only that, I live in a building where one of the apartments is a known meth lab. We see a lot of weird people. It's not uncommon to hear screams and see blood here and there every once in a while. The government, of course, does nothing. Those who run the lab get caught one day and get released the next. Unemployment is really high and It recently struck me too. There isn't much left for me here except a life where I keep pretending and living in fear that one day gay people will get publically persecuted like they do in Iran.

Despite that, there are people in places like Chechnya that are in way more immediate danger. To them, my case might seem trivial. Immigration would be one sure way to get me out of this place but It requires a lot of time and money. I'm saving up but I'd like to start really living a life before I hit my mid 30s. Which makes me wonder. Am I eligible to apply for asylum in any country? Are there programs that help people like me get out of where they are? Any help would be extremely appreciated.

Answer: You should contact some LGBT organizations with refugee/asylum/immigration experience in countries you might be interested in and get their advice.  Use precautions to make sure your emails/searches can't be easily discovered or linked to you, or use a throwaway cell phone to call and speak to someone.


Title: Nursing Home is billing me for uncle's medical bills. Georgia, USA

Question:
My uncle(50m) is in a nursing home. He has two children(25m&30m). Neither of his children have anything to do with him. My father(42m) was taking care of all of his paperwork, doctor's appointments, and paying any bills that insurance didn't cover.

About a year ago, my dad got arrested. When the nursing home couldn't get in touch with my dad anymore, they started calling me about my uncle. I(23f) didn't mind signing consent forms for him to go to the doctor, and stuff like that.

The problem is, now they have started sending me bills for the portion that his insurance doesn't cover. I've called the nursing home several times. The lady in billing keeps telling me not to worry about it. If they had my uncle's or dad's name on them, I wouldn't be too concerned, but they have my name on the bills.

Reddit, am I responsible for my uncle's medical bills? I made sure to read everything they had me sign for him, and nothing I signed had anything to do with payment.

Edit: Added ages for clarity.

Answer:
 You are not responsible for the bills incurred by your uncle (and most likely neither are his kids).  His estate (property/assets) are.

Respond to the nursing home, in writing, certified, that you are not responsible for these invoices and they should not contact you for any future invoices.Answer #2: Put them on written notice that you are not responsible for the bills, that they needs to stop billing you, that you consider this to be harassment, and that you will take legal action if they do anything to collect these or make any reports to credit bureaus. What they are doing may be in violation of state and federal debt collection laws.  The person you are talking to when you call the billing department may not have control of what they do with delinquent accounts.  I have seen alleged creditors go to ridiculous lengths to try to collect debts that are not owed.  The recurring problem is that one hand is not talking to the other.  Save everything you receive from the nursing home.  Make notes of all phone calls.  Hopefully this will go away, but it might not.Answer #3: > I(23f) didn't mind signing consent forms for him to go to the doctor, and stuff like that.

What did you sign? Did you sign that you'd pay his bills?


Title: [NJ] I got hit and run with son in the car but police won't help.

Question:
The original post is in /r/jerseycity and some friends suggest me to post here for legal advice.

https://np.reddit.com/r/jerseycity/comments/5k7ubk/jersey_city_police_said_this_road_rage_is/?st=IX4RPWE8&sh=52da455e

Should I try contact the police again to get at least a report? Or should I directly go to the court to file against the driver?

Thanks for any suggestion. I am doing this not for the cost or repair. I just want to show my four year old son that the justice should be done.

Answer: File suit in small claims if there was damage. Call the police again if you want, but you can't force them to do anything. And relax with the whole "what do i tell my son??" faux outrage schtick. He's 4. That's really easy to handle. Answer #2: File what? Was your car damaged? That's all you would get on your own. You can't file any sort of criminal charges or issue tickets.Answer #3: Do you really think a 4yr old is going to understand the complexities of this?  This is more about vengeance on your part. If you have damages to your vehicle you can file on your insurance. The other stuff isn't up to you


Title: Please answer all of you these two legal questions. I need little help of you guys for writing an article.(NY)

Answer:
 I have no idea about (1).  But I can answer (2).

>2) Which is the most heinous crime you know, which has ridiculously lower punishment.

Asking others to do your homework for you.


Title: Peer committed suicide, man using her death to push conspiracy theory.

Question: Hello r/legaladvice, this is going to be very short because I've never posted her before. A day ago, April 16th, a student at my high school killed herself. Students and teachers are heartbroken. Not even one day after her death and conspiracy theorist has made a video about her and posted it to Youtube trying to push his conspiracy nut agenda. Essentially claiming that bad grades, sheet metal, and wifi are the reasons she killed herself. Besides mass reporting the individual is there anything we (concerned students/teachers and parents) do?

Answer:
 None of you can do anything, legally, because you have no standing.

Her family **may** be able to, but they're the only ones.


Title: If my apartment complex forgot to ask for security deposit and admin fee at move in, am I still liable to pay them?

Question:
In the lease I signed, it said they were both due at move in. But my leasing consultant is new and forgot to ask I guess. Or maybe she thought I already did.

I've been here a few days now and no one has come knocking. I don't plan on telling them either. But just for future reference I want to know; if they ever do come asking.

I think I'm probably screwed cause I signed a document saying I would, but wondering if that's the case? Thanks

Answer:
 Yes. They are still due. You can be evicted for failing to pay.

For future reference \- a clerical error, or a failure to request payment, does not obviate your obligation to pay something you agree to in a contract.


Title: LOST PETITION FOR PERMANENT RESTRAINING ORDER - WHAT CAN I DO? :(

Question:
I was in a relationship with a man for nearly three years and we had lived together, with the apartment under my name. He never paid rent at all. Anyways, I broke up with him almost 4 months ago due to his drug use and he became angry.

For 2 consecutive months, he harassed me via text, emails and kept calling me and left me crazy messages. Along the lines of, "If you don't tell me why you left me I am going to kill myself", "If you don't answer me, I am going to find ways to get creative", "If you don't answer me and call the cops and have me thrown in jail, when I get out I will make your life a living hell", "If you don't answer me, I am going to go over your house and take all of my shit when you're not home", "If I ever see you with some guy I am going to fuck him up and blow his brains out right in front of you"...you get the picture.

He has never threatened to harm me directly, but he did call me the "B" word throughout his messages and voicemails...essentially he was incredibly intimidating. I had to call the cops and file a report, and they informed me to go forth with a restraining order, and I did. I wish I had done it sooner, but I thought he would stop. I was afraid to leave my home, I cried to my friends that I was scared of him. He obviously have some mental issues due to heavy drug use, and he owns two weapons...I don't know what he's capable of.

Anyways, we had our hearing yesterday, and I brought my phone with the voicemails, printed all the emails and messages (over 130 pages) where he threatened me. The judge asked my ex boyfriend to say his piece regarding my petition and statement of declaration and he said, "You're honor, I am so sorry I just really loved her and I promise not to contact her again". The judge seemed sympathetic and said, "See, he said he would stop."

I said, "What about my evidence?", he said we are short on time, read the most hurtful thing he's said to you (which was, I will ruin your life for ruining mine, and shoot and kill every man I ever see you with and make you regret leaving me). And when I did, he said, "Well, that's inappropriate, but it's not enough to grant the permanent order"

That's when I began to cry, and I said, "Excuse me, what about this? (shaking the 120 pages of threatening text messages)", he said we are short on time.

I asked for continuance hearing and he said, "I will grant you an additional 60 days on your TRO, but nothing more" and sent us on our way.

I feel so defeated...and my ex emailed me TWICE hours after the hearing!! It's like he will not stop, I don't know what to do. I feel like I am suffering, I am still scared of him and when I cried to the judge he said , "I don't know if those are real tears or if you're a great actress, it seems like you're being vindictive"...just totally unprofessional.

Is there any way I can appeal this hearing and ask for a judge? Should I obtain a lawyer?

I am still very scared of this man...please help.

CITY: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Answer:
 If your ex emailed you after your restraining order was extended, report it to the police as a violation of the restraining order.  When the order is about to expire, you can go back to court to get a new one or extend the current one.  You may be able to move to have a different judge, if one is available.

You can speak to a lawyer about how to get what you're seeking.

Your best bet is to block his email address or change your own, delete your facebook, and change your phone number so he doesn't have it anymore.  Cut off avenues of contact.Answer #2: Well, if he violates the restraining order, then call the police again. Does the restraining order say not to contact you by electronic communications as well? It will definitely be easier to get a permanent one if he lied to the judge and you have additional evidence for it. From what I can tell, if that happens your best bet is to contact a lawyer who will probably file a new restraining order for you.


Title: Got a parking ticket, while in the car, with the car running, and not in park...

Question: [deleted]

Answer: And what if a disabled person arrived while you were in that spot? They would not have been able to park in the handicap spot because your car was there. You could have parked anywhere else in the parking lot but you chose the one place you were not supposed to be. You deserve the ticket. Pay it.


Title: [WA] Can I set up an LLC in Idaho, sell my cars to it, and then register them under the LLC's name to avoid requiring emissions testing?

Question: Washington State requires emissions tests, Idaho does not. I live (in Washington) less than 10 minutes from the border between the states, so travel back and forth is very easy.

Answer:
 It is a crime both in WA and ID to abuse the corporate form in an attempt to evade legal requirements.  It probably costs more to reregister your corporation every year in Idaho then it would to get an omissions test every three years in Washington.

Just get your car emissions tested like everybody else, don't be an asshole.


Title: [NY] Tenancy Agreement Signed but now Broker is Telling us that they can't get the current tenants out so they're offering us a similar apartment in the floor above. Is this legal/sensible to take?

Question:
We've been working with this really shifty broker to secure a flat in Brooklyn, NY and after being screwed around a bunch with the contract length, deposits, etc. we're now being told by the brokerage that they're having difficult removing the current tenants from the apartment in time for the move in date November 1st.

Instead they've offered us an apartment one floor up where the tenants are currently moving out for a November 1st move-in date to take in place of the one we were shown and agreed to.

Would this other apartment be sensible to take? Or does it leave us open to liabilities?

And if we don't want to take it what legal recourse do we have with regards to the other apartment?

Answer:
 OP- The only thing I would be careful of is to make sure the unit you're being offered is exactly the same size/condition of the unit you originally agreed to. If it is, then everything is fine.

Tenants sometimes don't move out when they said they would. It sounds like the landlord/broker is trying to make things right by offering you a comparable unit.


Title: [Australia] This country has free speech policies, as most do. Why can a school limit what kids say?

Question:
For example, children at a high school can get reprimanded for swearing. Why is this? We have a right to free speech, why can one say a word and get in trouble, but not when you say a synonym for the word. It's common in society and there's no laws (that I know of) against swearing, why attempt to shield them from it when they will most likely hear or say it anyway?

E.g., If I was to curse, for example say "shit" in school, I can get in trouble. According to the dictionary, it's the same as saying "faeces", yet there's no reprimanding for saying "faeces".

I understand that it's considered a vulgar and offensive word, but how can they limit one's free speech, because they are offended by a simple four letter word?

Answer:
 This is coming from a US background, I'd imagine it's similar down under. Freedom of speech does not mean that you can say whatever you want without reprimand. It simply means you can't be prosecuted for doing so (save some exceptions).

For example, I can legally go into work and tell my boss to go fuck himself, but it doesn't mean I won't be fired for doing so. The high school can set conduct policies they feel are appropriate, if the student does not follow these policies they can "get in trouble".


Title: UPDATE: My manager is harassing me [TO, ONT]

Question:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
[link to first post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3szdvu/to_canada_can_i_file_a_harassment_lawsuit_with_my/)

Update: my boss is batshit insane

my fellow employee today told her that my manager found out I went to HR and she is annoyed that I created so much drama for her and she's going to try and get me "relieved".

HR just informed me my consideration of raise has to be postponed now due to this conflict. Today, I was scheduled for a shift OUTSIDE of my availability, and I informed her that I would be late because I have class. One of her friends who works with us  texted my manager saying I was late, then she called the manager on duty telling me to go home and write me up because I was late.

This is ridiculous. She is slandering my name, harassing me, and preventing me from a higher wage. Not to mention she reduced my schedule to one shift a week when I am available 6/7 days.

HR isn't doing shit and out of principal this is fucked. I can get a new job in a snap but I'm appalled at this behaviour. What do I do? File harassment complaint through ministry of labour? Consult employment lawyer?...?

Answer: Start recording *everything*, and I say it's time to talk to a lawyer. IANAL.Answer #2: I am not overly familiar with this but you may have a [constructive dismissal case](http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/guide/termination.php#cons_dismissal) if you get to the point where you feel forced to quit due to her behaviour. You need to be able to prove that she was harassing you and it got to the point where you felt forced to quit. You should contact the Labour Board (free) or an employment lawyer (may not be) on regards to this.


Title: [New Jersey] My girlfriend's service dog's urine is damaging the grass out front. The apt complex president called it destruction of private property and informed me that my landlord will be financially responsible if it happens again.

Question:
The apartment building is a dog-friendly building, and the other tenants' dogs are permitted to use the grass out front, but the president informed me that my girlfriends dog (a great dane) is doing too much damage to the grass.  Admittedly, his urine is super effective at killing grass.

I asked if she could alternate by using the patches of grass outside of neighboring buildings, but he never gave me a clear answer on that.  He just told me that if the grass out front was damaged that the landlord--and therefor I--would be responsible for damage to private property and the accompanying cost to repair it.

One solution that he offered was taking the dog behind the dumpsters, which would be fine but its about 70 yards away.  This doesn't sound like much, but my disabled girlfriend has trouble walking on good days and trouble dressing herself/using the bathroom on bad days...so walking her dog 140 yards 2-3 times a day does not seem like ~~something she can do~~ a viable permanent solution.

___________________________

I suppose what I am most interested in knowing are three things:

1.)  **Which of the two am I being informed: that her dog cannot pee in the grass out front or that he cannot do damage to the grass out front?**  If its the latter, I was thinking we could carry out a decent sized bottle of water to pour over the urine each time to dilute and distribute it.  Or perhaps there is something we can feed him to make his urine less deadly to grass.  If its the former, I don't think its fair that they can single her dog out and allow others to use the space (but I suppose life isn't fair).

————

2.)  **After my conversation with him, I fear that any damage to the grass..even if we keep him off the grass entirely... will result in my blame.  Is there any way that I can protect myself from being blamed for damage that I did not cause?**

————

3.)  **Before I spoke with him, the president had a notice posted on my door saying that my dog couldn't use the grass; failure to comply would result in loss of dog privileges.  Does the president have this power?  Could it be invoked in the middle of a lease?**  I am not so much concerned for the service dog because he is ADA certified and has the right to be anywhere people are (as far as I understand), but I have a Jack Russel who's urine is not toxic to the grass and I do not want to lose the right to have her in my apartment by poking the bear.

————

Kind of a lot to throw out there, but I would appreciate some informed opinions on this.

Answer: By service dog, do you mean emotional support animal?