Title: My adoptive mother doesn't let me have much of a social life and continuously threatens me.

Question:
I am currently 14, This has been going on for around a year or two as of now.
I used to have a phone, and after a while my adoptive mother, I'll just call her Susan, decided she didn't want me to have one. It just started out like that, of course I wasn't happy but I was able to manage. Soon, Susan began to stop letting me talk to people. I couldn't call any friends, I couldn't text, I wasn't allowed to talk to anyone through games either. It also got to the point where I couldn't even go hang out or visit with anyone. This all started happening for no reason ( as far as I know ) and I began to get extremely desperate. It was difficult and it got very lonely only being able to see people while I was in school. I should also mention that before a lot of this started happening, Susan was already extremely controlling and wanted to know every single thing I did. She had to listen to a lot of my phone calls or be in the room with me. Susan often told me that she wanted to hide cameras around the house, which obviously frightened me. As I said previously, I became desperate for some way to contact/interact with people. It started off with me sneaking out of the house around 1 AM to see friends of mine. Eventually, I stopped that and I was able to get a phone from one of those friends. I always had the phone hidden in my schoolbag, and I only used it at night once my Susan and my father thought I was asleep. I was somehow able to keep this up for a rather long time. One night, Susan caught me talking on the phone. I was able to leave the call and power off the phone so she couldn't get onto it. We had a major argument that night over me having a phone. The next day, she asked me for the password. I didn't give it to her, and she told me that she was going to go to my friend's home ( the one who gave me the phone ) and ask him for the password. Since I had mostly no way of contacting people, I had a close friend of mine text him and let him know that if Susan showed up to give her a random password. She ended up never going. A few days later, I began using Susan's phone or my father's phone during the night. Only around a week later I got caught. We had another intense argument, worse than before. However, after that day, she seemed to act like nothing really happened. For two nights after that I used an old tablet I used to have, she took that. Yet again, we had another argument. For a good while after that night, I talked to my friends through games. It was all going well. I never got caught, I just ended up stopping that. I began to take Susan's/my dad's phone during the night again. Just last night, I got caught by my dad with Susan's phone. He seemed calm, and I gave him the phone. That night, I called my boyfriend to talk about something that was bothering me a lot. After the phone was taken, I started talking to my dad and Susan about it. They were both supportive. Then, my dad told her I had her phone. Susan freaked out and we had around one of the worst arguments we've ever had in a long time. She wanted to know who I was talking to and I panicked and gave her one of my friend's numbers. I told her she could call it or do whatever she wanted with it and she responded with "I'll give it to the police". Then she began talking about FBI and how she would contact them. She also continued on to say that I'd be going to a juvenile detention center. She's been threatening me with this and RTFs ( Residential Treatment Facility for those who don't know ) for a while. I've already been to an RTF last year and it was horrible being away from home and everyone for so long. I'm worried as Hell about this FBI thing. I'm worried about my boyfriend and my friends. Of course I'm scared about leaving, but when it comes to the safety of my friends and my boyfriend, I could care less about leaving if it meant they were okay.

I just really don't know what to do, any help or advice would be extremely appreciated.

Answer:
 If you feel you’re being abused you need to reach out to CPS, talk to a trusted adult or counselor.

You sneaking around, lying to them, stealing their phones after you already know you’re not allowed one isn’t helping the situation one bit though.Answer #2: If you believe you are being abused, or you are in danger, contact child welfare services or the police. Here is the contact information for child welfare services in Pennsylvania.

https://www.dhs.pa.gov/Services/Children/Pages/Child-Welfare-Services.aspx

Based on what you are saying, I don't see anything illegal. Susan has no idea what she is talking about. The FBI, or police, won't care if you are using your parents phones with or without permission.

This does sound like Susan is being emotionally abusive which can turn into physical abuse, but without more information it is hard to say.


Title: My brother is a lawyer, started a company (whose company name I thought of), and bought the domain url... he says he can sue me.

Question:
Alright, I have a brother that is pretty petty sometimes. He is also a lawyer. He started a company before his legal practice was up and running. Several years ago, he was asking me what it should be called. He liked one of my ideas--which subsequently became the name of his LLC.

Fast forward, at the end of June he was asking me to quit my job and run his company. He had asked me several times in the past, but I didn't because, well, I know my brother: he would not treat me fairly. Anyways, with aside, at the end of June, I was really fed up with my current job and he was asking me to quit and run his company again. This time, I was excited to. We agreed that I would run his company. But, I found out he was also talking to a mutual friend to do the same thing. So, mutual friend quit his job and is now working with my brother.

I felt a little betrayed and lied to, so, I went online to see if he bought the domain name for his company yet. He had not. So I bought the businessname.com, .net, .org, and .info.

Needless to say, he was pissed when I showed him. I have egged him on a bit by putting a forwarding url to really crummy pictures. Now I just have it saying 'For Sale'.

Long story short, I told him that I would trade the domain for his GoPro. Seemed like a fair deal. He replied with "I will not be extorted. I can sue you." So, I said, 'well, there goes that, off to the auction block.' His last response was:
"I don't care dude. Do what you like. You took information about my company that was told to you in confidence and used it to purchase intellectual property that was formerly mine and you knew I'd be using and now you are trying to ransom it for money."

All in all, have I done anything that I could meritoriously be sued for, or anything illegal by buying the domain up?

EDIT: some are saying I am cyber-squatting. His company has no registered trademark. And he had the opportunity for 4 years to purchase it. My brother is even saying he'll just change the LLC name...

EDIT 2: Can anyone give my side a valid argument? I have a text of my brother saying 'I will kill you.'

EDIT 3: Please state if you are a lawyer, or an arm-chair lawyer.

Answer:
 Yes, this is called cybersquatting. Depending on the circumstances and your jurisdiction he can sue you and possibly win.

Play silly games, win silly prizes.Answer #2: You clearly purchased the domain name in bad faith (admittedly and maliciously to take the name away from him), so yes, he has some legal standing over you.


Title: Does a person need to register or need a 16 year old's parent's permission to engage in sexual activity in the state of Florida?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 No, a person who is 24 who has sex with a 16 year old will be guilty of a crime.  You can't get a parent's permission to commit statutory rape against their child.

On the flip side, at the end of it, you WILL be able to register, though...

Find someone your own age to date.  For real.  You and she are not peers.


Title: PayPal is just now asking me to confirm taxpayer status. (Central NC)

Question:
Hello, I've been selling on eBay on and off for the past several years. Initially it was just stuff I had lying around. Technically speaking, I never got my money's worth, and was just compensating for buyer's remorse. I have never had an issue aside from the occasional withheld funds. Nowadays I try and turn things for profit. But I only buy things I enjoy, so if it doesn't sell, it's not a total loss. Either way, it's just a *very* small side gig. While things have still been looking relatively up, they've recently been taking their sweet time transferring my funds back to my bank account. But they no longer hold my money at all.

This is what doesn't make sense to me. eBay itself likes to boast about seller earnings. "Lookie here, you made $1,000 this month." No, I most certainly did not. My nearly drained bank account can attest to that. The vast majority of that goes to *my personal cost* towards the items initially. Then both eBay and PayPal take a portion of the "profits." Then there's seller's fees and, of course, the invoice that creeps up fast. All of this is calculated by the overall price of each item, so the fees end up being more than they should be. Whatever else I have left is nearly gutted beyond recognition by the post office.

So no, this is not a full-time job. I am lucky to make a few bucks off each item I sell. So why would PayPal think I need to report any of this? Furthermore, how at all would I even report my earnings accurately, without keeping PayPal or big brother eBay from skewing the numbers grossly and blatantly lying? I feel like this is just ridiculous. Any other person with a side gig isn't really required to mention it up to a certain point. At least as far as I know. What's the best legal action to take? Should I personally calculate every dollar spent and earned (not *earned* in eBay terminology)?

Answer:
 >So why would PayPal think I need to report any of this?

Because it's the law?

>Furthermore, how at all would I even report my earnings accurately, without keeping PayPal or big brother eBay from skewing the numbers grossly and blatantly lying?

By keeping accurate records. They are not "blatantly lying", they are reporting a revenue that you are making. You can deduct the original cost of the item and associated fees.

>Any other person with a side gig isn't really required to mention it up to a certain point.

100% completely false. You need to report ***all*** income to the IRS.

>What's the best legal action to take?
Probably consult an accountant. There is a fine line between a hobby and a business with the IRS. It's not about how much money you make, it's about wether you generate a steady stream of profit.

If eBay is asking for tax info now, it's probably you've had enough activity on your account to hit their automatic reporting system.


Title: Husband changed his name, can he be discovered by his abusive family overseas through a visa request? (x-post r/immigration)

Question:
My husband is a legal immigrant who came into the US on a fiancé visa a few years ago and became a US citizen last year. He left an emotionally abusive family behind, which is one of the reasons he changed his name as part of the citizenship process.

His family overseas doesn't know that he's a US citizen now, they think he still has legal permanent resident status, and they don't know his new name. His parents remain in loose contact over an old email account because they're not really aware of how bad their relationship is with my husband \(as is common with abusive parents\), and lately they have been talking about trying to come and visit him here in the US. They're from a country whose citizens require visas to visit the US, and my husband is concerned about what will happen if they try to apply for one.

If they apply for a visitor visa \(a B2, probably\) and put down my husband's old pre\-citizenship name as the relative they're visiting on the DS\-160 form, does anybody know what will happen? He's concerned that this process will reveal to his parents his citizenship status and/or his new name, either of which would cause a lot of problems. Ideally this would simply result in a rejected visa application, but if the consulate gives them a specific reason for the denial, like "we couldn't find this person by name", that could still be a problem.

Is anybody familiar enough with this process to be able to help here? Or does anyone have a suggestion of where else we could research this? This is causing my husband a lot of anxiety.

Answer:
 Honestly this is a specific enough case probably of how their computer systems work more than the law, you might just want to give the State dept a call and ask.Answer #2: Does he want them to visit him in the US?

Check the forms for visitors (B2 Visas) I’m not 100% sure but I think the forms to visit, they have to include his real (new) name, his address, etc.


Title: Online Flower Delivery Company Advice (USA)

Question:
***Update: I worked some overtime to make up the difference and paid the $15.  Found out today that the flowers were never delivered and contacted customer service about issue.  Was told manager would be on call later and would contact me.  Still no contact and now order is now past due.

I apologize if this is posted in the incorrect forum/format.

Thank you for your responses and assistance.

I placed an order for flowers to be delivered to my wife abroad in Japan on January 20, 2017 for a total of $30.56 with a discount code.  One week prior to delivery date of 02/14/17 (Valentine’s Day) I called in to support to follow up on my order.  I was being told that it was out of stock. I was then informed by support that an equal or better substitution will be made.

Later I received an email stating I need to pay an extra $15 to have the order processed.

The only reason this "issue was discovered" because I did my due diligence and followed up on my order one week prior to delivery.  The product in question was ordered well ahead of time on 01/20/2017 and paid in full at the time of check out.

* The product is still available for purchase on your website for the same price if $35.95 (it still says the same price; pricing has not been updated so when you add to cart and select 02/14 delivery is now $61.94).*
* The discount code is still active on the website. (it was recently changed so it can no longer be applied; I have my receipt, screen shot and printed it out for evidence)
* The "Valentine’s Day Special - Free Shipping for deliveries beyond 3 days" is still posted and active. (it is still posted on the flower deliveries website; They made changes to the so certain dates now have there is a mandatory delivery fee.)

The lead time given was more than enough to find and replace stock/supplier.
The guarantee of an on time delivery with no hidden costs is not being honored. (this is also still posted on the website)

I have been contacting support and asking both by email, chat and phone to speak with someone in a leadership role over the phone about this order issue Tuesday, 02/07/17. I have been reassured multiple times that someone from leadership would take action and contact me by phone within a certain time frame. Each time no contact by phone was ever received from someone in the leadership capacity. Majority of the interactions were initiated by myself by either calling, emailing, or chatting with your support team.

Here are a few examples of interactions with the support team from the past few days:

* Called in and was told someone would contact me within 3 hours. No contact received.

* Called in again same day after 4 hours. Was told someone would contact me in the late afternoon PST. No contact was received.
* Contacted support via chat. Was reassured that someone from leadership would contact me by phone after emailing. No contact was received.
* Called about order again was reassured again that someone from leadership would contact me by phone by end of day. No contact was received.
* Contacted customer service on 02/10/17 at 11:44PM PST about this issue. Support representative did what he could and reassured me that a supervisor/manager would contact me by phone to resolve this issue within 1 hour. There was no contact or action taken within the time given.
* I was contacted early morning by the support team on 02/11/17 at 5:38AM PST. The representative reassured me that this case would be escalated and someone from leadership would contact me within 24 hrs. There was no contact or action taken within the time given.
* I contacted support again 02/12/17 at 10:40AM PST. The representative reassured me that this case would be escalated and someone from leadership would contact me within 30 minutes. There was no contact or action taken within the time given.
* I contacted support again 02/12/17 at 12:00PM PST. The representative reassured me that this case would be escalated and someone from leadership would contact me within 15-20 minutes. There was no contact or action taken within the time given.
* I contacted support again 02/12/17 at 1:00PM PST. This time the support representative claims that he/she is a floor manager/supervisor but is saying that the order cannot be processed without paying an extra $15.

At one point the support team was ignoring contact by phone by either:

* speak with me and then intentionally disconnecting the call without consent
* speak with me and then then intentionally transfer the call to voicemail without consent
* picking up the phone and then ignoring the call
* picking up the phone and then direct transferring to voicemail without consent
* not picking up

I also had similar difficulties with Chat support and would get:

* delayed responses
* no response (eventually had to disconnect due to no response from support chat)

With all the facts presented, why is the consumer (me) being asked to shoulder the burden of making an extra payment of $15 USD for a logistics error (valentines season/stock/supplier pricing).

The company is based in the USA in Wilmington, DE 19808 and from what I can tell has been doing business since 2005 (I do not know if this matters)

Legally is the company doing anything wrong?
Is this something even worth pursuing?
I can provide the address and company site name but I do not know if I can on this forum.

TL, DR : Paid $30.56 for international flower delivery. Called in to follow up on order and an issue was discovered. Company is now asking for another $15 in order to process or they will cancel and refund. Being valentines season prices have now become inflated now =(.

Answer: It's $15 dollars. Walk away and stop wasting time on this.


Title: Is the "discrimination by seniority" a thing?

Question:
I work for this 100 fortune large company in the us for 25+ years. Being so many years in the industry, I've learned most of the positions, tasks, requirements etc., accumulated enormous experience in different fields and departments.

But i'm still a regular employee. Not the supervisor, or even a lead person.

I get paid more than everybody (out of the regular employees), but only because i've got the merit increases for all these years (30c a year).

For the past 4-5 years our company had been growing a lot, which led to more hours worked.

I work at the department number 3. (officially applied and approved for the specific position)

Now, there is always a situation when some positions, or departments are "behind". And I'm asked to go there and "help". I am willing to help, and always do, but this started to happen every single day. For the past four years.

I became the person who covers for anybody, whenever any department is behind. And there always is a position that is behind. And I ended up working 6 days a week 12 hours a day which is killing me.
Basically, I finish my work, whatever i have for the day, then the supervisor looks for the spot for me to fill in, instead of sending me home. The rest of the people in our department are going home as soon as they done with their work.

The supervisor tells me that this is temporary, and he will cross-train people. But it never happens.. for years.

My point is that it's not fair. The training takes day or two, or couple of weeks for some positions, they could train different people to different positions so we could take turns, at least. Why the hell it is always has to be me, if i'm not getting paid any extra, (About 10 years ago they had a system, when you got 45cents more to your regular pay, for every position you know, but they eliminated this rule) but just because i already know what to do?

Do you have any advice for me besides quitting this job?
*becoming a lead/supervisor is not an option because they work 12 hours a day by default

connecticut, USA

Answer:
 You aren't being illegally discriminated against.
Answer #2: Why are you willing to work 12 hour days? Learn to say no and go home like everyone else.

You will see how fast they will train people when you do that, otherwise they have this wonderful resource (you) that is a band aid that can be re-used each day.


Title: Driver rear ended us, turns our his insurance is invalid, what steps can I take for compensation?

Question:
My fiance and I were stopped at a red light, the driver behind us rear ended us. Obviously we decided to get a police report, the other driver kept trying to convince us not to file and that his bro-in-law owns an auto body shop, etc. etc. We took photos of his insurance, registration, license plate, as well as the damage to the car. The police arrived, they took down both parties' information and we were informed where to obtain the police report in a few days.

So at the end of the week we finally got the report and was able to submit a claim through insurance. Since it was obviously the other driver's fault we decided to file with their insurance company. Turns out the other driver does not have insurance coverage and the vehicle doesn't have coverage either. The policy was cancelled some time ago.

What I don't understand is when we filed the police report, wouldn't the cops have ran a check on the vehicle and driver? I'm not sure if that's how it works, but I'm really surprised that valid insurance and registration wasn't verified. The damages on the vehicle isn't major but there were two small dents and chipped paint. Any advice on going after the driver for compensation? This happened in Brooklyn, NY.

Answer:
 >Obviously we decided to get a police report, the other driver kept trying to convince us not to file and that his bro-in-law owns an auto body shop,

haha no, he was trying to hit and run.

>What I don't understand is when we filed the police report, wouldn't the cops have ran a check on the vehicle and driver?

No, they would have assumed the information presented was valid.

>Any advice on going after the driver for compensation?

Does your insurance policy have uninsured driver coverage? File a claim. Otherwise you'll have to sue. Depending on the actual cost of the damages, it may be below your deductible.


Title: I was injured in a car accident and am getting medical bills!

Question: I was stopped at a construction site in Michigan and was rear ended by someone at a high rate of speed. There was substantial damage to my car that my insurance covered, but I also sustained an injury to my wrist but I did not have health insurance. I was initially told by my car insurance that they would be covering my medical expenses, but now they are saying I have to pay the medical bills! So far these have added up to over $3,000 for ER, radiology, and a follow up at a walk in clinic. Can someone please tell me what I can do? Am I on the hook for these bills? Should my insurance be covering it? Michigan is a no fault state, but is the person who hit me responsible for the bills? HELP!

Answer: *Why* isn't your insurance covering it?


Title: I work for a rental car company. A customer's belongings were taken from his vehicle while in our garage and several things point to me being the one to have taken them.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Don't talk to the police again without an attorney present.


Title: Easement Dispute (Florida)

Question:
I bought a property a year ago in Florida. It is the only house in a five parcel minor subdivision. The other four parcels are owned by an individual who has owned them for nine years. In this time the only improvements he has made are an asphalt easement, and the utility lines for his four parcels. Multiple Real Estate professionals have speculated that he will not build on these lots because they aren't that valuable for the amount of work needed to develop them. He needed to put the easement in to make his four lots marketable. The easement is partially on my property and runs very close to the garage for the property I bought. Originally his four parcels and my parcel were one parcel with a concrete driveway going to the garage of the house that I now own. The concrete driveway was removed to make the easement. He is saying that I don't have access to the easement, and has called the cops two times to try to have my contractors trespassed when they were using the easement, but not on his property. The legal description for my parcel in the plat has the exact same language regarding the easement as his four parcels. He has never shown me anything to support his claim, and said I have received a certified letter from his attorney (which is false. I have email transcripts from the city engineer and the head of the surveying/engineering firm that originally did the work for the plat that I have access to this easement. The most recent time the cops were involved the cops called the city and the city stated that I have access to the easement. The owner of the other parcels says that he will file an injunction to make it so I cannot use the easement. Has anyone ever heard of this happening?

I plan on putting this house on the market very soon. I sent a letter to him previously saying that I would be fine paying for some of the upkeep costs of the easement. No exact figures were discussed, but he proposed that I share 1/5 of the costs to put the easement in. I think this is unreasonable. He has been very unprofessional with the situation by swearing at me on the phone. I personally don't want to give him any money for the upkeep of the easement because of this. What should I do in the event that he does file an injunction?

Edit: Here is my paint drawing of the plat http://imgur.com/1hlUDdU

Answer:
 Is he arguing you don't have access to your own property?Answer #2: I'm not terribly familiar with FL practices, but it seems fairly cut and dry.

When you purchased the property, did this easement exist on any of your recorded documents?

If it isn't mentioned in the Grant Deed, was it outlined in your Title Insurance Policy?

If it wasn't mentioned in your Grant Deed or Title Insurance Policy, what has the neighbor shown you as proof of easement?

You normally can't just plop down an easement over someone's property without their consent, so my guess is either:

1. There is a recorded easement prior to you purchasing the property. If this is the case and you were not made aware in your Title Policy, then you can file a claim and your Title Company will need to remedy.

2. You accidentally signed the easement? Not likely.

3. He's full of crap.

...

Either way, it may be worth contacting a real estate attorney and/or reviewing your subdivision map, grant deed, and title policy.Answer #3: I'm having trouble picturing this. Could you please open MS paint and draw us a diagram?Answer #4: Don't give him a dime. What a prick.

Thanks for the picture, it is easier to visualize.

Edit: Wait a second. Why does he need an easement to access his lots?


Title: (CA) We're in college and trying to sublet our apartment for the summer. Manager demands all subletters pay an additional $350 fee for the form and background checks.

Question: She has already stolen $150 from us, but as students we had to absorb the cost because one of the roommates lost their check for evidence. What can we do? Is this legal? Should I file a complain with the BBB? I've asked /r/RealEstate but got no response: http://www.reddit.com/r/RealEstate/comments/326t62/im_a_student_and_our_apartment_manager_wants_to/

Answer:
 > We're in college and trying to sublet our apartment for the summer.

Presumably the lease allows this?

> Manager demands all subletters pay an additional $350 fee for the form and background checks.

In California the application screening fee cannot legally be more than the landlord's actual out-of-pocket costs, and there's also a limit of somewhere around $45 (ah, it was [$45.16](http://www.sfaa.org/pdf/Prospective-Tenants-and-Screening-Fees.pdf) in 2013). The landlord must also give you a receipt that itemizes her out-of-pocket expenses in obtaining and processing your info.

Is there something she is requiring other than an application screening fee?

> Should I file a complain with the BBB?

It's a toothless private organization that takes money to promote businesses... basically Yelp for old people.


Title: Video chatting between adult (19) and minor (17)

Question:
Hello,

So essentially my girlfriend is 17, and I just turned 19. We met a few months ago, but have never had intercourse or anything of the sort.

As the possibility draws near, and so does video chatting as we'll be apart for three months, I was wondering on the legality of it.

I have no desire to record it as that would definitely be child pornography, but is the act of having these types of calls illegal?

I assume it'd be illegal if it were with someone younger, but we can legally have sex.

We're not in the US, and in different countries when the chatting will take place. I'll be in either Spain or the US (Massachusetts), still unsure about the scholarship, and she'll be in my hometown in Chile.

Can we legally have these communications? Is it considered child pornography? I assume there's no specific law in regards to this, so is generally speaking video chatting included in child pornography laws if it's not saved?

Trying to protect myself in case things go wrong in the future and anyone uses this to get back at me, be it her or her parents or anyone who learns about it.

Thanks!

Answer: It doesn't have to be saved to be considered child porn. Don't have sexual video chats with a minor. Answer #2: Oh for all that is holy do not let your 17 year old girlfriend get naked in front of a camera, and do not get naked in front of a camera and send it to your 17 year old girl friend.  The potential for some serious problems here is so very high.


Title: Just informed that my husband is dead - we have been separated for 5 yrs.

Question:
His family have no money. They contacted me because legally I am next of kin. He was living alone in another state in an apartment with his cats. No income. No assets. I will not go into the gorey details of his passing the but his body is now at the county morgue and I am being asked about what to do with him since his family have no money. I scrsmblef together a gofundme to start raising money for final arrangements. I just paid $1100 for a simple cremation and am having his cremains sent to me to give to his mother. It is all I could afford but I did not want him to be unclaimed. My question is legally what else do I need to do as his widow? I am in another state, he may have some IRS debt, has nothing of any cash value, we have not seen each other in 5 years. I did what I thought I should do morally but now what are my legal obligations?

Edit: he died in Pennsylvania, I live in Florida

Answer:
 You don't need to legally do anything, you could've refused to claim the body and the county will give him a pauper's grave (some counties use cremation as it's much cheaper).

Answer #2: My husband died while we were separated.  But I still had a minor child at home.  I pend a probate case myself but only because of the child.  The only asset he had at the time of his death was our home.

I would call the probate court in the county he lived in and ask them.  See what they say.    If they won't tell you anything call an estate lawyer in that area and ask.

I would think there is nothing else you need to do.Answer #3: Of you were married long enough, you might qualify for his social security benefits when you are in your 60's. It is worth it to look into in the future.Answer #4: I'm not a lawyer.

Based on the other responses here, it seems like you don't have any legal obligation to do anything else. Just to be safe, though, I would get a few copies of his death certificate. If any agency or company shows up looking for him, you should be able to fend them off quickly by showing them he's passed away.

I'm sorry for your loss. Answer #5: I'm sorry for your loss. You did a kind thing by arranging for his cremation.

If the IRS comes after you for his debts, heaven forbid, you can likely file for Innocent Spouse Relief. But no need to worry about that now.Answer #6: Don't suppose anyone's checked to make sure the poor kitties are being given good homes?

Not that you're legally obligated to, obviously, just might be nice.Answer #7: Depends on your location. Maybe literally nothing.


Title: Will a baby my separated wife conceived have my last name unless divorced?

Question: I live in Georgia, we have been separated for almost 5 years now with little to no money to spend on a divorce...our two children are involved. She will be having a baby with another man soon and I'm wondering if law requires it to have my last name.

Answer:
 > She will be having a baby with another man soon and I'm wondering if law requires it to have my last name.

There is no law requiring a child to have your last name, at all - even if you were married and living together.

If you're asking about paternity, the baby is considered yours until she either names another person as the father(on the birth certificate) or you challenge paternity.


Title: Falsely accused of groping a mental patient.

Question:
Hi! So I work at a large facility that routinely handles troubled individuals. A person asked that I assist them and show them where something is. The place they requested I take them to is a 5 or so minute walk within the facility. During the walk we had some regular generic small talk and once we arrived I left her and returned to my office. After my shift I received a call from my supervisor informing me that the woman is claiming I intimidated her with a weapon(we don't carry weapons), and forced her to expose herself and groped her. She claimed this happened in an area that didn't have cameras. Before and after where there are cameras, I am just shown walking in front of her several feet and generally everything just looks normal and she definitely does not look like she was recently intimidated or assaulted, like it always does when showing someone where something is. I have been placed on administrative leave, and the police contacted me two days later at my house. Against the advice of a lawyer I spoke to them and told them what happened. I did not incriminate myself because I hadn't committed a crime. They informed me a detective would be contacting me. My lawyer told me that since it's impossible for them to have evidence, I just shouldn't speak to police anymore, including the detective unless they issue a warrant or subpoena, and even if they do that, still don't speak to them without an attorney present.

This is a new experience for me and I have been very upset. Does anyone know typically how these things go and if I should just ignore police?

Answer:
 1.  Stop talking to police.  Don’t speak to them anymore without your lawyer present.  Police don’t care if you were innocent of what she accused you of or not.  If they want to nail you to the wall, regardless of facts, they will do so.  You should have taken the lawyers advice the first time.

2.  Unless you have a contract or are in a union.  Your employer can fire you as a result of this, even if you did nothing wrong.  If you don’t hear from them after their supposed “investigation” then file for unemployment (appeal if denied) and look for a new job.


Title: [Florida] My Girlfriend and her mother were harshly charged with an MIP (minor in possession) and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, respectfully.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 They need to hire attorneys. But your girlfriend *was* a minor in possession even if she *does* turn 21 in 4 months. I wouldn't hold my breath on getting these charges dropped. Answer #2: > Is there anything we can do to get both criminal charges dropped for my girlfriend and her mother?

You can hire a criminal defense lawyer, but don't expect miracles. Both charges sound valid. Answer #3: > Her brother, who is in the military, brought a case of beer in

If he goes to court and testifies that he committed the crime, instead of his mother, he can be charged. He could also face punishment from the military under UCMJ. So keep that in mind, too.

4 months OP, wait 4 months.


Title: [NJ] I am a minor and I think my parents are going to get a divorce. Is there anthing I can do to make sure I am able to live with both of them?

Question:
Title pretty much sums it up. I suspect my mom will try to use her money to force my dad into giving me up and giving her full custody, but I want to stay with both of them.

Any help would be appreciated
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: If you are old enough, you will have a say but your request will be one of many considerations. There's nothing you can do that will guarantee one outcome over another.


Title: Handicapped father living across from a school.

Question: My dad is handicapped but is able to drive. There is a school across the street from where he lives. Almost every single day, there are plenty of spots in the school parking lot but people continue to park in front of his house making it extremely difficult for him to get home. Is there anything we can do? I've called the school but they can't do anything but send out a PSA over the school's email network. Is there some way I can get the city to mark a handicapped spot for him in front of his house. Or to make our side of the street for residential parking only? He lives in Lancaster, Ohio, 43130.

Answer:
 [Here's the relevant city ordinance](http://whdrane.conwaygreene.com/NXT/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=whdrane:OHLancaster)

It looks like they have an application process for getting a handicapped space designated in front of a residence. I'd contact the city for more information.Answer #2: Yes there's a way, but the answer is probably political rather than legal.  In other words, your father should make a request of the city that they make a handicapped spot in front of his house, since he's handicapped and really needs a space close to his house.

You should only be thinking lawyers if the city turns down his request, so at least start there.Answer #3: Why don't you give the Ohio Civil Rights Commission a ring?  They're the ones who do the on-street handicapped spots, and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to speak to you.


Title: Someone put my dad's car on sold on the internet when my dad sold it to destroy it (switzerland)

Question:
Someone put my father's car on sale on the internet when he sold it for scrap, bought the car for 500chf and now resells it for 2900chf on the internet.

&#x200B;

What can we do ? Sorry for my broken english and no i don't speak german

Answer: Who cares?   You sold it.Answer #2: You sold it, so it’s not yours anymore. They basically flipped it for a higher price. Nothing you can do about it.


Title: Hit a Pedestrian Yesterday and Forgot to File a Polica Report (MD)

Question: I need some help. So yesterday, while I was driving to work, about to leave my neighborhood, a kid was running in front of me in the middle of the street trying to cross. I slammed on the brakes but I hit him. I immediately got out of the car and checked up on him. He told me he was ok and that "he just tripped". I'm sure he was just being apologetic. Also, my car has a 4in crack on the right side of the front bummer and the liner on top the top right wheel came loose, needing replacement. As I checked to make sure he wasn't seriously hurt, I forgot to call the police, the kid's parents, or my insurance company. I'm shaken and worried about that screw up. What should I do?

Answer:
 So you hit him hard enough to damage your car?

This makes no sense.

You need to call a traffic attorney-in some places you could be charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving injury to a pedestrian-that is a serious charge.Answer #2: > As I checked to make sure he wasn't seriously hurt, I forgot to call the police, the kid's parents, or my insurance company.

So what *did* you do at that point?

What did the kid do?

What time did this happen?

How old was the kid?

What was he wearing?Answer #3: /u/locationbot recall


Title: [SC] I got a parking ticket but the guy didn't clearly write out my license plate on the ticket

Question:
I had heard that in certain instances this makes the ticket invalid. Any truth to that?
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: Not true. Clerical errors don't invalidate tickets


Title: {FL} I signed my large check into my stepfather's bank account for it to be cashed that day and handed back to me... but my mother and him stole it. What can I do?

Question:
A few weeks ago I received a decent sized check for a little over $7,000. I currently only have one of those bank accounts minimum wage jobs set up for you which only allow withdraws or deposits made by that company so I allowed my step dad to put it into his bank account. It was a Saturday so he put it in threw the ATM and we had to wait until Monday for it to go through. The understanding was on Monday, I'd leave the $2,000 I promised my Mother in his account and the rest would be withdrawn so I could set up my own bank account. When Monday came around I was in the process of renting a car to make a long drive for thanksgiving, I asked my mother for the money I needed for the car, with hesitation she needed up giving it to me. While we were there we had no access to the money, only our paychecks (which wasn't a big deal). But once we were home and I attempted to bring up getting the money withdraw it was swept under the rug and I was given lame excuses as to why we couldn't right now.
And that's basically how it's been since, my Mother convinced me she was holding onto the money so I don't blow it on stupid things. I protested as I'm a 23 year old who owns their own home and has been taking care of myself since I was 17, I know how to budget money. But I held onto that fact that my Mother must know best and I should trust her. Turns out I definitely should not have since my Mother texted me last night saying there is only $77.00 left in my step dad's bank account and she'll talk to me about it later. I haven't gotten a chance to speak to her but quite frankly I'm freaking out. I don't think there's anything I can do since I signed the check. I just need some advice.

Answer:
 >I'm a 23 year old who owns their own home

How can you own a home and not have a simple checking or savings account?

You could have opened up your own account, and deposited the $7,000 check into it, and then transferred money to your parents or written them a check or whatever.

If your parents don't give you the money that you believe they owe you, then you would have to sue them and explain to the court what happened...Answer #2: Take them to small claims.


Title: Court Mandated Reporter Failed to Report

Question:
I used to be a student at BYUI. I dropped out a few days ago. 2 years ago I disclosed to a court mandated reporter (the director of student well being at the time. I'll refer to him as WH) that I was suicidal and planned to take my own life. WH tried to find me a school therapist for about 5 minutes but failed, gave me a lecture about overwehlming people with my problems, and let me leave. I attempted suicide maybe a few days later.

While I was in the hospital, my bishop (a religious leader) told WH what happened. WH could not get ahold of me by phone (duh. I was in a psych ward), so he called my already distressed parents to discuss me and so they could pass on the message that he planned to open an investigation into my conduct to determine if I had been a distraction to my friends.

When I was released from the hospital, I was threatened with expulsion multiple times despite there being no evidence that I had distracted anyone from their schoolwork. WH contacted my bishop without my knowledge or consent and my bishop gave me a lecture about being selfish and threatened to have me expelled if I told anyone besides him or a counselor about my suicidal thoughts.

Some time has passed and I've been home for about a year, unable to go back due to anxiety. Religious leaders in my new area have called the school to complain about what happened and I've spoken with some people at the school as well, but despite all of this, WH was promoted to Dean of Students. I've been in contact with the board of liscencing and I will be submitting a formal complaint about WH not acting when I disclosed that I was suicidal and talking about my confidential information without my consent.  I guess I'd like to know if you think anything will come of this? If I were to take legal action, would anything stick? I was the only witness to me telling WH I planned to kill myself. It's not just the fact that he didn't act, the way I was treated after I was released from the hospital was very very disturbing to me. It almost sent me over the edge. Is there any way to protect other vulnerable people from having this same thing happen to them? The school is controlled by the church, but no one from the school or church seems to care.

Answer: Unfortunately as you were attending a religious private school they are not subject to change the same expectations as public educational institutions. Check out r/exmormon for support.


Title: I got arrested for prostitution today. I just started and this is my first time ever in trouble with the law... how bad is it? [Colorado]

Question:
I was the prostitute.  Never going to do it again, but I just wanted to test the waters to see what it was about.

I go to court in August.  They didn't make me go to jail tonight but they did take my phone and other belongings as evidence.  I don't do drugs so drugs were not involved.

What are the chances that this could possibly completely disappear?  What's the most likely end scenario?  Is it going to show up on background checks at job interviews?  How likely is it that my parents will ever find out (I live with them)?

Any additional info you guys could give me would be great.  I'm very ashamed and I don't need the "be careful, you can get hurt" speech as I never plan on doing anything like this again.

Answer:
 >What are the chances that this could possibly completely disappear?

If anyone has to guess? 0%

> What's the most likely end scenario?

You need to get a lawyer and go to court and deal with this

>Is it going to show up on background checks at job interviews?

It will show up. It will definitely show up up until there is a final disposition. How it shows up later? It's anyone's guess.

>How likely is it that my parents will ever find out (I live with them)?

You are about to get a lot of mail from a bunch of lawyers who are going to be offering their services. Your parents are probably going to find out.

>I don't need the "be careful, you can get hurt" speech

You need to know - you need to get a lawyer. I'm not worried about you getting hurt. You already have obviously heard that speech... you need a criminal defense attorney. NOW.Answer #2: I'm sorry that you're going through this.

It appears that the Colorado legislature authorized a first offenders' program for prostitution.

http://tornado.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/olls/sl2011a/sl_257.htm

You'll probably have to work that out with your prosecutor.

I hope you'll be able to do this since it will be removed from your record if you can.

Good luck.


Title: Il usa guy shined a laser pointer at me

Question: This guy at my work shined a laser pointer at me and he has for quite some time been acting peculiar. He always has a weird grin and wandering around where he does not belong. I barely interact with him but it seems he likes to test boundaries and acts like he has done nothing wrong.I want to know when I talk to my supervisor about this harrassement and escalation what i should i say because this is going to be his word against mine and whether I should talk to the police.

Answer: Jesus Christ. Are you seriously asking for legal advice on someone being annoying??


Title: Car taken from "quick loans" company because dad took out loan and never paid. My items and belongings were in the car. I don't know what to do.

Question:
Houston, TX.

Hey all,

I transferred my car to my dad's name (no reason) several months ago. Between him and I, it would be my car but he was going to be on the title.

One month ago, the car was taken from my driveway and I had no idea who did it. I asked my dad what happened and he said he had to take the car to give to my step mother because her car broke down apparently.

Turned out he lied.

Recently, I received a letter directed to him, but I decided to open it. It was from a "quick loans" company. During the first month of transferring the title to him, he had actually given the title and key to a "quick loans" company in return for $3000 loan. He never paid it back. The letter stated the vehicle was sold for $6000 at the car auction.

Yep, you can bet what my reaction was. Now my father is out-of-state, still making up the step-mom-needs-car story and doing nothing with his life.

I don't know what to do right now. I lost my laptop, camera, glasses, iPod, healthcare equipment, military uniforms, and military documents. What do I do and how can I get those back? Do I write a letter to the company about my stuff or something? Should I contact the military legal advice line? And what do I do about dad, er...how do I approach my dad on this? I'm speechless...

tl;dr: Car taken from "quick loans" company because dad took out loan and never paid. My items and belongings are gone. I don't know what to do.

Edit: I may have left out some important specifics. I had orders for training which was why I took so long to inquire about my stuff. I just thought my step mother had it all, but that wasn't the case.

These past few weeks have been chaotic. I had to replace my items for deployment on a whim. And I received flack from my superiors for not having my docs despite explaining :/
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 Why did you title the car in another person's name if it is your car?Answer #2: One question- why in the world did you not inquire as to the location of your laptop and other items for a month!?

Is there any particular reason you didn't house that in your home? I'm just curious.

I sincerely hope you can contact the company regarding the items were in the car, but they may be long gone. Could you possibly report these items as stolen to the police? The issue is that the clock is ticking...Answer #3: Whatever the "no reason" is that you transferred the title into your deadbeat dad's name, is going to be the reason you have no recourse, I guarantee you.

Next time, don't sign your shit away to people for "no reason". Answer #4: >Do I write a letter to the company about my stuff or something? Should I contact the military legal advice line?

These are both excellent ideas.  I'd suggest calling the company about your stuff first, because (a) it's faster and (b) your situation has a wrinkle to it (in that you are not the owner of the vehicle) that may be easier to resolve with a conversation.  If the call fails, take advantage of your local legal assistance office.  They can provide actual legal advice and probably write that letter for you.


Title: Someone is threatening me

Question:
Ok so as happens a lot on this sub, this is an alt.

I was on whisper and some random guy messaged me asking for nudes of me, so to get him to fuck off I told him I was 16, which isn’t true, but I wanted him to leave me alone. But he still insisted. At that point I was disgusted but curious to see how this obvious pedo would go.

He asked for nudes repeatedly and eventually said he was dying to meet up with me for sex. To kinda fuck with him, I told him I would meet up with him if he sent me 50 bucks thru cashapp. He did tonight and drove to a location I told him to. At this point we had exchanged numbers, (he had a fake online one of mine) and he was heated when I never showed up. He goes on about how his dad is on law enforcement and how I’m gonna be screwed. I realize I shouldn’t have taken his money but should have gotten the cops involved.

My only doubts though are during our chats, he would repeatedly ask if i myself was a cop, and that he was “taking a big risk to see me.” I figured if he really had a cop on his side it wouldn’t matter, and secondly, what would he have told his dad? Hey dad I was tryna meet this 16 year old for sex and she scammed me!”

This whole situation is weird. I know I did something wrong by scamming him but am I fucked?
Topic:
Douche

Answer: He pretty much tried to have sex with a minor and attempted prostitution


Title: Does putting a squat CAPTCHA in front of a DMCA landing page violate the act?

Question:
[https://www.producthunt.com/posts/squat-captcha](This) is the site being referenced and the creator of the program said that it was created for the explicit purpose of putting this in front of any DMCA landing pages.

P.S. since some people on here don’t seem to understand what this sub is for, this is -NOT- a legal situation I’m putting myself in. I’m just curious about any potential consequences associated with implementing this into software

Answer: To have DMCA safe harbor protections a service hosting user generated content needs to accept DMCA takedowns and remove the infringing content. There is no requirement to have a website or landing page. Accepting takedown notices over email, or snail mail, or fax would generally be enough to be protected.Answer #2: Using this CAPTCHA would violate the ADA, if it is the only CAPTCHA option, and your business is subject to the ADA rules. DMCA has nothing to do with this. Websites don't even need a DMCA submission page at all. They only need to respond when issued a DMCA notice, which could be sent by mail instead.


Title: My girlfriend is being sued by her apartment complex for not paying rent, but there a was mold problem that they informed the complex about. (Virginia)

Question: Sorry, I am going to try and explain this the best I can. So around the mid-point of march there was a big thunderstorm and part of the roof in my gf's roommate's room collapsed and was leaking. Nobody answered the emergency hotline all night, so they went into the office the next day to tell them. About a week later someone came into the apartment and "fixed" the ceiling. However, all they did was put up some sort of paste, the roommate called it "mud" if that means anything. All that did was cover it up, the ceiling was still sagging in and they were worried that there was mold. People from the apartment came in and said there was no mold, so my gf and her roommate went to codes and compliance, I think that's the name, and asked them to come out. The two people that came out confirmed there was mold, and went to arrange with the apartment to come back the next day to put in new material and clean up the area. The apartment told them no, so for the past 3 weeks there has only been a wooden board over the hole they put in the ceiling. Now here is the problem, the apartment complex is suing my gf and her roommate and trying to evict them on the grounds that they did not pay rent. The issue is that they did not pay rent, but they have been talking to the manager of the apartments and she said that she was talking to her superiors about allowing them to skip it for the month of April, so they decided to wait and hear what she said. The big question is whether or not they have any grounds that would result in the case being dropped?

Answer: Tenants are almost never permitted to unilaterally withhold rent for habitability issues without following proper procedures under state law.  They owe the rent, and should pay it or they will clearly be evicted.  Any issues with habitability of the unit is separate.


Title: My parents agreed to pay for college, then “gifted” themselves the trust my aunt left for me, and used it to cover their debt.

Question:
The title basically says it all. I (23M) just recently found out my aunt left me over 10k before she died an untimely death. My parents agreed to pay for college themselves, and used this as encouragement because I was not to interested in going. I’ve struggled terribly with mental health, and did not have any confidence that I would see it all the way through. I didn’t, and I think this is part of there reasoning behind taking my money.

My siblings went to a private high school that costs 75k a year per person, and they payed for it all. They’re also helping pay for part of their college tuition, but not all because of the cost of high school. My entire college deficit amounted to about 25k, and high school was free. So I’m quite frustrated that they would take the money my aunt left for me behind my back, when they said they would cover the costs themselves.

My parents claim to be in debt, but they take multiple vacations a year. I’m still living at home and have been trying to leave for years, this money could be the final push that gets me out. How do I go about getting this money back? And if they claim that the will allowed for that money to be used towards college, would they have been required to notify me as I am a legal adult? Is there any way for me to see the will myself?

I’m located in the state of New Hampshire, my aunt died in Wisconsin

Answer:
 >My parents claim to be in debt, but they take multiple vacations a year.

I'm not sure you understand what debt is. They're likely using debt to pay for those things. Those things are part of WHY they are in debt.

Your parents are grossly irrsposible with money and live beyond their means.

Head to /r/personalfinance to prevent the same fate for yourself.Answer #2: Did your aunt actually set up a trust for you?Answer #3: You’ll need to see what the will actually says. Sibling schooling isn’t relevant.

Since you’re not getting answers from your parents you can get a lawyer to find out what it says and then sue your parents for the 10k.


Title: My neighbors are stealing our address

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Call the postal inspectorAnswer #2: Return to sender every piece of mail you receive from them. Call the police if you suspect they are stealing from you. Call the police if you see them doing something shady. That's really about it. Answer #3: Call the postal inspector.  Call CPS about the infant being in a house with no water.  Install a locking mailbox or get a PO box and have all your mail forwarded there.   If you're worried about water or electricity theft you can get locks for them too from the hardware store.Answer #4: I'm confused here.

Let's work through this.
Your address is 218, and their address is 215. They're signing up for things using your address?

Call the post office and ask that anything not sent to "YourLastname" or "LastNameOfAnybodyElseThatLivesAtYourAddress" be returned to sender.
If things still get through, write "Not at this address, Return to sender on them" and put them in an outgoing mail slot at the local post office


Title: Not sure what "residing in a household" actually means.

Question:
Asking for a family friend. In Minnesota.

He received a modification to his probation which says "The court modifies Defendant's probationary conditions to prohibit Defendant from residing in a household with a minor female."

My questions are, what is the legal definition of a household (is it just a different address, or is it something else?) and does residing just mean sleeping there or does it mean something like spending a certain amount of time there?

I (and he) is wanting to know as to not get into any further trouble. For example, it doesn't mention that he has to move out of his home to a different location a certain distance away. Would moving into a house next door (which does not have any minor females) fit the legal requirement?

He currently does not have a lawyer but he's looking for one. I just thought I'd ask you wonderful people in case anyone knows.

Thanks (again).

Answer: Yes, it means he cannot live in a home with minor females. That’s the definition of a household. He can’t share the same address in a home where one lives.


Title: WA - Facing eviction because landlord found out I have children living with me...illegal?

Question:
I rent a studio apartment in Washington State. In King County. I signed a year-long lease in July.

My property management company just found out that I have two children and they are threatening to evict me because of it. I don't know who reported my kids or why. They said I can’t have 2 kids here, but they never asked if I had kids.

They gave me three options and told me I have a week to tell them what I pick. They said they would allow me to move into a larger (expensive) unit in the same building and pay the difference in deposits. Or I could get a subtleter. If I don’t do one of those they said they would start the eviction process.

Isn’t this discrimination? I looked at the Fair Housing act and it says you can’t evict or refuse to rent to people if they are pregnant or have kids. Is this legal? Do I need a lawyer?

To be clear - I live in a studio (0 bedroom) apartment in a building that has 20 or so units. It is not a private landlord, it is a large property management company. My unit is 375 square feet, I (adult) live there with my children (aged 3 and 4).

Answer: Apt Mgr here: in TX, I could evict you for violation of the lease.  1st, others are living there that are not on the lease.  We don't not allow more than 2 people to live in a studio (any one over the age of 1 is a person).  It is not discrimination because they can limit the number of persons in a unit.  If they where not allowing any children to live at the apartments, then it would be.


Title: California & barking dogs

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If you're in Fresno, [here's the relevant law.](http://www.fresno.gov/Government/DepartmentDirectory/Police/SelfHelpResources/NeighborhoodProblems/BarkingDogs.htm) Your neighbors are in violation of the law and you need to push back at the police station to get them to enforce the law.


Title: Subject: tourism steam train causing physical and mental health problems. Location: Llangollen, Wales.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Presumably this train has been operating longer than you've lived there, and presumably they have whatever permits are required to operate. It will be all but impossible to force them to close down, but you can contact a solicitor that deals with environmental issues to look into it.

If it's anything like similar issues in the US, it will be *insanely* expensive to even try.

Your best bet is political: organize people in your town to force the government to either change or enforce the laws.


Title: [CO] Suicide and Last Will and Testament

Question:
I'll keep it brief.  I'm a huge suicide risk and there's a greater than %50 chance I'll kill myself in the next few months.  I've heard rumors of wills being thrown out on account of killing oneself. How true is this?  How can I prepare against it?  My father is a POS and I don't want him to get a fucking penny so that's my biggest concern.  Given his legal history he will abso-fuckin-loutly sue to get my will thrown out if I explicitly exclude him which I totally plan to do.

No I haven't had a chance to talk to a lawyer.  I'm pretty broke.  On that note, I know rocketlawyer and other template sites get a bad rap.  As far as getting a will written, is my only correct choice to talk to/pay a lawyer?  Are there any reliable choices for a DIY template?

</question>

<footnotes>

I expect people to leave well meaning comments of the "do not kill yourself" variety, so let me head this off by saying the following:

* Got therapy with F-awesome therapist who I have great respect for.  No notable results, and labeled treatment resistant.
* Have taken 8 different round of meds with little notable improvement.  The last round one of the side effects actually crippled part of me.  Srsly.  I'm done, never again.
* I'm a participant of /r/SuicideWatch
* I've changed my environment multiple times to no effect.
* I lift (or, I did) and it had no noticeable effect
* I quit drinking/fapping and again no noticeable effect

All that said, if you still want to offer me donotkillself comments I'm all ears.  And TIA for your compassion.

Edit:  Okay, so I kinda fucked myself in explaining the whole "not enough money to hire a lawyer" and "don't want fuckhead father to get any of my money" thing.  In retrospect it's obviously conflicting.  So to come clean, I can afford a lawyer.  Yup, I lied.  Why?  No idea.  I'm fucked up maybe?  (guess that's a given)  Maybe being pretty drunk has something to do with it.  Or some kind of psychological block.  It's common advice that "you're going to kill yourself anyway, may as well burn through your cash having fun first" but that never set well with me.  I guess it's that feeling of being fiscally irresponsible that bugs the shit out of me enough to prevent me from having any fun.   Anyway, best explanation I can think of.  Clearly I'm certifiable.

Answer:
 On the introduction I would say don't do it as well as how long were you taking the meds b/c some actually take several months?

But on to the nitty-gritty, I would say that if you make a will, and I'm going off of common sense not some sort of legal background, at the time it's made I think you have to be of sound mind, sound body and not under duress or any involuntary compulsion. Meaning you probably gonna have to get your head on straight before you make a new will.


Title: I think my boss is doing something illegal...

Question:
I was referred over here from r/Advice and this does seem like a better spot for it.

I have been at my job for awhile now and my boss has now asked me to do something that I am pretty sure is illegal.

A little back story. He is a financial advisor who now has his own firm. He used to work for a big well known firm about 10 years ago before he left (he says left but they tried to sue him so I have no idea what really happened). Anyways, he comes in today and hands me this huge stack of papers. It is tons of names, addresses, social security numbers, salaries, etc for people. He wants me to put them in a spreadsheet so he can add them to a marketing campaign.

Alright, no big deal, until I notice how old this paper is and the print dates range from 2000 to 2008....you know while he was employed at that big firm. I look a little further and it is their investment information under a different advisor at this firm that was printed straight from their early 2000s client management system.

My question is is this illegal? Can I do anything about it? These people did not consent to having him steal their information from his old employer 15+ years ago to now be put on a marketing list in 2019. I feel really slimy about it all but I have bills so I can't just be like "No, you suck - I quit". Advice Please!

Answer:
 What you're describing might be cause for the boss's old employer to take legal action against him.

If you wan't anything to come of this, you'll have to drop a dime on your boss to his old employer, and then they'll do something about it. It's not exactly something you'd call the cops over.

&#x200B;

Be aware, that if Big Bank comes after your boss and nails him to the wall, your boss's company and your job might just go "poof" into thin air.Answer #2: This is most likely a regulatory violation of FINRA/SEC rules in addition to being civilly actionable by the prior firm.  Misappropriating the info and storing it improperly is without the proper safeguards may be separate violations.  This type of thing goes on in the financial sector all the time though. I do not believe it is criminal based on the facts given.  If you are a registered person, you should consider resigning and/or reporting this. If you are not a registered person you have significantly less exposure here and don’t have a duty to report regulatory violations.


Title: Huge problem with people renting the flat below us in a shared house, they called the police, police are forcefully trying to get into our flat, do not identify themselves.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 1. location

2. Police get called to domestic disturbances all the time. If the people below you called a possible DV in, the police will show up to investigate. Knocking on your door is not forcing themselves in.

Call the police if your assaulted. Being 'shoved into an oven' in a shared area of a house can be domestic violence.

3. figure out a way to find a new place to live. I would not expect their behavior to stop. It seems to have been escalating.


Title: Is it legal to create a facebook group titled "company's name" followed by "Buyer's Remorse Club"?

Question: I live in Oklahoma and have bought a brand new home that's basically a lemon.  There are a lot of complaints with this company now (wasn't when I purchased the home).  Can I get in any legal trouble for creating a Facebook Group such as what is mentioned in the subject title?

Answer: Gripe sites are generally legal, and the use of the business's name is generally considered to be a nominative fair use of the trademark.  The business may not like being the focus of criticism, but so long as nobody is posting anything defamatory, there's not much it can do about it.


Title: [OR] Landlord gave two months notice lease would not be renewed. If we move now are we still obligated by the lease (until it expires)?

Question: Our landlord sent us a registered letter that our lease would not be renewed at the end of November. If we can move out by the end of September are we still obligated to pay rent for November? IE, has the landlord negated the lease by notifying us of non-renewal?

Answer: No it doesn't get you out of your last month. Why would it?  You can ask, but he has no obligation besides giving you the notice that he did. You still have the right to use the apartment for the time specified in your original lease; you just now know you won't be permitted to stay for the period after that point.


Title: What makes an organization or individual the "press" in the sense that they are protected by the 1st amendment in the US?

Answer: Everyone is protected by the first amendment. The "press" just means published information. Everything we write on Reddit is the use of the press.


Title: US/NY My mom is being defrauded by bitcoin scammers

Question: So I introduced my mom to crypto right before the price explosion in December 2017 and we have been pretty into it together ever since, but today I learned she is being scammed by someone on Instagram through WhatsApp. This person told her they would pay off her $10,000 credit card debt and in return she would buy gift cards that they would then use to trade crypto and earn her more money. She sent them pictures of her credit card and according to her they have somehow actually paid off her credit card debt. She bought $1500 in Amazon gift cards yesterday, and I am unsure if she sent them the codes yet. The website she said they linked to is obviously a scam site but either way she's put $1500 on her credit card. I convinced her to stop buying gift cards for them because that was almost certainly money laundering. She keeps telling me that they don't have any way to get their $10,000 back now that they've paid off her card, but I seriously doubt that. I am not 100% certain how they're going to get their money back but I've told her to think about just cancelling the card and transferring the $1500 in debt to another card. What legal options do we have to get out of this situation? Are we able to legally cancel the card and return the gift cards, or is that a stupid idea?

Answer: The check they used to make the payment will turn out to be fake. The debt will be reinstated. If she hasn’t given them the codes yet, she is no worse off then she started other than having a bunch of gift cards instead of cash.  It is unlikely she will be able to return them.Answer #2: This is a variation of the check advance scam. The payment to her credit card was fraudulent and will end up being reversed. Meanwhile she has sent money to the scammer in a way that cannot be reversed (gift cards). She will end up being over the original $10k on the credit card plus the new charges and the scamer will disappear.Answer #3: In addition to the advice about this being a scam, she needs to contact her credit card company and tell them the account has been compromised.


Title: [MA] Job Won't Accept Two Week Notice If Moving Internally - Demands Two - Three Month Notice

Question:
I work at a private higher education institution. My department is known to be the pretty screwed up on one campus - when one interviews for internal positions, they're usually impressed by the fact that anyone has worked with them for as long as they have. I've been interviewing for jobs and I'm close to getting a new position on campus.

My managers have had a way of strongarming people to stay longer when they try to give a two week notice when moving to an internal position. When I say staying longer, I mean up to two or three months longer. This has also become messy enough sometimes that the other department that was expecting the new employee to come over sooner goes "What gives?" And my department cuts a deal where the employee is able to work both jobs at once for a few weeks. My managers have also threatened employees who ask to leave sooner saying things along the lines of "If you're still working \[at this company\], our opinions about you will follow you wherever you go, so you better stay for as long as we need."

I'm not willing to do any of that. I have no loyalty to my managers and I have references set with the right people in the right places at this place, and I'd never ask for recommendations from my managers. I've also made it clear to my managers I am job searching (they've known for a while), so they have no reason to need me to stay longer once I give them my two weeks. If I got the job, I plan on sending them an official resignation email with a resignation date with no discussion about it.

My question is: what's the legal noodles in all this? I know I'm an at-will employee: I can be fired but also quit at any time. But does that change with internal positions? If I do end up having a conversation with my managers about giving my two week notice, can I say I'm an at-will employee and I can leave my position at any time, even if that means moving into a new position in another department? Or should I ask them to show me the written policy on this?

Answer:
 They can't force you to stay, but if they know you're transferring internally, you can't stop them from trying to negotiate gradual transition with your new department.  Academia is a small world, and departments within the same university in particular have every incentive to work together and not make each others' lives more difficult.

If your boss reaches out to your new boss and says "Hey, can we do a gradual transition over the next two months", and your new boss agrees, then you're kind of stuck.

So at the end of the day, don't shit where you sleep.  You don't have to tell your current boss where you're going, but if they find out and manage to negotiate something with the new department, fighting it is liable to do more harm than good.


Title: Dated a few times and now he won’t stop contacting me - how to get him to stop? (Virginia)

Question:
Dated a guy a few times, he got pushy and so I kicked him out of my house and told him not to contact me again. Since then he’s been trying to contact me in every form possible - I block him on my phone? He texts/calls from another number. The guy I’m dating at the time picks up the phone next time he calls, tells him never to contact me again. Some time later, I get more messages from him from various social media forums no matter how I try to block him. His messages are never threatening but hundreds of contact attempts despite being told stop contacting me are stressing me out. This guy has no sense of respecting boundaries and that’s scary. I even told him: you are stalking me and that’s a crime. Didn’t have any effect. What can I do? VA law seems to indicate the attempts at contact need to be threatening in nature, which his are not. He has simply decided that we’re going to get married and have children and I guess my desire to never hear from him again doesn’t seem like an obstacle. Help? What are my legal options to make him stop? Thank you!
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Talk to the police. A phone call from them may encourage him to leave you alone.


Title: Just got arrested [20F] what am I looking at? What do I do next??

Question:
I'm a 20 year old female from SAV GA.
Long story short my friend was driving and almost killed a pedestrian as she was walking out in the middle of the road on. I was looking at my phone as we swerved and of course didn't notice the officer pulling us over until he was at the window.  Note: we were 110% at fault for the traffic stop (The cop was completely just doing his job) • I got charged with possession of marijuana less than 1oz.

Booked/ and then released on subpoena.
For a court date in August.

The officer said he'd talk to the judge because I cooperated so well.

I've never been arrested or in any trouble as an adult, (first time I've ever been put into the system) I've got charges on my juvenile record but they are irrelevant and dismissed years ago.(never expunged though)

My family is extremely supportive however poor so there's no buying my way out on this.

TLDR: Picked up for possession of marijuana less than oz.

What am I realistically looking at here? What are the possible scenarios?
What happens the first court date exactly?
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 >What am I realistically looking at here?

The worst case is a fine of up to $1,000 and imprisonment of up to 1 year.  The best case is a conditional discharge or diversion that may avoid conviction.

It is strongly in your interest to avoid conviction.  If you are in fact extremely poor, you may see if you qualify for a public defender.


Title: How does one get a really good divorce lawyer?

Question:
I keep reading this but I don't know what to look for, questions to ask? What are some good telltale signs?

I'm in Minnesota

Answer:
 Word of mouth and bar referrals. You also need to have your attitude align with your divorce attorney. I deal with divorces but my practice philosophy is that I'm going to advocate for reasonable things during the divorce process and am going to be honest with you if I think you're being unreasonable. If you want a bulldog lawyer who will do whatever you say no matter how ridiculous, you're going to want to go somewhere else.

Telltale signs would be how long the attorney has been practicing, how many divorces they've handled, how quickly they got back to you with consultation.


Title: Is life worth living with a felony conviction?

Answer:
 Sure.

Tim Allen, the comedian and star of Home Improvement is a felon, and look at his life.

Answer #2: If you're feeling suicidal thoughts please reach out to someone. A felony conviction is life changing but not life ending.


Title: I heard you guys like easement issues...

Question:
Hello r/legaladvice!

Hi guys, this process is already pretty far along, thus the length. There’s a TL;DR at the bottom, but I want to make sure I only have to state the facts once. Stick with it, i gets deep.

EDIT: [obligatory shitty MS PAINT illustration](http://imgur.com/a/x0ynT)

I live on a large plot of rural land in Oregon. A year ago, my wife and I decided to file for homesite approval for a new house to be built on the top of our property. After a period of time (when the county was able to extract its pound of flesh), the approval was conditionally approved. However, one of my neighbors flipped out and filed an appeal when she learned I was building there and was planning to use a dirt road as a driveway to access the planned homesite. The majority of this dirt road runs through her property, but I have a documented, unrestricted right-of-way easement to access my land. This easement has been in place since well before I was born, well before either of us owned the property, and my family and hers bought it with this easement in place. Now, I had done the research and was well aware of this easement. Apparently, she was not aware of its existence.

This neighbor had always been problematic, but this was her chance to really prove how mean-spirited, petty, and strange she was. She started by piling branches and other debris in the driveway, blocking my access up the drive. She installed a new chain and lock on a previously unlocked gate, denying me entry. She drafted up something she titled “Revocation of Easement” (I am aware this is not a thing), had it notarized, and sent it to me. Unaware of where our property boundaries lay, she wrote a letter to the County claiming I had trespassed on her land, stored materials there (these items are in fact on my land), caused damage to her “footpath” (a recorded private road in County records, the “damage” to her “footpath” came in the form of free road maintenance I had conducted over the years to keep the road passable, as she had let trees grow into the right of way and other debris and erosion degrade the condition of the road). Most hurtfully, she started spreading rumors and lies amongst my other neighbors, and while none of the neighbors who know me well (the majority of them, as my family has been here for 40+ years and are very involved in our community) would have anything to do with it, three absentee landowners from California who have vacation houses and rental houses got all up in arms too and wrote letters in support of her appeal. All of this without talking to me at all.

I wish I could keep this short, but it is fairly Byzantine: My first action upon receipt of the letter and verifying that I no longer had access to my property via the easement was to call the Sherriff and ask what I should do. If in fact I had a legal easement, they told me, I was within my rights to cut the lock and remove the material. They informed me all I could be held accountable for was the cost of the lock. I had materials and equipment stored on my property to which I needed access, so I cut the lock, moved the debris to the side of the road, and reinstated access, documenting every step as well as her impediments. Within a day, there was a new lock and what I can only describe as “fairy houses” as well as more debris piled in the road. I wrote her a letter letting her know that her actions were illegal, that there was in fact numerous valid easements, and that we should talk about this before it ends up in court. At the same time, my wife wrote her a (much more kindly worded) letter asking why she would go to such lengths to block our access and impede lawful use of our property, when all we wanted was to build a home for ourselves as she and her husband had done years ago. We received no response, the debris stayed (we moved it again), and after a few weeks I asked our lawyer to write a cease and desist letter and include another request to meet and talk it out, hoping that would be enough to end the matter.

It did not.

A month or two went by as we waited for the date of the appeal hearing, and we lost a lot of sleep over this. It seemed so needlessly cruel. Were we somehow in the wrong? Why was she doing this? Why were some of our neighbors supporting her? I had my planner run through our application again to make sure it was airtight, and research the easements again to make sure it was unrestricted as far as our use. Our closest neighbor brought a letter she had written him, trying to enlist her in the fight against us. He waved it off as crazy, but this was when we learned she had been talking to other neighbors, claiming that I was planning to open an event center on the top of the hill, rather than build a single family dwelling as my application clearly stated. She somehow told another neighbor that I would build a septic system that could interfere with her land. In our quiet mountain community, this caused a stir, and really screwed with us mentally as we tried to stay above it all and not start a flame war with the neighbors. I figured we could go to the county hearing and since the appeal had been filed with erroneous information (that there was no easement when in fact, there had been one for a long time) that I would win on the merits.

The date of the appeal landed near the end of my largest yearly work contract, which happens out of state. I cut my work short, giving up some pay in the process, and returned home to find that her lawyer was planning to file an extension with the idea that we could (finally) go to mediation and work this out. Still, the hearing date came and at the County Hearing (not a legal court, a Planning Commission hearing) after her lawyer requested an extension, the hearings officer still allowed her, her boyfriend, and a few neighbors to get up there and lay all sorts of strange testimony on the table that had nothing to do with the appeal. After the hearing, the neighbors who had supported her asked why I didn’t just talk about it with her? I was enraged at this, and provided them a copy of the letters that had asked her to do exactly that. I met and talked with those neighbors within two days of the hearing and laid out my side of the story. Most of them agreed to amend or strike their testimony after seeing that my neighbor had misled them.

We scheduled the mediation, and when the time came I quickly learned I had held onto this anger for too long. I was so pissed off at this point that talking in any sort of reasonable manner was difficult. Still over three VERY STRANGE AND EXPENSIVE hours, I thought we made some headway. She barely spoke, whispered when she did, and threatened to leave whenever it got difficult. Her lawyer and her and boyfriend (who did most of the talking) helped keep it on track. I asked for three things from her: 1) that she immediately remove any and all debris and remove the lock from the gate. 2) that she write a letter to the neighbors which apologized for her divisive actions, and 3) that she drop her appeal. In return, I agreed to work with her or her agents to allow them to survey the easement and define it (the past documents relating to the easement, though clearly stating it was not restricted and providing a rudimentary map, was a mess spread over years of county filings), and draft a new agreement relating to it. This new agreement is a key thing, as it will essentially define the easement for posterity as well as set in place a legal framework for how we move forward. In a nutshell, they were more concerned with defining the particulars of the easement (width, whether there was a gate, and cost of maintenance) and I was more concerned with getting this appeal out of the way, letting the county approval stand without interference from a single commissioner’s decision based on erroneous and unrelated testimony, and undoing the damage that had been done with the neighbors. At the mediation, I asked her to pay my legal expenses and loss of work pay, and monies resulting from a lack of access to my property and equipment, but she quickly dismissed this out of hand. Neither me nor my lawyer pushed this at the time, but then again things had yet to get really expensive.

About a week after the mediation, I took a walk with her boyfriend through both our properties and along the road in question. I had gotten a verbal agreement before all parties at the mediation that since she seemed incapable of conversing with me (she’s kind of a shut in, nervous, and socially awkward), that he would speak for her in all affairs. He turned out to be a decent guy who I was able to converse with. It seemed like we were making the best of a bad situation at that point.

Again, sorry for the length. So. Months go by. I hear nothing from her about the letter to the neighbors. The debris  (mostly branches and such) doesn’t go away, but is sort of normalized in tight piles along the side of the road, where the boyfriend tells me it will be used as hugulkultur (look it up if you need to, it’s a permaculture thing, but not really applicable or viable in this site), allowing me exactly 14’ of passage. I am extremely annoyed at this but one aspect of the new agreement we are drafting stipulates that if I need to improve the road to meet occupancy standards (which I will have to do no matter, widening to reduce the grade and putting in gravel), I can do so, meaning this “hugulkultur” will probably need to go in any case. Meanwhile I allow the boyfriend and a surveyor repeated access to my property for the purpose of surveying the easement. County markers were a mess and they had to be resurveyed completely, and I can only hope it cost her a ton of money to have it done.

We are getting closer and closer to the date of the hearing (which should have been cancelled at this point), and her lawyers are adamant that the agreement needs to be fully drafted before they will cancel their appeal. There is no way it will be finalized since the survey is still outstanding. I work with them and my lawyer and my planner at great cost to make sure I am not getting fucked in this agreement. Even so, I have my doubts. It comes down to the wire, Friday afternoon before the Monday morning hearing, when her team finally files a request to cancel their appeal. The County replies that they could like to cancel the appeal, but since they have already allowed testimony, it may need to happen anyway, they are note sure, etc. My planner works a lot of overtime hours to try to make sure it will be cancelled, again at great cost to me. We are told to show up anyway for the hearing on Monday to make sure.

I come armed ready for battle this time. Easement documents, written testimony from my neighbors, proof of the stewardship work I have done for our forest and in the community, documentation of all her bullshit. Just in case everything goes south, you understand. No need: the hearings officer shows up and cancels her appeal. Hooray! We’ve won, right?

Wrong. I received the agreement yesterday which she signed and is trying to have me sign and notarize, including the new survey and easement terms. Fuck this noise:

1. The easement is set at 14’ width (not enough for two cars to pass, and certainly not enough to conduct the regular logging operations on the property). And although there is a “no whine” clause that prevents her for filing complaints against reasonable improvements necessary to meet code, I am sure I will need to grade out well beyond 14’ to make the road meet access standards for the fire department (it is steep in sections).
2. It sets in place (what I believe to be) a new easement across my property for her t0 reach the other part of her property, right past my planned homesite, to an undeveloped uphill ridgeline section of her property. Hard to describe this, but imagine the easement road is a “U” laid on its side. She owns most of the bottom section, I own the curve, and while the top section is not a road, it would meander along the ridge back onto her property. She is asking for a brand new, heretofore unrecorded easement, across my land, to access the top of her tax lot. This request for an additional burden on my title is done with no consideration to me.
3. It establishes a locked gate at the bottom of the road where it meets the pavement. Which means, unless I install an automatic gate (at my expense, of course), me and my family and any visitors are getting out of our cars along a country road and unlocking it and re-locking it.

Meanwhile, she has done almost nothing to satisfy the essence of our agreements reached during mediation:

1. The materials were never removed from the driveway, and have only been built up since our agreement along the entire length of the road to where my property begins. There is narrow road access for passenger vehicles but not enough for heavy machinery needed to build my home and conduct our logging ops.
2. There has been no letter to the neighbors or apology from her for causing all this mess
3. As far as I am concerned, the hearing was not cancelled, and the revocation of her appeal was not filed in a timely manner to allow the court to cancel the hearing.
4.I’m over $16,000 in on this thing in legal costs, lost wages, and lost work resulting from her illegal actions blocking access to my equipment stored at the homesite. Not to mention emotional distress. I am not the litigious sort and I certainly don’t want to give any more money to my lawyer. I have a lot more earning potential (I am 40 and at the height of my earning, she is 65 and will be a retired librarian soon), but I don’t want to get in an expensive pissing contest.
5. At this point, with no leverage on her end, I have no reason to sign this agreement, giving away a bunch of my access rights and getting nothing in return. I get more from leaving the easement documents, murky as they are but clearly in my favor, in place. I get nothing from this, she gets everything.

In short, how do I rake her over the coals after all she has done to me and my family? Can I make her pay for this new easement across my property? Can I fire my lawyer and only speak to her lawyer, dragging it out as changes are made and incurring more legal costs on her side and none to me? Can I demand a lot line adjustment that would make construction of my home easier? I am a pretty intelligent guy and at this point know a lot more than my lawyer about the particulars. At the very least, I want changes to this agreement made before I even think of signing it: I want the easement widened to 25’, I want the locked gate out, and I want the language changed to reflect the easement after all necessary improvements to allow access for occupancy have been conducted, and specifically allowing those improvements to be conducted without notice or complaint. If I sign this as is, she gets everything she wants and I get nothing for all that I’ve been through.

So what should I do?

TL:DR: My neighbor filed an appeal to my planned homesite and illegally blocked access over a road to which I hold a longstanding easement. We went to “court”, she later dropped her appeal after mediation and understanding she had no case. I’m out over $16k in legal and planning costs. In exchange for dropping her case (which had no merit) she wants me to sign an agreement which more narrowly defines the easement, gives her an easement over my property without consideration, and puts in a bunch of other stuff I don't want. Help.

Answer: In a very general sense, in my opinion you are being too nice of a guy. You are negotiating in good faith.  She is not.  If you ask me this is not an issue of renegotiating what she proposed, or making her pay for her easement, or doing a lot line adjustment, etc.  I would simply tell her to go fuck herself and throw her proposal away and move to enforce your valid easement.  Stop being a nice guy.


Title: KY Mom Needs Advice About Custody Situation

Question: Greetings! I'm a mother of two kids and for the last 10 years I've shared parenting time 50/50 with my ex-husband. Two months ago he informed me via email that he didn't plan to take his children anymore and they would be living with me full-time. I objected, but to no avail. He hasn't had our children at his home since. This is in direct violation of our legal parenting agreement. He pays me child support, which of course, he did not increase with his sudden refusal of his parenting time. As my expenses have increased considerably, I'm now left trying to find part-time work in addition to my full-time job to cover things. My question is this: How do I proceed in a way that covers my ass? Not only am I suddenly carrying the entire parenting burden physically and emotionally, but I also am trying to cover the gaps financially. I worry if I try to get more money he'll argue a reduction in circumstances. But if he's violating this legal agreement, I worry what could be next. Do I go for full custody so it's all documented? I don't want to gear up for a legal battle, but I also know him to be highly narcissistic and manipulative and I'm feeling vulnerable for myself and my kids. Legal advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Answer:
 Unfortunately, most jurisdictions view visitation as rights of the parents, not obligations of the parents.

So, there is not much you can do if the father refuses to exercise visitation.  But, you could be held in contempt of court for refusing to provide him access.

That said, you should have this change in circumstances formalized in the Parenting Plan.  This would probably result in him being ordered to pay more child support.

This is not do it yourself territory.  You need to retain an attorney... especially since this is just general advice, based from a state which is not your state.