Title: [CT] Someone accused my brother of reckless driving on social media

Question:
I live in a rural town in CT and someone took a picture of my brother driving his rather uncommon sports car convertible (because of year and model, not an expensive or exotic car, or incredibly powerful it has ~200hp) and accused him of passing them going 70 and passing other cars in an unsafe manner. This post received over 400 shares on facebook and now everyone thinks my brother is a reckless driver, eg he went to McDonalds the day this was posted and someone asked him if he was the individual in the post.

My brother contacted the individual and they took down the post, however there seems to be no way to undo the damage that has been done. They also blocked him on social media. The campus has supervisors (it's a regional high school that the town pays for, ie not private) and they were all talking about it, as well as many students at the school, however the story has reached further.

My brother's side of the story is that this individual was driving 10 under the speed limit so he passed them *and only them* in a passing zone. He also said they were all over the road and were likely texting.

Since this post has over ~400 shares that means **thousands** of people have seen it.

Can he sue this individual for defamation of character, should he?

Also he is an Eagle scout, worked at scout camp, is a babysitter, and an all around good person (not perfect, nor is anyone else) numerous people would be willing to vouch for his character.

edit: Thanks for all the comments, he isn't interested in suing, however I was curious about how the situation would play out

Answer:
 Sure, he can sue, but he won't win.

If the person who took the photo believes that he was going 70 and driving unsafely, that's an opinion he's welcome to hold and share.


Title: What are my legal rights regarding horrible apartment odors in NYC?

Question:
Hi All -

I just moved into a very lovely apartment in Manhattan. However, there is a lady on the second floor who cannot clean up after her cats. The smell goes all the way to my floor, and neighbors have resorted to opening all the hallway windows. Now that its summer, she has begun to leave her door open, which makes the smell even more potent.

I have complained to our management company, and they said there is nothing they can do. She is elderly and they have a case going on with Adult Protective Services. Occasionally the landlord comes to clean her apartment himself. They advised me to call 311 and complain, which I have done. Our apartment failed the first smell test, and they said if it fails again the building will be fined.

Is there anything else I can do? Everyone in the building hates it, but is too afraid to do anything. I, myself, feel bad that it is an elderly woman, but them smell is nausea inducing and now she is leaving her door open all day and all night, releasing more of the smell. Again, it travels up three flights of stairs. Are there any legal measures I can take to assure that this issue is taken care of or am I out of luck?

Thank you.

Answer:
 Contact the ASPCA.

They don't like when animals are kept in poor conditions.


Title: (ADL/AUS) My mum lent my stepsister $16k to buy a car and she's refusing to pay it back

Question:
My mum really shouldn't have done this in the first place, but what's done is done and now I want to work on getting the money back.

My mum lent her the money to buy a new car when she was pregnant with twins, and she agreed to pay it back when she received her inheritance pay out from her own mother's death.

She has since received that inheritance and has come up with a myriad of excuses as to why she can't pay back the money and is now flat out refusing with no remorse.

My mum is currently off work injured and is likely to be forced to accept a redundancy from her job in the next year so this is obviously highly distressing for her.

The vehicle in question is registered in my stepsisters name but my mum has all the transaction records of the loan and screenshots of the correspondence relating to the loan.

Does she have a shot at getting this money back if she threatens a civil suit?

Answer: Your stepsister agreed to what was clearly a loan and not a gift via what sounds like text message or email?  Not sure about Australia, but in the US, that would be a valid contract.  Talk to an attorney.


Title: [California]Received a subpoena to produce documents to someone I never rented to

Question:
A few weeks ago I received a call from an attorney's office asking about a person who had rented my home. I told them that the name didn't ring a bell and they likely had the wrong person. A few days later they called me back and stated that their client wanted to move forward a subpoena for information about a rental property. They stated the client had financial records proving that they had done business with me or something to that effect. I tried to explain again that I never rented or did business with that individual but it wasn't much use so I told them to do what they needed to do.

Fast forward to this morning I finally get served the subpoena ("for production of business records") and it's requesting:
> any and all documents regarding rental/lease at property [my home address] by plaintiff including but not limited to application, payment history, complaints, collections, correspondence, and litigation(s).

I've only lived in my home a few years and it has not been rented out. I do not recognize the name of the plaintiff. The defendant/respondent listed in the subpoena papers is the name of an apartment complex/company.

Does this mean they're trying to prove they lived somewhere during some period of time for another case and want me to testify/produce documents on behave of the plaintiff?

The location where I'm supposed to deliver these documents is some legal photocopy place. Am I supposed to show up empty handed?

Should I consult an attorney to try and get this sorted out? I'm weary of dealing with the plaintiff's attorney as I'm sure they only have their best interest and not mine. What type of attorney or where's a good place to start to find one that could deal with these types of matters?

Answer: You can pay a lawyer to send a response for the subpoena stating you have no such documentation. Maybe the previous owner rented your place out before you purchased it? Answer #2: If you don't have documents, you can't produce them, obviously.  You should produce a document reflecting that, however.  Getting an attorney wouldn't be a bad idea.


Title: Landlord keeps punishing me, anything I can do?

Question:
Hopefully I'm posting this in the right place, apologies if not.

I've been researching this as much I can but haven't had any luck since it seems like a unique situation.

I'm renting a room in a house in the bay area, CA (month to month contract). The home owner/landlord and I split the utilities. I am good about rolling with the punches and dealing with bad situations, but this is ridiculous.  I feel taken advantage of as if I'm being punished by my landlord for reasons that are obviously ridiculous but are they even legal?

Long story, but here's a checklist:

1. My split of the electric bill has been raised at least **4 times** since I moved in (1 year ago). Landlord thinks I use "excessive" amount of electricity and increases my split of the bill constantly. Am I crypto-mining 24/7 on a bunch of computers? Nope. I have 1 computer and 1 lamp that I use in the evenings, that's it. In my landlord's own words, he considers "excessive electric use" to be... using more than 1 light source at a time or staying up past midnight (he believes all lights should be off after 12). If I break either of rules, I get notified that my split of the electric bill is being increased again. This is basically **forcing** me to have a bedtime or work in the dark (which is causing headaches/eye strain). I am only home 4-5 days a week in the evenings (non-peak PGE hours) but he makes me pay 70% of the electric bill.
2. I recently found out we are getting a **generation credit discount** on the electric bill (usually $40 off the total), but the landlord puts a note saying this credit goes to the him ONLY as the owner. Meaning, I am paying 70% of the total bill (before $40 discount is deducted,) He keeps the $40 for himself and just pays his 30% share on the smaller remaining amount. So I am paying **more than 70%.**
3. During a room check-in, the landlord confiscated my light bulbs and gave me lower watt bulbs (which are very weak and dark). Forcing me to use his light bulbs and pretending it's a "free gift" to help us both.
4. My rent was raised 8% **twice** within 10 months (unfair but legal I guess with month/month contract?)
5. Overall it feels creepy and unsafe. I am totally detached from his area, but he still knows when I'm up, when i go to bed/turn off lights and comments about it. I feel like I'm being spied on and hes waiting for any reason to punish me again.

Discussing things with the him doesn't work, he will either change the submit or talk over me. He think he is already being very reasonable. He knows I have to work from home frequently and I tried to inform him that my light bulbs use hardly any electricity, but no luck. Even after I started following all his strict rules, the electric bill has hardly changed AT ALL each month (still doesn't care).

&#x200B;

Should I pursue anything, is it worth it? I don't have much money and I'm not sure if I even have a case.

Honestly, I would just be happy with getting money back from overpaying for utilities all along ( I didn't realize he was keeping the $40 credit and making me pay more than my share all along).

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**TLDR:** Landlord trying to force me to have a bedtime and work in the dark, otherwise I get punished with constantly increasing share of the utilities bill. Confiscated my light bulbs and for lower watt bulbs and wants me to only use one light source at a time. He makes me pay 70% of the total electric bill, and keeps a $40 credit discount for himself, meaning I'm paying more than 70%.

Answer:
 well, if you have in writing that you "split" the utilities, then you have a right to a copy of the bill, and to only pay 50% of that, and that is how much I would pay. In the mean time, you need to find another place to live, this will likely only get worse before it gets better.Answer #2: You are in a month to month and have a bad landlord. The best way to reduce conflict with your landlord is to give notice and move.

Pursuing legal action over the split of the electric may cause more issues to arise, but if your lease only says split and does not list a percentage you should only have to pay %50, you could try getting this back in small claims court but if you voluntarily paid it may be hard to get that.


Title: Workplace not allowing the use of a cane?

Question:
Florida.

My mother currently works for a private catholic school as a house keeper, and they're saying if she continues to use her cane they will terminate her because they 'are afraid she will fall', and they don't want her to sue.

I don't see how it's lawful for them to take away the one thing that provides her relief for her pain. Is there anything we can do to stop them from doing this without losing her job?

Answer: Why do they believe that she's less likely to fall without her cane?


Title: Is $1,500 a reasonable price for a last will and other estate documents?

Question:
Hi all!  I live in VA.

My wife and I are in our 30's and recently decided to have a will made out and we visited a law firm today for an interview.  They quoted us a flat fee of $1,500 to prepare the documents (claiming to knock that price down from a whopping $2,500).

Having not done this before or done any 'shopping around' yet, I was wondering if this was a reasonable price to pay and comparable to what I'm likely to find with other lawyers, or if I should pass and look elsewhere.

These are the documents that would be prepared for that fee:

Last Will & Testament

Trust

Power of Attorney

Advance Medical Directive

Funeral Directive

Our family situation is not complicated and we're not doing anything unusual - we basically just gave them a list of names and basic preferences in our meeting and that was enough material for them to prepare the documents.

Thanks for any and all advice!

Edit:  The consensus is that this is reasonable and we'll be going with their services.  Thanks everyone for weighing in!

Answer: These are NEVER as simple as people think. $1500 is *very* reasonable.Answer #2: Depending on where exactly in VA you are that is probably the "going rate".  Definitely not out of line with what I have seen.  Make sure you follow-up on your homework and transfer the assets to the living trust(s).


Title: Sharing “Fitness Guides” for free?

Question:
I’m not entirely sure how to categorize this.

As some of you may know, fitness influencers sell their own workout guides, often in PDF format, for anywhere between 20 - 100 dollars.

Whatever guides I have bought before have always been in a PDF format, that I could easily email to myself and others. Now the question: is it illegal for me to share this with others? Or maybe even make it publicly available?

It’s not about selling them or making money off these guides. It would be completely for free. Would either the host of such an online archive of guides or the individual downloading guides from there be in trouble?

I appreciate any help! Thank you 🙏🏻

Answer:
 This question is well answered here.  Content creators hold a copyright over their creative works. They’re entitled to control redistribution, not you.  And the fact that you’re not profiting from redistribution doesn’t alone make your redistribution legal.

It seems like perhaps you believe that because this is an “influencer” their work is less protected?  Surely you wouldn’t question whether taking the latest Hollywood blockbuster, making copies of the Blu Ray, and then handing them out on the street corner is legal?


Title: How Are Companies like Turtle Bay's 6 Hour Unpaid Trial Shifts Legal?

Question:
I'm in the UK, and I just had an interview and trial shift at a restaurant/bar called Turtle Bay, and after about a 10 minute interview they asked me if I was happy to work a trial shift for roughly the next four hours. I asked them if it was paid, they said no, so I said I could only stay for 30 minutes. The form they got me to sign before doing the trial shift said it could be up to 6 hours. How is this even legal? It's literally companies getting an entire normal shift length of free labour.

I asked one of the other guys and he said if I got the job I wouldn't have to do another unpaid trial shift even though I only stayed for half an hour for this one, so I seem to have effectively avoided having to do the unpaid work, but I expect they now won't offer me the job given I refused to work an unpaid full shift.

Answer: Not a UK law expert but they probably aren't legal but nobody has gone to the trouble of reporting it.


Title: Philadelphia- Jeweler sold me plated gold wedding band

Question:
Found out with help from r/jewelers and r/jewelry that my wedding band is plated gold and not solid gold as it was supposed to be when purchased.

Here is the post from there:

I went to get my wedding band plated today. The jeweler mentioned how strange the coating is then did an acid test and it turned green and declined a plating since it wasn’t gold. So with the receipt I went to the jeweler that we originally purchased the band from and she filed the coating and tested it and her test was clear. She agreed that the coating was odd and offered to clean it but even after having gone to her with other pieces in the past, she found it necessary to mention that there was no way to verify that we bought the ring through her. I held out the receipt and she offered to have her husband plate it over the week for free. I agreed and left but then realized I needed the ring for the weekend. I returned and she gave it back but also asked for the receipt back which I thought was odd. I walked out with the receipt and the ring but a few hours later received a phone call. She had spoken with her husband and he said that she should not have filed it and if I wanted then they were going to contact the manufacturer and get me a replacement.

That was yesterday. So today I went to two different jewelers who confirmed it is not solid gold. I returned to the jeweler I purchased the band from she examined it again and it did fail the acid test this time meaning it isn’t gold.

She conceded it isn’t solid gold and she’d like to have it replaced but wants the original ring back. I explained that I had it tested at two other places and she offered to buy it back at scrap gold weight value. Which is odd because it’s not even solid gold. I explained that it was obviously a mistake but I’d just like a refund and I could buy elsewhere. She became defensive and said that’s not how we’re going to do it and asked if I also retained the cash receipt. When I said of course I did then she pumped the brakes a little.

She then asked how much the other jewelers had said I could get for it (I asked the other jewelers out of curiosity) before they found out it was fake. I made up a number and she was quick to match it but not willing to replace the full amount. And she was still unwilling to replace the ring without getting the plated ring back.

I’ve since learned that plated gold is supposed to be stamped as such and this ring is simply marked 14k.

What can I do? What should I do? Am I entitled to get my money back? It’s really difficult to want to do business with this woman again with the way she handled everything.

Answer: You should reach out to Consumer Legal Services of Philadelphia; they will be able to help you understand your options here, including potentially reporting this fraud to the PA Attorney General. [https://clsphila.org/get-help/consumer-scams](https://clsphila.org/get-help/consumer-scams) Answer #2: Marking the ring as 14ky when it does not have that content is a pretty serious issue. (Ianal)


Title: Grandparents Rights - Kentucky, USA.

Question:
This is honestly a very dramatic situation full of *but faammiilllyy* and *feelings*. I'm going to do my best to give the dry version because husband(30) and I(24) really need some advice.

TL;DR - We aren't speaking to husband's(DH) mom(MIL) and stepfather(SFIL) because they have proven themselves to be an emotional drain on our lives and a negative influence in our daughter's life. Now DH's sister (SIL) is screaming about how their mom deserves grandparents rights. We have no idea if MIL is pursuing this but we do know it has been discussed. DH and I would feel better if we consulted with a lawyer but have no idea where to begin on finding someone to talk to. What type of lawyers do we talk to? How do we get just a consultation with someone considering we need to know our options but MIL hasn't given us anything to act on yet?

For anyone familiar with Grandparent's Rights and with some extra time, I would be very grateful if you read the rest and gave your opinion on if MIL would even have a case against us.

*Background:* my husband's parents divorced when he was around 8. MIL remarried around the time he turned 10. SFIL was emotionally abusive to husband, SIL, and MIL. On the occasion SFIL became physically aggressive with DH, but never as far as hurting him. Throughout all 20 years of this, MIL has stood behind SFIL. Occasionally MIL defended husband when he was younger, but by the time husband was in high school she just allowed it to happen. At age 17, MIL stood by while SFIL kicked DH out.

*To give you an idea of their relationship with our family:* 2014 we found out we were pregnant. DH had a neutral relationship with MIL but had distanced himself from the SFIL to only interacting at the rare holiday. DH did allow MIL to be included and have a relationship with our daughter. We allowed SFIL around but never referenced him as "grandpa".

MIL did help with getting me home from work while pregnant (my car had issues), took me to 2 doctor visits over 3 years, buying us groceries once after baby came, and she babysat daughter once at our home. MIL also bought 1-2 nursery items and occasionally clothing/toys for daughter. Daughter has been to MIL's house twice, both with me there. MIL has only been alone with her for more than 5-10 minutes, maybe twice. Once being at DH's grandmother's house while grandmother was watching her. SFIL has seen daughter about 10 times within 3 years.

Basically his mother has been involved in daughter's life since the beginning but has never been a regular financial contributer or caregiver.

*Now about us:* Husband and I were not married when daughter came along but have lived together the entire time. We married 3 months ago. Husband is in management making salary. I am a stay at home mother. Our house is clean but you know a toddler lives here and if you saw her room you'd know she never does without. Regular doctor visits to prove she is healthy and taken care of, completely up to date on shots.

*Our current issue:* There was an issue over a year ago where husband's brother in law physically threatened husband. MIL took brother in law and SIL's side in the matter. (We later learned this is drug induced anger, MIL held firm to her decision). This started to deteriorate an already strained relationship between DH and MIL. MIL refused to speak to husband unless face to face and forced. Those interactions always ended in arguments. MIL's relationship with our daughter was strictly through me by her own choice since daughter was an infant. MIL refused Christmas plans last year and only appeared to see Daughter after DH had left for work.

In April, DH was promoted in his work. SFIL and MIL were visiting his grandmother when SFIL decided to say some horrible things about husband, myself, my family, and even referred to our daughter as an "egg head". Apparently his words were, "Well [DH] can just take his damn wife and that egg head daughter of his and move away then". The entire interaction was much longer and more dramatic but the jist is that SFIL will speak ill of us at every turn and MIL will defend SFIL at every turn. We have asked MIL to acknowledge why this is not okay and apologize in order to make amends. MIL refuses to admit either did anything wrong.

In August I made it known to MIL that we expected an apology and she was to only speak to us through DH. MIL tried to gaslight and change the narrative. When DH didn't allow it, she stopped responding. That is the last we have heard from her directly. Mid September we caught SIL sneaking to take pictures of our daughter. The next day we heard that SIL had sent/shown these pictures to MIL and is screaming she should have GP rights to our child.

And now we're here. DH and I both agree that so long as MIL puts SFIL's abuse ahead of our family, we don't want her around our child. We decided to cut ties while daughter is only 3 so she doesn't experience this at an age she can understand what is going on and feel anything negative from it. We have witnesses to some bad behaviors MIL has tried to teach our daughter (reasons she was never left alone with daughter) and the horrible relationship MIL has kept with DH for over 20 years.

Does this seem like a case a judge would take seriously? It's a lot of "he said", "she said" over some otherwise petty words. Other than MIL and SFIL's character/behavior versus ours I don't see us having a good argument against keeping them cut off. Anyone with some insight to what they look at during GP rights cases would be beyond value to us right now.

Answer: Grandparent's rights are rarely a thing. They're even more rarely a thing when two custodial parents are saying "no" to grandma visiting.


Title: Co-worker harassed me. I complained to management and they swept it under the rug. Now they’re pushing me out and intimidating me to leave. Please help!

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 So you didn't hit sales quota and they're firing you with severance.

Why is this retaliation and harassment?Answer #2: If this was a one time outburst and Mike publicly apologized, why do you think it should go further?  You really don’t know what management has documented or told Mike.  Your interactions with management are probably hurting you more than Mike ever will.

If the company is reorganizing, they may be looking at terminations anyway.  Might be a good time to negotiate a bigger severance and move on.  If you think the termination for performance is bogus, you may want to let them fire you, file for unemployment, and pursue any legal remedies then.  Consult with a local employent attorney beforehand of course.


Title: Rent late fee, wording of lease, and definition of "Rent due"

Question: I received my security deposit return from my previous apartment (that I lived in with 3 other students in Los Angeles) and saw an expected deduction for late rent one month. The amount was calculated to be 5% of $3240 (which was the total monthly rent) = $162. However, $1620 of the total rent was already paid on time and only the remaining $1620 was late. In our lease, it says "Tenant(s) shall pay a Late Charge of 5% of the Rent due as Additional Rent". My understanding, from this wording, is that we only should have a late fee of 5% of $1620 (the remaining rent due), but the management disagrees. Any insight into whether I have any chance of arguing this? Thanks.

Answer: In general, entire rent is due or the entire rent is late.


Title: Landlord died and didn't cash a month of rent (Canada, Qc)

Question:
Hi,

I'm in a bit of situation.
My landlord passed away soon after I moved out of my place, and I later found out that she didn't cash my last month of rent. Her distant relatives have come into the picture and have contacted me saying they can't find the rent check. Now they want me to write a new one.

I just want to know what's the propper course of action.
Or should I just write them one?

Answer: You should be able to write the cheque to "the estate of the deceased" and then it will go to his estate and not to some random relative who may or may not have authority to collect. Alternatively you can verify that the person collecting is either the executor or the person who now has title to the property.


Title: [AK] [13] My parents are tracking me via GPS, what is the legality of this?

Question:
They got the idea from the neighbors who use gps to track their kids (keep in mind that the ages range from 2-6 years old) and so they started tracking me and my siblings (13 to 17 years old). Sometimes they talk about tracking my internet data/history as well, what can I do?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 > what can I do?

You can accept the fact that you're a kid and your parents are your parents. Answer #2: I assume you mean they are tracking you by phone, not that that have implanted a chip in you. If they want to activate features on a phone that they have paid for and that they continue to pay the bills for, they can do that. If they want to check history on a computer that they have paid for and that they continue to pay for Internet access for, they can do that.

> what can I do?

Don't do things that you don't want your parents knowing about.Answer #3: They sound like great parents.

I suggest giving them a hug and saying:  "Thank you for taking such great care of me."Answer #4: Nothing.  You're a kid and they're your parents.Answer #5: Your parents love you. If you disapear they will come get you. You are 13. You are still a minor meaning they are responsible to care for you by law until you turn 17/18. When you are a legal adult this may be questionable and illegal. You don't have the rights and freedoms of an adult just yet. Answer #6: Nothing. You can do nothing.

At 13 years old you have no right to privacy.


Title: My mom and I were hit by a motorcycle on the freeway a year ago (CA). The motorcyclist was deemed at fault, but his lawyer just requested a list of my mom's assets. We can't afford a lawyer and have never dealt with this before.

Question:
So a year ago, my mom and I were hit by a motorcycle who was lane splitting and going twice the speed of everyone else on the freeway as we were merging lanes, blinker on and all. We didn't see or hear him until it was too late and he had hit us, and another car. He seemed fine, as he had dismissed the ambulance when it first arrived, except he had called it back minutes later when, who I think was his girlfriend, arrived and spoke with him. He called back the medics, they put a neck brace on him and placed him on a stretcher, and he took selfies as he was loaded on to the ambulance. This was all noted in the police report, which also states that the motorcyclist is at fault, and we thought everything was settled until a few days ago.
My mom's insurance company called her and told her that the motorcyclist's lawyer is asking for a list of my mom's assets. She said that even though the motorcyclist was 99% at fault, because my mom's car was moving she is considered 1% at fault. And because the insurance company only paid for 95% of the man's medical bill, he's seeking out the rest of the money.
My mom complied and sent the information to the insurance company, but my mom and I aren't well-off. It's just us two, and we can't afford a lawyer. What little money my mom has saved is to pay for other issues we have going on, and the only asset she has besides that money is the house we live in. We're terrified he's going to try and take the house from us. Should we be worried?
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Unless your insurance has already paid out the policy limits they have to defend you in court. If this guy hasn't filed a lawsuit you have no obligation to disclose anything to him.Answer #2: It sounds like your insurance is handling this. This is why you pay for insurance. You don't need to hire your own lawyer unless the claim exceeds your liability limit, which I doubt her 1% responsibility of his remaining 5% bills will exceed.

But yeah. Just let your insurance cover this. That's why you pay for insurance, so you don't have to worry about this stuff.


Title: [AZ] My boyfriend is trying to kick me out, can he?

Question:
Like the title says my boyfriend is trying to kick me out with no notice. Can he just make me leave the same day he says that or is there a 10/30 day grace period he has to give me?

He owns the home and I just give him money every month through my bank, so I do have record of the transactions. His address is also on my drives license. I don’t really have anywhere to go and need time to plan.

If possible can you also include a link to information showing he has to give me notice? He keeps mentioning a “king of the castle law” where if it’s your house you don’t have to give anyone notice to leave. Thank you.

Answer:
 You're a month to month tenant. Your relationship status is irrelevant to that. 30 days notice is required.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/arizona-notice-requirements-terminate-month-month-tenancy.htmlAnswer #2: >He keeps mentioning a “king of the castle law”

He's probably trying to reference Castle Doctrine which has to do with home defense and not with tenant law. He has no idea what he's talking about and has no leg to stand on. IANAL but I went through this in AZ last year, he needs to give you a 30 day eviction notice and if he attempts to keep you out of the property before that deadline it could be considered illegal lockout


Title: The landlord is trying to make me get rid of my emotional support animal.

Question:
 I got a dog to help me with my depression due to losing my job. It has helped a lot. Now I'm getting so nervous and anxious since my landlord wants me to get rid of it. I did provide a letter by my psychiatrist who is actually a well-respected psychoanalyst. But the landlord is still playing hardball.

I live in Los Angeles, California.

Here is his response to my emotional support paperwork. Again, I'm home 24/7 since I'm not working. The dog is sleeping from 9 pm to 7 am and she does not make any noise.

Landlord's email.

"Emotional distress? I am used to this nonsense but unfortunately I can not do much about it. If you want to have a dog at the premises I have  to see the dog first and there are few things you have to know about dog and how to keep It in the unit that obviously you have no idea about it. The dog must be trained dog and you can not leave it in the patio. I know that the dog relieved himself in the patio  and make constant noise while you are not home. "

Answer:
 >The landlord is lying about barking. she is a puppy and doesn't know how to bark yet.

What sort of nonsense is this statement? Answer #2: Wait, so your ESA is locked on the patio, where he is pissing and annoying neighbors?Answer #3: Puppies can bark. Answer #4: >I am used to this nonsense but unfortunately I can not do much about it

That sounds like your landlord is allowing you to have the dog and not actually trying to make you get rid of it.

If the dog is barking all the time when you're gone, damaging the unit (like by peeing on the patio) or otherwise is disruptive then being an ESA will not grant the dog special protection to stay in the unit.


Title: [Alberta, Canada] Crazy (and i really do mean that) ex-wife moving to house behind parents. What steps should i take?

Question: So my ex-wife is truly crazy. I dont say this to be an asshole, but since separating I've done everything i can to provide for my kids while getting as far away from her as possible. She's called the cops on my parents for driving by to drop off a christmas gift for my daughter. She recently bought the house across the alley from my parents with her new boyfriend and now there's a no trespassing sign up on the back gate to their yard (as if they'd actually do that). I'm pretty sure shes doing this as a ploy to get more attention and cause more unnecessary drama, and i want to protect my parents from any fall out related to this. I'm installing a bunch of outdoor cameras to capture anything she might do to their property, but is there anything legally i can do to protect them? I've got an appointment with a lawyer next week but i want to research anything and everything i should know in regards to this. My biggest concern is just the stress she will cause them as i'm sure the police will be called for every single thing she can think of. Mean look across the yard? That's a police report. Help?

Answer:
 I don't think there's a lot you can pro-actively do. Keep the cameras rolling and call the police if you capture any property damage or harassment. You and your parents should not engage her beyond the parameters of any court/parenting orders.

If she's making frivolous phone calls to the police, they may eventually get sick of her shit and find something to charge her with.

Talking to a lawyer is a good idea.Answer #2: Invest in some dashcams as well. Lots of people on this sub get their cars keyed, and there usually isn't any proof


Title: Landlord making it very difficult to get our lease taken over, despite finding many applicants we are still stuck. Need out now but can't afford to pay all of the remaining lease. California

Question:
This apartment is in California,

My girlfriend and I have to move for school, and we need to be out of our current apartment by the end of August when school starts. We told our landlord at the begining of July (when we found out she was accepted into the college she wanted) that we needed someone to take over our lease. I have found 37 applicants over the past month and somehow NONE of them have been good enough.

Then we found out that the landlord was just ignoring people's phone calls, not answering her door when they came to turn in applications / get applications and ask questions. We have talked to one couple in person who said they called and called and called and the landlord never contacted them despite their interest in taking over our lease. Two people who were interested have told me that they've had the same issue. After walking through the apartment and wanting to drop off an application, the landlord is no where to be found. They tried calling and going to her office but she simply ignores the applicants.

The landlord hasn't taken out an ad on craigslist, and she actually had a for rent sign up on the lawn which she took down after the other apartment for rent in the complex was filled in (probably by one of the many people I have sent over).

We really do not want to pay over $3,000 for the remaining 4 months of our lease as that is almost our entire bank account. What can we do?

Answer: IANAL.  The state of California generally looks upon this type of behavior in an extremely unhappy manner, and law around this type of thing is certainly in your favor.  Can you prove that there was reasonable possibility for people to take over your lease?  I would talk to someone who is experienced in tenant law as what this landlord did is likely not only a jerk move, but highly illegal and may entitle you to damages.  This link has some stuff that may help you find a lawyer who can help you: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/states/california/homeownership/legalaid


Title: california ban the box - employer still has question about convictions on application

Question:
I have a friend that's applying for a job and had to stop because they still had the question about about convictions on their application. This application is online so he can't move forward in the process without answering this.  This question is illegal in California but this friend doesn't feel comfortable about lying about his record.  This conviction happened in 2011 so it's been 7 years since.  He was locked up for 2 years so it's been less than 7 years since he was released.

&#x200B;

My questions are:

1. Does he have to answer truthfully on this application if the question is illegal?

2.  Does he have to answer Yes if the conviction occurred over 7 years ago?

Thank you in advance, this is a stressful situation so any advice is greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 What is the size of the employer?

What is the nature of the employer's work?


Title: Can I do something about an internet predator who exploited me 3 years ago.

Question: J

Answer:
 So all of this happened when you were over 18?

Unless you sent nude photos of yourself UNDER 18, this is not likely to go anywhere.  It is legal to send/receive photos of adults, it is legal to ask adults for said photos, and while blackmail is not legal, I'm really not sure there's any worthwhile case there as there are no damages.

My advice:  move on. You could see if the police will take a report, but I am guessing they might not be interested.

>How can I legally fuck with him or shame him for what he did?

You don't.  That is 100% not the point of the courts and they get very upset when you try and use them and their valuable time for petty revenge.  Answer #2: If this is still bothering seek professional mental help. Because there is no legal avenue against this guy that has any chance of going anywhere. You were legally an adult.


Title: (MA) Landlord cancelled signed lease before move-in.

Question: I was supposed to move to a new apartment this September and signed a lease a couple months ago. I was told in June that the landlord who currently lived in the apartment decided not to move out after all and she mailed back my deposit and first month's rent. I found a new place that I like but it is more expensive and I also have to move earlier than planned. Is the landlord who backed out obliged to me for any additional costs I incurred? I'm in the Boston area which is a tough market for rentals. Thanks for reading.

Answer:
 If the lease is signed, you are entitled to the apartment. If they don’t deliver it, you are entitled to damages (make you whole). This is usually alternate accommodations until they can give you the apartment, but it sounds like this isn’t the case.

As long as you didn’t agree to rescind the lease, you can proceed with asking for damages or sue if they don’t agree. You can probably ask for the difference in price between the two apartments for the duration of your lease, as long as they are similar and in similar locations and condition. The moving earlier you can’t do anything about, as that’s not the landlords concern or fault.


Title: I think I saw child porn on omegle, I recorded it, reported it to the police and they seized my laptop

Question:
This happened a couple of hours ago. I was surfing omegle to chat with people because I was bored, then I saw someone who I think was engaging in child porn, I don't want to go into details about what I saw, other than I started screen recording as soon as it was clear it was dodgy and kept them on the chat to try and get information about where they were and names etc. after they hung up on me I reported it to the police. They came to my house, went over what happened and then asked if they could take my computer with the recording on it. I let them, but now I'm having major separation anxiety from handing over my computer and thinking  of all the embarrassing (not illegal though) stuff I have on it.

My computer is full of comprising (again not illegal) stuff about me, including naked selfies I've taken of myself in the past to send to lovers.

I directed the police to the omegle screen recording on my desktop (named very clearly 'omeglescreencaptire_todaysdate.mov'), but all my other files are on this computer, my entire digital life - I have no idea what they are going to look at, I am having deep regrets about handing over my computer right now, please, reassure me I've done the right thing - or if I haven't - some advice on how to protect myself moving forward. Thanks for any advice you can give.

I am in Sydney, Australia
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 You created child porn by saving the video.

You have a nonzero chance of prosecution.

You have a very high chance of them going through all your files.

And if you were in the states, you would have a near 100% chance of never getting your computer back, ever.

Lawyer, and fast.Answer #2: > I started screen recording as soon as it was clear it was dodgy

Oh.

Now you need a criminal defence attorney. You're likely to face criminal charges for production and possession of child pornography because you did this. The fact that you immediately turned it over to the police and had no other intentions could be a defence for you, but expect this to be an expensive and unpleasant process.

Your laptop is evidence in an ongoing child pornography investigation (either against you, or against whoever it is you saw, or both). You won't be getting it back for a while, but don't feel too bad about voluntarily handing it over: if you'd refused, they would almost certainly have come back with a warrant and taken it anyways.Answer #3: Try: [https://www.reddit.com/r/AusLegal](https://www.reddit.com/r/AusLegal)


Title: Hunters Trespassing on Private Property (OH)

Question: I have recently found that over the winter several hunters have trespassed onto my property and placed blinds, stands, and cameras. Can I legally remove these items? It is not property that anyone lives at, so it is difficult to see when they come and go. What recourse do I have?

Answer: Call the states Game Warden and take pictures of the accused proving they are in violation.Answer #2: Don't take it down yet.  Call the ODNR first and see if they have interest in what you found.  If someone has been ~~hunting~~  poaching on your land the game warden might be very interested in meeting them.Answer #3: I removed 8 stands off my property and left a note to come to my house if they would like to re claim it. Property is marked, they still come across it.  No one showed up to re claim and I sold 8 tree stands. I have also caught a couple of bow hunters and pressed charges. I am not tolerant of individuals on my land.Answer #4: Be sure to post your land at entry points if possible.Answer #5: If the property isn’t marked with some form of no trespassing markers they could easily feign ignorance that it was private property. It would help to hang some signs, and you can check if your state has “purple paint” laws. Some states allow you to just mark trees on your property line with purple paint to signify that it is private property. There should be no issues with you removing the abandoned items from your property. It’s possible that a phone number/email  is listed somewhere on the cameras as well. If you do see trespassers call the game warden or sheriffs department.Answer #6: If it is your property you can remove their items. They cant trespass to hunt.


Title: [DC/MD] I made a post saying a guy tried to sexually assault my friend, he messaged me on facebook saying that I would "hear from his lawyer." Does he have a case?

Question:
[using a burner account]

So a few days ago, my friend was in a car service (uber/lyft/split, not going to say which one) and the driver attempted to sexually assault her (I was not there, but I believe her; she reported it to the car service and is planning on filing a police report). She sent me a screenshot of the "end of ride" page that had his picture and first name. I posted it on facebook, and said basically "this driver tried to sexually assault my friend, do not get in a car with him." The attempted assault happened in DC, but I wrote/shared the post in MD (idk if that's relevant).

A ton of people shared it, it got back to the driver, and he messaged me on facebook saying I would "hear from his lawyer" (he didn't specify a type of suit). According to my friend, the car service fired him, but it was because she reported him, not because of my facebook post.

Does he actually have a case for defamation or something else? Should I preemptively contact a lawyer, or wait until I actually hear from his lawyer?

Answer:
 He may have a case. No need to do anything until you are sued.

That said, Let the police handle these sorts of things.  You didn't know anything, and the damage that a false accusation can cause is incalculable.  I'm not saying to not trust your friend, I'm just saying it's not your job to spread unverified accusations of a serious nature via the megaphone of social media.


Title: (Taiwan) Can a Husband or Wife Be Prevented From Visiting Their Spouse in a Nursing Home?

Question: My dad is separated from my mom (with Alzheimer's) but still legally married. My brother put my mom in a nursing home but told the home that no one else is allowed to visit unless my brother says yes. I don't know if my brother has POA. Can my dad get a lawyer to try to get a court appointed guardian for my mom? My mom is a US citizen and she use to live in her home in NYC. But my brother sent her away and moved into her home.

Answer:
 No one here is familiar with Taiwanese law, to my knowledge.

You can try to visit her in the nursing home, and if you're turned away because your brother didn't approve, contact a lawyer in Taiwan to look into the laws/policies surrounding elder care.  Your brother could have requested this, but the nursing home might not care.


Title: Telling a judge: "I move that the case be dismissed."

Question:
I was in court to fight a traffic ticket.  The cop didn't show up.  The judge said my case would have to be rescheduled. I said: "I move that the case be dismissed."  (Implying because the cop wasn't there, so there was no witness against me.)  The judge smirked and said: "No we give the police officers the ability to attend trainings when they need to."

Questions: 1) As a non-lawyer, was I right in asking that the case be dismissed since the cop wasn't there?  2) Do you think the training thing was a BS excuse for the cop not showing up?

P.S. The judge suggested I go plea to something lesser with the prosecutor which I did.  (Moving too fast for conditions.)

Answer:
 1. You can always ask. The judge can always say no.

2. Doesn't really matter what the officer's reasons for not being there was, court can and usually will be rescheduled to suit their needs.Answer #2: You had every right to ask.  The judge had every right to say no.


Title: Your Name Is Hearsay

Question:
PROSECUTION: Please state your name for the record.

DEFENSE: Objection, Your Honor, calls for hearsay.

THE COURT: Excuse me, counsel?

DEFENSE: I know this is unusual, Judge, but think about it: a person typically doesn't name him or herself. They are told their name, outside of court, by their parents. Now they're asked to repeat what they've been told, in court, to prove the truth of the matter asserted. That's black letter hearsay.

OK, Redditors of LAOT. What should the prosecutor's argument be? Obviously this is not a real thing, but equally obviously, the argument has some surface merit. What's the answer, aside from, "Get real and stop wasting the Court's time, sir!"

Answer:
 1. It is not being offered as evidence.  Hearsay rules don't apply. It is a routine record keeping matter.

2. Rule 807 residual exception with sufficient indicia of reliability.

3. Hearsay exception for personal or family history

4. Not offered for the truth of the matter asserted. Doesn't matter whether that's actually your name, only that it sufficiently identifies you


Title: Fired Over a Sweater

Question: I spoke with my boss who just fired me over ruining a patient's sweater. Because it was $300 the company had to pay for it. Since it was so expensive she had to fire me. Granted other home health aides have shrunk sweaters in the laundry just recently but not that expensive of sweaters. Other employees also have not been fired based on the rules in the company handbook. But I have been fired over a sweater shrinking. Do I have a case at all? I live in Dayton, OH.

Answer:
 Unless you have a contract that states you are not an at-will employee, you can be fired for any non-discriminatory reason.Answer #2: Ohio is one of the 49 states where employment is at-will by default. Without a union agreement or a binding contract controlling termination, you can be let go from your job at any time, for nearly any reason, without notice.

You can also quit at any time, for nearly any reason, without notice.

File for unemployment and start looking. Best of luck at your next job.


Title: Garage door broke halfway closed. tools and auto parts in the garage unprotected. landlord said may not get garage door technician until Monday. it is now Sunday around 3pm.

Question:
 I rent a single family house with a detached two car garage from a property management company. The lease is through the property management company,  who do not own the home but manage it on behalf of the owner. The lease is month to month, and I have never met the owner him/herself.

The electric opener has never worked since I move in 2 plus years ago,  but the door could be lifted and closed manually.  The prop mgmt were made aware of this on move in, made one failed attempt to fix it and never worked on it again. I was in the process of pushing it down closed when it popped off track on one side, causing two of the four heavy wood horizontal boards to hang in place. Two of the four glass windows on one board broke under the strain from twisting. The door is about 2 or 3 feet open and cannot be shut.

I store alot of tools in the garage, several truck wheels, lawn equipment,  a disassembled motor and a transmission. If the door cannot be shut, what responsibility does the landlord have to protect or move my property?

Answer: The landlord is obligated to fix the problem in a reasonable amount of time. Monday is perfectly reasonable. You can move your property elsewhere in the meantime.


Title: Neighbor keeps having cars towed from abandoned property because they like to use the parking spaces themselves (VA)

Question:
I’m basically wondering if it’s legal to have a tow truck called if a car is parked in someone else’s private property.  In our neighborhood we have assigned parking spots and one of the houses has been abandoned for a couple of years (as in, mortgage company has changed the locks and comes out every few months to do pest control and turn off pipes for winter, etc).  Previously this house was owned by a friend of another neighbor who obviously allowed them to park in their spots and now that the bank has taken over the house, other people have started parking in those spots.  This obviously bothers them as the cars who park there that don’t belong to their house mysteriously get towed, whereas they leave their cars parked there forever.  When a friend of mine was over today (parked in those spots) I watched the neighbors come home, see my friend in the spot, and immediately get on the phone without ever taking her eyes off my friends car.  I’m convinced she was preparing to call a tow truck as she was writing down information about my friend’s car.

Is this legal?  I live in an HOA and have asked about the house and the parking before and no one seems to care about the spots other than the neighbors that have been using it themselves, even though the HOA has told me that the bank owns the house now.  So can my neighbors legally have the tow truck out if it isn’t the owners themselves that called (since the bank certainly is not calling about a parking space)?

Answer: If they don't own it either can't you call the tow company on them and have their car towed?Answer #2: If the cars are on private property, they can be towed. It isn't expressly illegal to call if you aren't the owner. Anyone who believes the tow company acted contrary to the law would have to pursue relief against the tow company, not the caller. Do you know for certain the callers don't actually have permission to call/park there?


Title: Can I lie about the last four of my social temporarily?

Question:
I’m a consultant and so many 3rd party recruiters want the last 4 (or sometimes 5) of my social to create my “profile.” This isn’t uncommon, but they don’t need that until I’m actually employed. I’m in IT and I feel like the more places my information is out there will put me at greater risk for identity theft.

If I were to get an offer, I’d of course give them my real social. Even if I’m being paranoid, is there anything illegal about this?

Answer:
 Illegal usually means criminal. It’s not criminal to do this. The company/ recruiters can not like you doing this and not hire you because of this.Answer #2: Your best solution would be to tell them you are more than happy to disclose that at a later stage in the interview process. However, I suspect they are using it for background/credit checks, so probably wouldn’t get further into the interview process

Edit: Lying about you social security number is potentially some type of crime, and even if it’s not the employer would not be pleased to find out you had done so. You would likely not be hired.


Title: Threatened for urinating.

Question:
I was peeing behind a tree (was doing a school project and couldn't hold it so was trying my best to be discreet) at a public park and some guy that was passing by parked his truck got out and started yelling at me and told me that if I wasn't underage he would beat my ass (I was 17).
Looking back I wonder what would of happened if he actually hurt me and I was 18?
And what if I had concealed carry and killed him because he attacked me and was way bigger than me?

Answer:
 Please be aware that public urination is often a crime, and in some cases can land you on a sex offender registry. Plan better.Answer #2: Him beating you up, whether or not you were urinating in public and whether you are 17 or 18, would be battery.

The details of using lethal force in self-defense are *highly* dependent on the state and the situation. In general you need to have a reasonable fear for your life in order to use lethal force.

Although it wasn’t the point of your question, be aware that public urination is a crime and is (stupidly, IMO) often lumped with sex offenses. Not something you want to get busted for - hold it or find a toilet.Answer #3: That was assault.  If he'd hit you then it would have been assault and battery.  Doesn't matter how old you are.Answer #4: Imagine 1 adult comes up to another adult, and begins hitting them. Hard enough and consistently enough to be equivalent to "beating their ass". That'd be assault and battery. It doesn't matter if you're an adult, a minor, or a then-minor that has recently turned 18. Now imagine that the victim fights back on the assailant. That'd be a standard case of self-defense, and the details matter *a lot*.

And everyone else has mentioned the consequences of public urination. They are correct.


Title: Girlfriend accused of no call no show at work, check withheld for 1 week and forced to sign a paper (details inside)

Question:
She is being asked to sign a paper that says she no called no showed when she did call her job, say she was sick, had a doctors note, and spoke to a manager.

They withheld her monday check and suspended her for two days (mon/wed) and when she went back to work fri/sat they wouldn't give her the check.

They finally did today but sent her home and said they would call her if she is working tomorrow.

How is any of this legal, if she signs the paper saying she No-call no-showed, the next time she does it (or they claim she does it) she is terminated.

What legal action can we take, we are running out of money and with her not working we are going to starve and not be able to pay bills.

Answer:
 They gave her her check so there is no legal action. She can find another job. They have no legal requirement to give her hours or continue to employ her.

She is not required to sign anything. They can fire her for refusing.


Title: Part 2 of my last post, sexual abuse trial (texas)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You're all over the place in all of your posts, but that's understandable.

If you're served with a subpoena, show up to court on the time and date the subpoena tells you to.  And when you go to court just answer whatever you're asked truthfully.  That's all.


Title: Reporting child sexual abuse 20yrs later

Question: I discovered that Florida has no time limits on child sexual abuse. Myself and at least 3 other family members were abused by the perpetrator. Other family still don’t know and have children they leave in the care of this person. I want to come forward and report but live in another state now, as well as one of the other victims. Our abuse took place in different counties, within Florida. What would be the best course of action? Thank you for your time, in advance.

Answer:
 Go to the police and make a report.  You can encourage other victims to come forward.  You can also speak about your concerns to the other parents.

If any of the parents suspect their child has been abused, the child should speak to a child psychologist and the police about it.


Title: I have a stalker and there is a Getty Image of me with my new full name associated with it. (CO)

Question:
I’m not really sure if anything can be done about this. A few years ago, I was engaged to a man with some mental health problems. We’ll call him Todd. Todd was not a nice man and when I tried to get out of the relationship he very nearly killed me and I ended up miscarrying our child.

This resulted in me moving states (from Florida to Utah), getting a restraining order, and legally changing my name. Well, apparently that wasn’t enough because Todd found me in Utah. He was jailed for a short time for violating the restraining order but he should be out by now. In the time he was in jail I moved to Colorado and legally changed my name again.

About a month ago, I signed up to volunteer for a political campaign. I was involved in a canvassing event in downtown Denver. Sometime during this event my picture was taken. I have no idea how the photographer got my name. The image is now available when you search my latest name and I’m afraid my ex will be able to find me.

I’m probably just being paranoid but is there anything that can be done? I know I have no copyright claims to this image but is it possible to have my name removed? I’ve contacted Getty Images customer service several times and they have responded that the photographer and Getty Images have the right to the photograph and the description of the photograph.

Answer:
 Legally, the photographer had every right to take pictures in public, and to attach your current name to them.

If you are still that concerned about your pictures becoming public, you may be well advised to keep a lower profile in the future, since you may find yourself in similar undesirable situations in the future.

I would reach out to the photographer, explain the circumstances, and ask them to please remove the picture from their offerings.

Alternatively, I would inquire about purchasing the rights to the one picture and then removing it from Getty Images - they are unlikely to have sold it already.


Title: forced wage garnishing due to drawer shortages

Question:
a few nights ago i was at work (convenience store)
 and  ring  several  money orders  totaling over $2000.00.
 after a day off  i get called in early  by  the store owner  and he informs me that  the safe was short  by $100.00
 my drawer was perfect and there were no other overages/shortages on the other shifts
 after accusing me of theft and refusing to show me camera footage  of myself putting the money in the safe i am now apparently  culpable for this  loss

 what is the legality of  my employers actions and do i have legal recourse ?

 state of virginia city of portsmouth

Answer: You cannot be docked for till shortages. If your employer removes any money from your next check, report him to the VA Department of Labor. Be wary that just because the law keeps you from paying him doesn't mean he can't fire you over it.Answer #2: Not allowed.  Even if he saw you and you confessed.  He can file charges, sue you civilly, certainly fire you, but no unlawful deductions from paycheck.


Title: Bought a used car from the dealership and the clutch went out after 180 miles and they won’t take it back.

Question:
I am in desperate need of some advice. This is our first big purchase as adults which was a huge deal. We looked for this specific car for months and when we found one at a dealership in Flagstaff, Arizona two hours away we got very excited. We ended up purchasing the car on January 30th and drove it back home about 150 miles. On the way home the car felt slightly weird when I was driving but I thought it could just be my unfamiliarity with a turbo on a car. We got home parked it and didn’t use it again till the following day. Come New Years Eve we get ready to go out for the evening and at the first stoplight we notice something is really wrong, a few blocks later at the clutch goes out completely. This vehicle is a 2014 Subaru Wrx, and unless it was driven super hard by the previous owner it is a bit too early for the clutch to go out.
The following day since it was a major holiday we were unable to resolve anything, we wrote an email to the finance manager letting him know what happened and that we wanted to return the vehicle. Yesterday January 2nd we were finally able to speak to someone in the morning, they assured us it was no problem and they would take the car back, they said they would call back with a game plan. We then receive a call from the dealership manager pretty much saying the same thing that they will take care of us and take the car back. We don’t hear anything else for a few hours as it’s nearing end of business day I call for an update and I am told that they never said they’d take the car back, that I am on the hook for the clutch repair if we want to return the car...I’m stunned.  I clearly let them know that we do not want this vehicle even if it is repaired. The are not playing ball and are being rude/aggressive on the phone. Please help!

Answer:
 You're the one that purchased the car. You should've had an independent mechanic inspect the car, especially a Subie WRX...anecdotally, the only times I see those driven are by the types of drivers that are *extremely* hard on the clutch.

That said, speak with the dealership manager again. It was two hours away, find somehow to go down there and make this an in-person issue (while still being polite), because unless they *knew* about the defect and *deliberately hid* the defect because they knew about it...you're going to be on the hook for this if you live in an "as-is" state.


Title: Sugar Daddy Dilemma

Question:
Since April, i have been messaging an American sugar daddy. thinking nothing would occur. i tried to cut it off last month and i thought i did but clearly not.
Yesterday he emailed me that he had put £1100 in, i once again didn’t think anything of it because he hadn’t. today i woke up with that money in my account. Out of excitement i stupidly spent half of it on concert tickets, which i have tried to relist to get the money back but its not happened yet. I started crying out of fear and contacted my bank im which they recommended me to ring them to refund this money but i cannot do so unless i have the full amount. im scared this money is fraudulent and i could be in trouble. what do i do?

Answer:
 If the transfer is fraudulent and is reversed, you will have to pay back the money to your bank. It is incredibly unlikely that you would be charged with anything criminal.Answer #2: >  im scared this money is fraudulent and i could be in trouble.

If it was sent fraudulently, the money will be removed from your account and you'll be forced to pay for any remaining negative balance.


Title: What happens if I order something online that is marked as, "legal," but it is in fact not? Am I to blame or can I claim ignorance/false advertising?

Question: Specifically RCs. Super specifically, synthetic cannabinoids.

Answer: You can claim anything you want.  You can still be arrested.  Ignorance of the law is not a defense.  Depending on the wording of the statute, it may need to be proven that you intended to smoke them or what have you (which clearly you do).  Honestly, just buy weed if you're going to smoke.  In IL at least, 2 grams of weed is a Class C misdemeanor, whereas 2 grams of a controlled synthetic cannabinoid is a Class 3 felony.  I love seeing the looks on stoners faces when I tell them they are being charged with a felony for having 'herbal incense'.


Title: Plaintiff's attorney did not respond to my settlement offer, resulted in default judgement.

Question:
I was sued in a local municipal court over an unpaid bill. I wasn't aware of the unpaid bill, so I reached out to the plaintiff's attorney via email to settle the matter. The attorney responded that they would take a settlement offer to their client.

I responded with a proposal to debt in three payments over 60 days.

The plaintiff's attorney did not respond.

A few days ago I rec'd notice of a default judgement against me that included the original debt, interest, and attorney's fees.

What can I do? Should I file a complaint with the bar association?

Answer: Trying to settle the case didnt change the fact that you were obligated to respond to the law suit. You didn't respond by filing an answer and/or appearing at the court date. They got a default judgment against you. That is the way defaults work. Answer #2: You don’t have any basis for a bar complaint.  You should have filed an answer.  Sending a settlement offer doesn’t relieve you of your obligation to file an answer.


Title: Can I get arrested for going to the hospital due to a alcohol/drug overdose?

Question:
My friends and I were debating this. Can I get arrested if I go to the hospital due to an underage alcohol overdose or a drug overdose? What if I call 911 and have a ambulance deliver me? This is in California
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 You can. But the alternative in that situation is facing death.

Please tell all of your friends that many jurisdictions (California included) the person calling 911 can not get in trouble if they themselves are under the influence.

Save your friends life first.


Title: [UK] I was moments away from being arrested in a drug dealers car

Question:
Hey LegalAdvice,

My long term dealer was arrested yesterday outside my apartment just before I went out to meet him. I asked him to give me a heads up when he was on his way, this never happened and he ended up waiting about 10 minutes. When I arrived he was in cuffs with the police emptying his vehicle. They gutted his car and took him off leaving his car at the end of the road. The twist is that roughly 24 hours later the dealer (?) calls me twice from his phone- I didn’t pick up.

So would I be at risk of arrest? What’s the likelihood he’s been released from custody vs. the police calling his contacts?

Answer: Anything anyone here said would be total speculation.  We cannot possibly know what the police are thinking or what they plan to do.  That said if you know that someone who you engaged in criminal activity with has been arrested it’s probably prudent to retain a solicitor.


Title: (Texas) My girlfriend and I are having a baby we are not married yet but we are being asked about the baby's last name.

Question: My question or questions are what is the process and maybe cost if the baby has my girlfriend's last name and change it later to mine when we get married, Would we need a lawyer? Would hyphenated name with both last names and then changing it work better? We also talked about just getting married through the gov., would that be easier? Or just keep my last name?

Answer: As something for thought. If you are married when the child is born, you are what's called the "presumed father." You are automatically the child's parent and need to take no further action to establish your rights. However, if you are not married, you are not a legal parent and have no rights until you take affirmative steps, such as signing an acknowledgment of paternity. They should present you with that paperwork at the hospital. If you plan on getting a DNA test to confirm the child's paternity, do not sign the AOP. Signing that makes you the legal father and undoing that can be extremely difficult.


Title: Towing company taking advantage of me in Seattle

Question:
Hey everyone, I'm coming here because I honestly have no idea what to do, so here is the story:

My friend lost keys to a junk van and it would cost way too much to have new keys made. While trying to figure out what to do with the van, it was towed and brought to a towing company that charges $25 per day of storing the vehicle. I call the company up and the person on the phone tells me the abandoned vehicle process; they hold the van until the end of the month in which an auction takes place to sell the vehicle. The auction price is then deducted from the storage fees. He says by the end of this, I'll probably have about an $800 - $1000 bill. This sucks, but it is the only option since I don't have keys to move the van.

Two months roll by and I'm starting to wonder why I haven't gotten a bill yet. I call the company and they now say that since the van didn't have license plates (something they knew the first time I called) they had to register it in the state of Washington. I'm not ok with this, so I ask if I can speak to someone with the authority to talk about this. He transfers me to his supervisor where it goes to voicemail. I leave one asking for him to call me back.

Over the course of the next month, I called a few more times with the same results, transfers, voicemail's, and no returned calls. (I have been recording all of my attempts in a google doc.)

Now we are in the present and the final bill has been sent. They held the van for 106 days racking up a bill of $2700 that is due at the end of this week. I have called multiple times every day and am still getting the same results; transfers, voicemail's, and no returned calls.

I don't know what to do now. I know I owe money, but I feel like they are borderline extorting me with this business practice. I don't have the funds to pay the bill, nor do I believe I should right now. If I don't, they will probably give my debt to a collections agency, ruining my credit. Is there any legal actions I should be taking or other actions I haven't thought of yet?

tldr: Towing company is holding my van, tells me they hold it for one month and sell it in an auction. Ends up holding it for 3.5 months racking up an astronomical bill of $2700 and won't answer or return my calls. Bill is due at the end of this week.

Edit: I understand I will have to pay a large sum, probably all of this. The towing company has an option to do a payment plan, which I need to do due to lack of funds. I'm worried that I can't pay this and no one will set up the payment plan with me.

Answer:
 >dr: Towing company is holding my van, tells me they hold it for one month and sell it in an auction. Ends up holding it for 3.5 months racking up an astronomical bill of $2700 and won't answer or return my calls. Bill is due at the end of this week.

What were the circumstances of the towing? Public street or private property? It probably doesn't matter, but small chance it would be to your benefit depending on the circumstances.

>My friend lost keys to a junk van and it would cost way too much to have new keys made. While trying to figure out what to do with the van, it was towed and brought to a towing company that charges $25 per day of storing the vehicle. I call the company up and the person on the phone tells me the abandoned vehicle process; they hold the van until the end of the month in which an auction takes place to sell the vehicle. The auction price is then deducted from the storage fees. He says by the end of this, I'll probably have about an $800 - $1000 bill.

Why are you receiving the bill for your friend's van? That doesn't make any sense.

>Is there any legal actions I should be taking or other actions I haven't thought of yet?

You don't have much recourse here. If you had grounds to sue to towing company, you vastly reduced those chances to about zero by not mitigating your damages when you first discovered the vehicle was towed.


Title: [PA] I got a letter from a debt collector today trying to collect charges that I disputed 6 months ago.

Question:
I moved out of my old apartment back in the spring, and after moving out, I got a bill for $769 from my landlord. About $500 of this was expected from early termination fees, but there were over $200 in various cleaning and damage charges. I already spent about $100 to get the apartment professionally cleaned before moving out and there were no damages that I was aware of when I moved out.

I then tried contacting my landlord multiple times via email asking for further clarification or proof on the extra charges, stating that I wasn't going to pay any balances until they justified the charges or dropped them, and I never got any responses from them. Fast forward 6 months to today. I got a letter in the mail today from a debt collecter asking for the full balance of what I owed including the various cleaning/damage charges. I called the debt collector's office to dispute it but I believe they are closed and I won't hear back from them until Monday.

Am I in the wrong here for wanting some sort of further justification for these charges? I have never really been in this type of situation before so I don't really know what to do. thanks for any help you can provide. I am located in Pennsylvania.

Answer: Send a letter to the collector demanding validation of the debt.


Title: [Boston, MA] I received a summons to appear in court (jury trial) as a witness after I reported someone masturbating in public outside my apartment. What can I expect?

Question:
Description of the original incident can be found here: http://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromosomes/comments/29by3r/i_caught_a_dude_jerking_off_in_his_car_outside_my/

**A quick summary for anyone too lazy to click the link:** In July 2014, I witnessed an adult male masturbating in his car directly outside my apartment building. His car was parked literally in front of my front door/entry way, and I witnessed him stroking his genitals, with his penis out of his pants. Young children were playing in a park across the street, less than 100 ft away. I called the police and filed a report.

Events that have occurred since that post:

* In addition to ID'ing the perpetrator in a photo for a detective who came to my apartment (as mentioned in the original post linked above) the day after the incident, I also physically went to my local police station, where I ID'd the guy in another series of photos. This occurred ~1 month later. I did this at the request of the local police department.
* I received paperwork in the mail naming the defendant and informing me that charges were filed.
* I Googled the defendant's name and learned that he is a repeat sex-offender in the area and has also been convicted of petty theft.
* I declined to fill out a "victim impact statement."
* I have received a series of phone calls from a victim advocate informing me of the case's progress. Apparently there has been at least one other court hearing (from what I can remember), and the defendant has also attended some kind of "rehabilitation program." I really have no idea if the program is related to his sex crimes or possibly something else. I'm not sure if this detail is relevant, but the rehab program apparently delayed one of his court hearings, according to my victim advocate.

At this juncture, I should note that my victim advocate has awful timing. I work in software sales and routinely work 50-60 hour weeks. She always calls me right before she leaves the office, around 4 pm. I return her calls as soon as I can, but it's usually after 5 pm. It takes me several days to actually catch her on the phone, which is very frustrating.

On Monday, my victim advocate called and left me a message letting me know that I will receive a summons in the mail to appear in court on March 31 as a witness in this case. I am currently out of state on vacation and have tried to call her back several times throughout the week to no avail. To her credit, she did try to return my phone calls on Wednesday and left a voice mail, but I still haven't been able to get her on the phone.

I am very, very stressed out about appearing in court. The defendant does not have confirmation that it was me specifically that reported him, though I'm sure he could probably figure that out on his own. I am very afraid he will seek revenge. He knows what I look like and where I live. The fact that he has been convicted of petty theft really worries me - I'm concerned that he will try to break into my apartment or something much worse.

To make matters worse, I just received a major promotion at work, effective Monday. I really do not want to take an entire day off work (March 31 is the court date) so soon after taking on an increase in responsibilities and workload. If there is any way for me to get out of appearing in court, I would be thrilled, but I don't know if that's even an option.

Since I can't get a hold of my victim advocate, I really don't know what to expect. In her message, the victim advocate said it was a "jury trial." I don't know if the defendant has some sort of "right to face his accuser" - is that really a thing, or is that something that only happens in TV shows? I don't know if he will be in the court room with me, if the court date will take up my entire work day, if I'm going to be cross-examined by some scummy lawyer straight out of Law & Order: SVU who is going to question my credibility, etc. etc.

Can anyone with experience in these matters shed some light on what I have gotten myself into by being a good samaritan and reporting a sex offender? I really, greatly appreciate anyone who can provide relevant input. I've been stressing out all week (despite being in Palm Beach vacationing) and could really use some insight going into the weekend. Thank you in advance :)

**TL;DR:** I witnessed some masturbating in a semi-public place back in July, reported it, and am now being summoned to court as a witness. What can I expect?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Yes, the defendant will be in court during the trial.

You will be questioned by both the prosecutor and the defense lawyer.

Here is the secret to successful courtroom testimony:

Just answer the questions asked of you honestly.

Take any concern or desire you have to see the case have any particular outcome and leave it outside the courtroom.  You don't care (while you are testifying) what happens with the case.  If he walks free, not your problem.  All you do is answer the questions.

If you don't remember, say so.  It's okay.  If you don't understand the question, say so.  It's okay.  Take a second to think about your answer before you start talking.  That will let you compose your thoughts and allow the attorneys a chance to object to the question before you get started.

Just relax- you'll be fine.

Does that make sense?


Title: I sell fanart and someone is distributing my fanart without my permission.

Question:
I live in the US. Southern California.

 I make 3d models as fanart and sell the models to 3d printers. Somebody got access to my models and is distributing them. He claims because I don't own the IP that I give up all rights to my work and files. I understand if I can't sell them due to legal reasons but does it also mean I don't own the files either?

Answer:
 Make a copyright claim.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act.


Title: Debt collector keeps contacting us for a debt that is no longer owed/not valid

Question:
In March my now husband and I moved out of our old apartment. We had a walk-through done and was told in writing that the apartment looks good and there will be no further charges except for the final water bill, which they will mail to us.

A month later (April) we received a bill from them with the $40 water bill plus a charge for "carpet stains" of $60. It took us a couple of weeks to dispute the charges in writing but ultimately by the end of May they agreed to take off the $60 charge. We paid the $40 for water and they deposited that check.

A week after that was done we received a letter from a third party collection agency claiming that we owe them $100... looks like the date stamp was before the dispute with the apartment was resolved. We wrote them letter via certified mail that the debt is not valid including records between the apartment and us that 1) the $60 was taken off and 2) the $40 was already paid to apartment and they cashed the check. We told them in the letter to not contact us again.

Yesterday we received another letter from the agency with another collection notice. Basically attaching the old invoice that was dated April for $100 with the note "this is an attempt to collect debt". Basically it seems like they didn't read our dispute letter at all? They didn't try to contact the apartment for an updated invoice?

What can we do from now on? Keep writing back to them? I tried calling the old apartment and no one is picking up. I know $100 isn't a whole lot in the scheme of things but we don't want to pay for something we do not owe. And we are afraid they go after our credit

How can we get them off our back? We can write them back another letter but wanted to make sure we are using the right language

Summary: how to correctly get the debt collector from leaving us alone for a debt that is no longer valid.

Answer:
 Did you state in your original reply to stop contacting you completely, or just to contact you in writing? If you wrote to stop all contact and they ignored you, then you sue them for a violation of the FDCPA in small claims court. You are due actual damages, plus $1000 statutory damages for their violation of your request for them to not contact you at all.

If you didn't state you wanted no contact, then you need to send another letter stating that you want NO CONTACT from them at all, and that if you discover that they have negatively reported to any consumer credit reporting agency, you will exercise all available remedies under the FDCPA and FCRA. Then pull your credit in 30 - 45 days, and follow through if they have.

If you google fdcpa form letter you can find some good examples of these letters. Just read it to make sure you understand what you are communicating.

Cheers!


Title: Bank sold my wife's home loan after bankruptcy and now we can't get a house.

Question:
Hello Legal advice.

Let's start from the beginning. Before my wife and i were together she had a house with her Ex. To make it short and sweet he had past away due to an illness. This left her struggling to afford her house and all of the debt they had together, in the end she had to file bankruptcy. This was in 2011, her home was owned by bank of america. Four days after her bankruptcy closed bank of america sold the loan to everhome mortgage.

fast forward a year later and we decide to start dating (childhood friends so i was there through most of it with her.) She started to receive threatening calls from everhome saying she owed them the amount of her house in full and they would be taking legal action. The house at this point was even still showing on her credit. At this point she was freaking out and contacted her bankruptcy lawyer, they sent a letter with all of the proof showing the bank that she had declared bankruptcy and that it was closed. After a few more letters the calls stopped happening and everything died down. She was also able to talk to the credit companies and get her house removed.

Fast forward once again, We have since then had a child and decided to finally get more space and get a house. We were approved went through the whole process even got access to grants to assist with a down payment. Everything was good until the last FHA check, there they noticed that her house was foreclosed on July 2013 (remember her bankruptcy was in 2011 and issue with everhome was in 2012) So since she was now showing a foreclosure on the house FHA has refused to let us take out a loan until July 21'st 2016 due to their 3 year rule on foreclosure. We did everything we could to fight the good fight but still lost out and now we are stuck until July.

Do we have any legal action we can take against bank of utah for Selling the loan after bankruptcy and everhome for foreclosing on said loan 2 years after they received the loan?

Thanks for all the future help!
EDIT: She surrendered the house when she filed for bankruptcy.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 >Do we have any legal action we can take against bank of utah for Selling the loan after bankruptcy and everhome for foreclosing on said loan 2 years after they received the loan?

Maybe. I'm not sure. You should talk with an attorney right away.

Aside from that, I'd be disputing the forclosure on the credit and providing all of the bankruptcy discharge paperwork. I might even have another bankruptcy attorney review the paperwork for accuracy. If it was included in bankruptcy it should not be showing up as a foreclosure years later.

Edit: I would also file a complaint with the CFPB. http://www.consumerfinance.gov/Answer #2: To keep the house during the bankruptcy (which it sounds like she did), she must have signed a reaffirmation agreement, which means that some (or all) of the mortgage debt would not have been discharged. Which - if it happened - means selling the loan would have been OK.Answer #3: Obligatory IANAL.

If this was a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, the discharge only removed your wife's obligation to repay the loan.  It did not remove the loan owners valid lien on the property.  They are able to continue doing things like transfer servicers, purchase forced placed insurance, and generally do anything allowed under the Security Instrument to protect their interest in the property.

My understanding is that though not obligated to pay the debt, your wife remained the owner of the property until the loan foreclosed and the ownership reverted back to the loan owner.

Everhome may not have had control over how long the foreclosure took.  Depending on the state you are in and the applicable laws,  completing a foreclosure may only go as fast as the courts allow.


Title: Can a job fire me because of my hair?

Question:
Hi there. So I've done some light googling on this subject and am not pleased with the results but basically, here's my situation.

I'm a bartender in NYC. I applied for a bartending job at a very fancy restaurant. On my resume is a picture of myself and my hair color which is purple in full color. Everything on my resume is printed in color. You can clearly see my hair color. I was brought in for two interviews. My hair color was never brought up. I was hired and began a two week training period with the restaurant. Still no mention of my hair, at all.
Last night, I was working the bar for the first time by myself and a manager came up to me and said he just realized my hair was in fact purple and that "There is no place for that here."

Now, I know employers can enforce dress codes upon their employees which I have followed to a T. When I interviewed, it was daytime, in a bright sunlit room. Why now is this a problem? Is it worth bringing up that I looked this way during all my interviews and training? That my picture on my resume shows my hair color? Do I have any leg to stand on in this at all? I've now been at the job 3 weeks and have left my previous job for this one. I really don't want to start job hunting again.

Answer:
 Purple hair people are not a protected class.  Yes, they can fire you.

As for your other questions.  Why not ask them why they hired you with purple hair?  It's anyone here's guess, but Management would know the real answers.

> I really don't want to start job hunting again.

There may be a way to save your job.  Were you fired or given the opportunity to change it to a normal color?Answer #2: You could speak with your managers and ask why it is suddenly now a problem when you looked like this before and during your interview process.

Could be someone higher up who wasn't involved with hiring you dislikes it.

But yes, you could be fired for it, and if you are, you should apply for unemployment benefits.Answer #3: >  Is it worth bringing up that I looked this way during all my interviews and training? That my picture on my resume shows my hair color?

No, because neither are relevant.  Presuming you don't have an employment contract, you can be fired for any non-discriminatory reason.  That includes hair color.  And they can change those reasons at any time - or have *no* reason if they prefer.

If you want to keep the job, change your hair color.


Title: Ticketed going 97 in a 65 in California. What now?

Question: The officer didn’t write me up for a misdemeanor. I’m 17 and this is my first ticket. How much will I likely have to pay and what other consequences could I face?

Answer: Tell your parents, expect your insurance bill to explode, and go from there.


Title: a modelling company just threatened to sue me for featuring them on a section on my website that details abuse from modelling companies

Question:
(I'm in the USA, the person wanting to sue is from Michigan but the site featured places from there, LA, NYC)

So on my old website I used to have a section where women could post abuse or wrong doing by modelling companies, casting, so on and so forth as a way to warn others and let them know before they go in if they so decide what to look out for.

I'm not a journalist or a lawyer, however, I even had a policy that I wouldn't do the post naming names unless I got two stories, from two different people that didn't know each other, and details matched.

Sadly that was often the case where Abigail from Utah, and Mary from Michigan, living on opposite sides of the city, no mutuals even would both go in, be able to describe the place, who they talked to, and what they did, whether it was pitching them for porn when that wasn't what they agreed upon, aggressive stuff, sexual assault, creepy stuff, specific fetishes mentioned.

Sometimes these wouldn't even be real companies and be flat out scams to take advantage of young naive people. (Some ridiculous as running an ad casting for a "bond movie" out of an econolodge) These are all alleged but I believe I was thorough enough to say publicly "this is what multiple people allege them of, here are there stories quoted verbatim"

When I shut the site down I moved some of the big offenders to medium and one of them contacted me today asking for my personal information and implying they would sue.

https://imgur.com/a/TW13q
Now it's been years, and the women were kept anonymous in the allegations they wrote. So I wouldn't even really know how to contact them to prove they said anything.

But I also don't want to throw those women under the bus, or future women.

I'm just wondering how I should look at this/deal with this. I'm not caving, but I'm just a small time musician/former model that couldn't really lawyer up and no time to see it through if need be.

Answer: Well you are definitely under no obligation to give him your address, or to communicate with him in any way. Those txts are just trying to intimidate you.


Title: My nails are ruined (some of them)

Question: I used a body powder on my...body and some got on my finger nails while applying it. [https://imgur.com/a/QC78Qam](https://imgur.com/a/QC78Qam) are images of the nails affected. I can't find an attorney in my area interested in taking my case. I can prove it was the body powder by ruining another nail if necessary. I got a letter in the mail today from the company stating they are not responsible. People have accused me of being on drugs because of my nails. A former employer said "if that nail gets any worse I'm going to have to let you go." Which was understandable because we were around food. The nail has gotten worse but I left that job due to a conflict with my brother when he was drunk. I was living in his house. He said a lot of things that night but he made sure I knew he didn't believe me that a body powder does this to nails. Maybe I'm a rare case. A friend of mine that has worked in an attorney office says my case is potentially worth 25-50k+. It's caused me to not be able to work in food anymore. Every time I go outside I feel embarrassed and feel like I have to hide my nails. I should probably just start wearing gloves year round. Women are all disgusted when they see my nails and none are willing to ignore it. One of my dates said "You're sweet but your nails are a deal breaker I'm really sorry." I just don't even want to go outside anymore.

Answer:
 Honestly that looks a LOT like either psoriasis of the nail or some sort of fungal nail infection (my father has severe nail psoriasis and they look like a way more extreme version of your fingernails on a good day). If you haven't already been to a doctor then I'd go get a solid diagnosis before you do anything else.

If it's a fungal nail infection and you can prove the body powder was the source of contamination then there could possibly be cause for a suit, but psoriasis is caused by an immune system problem and is highly unlikely to be related to the powder.


Title: (California) roommate let in squatter, now I'm homeless

Question:
I'm renting a 2 bedroom in LA and got a new roommate, who signed a lease and got approved by the management company. 6 months later she said she was going away for a month and gave her keys to "a friend" who may stay a few nights. A month later, she never returned. She told me via Facebook messenger that she'd be back in a few weeks for a while, then said this friend wanted to sign on to the lease. I told my roommate I wasn't comfortable with her friend doing that. About a week before the end of my roommate's lease, I told her "friend" that she had to leave, since I needed a new roommate and she wouldn't let anyone see her room. I asked for the keys and she assaulted me, throwing me on the ground and then calling the police saying I'd attacked her. The police came and threatened to arrest both of us, I cleared out and got a restraining order. Despite this, I couldn't get her out of the apartment and I no longer feel safe there. As of July 1, my roommate no longer is on the lease, but the squatter won't leave. My actual roommate and I have told her many times to go, the police came by 4 other times and even threatened to arrest her, and the management company has served her a 3 days notice. She's still there and it's become clear to me that she squats habitually-- she knows the laws too well.

Questions--
1. What can I do to get rent and damages from the roommate who let her in? What kind of lawyer would handle this?
2. The management knew about the squatter and hasn't acted. Is there anything I can get them to do?
3. Are there any other options besides the management evicting me and my roommate (the people on the lease) to get her out?

Answer:
 Someone allowed to live in the apartment with permission of a tenant is not a squatter--they are a subtenant. A squatter is someone who inhabits an uninhabited property without permission. This person clearly had permission since they were given the keys by a tenant.

As to your questions

1. Did the roommate fail to pay rent owed for the time period they were on the lease? If so, and you covered for them you can sue them for what you had to pay to cover them. (I'm assuming both of you were on the same lease here.) If the amount is low enough, you can do it in small claims court without a lawyer. Otherwise, it's simple enough that any lawyer who does contract litigation can handle. Beyond rent, I'm not sure what damages you might be talking about.

2. You said they served the "squatter" a three day notice. That's acting! They have started the process to evict her. That's all they can do.

3. I'm confused -- is the 3 day notice directed to you or just to the "squatter"? Also, you say your roommate is no longer on the lease. How did that happen? Who is on the lease now? Just you?